A hybrid vehicle includes: an engine; a motor; a drive system battery connected to a drive system power line; an auxiliary system battery connected to an auxiliary system power line; a bidirectional power converter configured to step down power on the drive system power line to supply the stepped-down power to the auxiliary system power line, and configured to boost power on the auxiliary system power line to supply the boosted power to the drive system power line; and a control device. The control device is configured to, upon a cold start in which the engine is started, control the engine, the motor, and the bidirectional power converter to cause the motor to crank the engine while causing the bidirectional power converter to boost the power on the auxiliary system power line to supply the boosted power to the drive system power line.

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 control apparatus for an electric vehicle includes a first motor (traveling motor) for traveling, a battery (high-voltage battery), a second motor (generator motor) for electricity generation, an engine (rotary engine), a first controller (engine ECU), a second controller (motor ECU), and a sensor (voltage-current sensor). The second controller is configured to start the engine by causing the second motor to perform power running, cause the second motor to perform electricity generation driving such that the battery is charged, and adjust a stop position of the engine by causing the second motor to perform power running subsequently to a stop of the engine by the first controller in a case where a state of charge of the battery becomes high and the second motor finishes the electricity generation driving.

A control device prevents damage due to backward rotation of a rotary engine and prevents misjudgment of backward rotation of the rotary engine. The control device for a rotary engine includes a motor mechanically connected to the shaft of the rotary engine, a controller (a motor ECU) that performs energization control of the motor to start the rotary engine by driving the motor, and a sensor (such as a motor rotation sensor). When starting the rotary engine, the controller stops energization to the motor based on an electric signal from the sensor when the shaft of the rotary engine rotates backward a predetermined angle or more, and then the shaft of the rotary engine continues to rotate backward for a predetermined time.

A method for controlling operation of an opposed piston engine is provided, comprising: determining a direction of rotation of the engine; comparing the determined direction of rotation to a correct direction of rotation of the engine; and responding to the determined direction of rotation being different from the correct direction of rotation by taking corrective action.

A method for controlling operation of an opposed piston engine is provided, comprising: determining a direction of rotation of the engine; comparing the determined direction of rotation to a correct direction of rotation of the engine; and responding to the determined direction of rotation being different from the correct direction of rotation by taking corrective action.

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.

An assist apparatus for an electric vehicle which is powered by rechargeable batteries. To assist in the range of the electric vehicle, a platform is secured to the vehicle to be solely supported thereto. On the platform is a hydrocarbon internal combustion engine/motor that generates electricity. The hydrocarbon engine/motor is activated, either manually, via a handheld switch, or automatically by sensors in the electric vehicle, to charge the rechargeable batteries within the electric vehicle.

A start/stop device initiates an automatic activation process of an automatically deactivated drive machine of a motor vehicle, in particular of a motor vehicle with an automatic transmission. The drive machine can be automatically deactivated when the motor vehicle is traveling, and the automatically deactivated drive machine can be activated on the basis of driver actions. The start/stop device is configured to initiate an automatic activation of the drive machine which is automatically deactivated when the motor vehicle is traveling on the basis of a detected drive dynamic desired by the driver.