Patent ID: 8323152

Claim:
A method of operating a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a start-stop unit, the start-stop unit being configured to automatically shut down the internal combustion engine when the motor vehicle is braked to a standstill and is held at the standstill for a predetermined time interval by operation of a brake pedal, the method comprising the acts of: monitoring the predetermined time interval after which the start-stop unit will automatically shut down the internal combustion engine when the vehicle is braked to the standstill and is maintained in the standstill for the predetermined time interval by operation of the brake pedal; detecting, after reaching the standstill, whether the brake pedal is depressed to a greater extent than that to maintain the standstill detecting, in the event the brake pedal is depressed to the greater extent, whether the brake pedal is subsequently released from being depressed to the greater extent within the predetermined interval of time; and preventing the automatic shutdown of the internal combustion engine in the event the brake pedal is depressed to the greater extent, and then is subsequently released from being depressed to the greater extent within the predetermined interval of time, even though the motor vehicle continues to be maintained at the standstill by operation of the brake pedal.