Methods and systems are provided for operating a split exhaust engine system that provides blowthrough air and exhaust gas recirculation to an intake passage via a first exhaust manifold and exhaust gas to an exhaust passage via a second exhaust manifold. In one example, an amount of opening overlap between a plurality of intake valves and a first set of exhaust valves coupled to the first exhaust manifold may be adjusted responsive to a transition from an estimated combustion air-fuel content to a leaner air-fuel content of the blowthrough air on a cylinder to cylinder basis. As one example, the transition may be determined from an output of an oxygen sensor positioned within the first exhaust manifold or an exhaust runner of each of the first set of exhaust valves.

A method for an enhanced vehicle monitoring system that utilizes cameras and other sensors to determine the state of the interior and/or exterior of a vehicle is provided. The method comprises detecting that a driver has exited a vehicle. The method further comprises monitoring a state of the vehicle. The method further comprises determining based, at least in part, on the monitoring, if an object has been left in the vehicle unintentionally or if the vehicle has been left running unattended. The method further comprises, upon determining that the object has been left in the vehicle or the vehicle has been left running unattended, sending a notification to the driver.

A SS control device is configured to: be allowed to stop an internal combustion engine when a required voltage is smaller than or equal to a first voltage value under a state where a stopping condition is satisfied, and be prohibited from stopping the internal combustion engine when the required voltage is larger than the first voltage value under a state where the stopping condition is satisfied; and be allowed to restart the internal combustion engine when the required voltage is smaller than or equal to a second voltage value smaller than the first voltage value under a state where the restart condition is satisfied, and be prohibited from restarting the internal combustion engine when the required voltage is larger than the second voltage value under a state where the restart condition is satisfied.

An ECU includes a cooling water temperature sensor, an intake air temperature sensor, a storage unit, a determination unit, and a calibration unit. In an after-run control performed after the internal combustion engine stops, the determination unit compares a cooling water temperature Tw detected by the cooling water temperature sensor with a first threshold value T1 and determines that the environment is not the cold environment in which an EGR differential pressure sensor is likely to be frozen, if the cooling water temperature Tw is equal to or higher than the first threshold value T1, or if the cooling water temperature Tw is less than the first threshold value T1 but is equal to or higher than a second threshold value T2 which is lower than the first threshold value T1 and an intake air temperature Ta from the intake air temperature sensor is equal to or higher than a third threshold value T3, and determines that the environment is the cold environment otherwise. When the environment is determined as not to be the cold environment, the calibration unit obtains a calibration reference value based on the detection value from the EGR differential pressure sensor. The storage unit stores the calibration reference value obtained by the calibration unit.

A method is presented for facilitating oxygen vacancy generation in a resistive random access memory (RRAM) device. The method includes forming a RRAM stack having a first electrode and at least one sacrificial layer, encapsulating the RRAM stack with a dielectric layer, constructing a via resulting in removal of the at least one sacrificial layer of the RRAM stack, the via extending to a high-k dielectric layer of the RRAM stack, and forming a second electrode in the via such that the second electrode extends laterally into cavities defined by the removal of the at least one sacrificial layer.

Systems and methods for operating a vehicle that includes an engine that may be automatically stopped and started are described. In one example, an engine may be automatically stopped in response to a brake booster vacuum threshold level that is adjusted responsive to vehicle speed so that opportunities to automatically stop an engine may be increased, thereby conserving fuel.

A stop-start system and method for a motor vehicle include a controller configured to shut down an engine of the motor vehicle automatically when the motor vehicle is moving and a predetermined engine shut down condition is achieved, to perform a rolling stop-start operation; and a mechanically driven auxiliary vacuum pump coupled to a transmission gear or output shaft and configured to provide vacuum pressure to a brake booster of the motor vehicle, wherein the controller is configured to operate the auxiliary vacuum pump during the rolling stop-start operation.

Systems and methods are provided for cooling an overheated engine using a combination of variable displacement engine (VDE) technology and direct injection technology. In one example, a method may include deactivating a subset of engine cylinders based on an engine temperature and directly injecting liquid fuel into the deactivated cylinders. In this way, an increased thermal conductivity of the liquid fuel compared to air decreases the engine temperature at a faster rate than when air-based engine cooling methods are used, thereby preventing overheating-related engine degradation.

Methods and systems are provided for indicating whether a wastegate positioned in a vehicle exhaust system is stuck in a closed or open configuration. In one example, a method comprises activating an electric air compressor positioned in an intake of the engine and obtaining a first baseline air flow and a second baseline air flow in the exhaust system, and in response to an indication that the wastegate is potentially stuck open or closed, obtaining a test air flow measurement via activating the electric air compressor and comparing the test air flow in the exhaust system to the first and/or the second baseline air flow. In this way, the wastegate may be diagnosed under conditions of limited engine operation, such as that which may occur in hybrid electric vehicles.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, an electric motor is used to generate correction torques to counteract unwanted torque pulses generated by an internal combustion engine during startup and/or shutdown. In some embodiments, the electric motor may be mounted to an accessory drive such as a power take-off mechanism or a front end accessory drive (FEAD). In some embodiments, the correction torques may be used to enforce an engine speed target profile for startup or shutdown, and may be determined using a feedback control loop based on the engine speed. The correction torques help to reduce or eliminate noise, vibration, and/or harshness (NVH) during startup and/or shutdown.