Patent ID: 9464615
Filing Date: 2016-10-11
CPC Classification: B60L,F02N,H02J,Y02T

Claim Text:
1. A method for controlling a start-up device for an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle, the start-up device comprising an electric starter operatively connected to the internal combustion engine and an electrical power supply network; the electrical power supply network including an electric power source and a voltage holding device; the voltage holding device comprising a supercapacitor, a relay and a controller; said controller selectively switching said relay in response to the detection of an undervoltage condition between an open state in which the supercapacitor is isolated from the network and a closed state in which the supercapacitor is connected in series with the electric power supply; the method comprising: (a) a step of monitoring at least two of (1) the temperature θ (b) a step of electronically determining a theoretical hold time T (c) controlling said relay to close said relay when an undervoltage condition is detected to detected to support the power source during a start-up or a restart of the internal combustion engine; said step of determining the theoretical hold time T (1) sensing at least two of (1) the temperature θ (2) electronically calculating at least two of: (3) comparing the at least two calculated intermediate hold times to identify the longest of the at least two intermediate hold times, and setting the theoretical hold time to the longest of the at least two calculated intermediate hold times.