Operating Method for a Hybrid Drive

1 - 10 . (canceled)

11 . A method of operating a drive train including an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and an automatic transmission, the method which comprises:

starting out from a first operating state, in which the electric motor is switched on and the internal combustion engine is switched off, adding the internal combustion engine by transmitting a torque to the internal combustion engine, to thereby accelerate the internal combustion engine, and temporally coupling the transmitting of the torque with a downshift operation of the automatic transmission.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the downshift operation coupled with an engagement of the internal combustion engine differs with regard to at least one parameter from a standard downshift operation that is not coupled with the engagement of the internal combustion engine.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , which comprises carrying out the downshift operation coupled with the engagement of the internal combustion engine at a downshift time which is advanced with respect to a standard downshift time during a standard downshift operation that is not coupled with the engagement of the internal combustion engine.

14 . The method according to claim 11 , which comprises, during the downshift operation coupled with the engagement of the internal combustion engine, implementing a torque reduction at a transmission input, which is carried out during a standard downshift operation that is not coupled with the engagement of the internal combustion engine, at least partly by way of the torque transmission to the internal combustion engine used to accelerate the internal combustion engine.

15 . The method according to claim 11 , which comprises, during the downshift operation coupled with the engagement of the internal combustion engine, implementing a torque reduction at a transmission input, which is carried out during a standard downshift operation not coupled with the engagement of the internal combustion engine, at least partly by operating the electric motor as a generator.

16 . The method according to claim 11 , which comprises starting the internal combustion engine upon reaching a starting state thereof.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , which comprises:

determining the starting state of the internal combustion engine by a predetermined starting speed; or

determining that the internal combustion engine has reached the starting state when a respective piston in one cylinder of the engine has completed a complete compression stroke for the compression of fresh gas, and starting the internal combustion engine by way of specific injection of fuel into the one cylinder and by igniting the fuel-fresh gas mixture in the one cylinder.

18 . The method according to claim 16 , which comprises, following the starting of the internal combustion engine, synchronizing a rotational speed of the electric motor and a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , which comprises, after the electric motor and the internal combustion engine are synchronized, adjusting a torque introduced in total into the drive train by the electric motor and the internal combustion engine to thereby introduce a current desired torque into the transmission input.

20 . The method according to claim 18 , which comprises, after the electric motor and the internal combustion engine are synchronized, switching the electric motor off and adjusting a torque introduced into the drive train by the internal combustion engine to thereby introduce a current desired torque into the transmission input.