Patent ID: 7702444

Claim:
A method of operating a power train ( 1 ) of a motor vehicle to transmit torque to an output ( 5 ) of the power train ( 1 ) during a start/stop operation of an internal combustion engine ( 2 ), the power train ( 1 ) comprising the internal combustion engine ( 2 ), a starter unit ( 3 ), a starting device ( 6 ) with a frictional shifting element ( 6 A), and the output ( 5 ), the starting device ( 6 ) being located between the internal combustion engine ( 2 ) and the output ( 5 ) and the frictional shifting element ( 6 A) having a continuously variable transmitting capacity, the method comprising the steps of: generating an input torque with the starter unit ( 3 ); starting the internal combustion engine ( 2 ) with an amount of the input torque generated by the starter unit ( 3 ); and adjusting the transmission capacity of the frictional shifting element ( 6 A), generally concurrently with the starting of the combustion engine ( 2 ), to direct a portion of the input torque generated by the starter unit ( 3 ), which is in excess of the amount of the input torque required for starting the internal combustion engine ( 2 ), toward the output ( 5 ).