AW4 Tiptronic Controller

Well said, Anton!

I can only imagine how many patents I've "violated" in my jeep project. I built a trailer light converter out of a few gates to run my LED tail lights...I'm sure it's the same design as any number of commercial boxes, however I built it with a few Radio Shack parts and some solder.

How to override the 1-2 shift selection is public domain at this point, IMO. People have been doing it for years with just a few switches and spliced wires. Taking that concept and automating it doesn't seem like a patentable product to me. Perhaps the design and specific execution of it, but not the concept.
 
Hello all,
Well I can safely say that I have never seen the inner workings or schematics for any other AW4 controller. I came up with the design over a lunch brake at work and protoed it from there.
So maybe I came up with a similar design. Its pretty basic logic control, anyone with any knowledge of logic gate could have designed it. :bs:

Thanks Anton for defending the project. :thumbup:

and anyway I'm in Canada so technicaly the pattent doesn't apply to me either.

I wonder if BrettM received hate mail.
:roflmao: :roflmao:
 
Hey Fletch.....:kissyou: eerrrr maybe not!:laugh:

how you doing?

anyway guys the Saga continues.....will keep you informed !

Fletch you are correct, the patent does not include Canada.

the funny thing is that i never intended to sell anything, or turn this project into a bussiness, like vettboy said it is public domain and i think we should return to that basis.....i will keep it on my site as is, but will also add all the diagrams, documentation, pcb design, files and instructions needed for anyone to build this device for themself just for all you US guys:patriot:

Mr nasset cannot stop you from looking at my site, and building these units for your own use will make it impossible for him to know who has done what!

Anybody else outside the US will still be able to purchase the controller no problem!

I'm actually willing to reason with Mr. nasset and try to work out a compromise because of the difference in our products, but that will be up to him, the ball is in his court.
 
Sucks that this is happening...

The only other resolution that would be fair to all parties interested is to license use of his patent. Pay a royalty per unit sold. Might add say $25 to the price of each unit sold to allow US residents the right to purchase the shifter. This would be ideal as he would receive renumeration for his patent and this product goes beyond what his does so if someone has more spartan needs they can buy his or if they want something more complex then he can buy Anton's. Of course it all depends upon if he is willing to license or not and how high he feels he needs to go to protect his product.

If it came down to that and I really wanted this product, I wouldn't let the additional $25 charge stop me from buying an assembled product from Anton. My biggest problem is my vehicle is a 98. I wouldn't want an CEL to deal with on my daily driver. If it was a toy, I could pull the bulb for the CEL and not be annoyed. I had sincere hope that you electronics propeller heads would have figured out a work around, but no such luck yet. But I have my fingers crossed.
 
MGrobe said:
I had sincere hope that you electronics propeller heads would have figured out a work around, but no such luck yet. But I have my fingers crossed.
Click to expand...

The problem is that Anton and myself own/ drive 1990 XJs. Neither of us have access to a 97+ XJ to play around with work arounds for the CEL.

Fletch
 
Fletchs90xj said:
The problem is that Anton and myself own/ drive 1990 XJs. Neither of us have access to a 97+ XJ to play around with work arounds for the CEL.

Fletch
Click to expand...

Sounds like time for an upgrade! It is interesting what you have accomplished. Like I said hopefully someone else with a late model will bring the missing EET piece.
 
has there been any more contact between you and the jackass over the patent?

Dingo
 
Dingo509 said:
has there been any more contact between you and the jackass over the patent?

Dingo
Click to expand...

HI dingo,

Sorry Guys but my e-mail notifications did not show new posts.....

Anyway, yes there have been more contact between me and Mr Nasset and I have decided to reason with Him rather than attack/offend him, maybe a bit late but still..... ;)

At this point I'm waiting on his response, however if he maintains his current posistion then I'm afraid that will be that for you US guys.

But let me wait and see what his reponse to my last corespondence will be, and then I will inform you guys of the outcome.

till later


Anton
 
Honestly I think even replying to him in the first place was a big mistake. Negotiating with him is exactly what he wants. The fact that you got an email from the patent holder and not his lawyer should be all you needed to know.

Bet he's some sort of patent squatter, how in the world did he even find out? You have to be suspicious of anyone who's aggressively defending a patent, yet has no product, and popped up out of the blue moments after you announced your commercial sales site.
 
Hmm interesting that he didn't get back to you on his issue. Keep us posted on the product. Will your product work on the Renix XJ's with the "power/Comfort" switch?
 
Read the patent carefully. There is no need for a tiptronic controller to infringe upon those claims. I do not think your's does.

"a bistable flip-flop" ...does anybody at the patent office actually understand the shit they read.
 
I bought an '89 xj that I have to manually shift to the gears but misses 2nd gear all together. There is a switch right beside the shifter but no wires to it. I was wondering if the guy before me didn't know what the switch went ot and removed the wires. Is it possible for this setup or something similar to be "locked" in the manual mode? how where could I maybe find the other end of the wires? I like this for wheeling but not for "roading".
Tahnks for any help
 
Maybe. I'd start by checking it you have power to the TCU on the yellow and red wires. Then maybe measure across the solenoids at the TCU connector to verify they're good (and still hooked up).
 
Would the US customers be able to buy the PCB and components from you without any "instructions" included? That way, we have to "find for ourselves" any circuits posted as free knowledge to the public that might entail how to assemble a working unit?
 
Any updates on the USA selling issue?

Personally, his claims piss me off, but I also haven't examined the patents in depth.

But on the other hand, if I'm stuck building this thing on my own from scratch, it might be worth the effort to design the thing such that it deliberately circumvents his patent claims. Then anyone could produce and sell it freely.
 
Here's something to have a look at:
http://www.cherokee-jeep.com/



$170 for a second/first transition override. Perhaps it was a nice idea in 1993, but I'd be surprised if it was "novel" even at the time. Does anyone know of any device that was created prior to that time? Combine that with the fact that his device:

Is limited in operation, strictly to when the shift lever is in the 1/2 position.
It is very specific that it works in concert with the TCU, rigged in parallel.

So, four points in our favor:
It isn't novel (IMO, to someone in the field, even in 1993)
The new design works in the no-restriction D mode (or all modes, depending on what the current setup).
The new design runs in "override" mode, completely replacing the TCU, as opposed to running in parallel (I haven't examined the function in enough detail to confirm this, but if it isn't the case then it could be changed that way easily enough).
The new design is not a derivative work.
 
Ok, I have read this entire thread from page 1, downloaded the schematics for the triptronic controller Rev J and the top and bottom layer circuit board layouts and am still kind of confused. I only have basic electronics experience and none with logic gates so these schematics are greek to me.

1.Is there a complete set of instructions on how to build and install this?

2. If I were to make my own board, would I have to print out the layouts and use them to make templates for a mask to etch my own board?

Btw, I know its been said before but thanks for designing this guys. I much prefer the idea of building this myself rather than buying a pre-made unit because then I learn more.
 
Hey Jeepers,
WOW!!! A manual auto sounds REALLY sweet, but the techno jargon just went over me like a U2 spy plane:laugh3: I guess that's why Jeep is being progeressively BOUGHT, not built by me:cry: As far as advanced electronics on the XJ, has ANYONE installed and seen improvement from any aftermarket engine management, such as Megasquirt or the Redline/Weber??? It sounds as though it oughta work, but I'm a bit guillable:wierd: (spl?) and kinda tired of performance stuff that doesn't perform. As I understand it, these systems would allow for tuning each injector and it's function individually. The guy at Clifford SAYS that it makes the HO engine run VERY smooth as a result. It works in the imports, so what ya'll think?

crusT~
 
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