A standby generator includes an alternator to produce electricity for distribution to an electrical system, and an air-cooled internal combustion engine driving the alternator. The air-cooled internal combustion engine includes one or more cylinders, one or more spark plugs each configured to initiate combustion in a corresponding cylinder, and one or more ignition coils each coupled to a respective spark plug of the one or more spark plugs to provide a voltage to the respective spark plug. The standby generator also includes a battery system electrically coupled to the one or more ignition coils to provide power thereto, and a digital ignition module wiring the battery system to each of the one or more ignition coils to control operation of the one or more spark plugs.

A vehicle which can improve fuel consumption without a driver feeling uncomfortable is provided. The vehicle includes: a hydraulic pressure sensor for acquiring a brake torque value which increases in accordance with a stepping-in amount of a brake pedal by the driver, and an ECU which automatically stops an engine after a basic time has elapsed since a basic condition is satisfied and then automatically restarts the engine. The ECU automatically stops the engine before the basic time elapses, when an increment of the brake torque value from a reference value after the basic condition is satisfied is equal to or greater than an additional stepping judgment value, and a shortened time shorter than the basic time has elapsed.

Disclosed is a system for detecting an operating state of a vehicle engine. The system comprises: an input coupled to a power line of a vehicle; means to filter out relatively high frequency transient noise components of a signal received from the power line; a first detector for receiving the filtered signal and detecting when transient noise associated with the power line rises above a first threshold and generating a first detection signal in response thereto; a second detector for receiving the filtered signal and detecting when the transient noise falls below a second threshold, which is lower than the first threshold, and generating a second detection signal in response thereto; and means for generating a first output signal in response to the first detection signal and a second output signal in response to the second detection signal.

A method according to the invention for controlling an internal combustion engine having a camshaft whose phase with respect to a crankshaft can be adjusted by means of an electric adjustment device, and a control device comprises the steps S1 to S3, wherein in step S1 a stop request is output from the control device to the electric adjustment device. Subsequently, in step S2 a manipulated variable in the form of a pulse duty factor is output from the electric adjustment device, wherein the pulse duty factor counteracts a camshaft torque. In step S3, the direction of rotation of the camshaft is monitored, wherein in step S4, when a reversal of the direction of rotation of the camshaft is detected, an intensity level of this reversal of the direction of rotation is calculated by determining a rotational speed gradient. Furthermore, in a step S5 the pulse duty factor is corrected as a function of the rotational speed gradient in such a way that the influence of the reversal of the direction of rotation on the position of the camshaft is compensated.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling engine operation in a hybrid electric vehicle equipped with stop/start capabilities under conditions where requested power or torque is in a hysteresis region between an engine pull up threshold and an engine pull down threshold. In one example, a method comprises obtaining an adjusted engine pull down threshold upon the requested power or torque remaining in the hysteresis region for more than a threshold duration, and commanding the engine deactivated in response to the adjusted engine pull down threshold being equivalent to the requested power or torque. In this way, a motor/generator may be used to meet the requested torque response rather than the engine under such conditions, which may improve fuel economy.

A vehicular collision mitigation method includes providing a plurality of cameras, a non-imaging sensor, and a control that processes data captured by the cameras and non-imaging sensor. When the equipped vehicle is traveling forward, and responsive at least in part to determination that the equipped vehicle is approaching an object forward of the equipped vehicle, braking by an automatic emergency braking system of the equipped vehicle is controlled to mitigate collision with the object present forward of the equipped vehicle. Responsive to determination that a following vehicle is following the equipped vehicle and that the determined following vehicle is within a threshold distance from the equipped vehicle and is approaching the equipped vehicle above a threshold rate of approach, braking by the automatic emergency braking of the equipped vehicle is adjusted to mitigate collision at the rear of the equipped vehicle by the determined following vehicle.

A method (300) of controlling an internal combustion engine (3) of a vehicle (1), comprising: receiving at least one input (301) indicative of a current external environment proximal to the vehicle (1); determining (305) in dependence on the at least one input (301) whether a hazard is present; determining a current propulsion demand (303) of the vehicle (1); if it is determined that the current propulsion demand (303) is low, either commanding switching of the internal combustion engine (3) to an off state (307) if it is determined that a hazard is not present, or not commanding switching of the internal combustion engine (3) to the off state if it is determined that a hazard is present; and if it is determined that the current propulsion demand (303) is high, commanding switching of the internal combustion engine (3) to an on state if the internal combustion engine (3) is in the off state.

Methods and systems are provided for diagnosing a cylinder valve deactivation mechanism in an engine system having cam-actuated valves. Movement of a latch pin of the deactivation mechanism is inferred from an induction current generated by a solenoid coupled to the latch pin, and the inferred movement is used to diagnose operation of cylinder valve deactivation mechanism. The inferred movement and a profile of the induction current is also used to estimate camshaft and crankshaft timing for improved cylinder fuel delivery in the absence of a camshaft sensor.

A system for a vehicle including a controller structured to communicate with a transmission and an engine of a vehicle, and additionally structured to: receive at least one of vehicle operation data, route data, or dynamic data during operation of the vehicle; determine that the vehicle is in a coasting state based on the at least one of the vehicle operation data, the route data, or the dynamic data; provide a command to at least one of the engine and the transmission to maintain the coasting state for the vehicle; and determine an end of the coasting state based on the at least one of the vehicle operation data, the route data, or the dynamic data.

The disclosure relates to a method for controlling an internal combustion engine configured with a belt starter generator or an electric machine of a hybrid powertrain. The internal combustion engine includes a cylinder and a piston, which together delimit a working chamber. The internal combustion engine includes a variable valve actuation system for actuation of inlet valves of the working chambers, controlling the opening time and/or the closing time and/or the lift. A strategy for operating the internal combustion engine with a negative drive torque or when shutting down or when starting up the internal combustion includes controlling the inlet valves of individual or all working chambers in such a way that the transfer of fresh air from an intake section to an exhaust manifold is controlled and that the drag torque of the internal combustion is reduced.