System and method for controlling an automatic engine restart

1. A method for controlling a powertrain in a motor vehicle, the powertrain having an engine and a transmission with an accumulator and a plurality of torque transmitting devices operable to provide at least a plurality of gear speeds, the method comprising:

determining a vehicle status;

discharging the accumulator based on the vehicle status;

commanding the transmission to provide a gear speed of the plurality of gear speeds;

engaging only one of a first and a second torque transmitting device of the plurality of torque transmitting devices required to provide the commanded gear speed;

starting the engine;

setting an engine timer to a zero value

incrementing the engine timer;

calculating a time threshold based on a requested power demand to the powertrain;

engaging both the first and the second torque transmitting devices to provide the commanded gear speed if the engine timer is greater than the time threshold; and

engaging both the first and the second torque transmitting devices to provide the commanded gear speed if a second, higher gear speed than the commanded gear speed has been subsequently commanded.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of sensing a position of an accelerator pedal, and wherein the requested power demand is a function of the sensed position of the accelerator pedal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a first range of sensed accelerator pedal positions corresponds to a lower power demand to the powertrain and a second range of sensed accelerator pedal positions corresponds to a higher power demand to the powertrain than the lower power demand.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first range of the accelerator pedal positions corresponds to less depression of the accelerator pedal than the second range of the accelerator pedal positions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the engine timer is set to the zero value immediately after starting the engine.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the vehicle status includes determining whether an ignition of the motor vehicle is in an on and the step of discharging the accumulator includes discharging the accumulator if the engine has been requested to start and the ignition is in the on position.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the vehicle status includes sensing a wheel speed, sensing an engine output speed and sensing whether a brake pedal of the motor vehicle is depressed and the step of discharging the accumulator includes discharging the accumulator if the engine output speed is less than an engine output speed threshold, the wheel speed is less than a wheel speed threshold, and the brake pedal has been depressed for a predefined time period.

8. A powertrain comprising:

a transmission having an accumulator and a plurality of torque transmitting devices;

an engine;

an accelerator pedal;

an accelerator pedal position sensor for sensing a position of the accelerator pedal;

a control module in communication with the transmission, the engine, and the accelerator pedal position sensor, the control module having memory for storing and executing a plurality of control logic, the plurality of control logic including:

a first control logic for automatically stopping the engine;

a second control logic for restarting the engine; and

a third control logic for overriding the commanded shift by engaging a minimum number of the plurality of torque transmitting devices

a fourth control logic for setting an engine timer to a zero value immediately after engine restart;

a fifth control logic for incrementing the engine timer;

a sixth control logic for calculating a time threshold for holding the minimum number of torque transmitting device override based on the sensed position of the accelerator pedal, wherein a low application of the accelerator pedal indicates a lower gear will be used and a high application of the accelerator pedal indicates a higher gear will be used;

a seventh control logic for disabling the minimum number of torque transmitting device override if the engine timer is greater than the time threshold; and

an eighth control logic for disabling the minimum number of torque transmitting device override if the engine timer does not exceed the threshold and if the transmission has commanded a shift to a higher gear.

9. The powertrain of claim 8 wherein the first control logic includes automatically stopping the engine when an ignition is in an on position.

10. The powertrain of claim 8 wherein the first forward gear is one of a plurality of forward gears and wherein the first forward gear has the largest gear ratio of the plurality of forward gears.

11. The powertrain of claim 8 wherein the engine timer is the time since the engine has been restarted.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the low application of the accelerator pedal corresponds to less depression of the accelerator pedal than the high application of the accelerator pedal.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the time threshold is based on a power demand requested from a driver of the motor vehicle to the transmission.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the minimum number of the plurality of torque transmitting devices is the minimum number of torque transmitting devices to enable the transmission to transmit torque.

15. A powertrain comprising:

a transmission having an accumulator, a first torque transmitting device, and a second torque transmitting device;

an engine;

an accelerator pedal;

an accelerator pedal position sensor for sensing a position of the accelerator pedal;

a control module in communication with the transmission, the engine, and the accelerator pedal position sensor, the control module having memory for storing and executing a plurality of control logic, the plurality of control logic including:

a first control logic for automatically stopping the engine;

a second control logic for commanding a shift by engaging the first and the second torque transmitting devices;

a third control logic for restarting the engine; and

a fourth control logic for overriding the commanded shift by engaging only one of the first and second torque transmitting devices if the commanded shift is at least a first forward gear or a reverse gear.