A control system includes a controller. The controller counts the number of driving times of the high pressure fuel pump, which is the number of the reciprocating motions of the plunger based on a crank counter that is counted up at every predetermined crank angle. The controller stores a map in which a top dead center of the plunger is associated with a crank counter value, and store a crank counter value while an engine is stopped as a stop-time counter value. The controller calculates, referring to the map, the number of the crank counter values corresponding to the top dead center of the plunger between a crank counter value and the stop-time counter value, and set a calculated number as the number of driving times.

A surgical stapler including an anvil, a staple cartridge, and a buttress material removably retained to the anvil and/or staple cartridge. In various embodiments, the staple cartridge can include at least one staple removably stored therein which can, when deployed, or fired, therefrom, contact the buttress material and remove the buttress material from the anvil and/or staple cartridge. In at least one embodiment, the anvil can include at least one lip and/or groove configured to removably retain the buttress material to the anvil until deformable members extending from the surgical staple are bent by the anvil and are directed toward and contact the buttress material.

An engine synchronization method may include: detecting teeth numbers of crank teeth installed on a crankshaft based on a pulse signal generated from a crankshaft position sensor; calculating a tooth period between a falling edge and a next falling edge of the pulse signal generated from the crankshaft position sensor and detecting a missing tooth based on the calculated tooth period; determining whether the detected missing tooth is an actual missing tooth based on a tooth number detected at the time of detecting the missing tooth; and performing synchronization control of an engine when it is determined that the detected missing tooth is the actual missing tooth.

A hybrid electric vehicle includes a controller and control method to control position of a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine when the engine is stopped and the vehicle is moving to balance bearing wear associated with road-surface induced vibrations or oscillations imparted to the bearings while the crankshaft is not rotating. The controller is configured to store information relating to a cumulative time stopped at a plurality of angular positions of the crankshaft while the vehicle is in operation and/or moving, and to control stopping or repositioning of the crankshaft to balance or approximately evenly distribute the stopping positions among the plurality angular stopping positions to reduce or eliminate the possibility of excessive wear at any particular position relative to the others.

A surgical stapler including an anvil, a staple cartridge, and a buttress material removably retained to the anvil and/or staple cartridge. In various embodiments, the staple cartridge can include at least one staple removably stored therein which can, when deployed, or fired, therefrom, contact the buttress material and remove the buttress material from the anvil and/or staple cartridge. In at least one embodiment, the anvil can include at least one lip and/or groove configured to removably retain the buttress material to the anvil until deformable members extending from the surgical staple are bent by the anvil and are directed toward and contact the buttress material.

A method for improving engine start performance of a vehicle performing engine synchronization at the time of the engine start may include performing a first synchronization task from an engine stop position stored when the engine stops in immediately previous traveling, and performing the first synchronization task when a crank signal of a crank sensor is first input to an engine position management (EPM) module.

An internal combustion engine (ICE) includes a crankshaft, a cylinder head defining in part a variable combustion chamber of the ICE, a direct fuel injector mounted on the cylinder head, a power source, an electric turning machine (ETM) rotating the crankshaft, an absolute position sensor providing an indication of an angular position of a rotor of the ETM, and an engine control unit (ECU) operatively connected to the absolute position sensor. The ECU controls a delivery of electric power from the power source to the ETM based on the angular position of the rotor of the ETM and causes the direct fuel injector to inject fuel directly in the combustion chamber at a time selected based on the angular position reached by the rotor of the ETM.

A method for controlling delivery of electric power between a power source and an electric turning machine (ETM) comprises applying a start signal to a start-up power electronic switch to cause turning on of the start-up power electronic switch and to allow delivery of electric power from the power source to the ETM via the start-up power electronic switch. A recharge signal is applied to a run-time power electronic switch to cause turning on of the run-time power electronic switch for delivery of electric power from the ETM to the power source via the run-time power electronic switch. A circuit comprises a discharging circuit including the start-up power electronic switch for delivering the electric power when the start-up power electronic switch is turned on. A charging circuit includes the run-time power electronic switch for delivering the electric power when the run-time power electronic switch is turned on.

A method and a system for starting an internal combustion engine (ICE) having a crankshaft and an electric turning machine (ETM) operatively connected to the crankshaft are disclosed. An absolute angular position of the crankshaft related to a top dead center position of a piston in a combustion chamber of the ICE is determined. Electric power is delivered to the ETM at a first level to rotate the crankshaft. Electric power is then delivered to the ETM at a second level greater than the first level when the piston reaches a predetermined position before the TDC position. Fuel is injected in the combustion chamber after the piston has passed beyond the TDC position. The fuel is then ignited. In an implementation, the ICE is started in less than 110 degrees of rotation of the crankshaft.

A method of implementing start-stop in an internal combustion engine, the engine having exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) from at least one dedicated EGR (D-EGR) cylinder. For stopping the engine, the camshaft is locked, and a hydraulic cam phaser is used to cushion the engine inertia. The engine is stopped such that one of the D-EGR cylinders is in top-dead center position. For starting the engine, that D-EGR cylinder is fuel-injected, and exhaust bleed-off performed if necessary.