A vehicle control apparatus for a vehicle provided with an engine and an electric motor includes a vehicle state evaluator, an exit evaluator, a shutdown evaluator, and a request output unit. The vehicle state evaluator conducts a vehicle stop evaluation and a driving state evaluation on the engine. The vehicle state evaluator evaluates whether the vehicle is stopped in a ready-on state in the vehicle stop evaluation. The exit evaluator conducts an exit evaluation as to whether an exit of an occupant from the vehicle is detected. The shutdown evaluator conducts a shutdown evaluation as to whether a vehicle drive system is to be shut down based on the results of the vehicle stop evaluation, the driving state evaluation, and the exit evaluation. The request output unit outputs a request for shutting down the vehicle drive system based on the result of the shutdown evaluation.

A mobile telephone capable of controlling a remote keyless system is provided. The mobile telephone is loaded with an executable program that enables the mobile telephone to control the remote keyless system using frequencies and systems already used by the remote keyless system. The complex functionality a mobile telephone allows the executable program to fully control remote keyless systems.

A control device is configured to control a vehicle in which an engine is able to be started in response to a request signal transmitted from the outside of the vehicle. The control device includes a controller. The controller acquires the result of detection about the vehicle state of the vehicle from a first sensor group including one or more sensors able to detect the vehicle state of the vehicle before the engine of the vehicle is started in response to the request signal, starts the engine in a case where the vehicle state satisfies a first condition including a condition relating to a range of a transmission of the vehicle, and does not start the engine in a case where the vehicle state does not satisfy the first condition.

The invention relates to a wheeled vehicle (1) comprising: a chassis (2) carrying an engine (4), a starter (5) of the engine and a device for actuating said starter (5), a control unit, and an activatable/deactivatable device for energising the control unit, said vehicle (1) having an economical operating mode in which, in the activated state of the energising device, the control unit is designed to allow the motor (4) to be stopped without actuation of the energising device, said stoppage being called energised stoppage of the engine (4). The vehicle (1) comprises a memory for storing data relating to the number of starts of the engine (4) and the control unit is designed to allow or prohibit the energised stoppage of the engine (4), in the economical operating mode, according to said stored data.

An engine control and input system for a device having a tool driven by an engine, includes an input and control module having one or more inputs and a controller responsive to actuation of the inputs to permit user control of at least one engine operating parameter by user actuation of the inputs. The system may include a touch screen display that displays icons to the user relating to the inputs and the at least one engine operating parameter, and wherein the touch screen display is responsive to the user selecting one of the inputs by touching an associated one of the icons provided by the display. At least one of the inputs may relate to one or more of changing engine speed, starting the engine, causing the engine to drive the tool, turning on a light, actuating a heater or warmer or stopping engine operation.

Methods and systems are provided for an exhaust catalyst heating strategy that uses spark retard to increase an amount of heat output by an engine without a combustion stability limit. In one example, a method may include, during an engine cold start, applying an ignition spark at a timing that produces substantially zero combustion torque while maintaining an engine speed greater than a threshold speed via electric motor torque. Furthermore, an amount of heat output by the engine may be controlled by adjusting an airflow through the engine, such as by adjusting one or more of a throttle position and the engine speed.

A work vehicle includes an engine controller for driving an engine, a power supply line, a power supply control line, and a display signal line. When a check switch switchable into a safe position corresponding to safe drive of the engine and a non-safe position is switched to the safe position, the power supply control line renders a power supply relay ON. The display signal line transmits a signal indicative of the switched state of the check switch to a display.

An idling stop control device includes an authenticator, a storage, a getting-off detector, and an engine restart permitter. The authenticator is installed in a vehicle, performs authentication via a wireless communication with a mobile device, and repeatedly performs, while the vehicle travels, an authentication operation at predetermined intervals. The storage stores result and time of authentication as the authentication history during travel. The engine restart permitter determines permission or prohibition of restart of the engine in accordance with the authentication history and getting-off information, permits restart of the engine when the authentication is successful and permits, in a case where the authentication fails, restart of the engine when a history of success of authentication has been stored in the storage during travel and the getting-off is not detected after the authentication has been successful.

A vehicle includes a controller and an operating unit. The controller controls an automatic vehicle hold (AVH) system maintaining the brake of the vehicle even after an operation of the brake pedal is canceled, and an idling stop system (ISS) stopping idling of an internal combustion engine. The operating unit switches the AVH and ISS between an enabled state and a disabled state in response to an occupant's operation. When the vehicle comes to a stop, the controller activates the AVH in a case where the operation of the brake pedal satisfies a first operation condition, and activates the ISS in a case where the operation of the brake pedal satisfies a second operation condition. The controller changes at least one of the first operation condition or the second operation condition when the AVH and the ISS are both switched to the enabled state by the operating unit.

A vehicle kill switch assembly includes a switch that is coupled to a vehicle. The switch is positioned beneath a driver's seat of the vehicle and the switch is electrically coupled to the ignition system of the vehicle. The ignition system is turned off when the switch is disengaged. A biasing unit is coupled to the vehicle and the driver's seat is coupled to the biasing unit. The biasing unit biases the driver's seat upwardly in the vehicle and the biasing unit is compressed when the driver sits in the driver's seat. The switch is engaged when the biasing unit is compressed to facilitate the vehicle to be driven. Conversely, the switch is disengaged when the biasing unit biases the driver's seat upwardly to inhibit the vehicle from being driven.