Patent ID: 8620501

Claim:
A starting system of an engine mounted in a vehicle capable of running using torque output from an electric motor, comprising: a detection portion that detects power requested by a driver; a estimation portion that estimates engine speed and output torque of the engine when the engine is driven to realize the power requested by the driver; a comparing portion that compares a time for which the engine continues to be stopped with a first time and a second time that is longer than the first time; a determining portion that determines whether the estimated engine speed is greater than a first speed and less than a second speed that is greater than the first speed, and the estimated output torque is greater than a first value and less than a second value that is greater than the first value, when the time for which the engine continues to be stopped is longer than the first time and shorter than the second time; a first starting portion that starts the engine when the estimated engine speed is greater than the first speed and less than the second speed, and the estimated output torque is greater than the first value and less than the second value; and a second starting portion that starts the engine when the time for which the engine continues to be stopped is longer than the second time.