Patent ID: 7954580

Claim:
An accessory drive system for a hybrid electric vehicle comprising: an engine having an engine crankshaft operatively connectable to a transmission, the engine providing power to a vehicle drive member through the transmission when the engine is running; a selectively engageable torque transmitting device operatively connected between the engine crankshaft and the transmission; a drive pulley continuously connected to the engine crankshaft for common rotation; an accessory operatively connected to one of a plurality of driven pulleys; a belt-alternator-starter system operatively connected to another of said plurality of driven pulleys; a flexible drive belt operatively connecting said drive pulley and said plurality of driven pulleys and operable to transfer drive forces between said drive pulley and said plurality of driven pulleys; wherein the belt-alternator-starter system, the engine crankshaft and the accessory are continuously and directly connected via the drive belt; a controller operatively connected to the torque transmitting device, the engine and the belt-alternator-starter system; wherein said controller is configured to control the engine to power the accessory when the engine is running; wherein said controller is configured to control the belt-alternator-starter system to operate at a predefined speed to ensure that the accessory is adequately powered by the belt-alternator-starter system when the engine is not running and the engine speed is below a predefined value; and wherein the torque transmitting device is disengaged by the controller when the belt-alternator-starter system is powering the accessory.