Patent ID: 7951043

Claim:
A method of controlling a supply of oil to an automatic transmission and a starting element of a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of: providing at least first and second oil pumps ( 2 , 3 ) for supplying oil to at least one of a hydraulic control device of the automatic transmission and the starting element ( 11 ); mechanically driving the first oil pump ( 2 ) with an internal combustion engine ( 4 ) to provide an oil flow to a high pressure branch ( 14 ) of an oil supply assembly; electrically driving the second oil pump ( 3 ) to provide oil to the hydraulic control device at least when the internal combustion engine ( 4 ) is inactive and during at least one other operating condition; and cooling the starting element ( 11 ) with an oil flow, provided by at least the electrically driven second oil pump ( 3 ) at least during a starting procedure of the vehicle, and the electrically driven second oil pump ( 3 ) providing pressure to a low pressure branch ( 15 ) of the oil supply assembly; determining a supply of electrical energy necessary for operating the second oil pump ( 3 ); emitting a first shortage signal when the supply of electrical energy falls below a first threshold value; and at least one of: delaying the starting procedure until a capacitor is essentially fully charged, and when the supply of electrical energy falls below a second threshold value which is lower than the first threshold value, emitting a second shortage signal with the device for determining the supply of electrical energy necessary for operating the second oil pump ( 3 ); and discontinuing operation of the second oil pump ( 3 ) such that the oil flow necessary for cooling the starting element ( 11 ), during the starting procedure, is provided solely by the first oil pump ( 2 ), and at least one of the hydraulic control device of the automatic transmission and the starting element ( 11 ) configures the starting procedure reduce an amount of heat generated in the starting element ( 11 ).