Control method and control unit for a drivetrain

A method of operating a drive-train having a first drive source (20), a second drive source (2), a manual transmission (1) with a planetary gearset (22) that has elements of a ring gear (HR), a web gear (ST) and a sun gear (SR), and a drive output (21), the manual transmission (1) being designed as a power-branched transmission such that:

• from the first drive source (20), drive torque is deliverable to the drive output (21) by way of a first load path of the manual transmission (1), the first load path having at least two shiftable gears;
• from the second drive source (2), at least by way of the second load path, which is independent of the first load path of the manual transmission (1), drive torque is deliverable to the drive output (21), the second load path having at least one shiftable gear;
• and the first drive source (20) is couplable to a first element of the planetary gearset (22), the second drive source (2) is coupled to a second element of the planetary gearset (22) and the manual transmission (1) is coupled to the web gear (ST) of the planetary gearset (22), the method comprising:
• when, in order to start, delivering torque to the drive output (21) first by way of the second load path in a gear of the second load path;
• thereafter delivering torque to the drive output (21) by way of the first bad path in a gear of the first load path, which has a gear ratio different from a gear ratio of the gear in the second load path;
• and
• before a change from the second load path to the first load path, changing the torque applied at the web gear (ST) of the planetary gearset (22) such that if torque desired by a driver is unchanged and despite the change from the second load path to the first load path, the torque acting at the drive output (21) is either constant or approximately constant.

A control unit (EC) of a drive-train comprising:

• a first drive source (20),
• a second drive source (2),
• a manual transmission (1),
• a planetary gearset (22) having elements of a ring gear (HR), a web gear (ST) and a sun gear (SG),
• a drive output (21),
• the manual transmission (1) being designed as a power-branched transmission with a plurality of load paths,
• from the first drive source (20) drive torque being deliverable to the drive output (21) at least by way of a first load path of the manual transmission (1), and the first load path having at least two shiftable gears,
• from the second drive source (2) drive torque being delivered to the drive output (21) at least by way of a second load path of the manual transmission (1), the second load path being independent of the first load path, and the second load path having at least one shiftable gear,
• the first drive source (20) being couplable to a first element of the planetary gearset (22), the second drive source (2) being coupled to a second element of the planetary gearset (22), and the manual transmission (1) being coupled to the web gear (ST) the planetary gearset (22), and
• when, in order to start, drive torque is delivered to the drive output (21) by way of the second load path in a gear of the second load path and thereafter the drive torque is delivered to the drive output by way of the first load path in a gear of the first load path, a gear ratio of the gear of the first gear path is different from a gear ratio of the gear of the second load path, then before a change from the second load path to the first load path, the control unit (EC) changes the torque applied at the web gear (ST) of the planetary gearset (22) by controlling at least one of the second drive source and the first drive source such that if a torque desired by a driver is unchanged, then despite the change from the second load path to the first load path, the drive torque delivered to the drive output remains either constant or approximately constant.

A method of operating a drive-train of a vehicle for starting the vehicle, the drive-train having first and second drive sources, a drive output, and a manual transmission having a planetary gearset that has elements of a ring gear, a web gear and a sun gear, the method comprising:

• designing the manual transmission as a power-branched transmission having first and second load paths such that drive torque from the first drive source being deliverable to the drive output by the first load path, the first load path having at least first and second shiftable gears, and drive torque from the second drive source being deliverable to the drive output by the second load path, the second load path having at least a third shiftable gear and being independent of the first load path, the first drive source being couplable to a first element of the planetary gearset, the second drive source being coupled to a second element of the planetary gearset, and the manual transmission being is coupled to the web of the planetary gearset;
• initially delivering the drive torque to the drive output via the third shiftable gear of the second load path;
• subsequently, delivering the drive torque to the drive output via the first shiftable gear of the first load path, the first shiftable gear of the first load path having a gear ratio that is different than a gear ratio of the third shiftable gear of the second load path;
• and
• changing drive torque applied at the web of the planetary gearset by the second load path, prior to delivering the drive torque to the drive output via the first shiftable gear of the first load path, when drive torque desired by a driver is unchanging, such that the drive torque delivered to the drive output is at least substantially constant during a change of delivering the drive torque from the second load path to the first load path.