Vehicle Gear Selection Control

What is this patent about?

’230 is related to the field of motor vehicle control systems, specifically those that automate gear selection. Traditional vehicles require drivers to manually select forward or reverse using a lever, buttons, or touchscreen controls. This patent addresses the inconvenience and potential distraction of manual gear selection, especially during common maneuvers like unparking.

The underlying idea behind ’230 is to automatically determine the desired driving direction (forward or reverse) based on the driver's steering wheel movements. Instead of requiring the driver to explicitly select a gear, the system infers the intended direction from the pattern of steering inputs, streamlining the driving experience.

The claims of ’230 focus on a motor vehicle equipped with a controller that analyzes steering angle movements to select the driving direction. The controller drives the wheels forward or backward based on this analysis, eliminating the need for the driver to manually indicate the desired direction . Claim 18 further refines this by basing the offer of an auto-shift on factors like time traveled, distance, speed, steering angle, or vehicle location.

In practice, the system monitors the steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. When the vehicle is backing out of a parking space, the controller recognizes the characteristic steering pattern (reversing with a turn, then stopping). Based on this pattern, the system automatically shifts the vehicle into drive or proposes an auto-shift, requiring only a simple confirmation from the driver (like a tap on the brake pedal). This is particularly useful in scenarios like unparking from perpendicular parking spaces.

This approach differs from prior systems that rely on explicit driver input for gear selection or that only propose a direction when initially proceeding from a parked condition. By analyzing steering patterns , the system can anticipate the driver's intention and automate gear changes during more complex maneuvers, such as those involving changes of direction while underway. This reduces driver workload and distraction, potentially improving safety and convenience.