Patent ID: 8671786

Claim:
A starter control apparatus for a starter equipped with a pinion engageable with a ring gear coupled to an output shaft of an engine and a motor operable to rotate the pinion to crank the engine, comprising: engine operating condition determining means for determining whether the engine has been placed in a condition to continue to run by itself after being cranked by the motor or not; and engagement release means for releasing engagement of the pinion with the ring gear while keeping the pinion rotated by the motor when it is determined by the engine operating condition determining means that the engine has been placed in the condition to continue to run by itself, wherein the starter includes a first solenoid, a first switch, a second solenoid, and a second switch; the first solenoid has a greater inductance than the second solenoid; when the starter is turned on, the first solenoid brings the pinion into engagement with the ring gear, the first switch establishes an on-state and an off-state of the first solenoid selectively, the second solenoid works to open or close motor-energizing contacts to establish an off-state or an on-state of the motor, the second switch controls an operation of the second solenoid; and the engagement release means switches the motor from the on-state to the off-state through the second switch to stop rotation of the pinion based on a time required between when the first solenoid is switched from the on-state to the off-state through the first switch and when release of the engagement of the pinion with the ring gear is completed.