A starting module for a vehicle is provided. The starting module is configured to reside on-board the vehicle, and is used to start an engine associated with the vehicle in the event the battery on the vehicle is too weak to crank the engine. The engine starting module first comprises a housing. The housing resides proximate the vehicle battery and holds a plurality of super capacitors. The super capacitors reside within the housing, are configured in series, and are electrically in parallel with the vehicle battery. The super capacitors store charge received from the electrical system of the vehicle. The starting module also includes control logic. The control logic controls the discharge of stored energy from the super capacitors. The engine starting module also comprises an isolation switch, configured to move between open and close positions in response to signals from the control logic in order to restore charge to the battery as needed.

An electrical power system for a delivery vehicle is provided. The power system is used in connection with a delivery vehicle having an engine, and also having a liftgate powered by an electric motor. The electrical power system includes a first battery, a second battery, and an alternator. The electrical power system also includes a super capacitor. The super capacitor has a first capacitor bank and a second capacitor bank, wherein each of the first capacitor bank and the second capacitor bank comprises ultra-capacitor cells placed in series. The first capacitor bank and the second capacitor bank reside in parallel. In addition, the first battery and the second battery reside in parallel with the second capacitor bank. Together, the first battery, the second battery and the second capacitor bank supply power to the liftgate motor. Finally, the first capacitor bank is in electrical communication with the alternator and supplies power, with the alternator, to a relay start for the delivery vehicle to start the engine.

Systems and methods for stopping an engine of a vehicle are described. In one example, the method anticipates when an engine is expected to stop and modifies engine operation so that less fuel is in the engine's intake ports when the engine is stopped so that the fuel may not escape the engine when the engine is restarted.

A programmable or configurable non-contact solid state switch device and method are provided for emulating a high reliability switch. The switch device senses position information related to a switch and is calibrated using a learning operation to learn position information of mechanical features of the switch and to map the positions of these features. Electrical outputs or functions are assigned to the mapped positions and stored such that the switch device generates the outputs when their corresponding positions are sensed. A switch device is uniquely configured to the mechanical system in which it operates.

A driving authentication system is presented for a vehicle. The system includes: a dongle interfaced with a battery of the vehicle and an authenticator configured to receive a discharge current from the battery. The dongle operates to modulate discharge current from the battery with an input code; and the authenticator demodulate the input code from the discharge current, compares the input code to the one or more known authentication codes and, in response to the input code matching one of the one or more known authentication codes, controls power capacity of the battery.

A monitoring method includes, among other things, within a vehicle, providing a first electrical system with an auxiliary battery, and a second electrical system with a primary battery. The method further includes electrically coupling the first electrical system to the second electrical system, electrically loading the auxiliary battery and the primary battery, and comparing an electrical parameter of the auxiliary battery to a threshold value to assess a state of the auxiliary battery.

A system in a vehicle includes a starter motor to start an engine of the vehicle and a battery configured to power the starter motor during the start of the engine. An ultracapacitor is controllably connected in series with the battery to provide additional power to the starter motor during the start of the engine.

A small watercraft system includes: a watercraft body; a watercraft body manipulation member through which a watercraft body manipulation command is input by an operator; a drive source that allows the watercraft body to plane; a steering device that allows the watercraft body to be steered; and a control device that controls the drive source and the steering device to operate the watercraft body. The control device determines whether a mode switching condition is satisfied, the mode switching condition including an operator's absence condition that the operator is absent from the watercraft body. Upon determining that the mode switching condition is satisfied, the control device executes an operator-absent manipulation mode in which the control device moves the watercraft body by controlling the drive source and the steering device based on an operator-absent manipulation command independent of the watercraft body manipulation command.

The disclosure is directed to a system and method for providing supplemental power to start one or more cranking motors. The supplemental starting system includes a starting-signal isolator configured to connect to one or more electrical starting-signal wires providing starting signal to one or more cranking motors, a resetting relay electrically connecting to the starting-signal isolator, a programmable logic controller (PLC) electrically connecting to the resetting relay, a supplemental battery relay electrically connecting to the starting-signal isolator and the PLC, a supplemental battery electrically connecting to the supplemental battery relay, and a positive output-terminal electrically connecting to the supplemental battery relay. When an output of the starting-signal isolator is higher than a threshold voltage, the resetting relay and the supplemental battery relay are configured to be in a close state, so that the supplemental starting system is configured to provide electricity to one of the one or more cranking motors.

A system in a vehicle includes a starter motor to start an engine of the vehicle. The system also includes a first battery connected to the starter motor to power the starter motor during the start of the engine and a second battery controllably connected in series or in parallel with the first battery to provide additional power to the starter motor during the start of the engine.