# US 10,309,534 B2 · Control device in a motor vehicle having an electronically controllable automatic transmission in the application case of a car wash > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,309,534 B2 - Document ID: US10309534B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/786,655 - Filed: 2017-10-18 - Published: 2018-02-08 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-12 - Assignees: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft - Applicants: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft - Inventors: Christopher Wagner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309534B2 ## CPC - F16H 63/50: Signals to an engine or motor - B60S 3/00: Vehicle cleaning apparatus not integral with vehicles (cleaning in general B08B; cleaning peculiar to waterborne vessels B63B57/00, B63B59/00; ground equipment for cleaning aircraft B64F5/30) - B60W 10/04: including control of propulsion units - B60W 10/06: including control of combustion engines - B60W 10/10: including control of change-speed gearings - F02N 11/0822: {related to action of the driver} - F02N 11/0833: {Vehicle conditions (F02N11/0822, F02N11/0825 take precedence)} - F16H 59/0204: {for automatic transmissions with means for range selection and manual shifting, e.g. range selector with tiptronic} - F16H 63/40: comprising signals other than signals for actuating the final output mechanisms - F02N 2200/0802: Transmission state, e.g. gear ratio or neutral state - F02N 2200/102: Brake pedal position - F02N 2200/12: said parameters being related to the vehicle exterior - F16H 2312/20: Start-up or shut-down - Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems - F16H: GEARING - B60S: SERVICING, CLEANING, REPAIRING, SUPPORTING, LIFTING, OR MANOEUVRING OF VEHICLES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B60W: CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT - F02N: STARTING OF COMBUSTION ENGINES; STARTING AIDS FOR SUCH ENGINES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A control device is provided for a motor vehicle having an electronically controllable automatic transmission, an electronic transmission selector lever and an electronic control unit. The control unit, which may be the transmission control unit, has a car wash functional module such that, after activation of the car wash functional module, the following steps are permitted at least once and/or at least for a predefined limited time, in each case without activation of the brake pedal: shutting down of the engine in the transmission selector lever position “N”; a subsequent restart of the engine in the transmission selector lever position “N”; and a changeover from the transmission selector lever position “N” to “D”. The car wash functional module can be activated or deactivated by the driver at his discretion via a display operator control element. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A control device in a motor vehicle equipped with an electronically controllable automatic transmission and an electronic transmission selector lever, comprising: an electronic control unit comprising a car-wash functional module, wherein the car-wash functional module is executed such that, after activation of the car-wash functional module, the following actions are permissible at least once and/or at least for a predetermined time period in each case without requiring actuation of a brake pedal of the motor vehicle: a shutdown of an engine of the motor vehicle in a position “N” of the electronic transmission selector lever; a subsequent restart of the engine in the position “N” of the electronic transmission selector lever, and a change from the position “N” to a position “D” of the electronic transmission selector lever. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: an interface with a display operating element, wherein the car-wash functional module is activatable via the interface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The control device according to claim 1, wherein the car-wash functional module is activatable automatically via a change from automatic gear selection position “D” to position “N” and a subsequent manual shutdown of the engine. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The control device according to claim 1, further comprising: a monitoring device that monitors for a presence of a driver of the motor vehicle, wherein a transmission parking lock assigned to a position “P” of the electronic transmission selector lever is engaged automatically if the presence of the driver is not detected. ### Claim 5 A method of operating a car-wash function of an electronic control unit of a motor vehicle equipped with an electronically controllable automatic transmission and an electronic transmission selector lever, the method comprising the acts of: following activation of the car-wash function of the electronic control unit, permitting the following actions at least once and/or at least for a predetermined time period without requiring actuation of a brake pedal of the motor vehicle: a) shutting down of an engine of the motor vehicle in a neutral position of the transmission selector lever, b) subsequently restarting the engine in the neutral position of the transmission selector lever, and c) allowing a change from the neutral transmission selector lever position to a drive position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, further comprising the act of: activating the car-wash function via a display operating element in the motor vehicle. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, further comprising the act of: activating the car-wash function automatically via a change from an automatic gear selection drive position to the neutral position and a subsequent manual shutting down of the engine. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, further comprising the acts of: monitoring for a presence or absence of the driver in the vehicle; and engaging automatically a transmission parking lock assigned to a park position of the transmission selector lever if the presence of the driver is not detected.