Auxiliary brake control for automotive vehicles particularly having automatic transmissions

Claim 1

Auxiliary braking control apparatus for automotive vehicles, particularly having automatic transmissions, to derive a control signal indicative of a. position of engine speed controller (14) and b. vehicle motion, comprising a potentiometer (31) coupled to the engine speed controller (14) and changing slider position representative of engine speed controller position, the slider on the potentiometer (31) and the engine speed controller (14) being so connected that the output voltage from the slider of the potentiometer is essentially zero when the motor is controlled to operate at its idling speed condition, and increases proportionately as the motor speed controller (14) is operated to increase motor speed above idle, to provide an engine control electrical signal representative of position ( Alpha ) of the engine speed controller (14); a tachometer generator (11; FIGS. 6-11) having a rotating element mechanically coupled with the output from the transmission of the automotive vehicle to provide a vehicle motion signal; a difference amplifier (25) connected to the tachometer generator (11), said difference amplifier comparing the vehicle motion signal with a reference, and providing an output which is 0 when the vehicle motion signal representative of speed of a rotating element within the drive train is essentially 0, and further providing an output which is substantially different from 0 if the output of a rotating element coupled to the drive train is not 0, to provide a 0-1 binary type vehicle motion signal; and logic means (13, 24) having said engine signal and said binary type motion signal applied thereto and providing a control output indicative of the logical conjunction of: i. engine controller set to operate the engine at idling speed; and ii. no vehicle motion.