Patent ID: 8290691

Claim:
A method for optimizing a cycling frequency between engine on/off states in a vehicle having a controller, an accumulator, a brake pedal, and auto start/auto stop functionality, the method comprising: detecting an engine state cycling event; measuring a position of the brake pedal, an output speed of the vehicle, and a value of the accumulator; incrementing the accumulator value via the controller when an elapsed time since an immediately preceding engine state cycling event falls within a calibrated window; creating a hysteresis band around the pedal position and the output speed; and using the controller to optimize the cycling frequency, including: comparing the output speed and the accumulator value to corresponding thresholds; automatically adjusting an interval between an auto start event and an auto stop event of the vehicle when each of the output speed and the accumulator value exceeds a corresponding threshold, wherein the amount of adjustment depends on the variance of the output speed and the accumulator value from their respective thresholds; and temporarily inhibiting the auto start/auto stop functionality of the vehicle when at least one of the pedal position and the output speed remains within the hysteresis band.