Patent ID: 7360616

Claim:
A method of controlling and regulating a power train ( 1 ) of a hybrid vehicle having one internal combustion engine ( 2 ), an electric machine ( 3 ), a shifting element ( 11 ) with a continuously variable transmitting capacity which is disposed in a power flow of the power train ( 1 ) between the electric machine ( 3 ) and an output ( 5 ) of the power train ( 1 ), and a clutch device ( 7 ) located between the electric machine ( 3 ) and the internal combustion engine ( 2 ) which facilitates operative connection of the internal combustion engine ( 2 ) with the electric machine ( 3 ) so that the hybrid vehicle can optionally be driven by at least one of the electric machine ( 3 ) and the internal combustion engine ( 2 ), the method comprising the steps of: establishing the operative connection by actuation of the clutch device ( 7 ), during a starting operation of the internal combustion engine ( 2 ), between the electric machine ( 3 ) and the internal combustion engine ( 2 ) to start the internal combustion engine ( 2 ) by operation of the electric machine ( 3 ), adjusting a transmitting capacity of the shifting element ( 11 ), during the starting operation of the internal combustion engine ( 2 ), so that a torque, independent of the starting operation of the internal combustion engine ( 2 ), is transmitted to an output of the power train ( 1 ), and during a traction operation of the power train ( 1 ), when the clutch device ( 7 ) has a transmitting capacity at which essentially no torque can be conveyed via the clutch device ( 7 ), increasing an input torque of the electric machine ( 3 ), during the starting operation of the internal combustion engine ( 2 ), and adjusting the transmitting capacity of the shifting element ( 11 ) so that a torque independent of an increase of the input torque of the electric machine ( 3 ) is transmitted to the output of the power train ( 1 ).