A linear motor actuated valve assembly in which a linear motor enables electrical actuation and control of intake and exhaust valves of an internal combustion engine.

A PCM (60) performs a catalyst early warming control (AWS control) for accelerating warm-up of a catalytic device. When the catalytic device (35) is not in an activated state and a vehicle is traveling, the PCM (60) is configured to perform: a fuel injection control to inject fuel such that a homogeneous fuel-air mixture can be formed in a combustion chamber (11) of an engine (10) so as to generate a homogeneous combustion; an intake air amount control to increase intake air amount; and an ignition control to retard ignition timing from a reference ignition timing. In addition, the PCM (60) is configured to vary ignition timing retard amount corresponding to a difference between the ignition timing retarded by the ignition timing control and the reference ignition timing, in accordance with engine speed and/or engine load.

A PCM (60) performs a catalyst early warming control (AWS control) for accelerating warm-up of a catalytic device. When the catalytic device (35) is not in an activated state and a vehicle is traveling, the PCM (60) is configured to perform: a fuel injection control to inject fuel such that a homogeneous fuel-air mixture can be formed in a combustion chamber (11) of an engine (10) so as to generate a homogeneous combustion; an intake air amount control to increase intake air amount; and an ignition control to retard ignition timing from a reference ignition timing. In addition, the PCM (60) is configured to vary ignition timing retard amount corresponding to a difference between the ignition timing retarded by the ignition timing control and the reference ignition timing, in accordance with engine speed and/or engine load.

A method for managing an engine for which segment tasks are initiated at a moment referred to as segment, in order to determine setpoint values which must be available before a predetermined angular time, having the following steps: a) executing a segment task; b) determining the difference between the angular starting time for application of the setpoints and the position corresponding to the availability of the setpoint values; c) comparing the difference determined in step b) with a lower difference value and a greater difference value; and d) modifying the segment if the difference determined in step b) is not between the lower and greater difference values, the position of the segment being advanced if the difference determined in b) is less than the lower difference value and the position of the segment being delayed if the difference determined in b) is greater than the greater difference value.

A method for managing an engine for which segment tasks are initiated at a moment referred to as segment, in order to determine setpoint values which must be available before a predetermined angular time, having the following steps: a) executing a segment task; b) determining the difference between the angular starting time for application of the setpoints and the position corresponding to the availability of the setpoint values; c) comparing the difference determined in step b) with a lower difference value and a greater difference value; and d) modifying the segment if the difference determined in step b) is not between the lower and greater difference values, the position of the segment being advanced if the difference determined in b) is less than the lower difference value and the position of the segment being delayed if the difference determined in b) is greater than the greater difference value.

Methods and systems are provided for integrating a VCR engine with a CVT transmission. Responsive to a driver demand, a controller may determine whether to maintain a current compression ratio or transition to an alternate compression ratio based on the fuel economy benefit of the transition and further based on any engine limitations that may be incurred at the engine speed-load following the transition. To improve the net fuel economy benefit while addressing the engine limitation, a compression ratio transition may be combined with a CVT adjusted engine speed-load regime, while maintaining engine power output.

Methods and systems are provided for integrating a VCR engine with a CVT transmission. Responsive to a driver demand, a controller may determine whether to maintain a current compression ratio or transition to an alternate compression ratio based on the fuel economy benefit of the transition and further based on any engine limitations that may be incurred at the engine speed-load following the transition. To improve the net fuel economy benefit while addressing the engine limitation, a compression ratio transition may be combined with a CVT adjusted engine speed-load regime, while maintaining engine power output.

An engine ECU is provided with an abnormality-diagnosis unit performing an abnormality diagnosis of an Air-Con ECU, and a monitoring IC monitoring the abnormality-diagnosis unit. The abnormality-diagnosis unit determines whether the output signal of the Air-Con ECU is normal based on the specified criterion value, so that the abnormality diagnosis of the Air-Con ECU is performed. The monitoring IC determines whether a criterion value is normal, which is used during the abnormality diagnosis of the Air-Con ECU. The abnormality-diagnosis unit performs an abnormality diagnosis of the monitoring IC. When the monitoring IC determines that the criterion value is abnormal or the abnormality-diagnosis unit determines that the monitoring IC is abnormal, the abnormality diagnosis of the Air-Con ECU is prohibited and a specified operation for abnormality is performed.

An engine ECU is provided with an abnormality-diagnosis unit performing an abnormality diagnosis of an Air-Con ECU, and a monitoring IC monitoring the abnormality-diagnosis unit. The abnormality-diagnosis unit determines whether the output signal of the Air-Con ECU is normal based on the specified criterion value, so that the abnormality diagnosis of the Air-Con ECU is performed. The monitoring IC determines whether a criterion value is normal, which is used during the abnormality diagnosis of the Air-Con ECU. The abnormality-diagnosis unit performs an abnormality diagnosis of the monitoring IC. When the monitoring IC determines that the criterion value is abnormal or the abnormality-diagnosis unit determines that the monitoring IC is abnormal, the abnormality diagnosis of the Air-Con ECU is prohibited and a specified operation for abnormality is performed.

Methods and systems are provided for preheating a fuel vapor storage canister in an evaporative emissions system prior to a vehicle start. In one example, a method may include learning common vehicle routes and identifying routes in which fuel vapor storage canister preheating is indicated, such as routes that will enable fuel vapors to be purged to an engine intake shortly after the vehicle start. Then, in anticipation of an identified route for fuel vapor storage canister preheating, a vehicle controller may be transitioned from a sleep mode to an awake mode prior to the vehicle start in order to commence a fuel vapor storage canister preheating routine.