In machines, such as vehicles, a motor may be automatically stopped and later restarted during a running operation. For example, in a hybrid vehicle that has a combustion engine and an electric motor, the combustion engine is automatically stopped when the hybrid vehicle determines that power should be supplied solely by the electric motor. When the hybrid vehicle determines that power should again be alternatively or additionally supplied the combustion engine, the hybrid vehicle causes the combustion engine to be restarted. In another example, a vehicle may automatically stop a combustion engine when no motor power is required (e.g., when the vehicle is stopped at a stop light, when the vehicle is coasting downhill, etc.).
The frequent motor start/stop cycles that result from automatically stopping the motor of a machine, results in additional wear and tear on components of the machine. For example, the starter motor will receive additional wear as compared with a machine in which the motor is not automatically stopped. Furthermore, the frequent restarting increases the likelihood that a component failure will prevent the motor from being restarted.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds