Systems and methods for operating an engine with deactivating and non-deactivating valves are presented. In one example, valves of a cylinder are deactivated in a closed state in response to an indication of degradation of a valve of the cylinder. Further, fuel flow to the cylinder may be stopped via ceasing to inject fuel to the cylinder.

A controller for a hybrid electric vehicle including an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes a filter arranged in an exhaust passage collect particulate matter from exhaust gas. The controller executes a first deceleration control process, a second deceleration control process, and a selection process. The first deceleration control process uses a fuel cutoff process when deceleration of the hybrid electric vehicle is required. The second deceleration control process does not use the fuel cutoff process when deceleration of the hybrid electric vehicle is required. The selection process selects execution of the second deceleration control process when a PM deposition amount is greater than or equal to a threshold value and selects execution of the first deceleration control process when the PM deposition amount is less than the threshold value.

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine performs a first acquisition process for acquiring a first index value corresponding to an integrated amount of intake air during a performance of the fuel cutoff process, and a cancellation process for cancelling the fuel cutoff process when the first index value becomes equal to or larger than a first predetermined value during the performance of the fuel cutoff process. Besides, the control apparatus performs a second acquisition process for acquiring a second index value corresponding to an elapsed time from the end of the fuel cutoff process to the subsequent start of the fuel cutoff process, and a change process for making the first predetermined value smaller when the second index value is small in starting the fuel cutoff process than when the second index value is large in starting the fuel cutoff process.

Methods and systems are provided for maintaining efficiency of a catalyst that is positioned in an exhaust system downstream of an internal combustion engine. In one example, the catalyst may be heated via supplying fuel to a cylinder that does not combust the fuel. The fuel may be oxidized at the catalyst via excess oxygen in the exhaust system.

A control method for a self-driving vehicle provided with an engine as a driving source, comprising: determining whether or not coast stop is executed in accordance with required driving force of the vehicle, the coast stop being for automatically stopping the engine during the vehicle traveling at speed not more than predetermined vehicle speed; setting the required driving force so that an intervehicular distance between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle becomes closer to a predetermined distance under presence of the preceding vehicle in front of the host vehicle; predicting a behavior of the preceding vehicle from a situation in front of the preceding vehicle under presence of the preceding vehicle; and prohibiting release of the coast stop for the engine during an automatic stop when future deceleration of the preceding vehicle is predicted in response to an expansion of the intervehicular distance.

A control method for a self-driving vehicle provided with an engine as a driving source, comprising: determining whether or not coast stop is executed in accordance with required driving force of the vehicle, the coast stop being for automatically stopping the engine during the vehicle traveling at speed not more than predetermined vehicle speed; setting the required driving force so that an intervehicular distance between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle becomes closer to a predetermined distance under presence of the preceding vehicle in front of the host vehicle; predicting a behavior of the preceding vehicle from a situation in front of the preceding vehicle under presence of the preceding vehicle; and prohibiting release of the coast stop for the engine during an automatic stop when future deceleration of the preceding vehicle is predicted in response to an expansion of the intervehicular distance.

A system is provided for controlling engine fueling and includes an internal combustion engine, a fuel source, means for delivering fuel from the fuel source to the engine, and a controller configured to control the fuel delivering means according to a first operational mode so that, upon attaining a predetermined operational state of the engine, an amount of fuel delivered to the engine per unit time is kept constant. The system will typically but not necessarily be provided in a vehicle such as a truck or a passenger automobile. A method for controlling engine fueling is also provided.

A system is provided for controlling engine fueling and includes an internal combustion engine, a fuel source, means for delivering fuel from the fuel source to the engine, and a controller configured to control the fuel delivering means according to a first operational mode so that, upon attaining a predetermined operational state of the engine, an amount of fuel delivered to the engine per unit time is kept constant. The system will typically but not necessarily be provided in a vehicle such as a truck or a passenger automobile. A method for controlling engine fueling is also provided.

A method and system for operating a vehicle that includes an automatic transmission with a torque converter clutch is described. In one example, the method includes predicting a time that the torque converter clutch will open so that stopping rotation of the engine may be requested before the torque converter clutch is opened. The stopping rotation of the engine is requested to conserve fuel.

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine performs a first acquisition process for acquiring a first index value corresponding to an integrated amount of intake air during a performance of the fuel cutoff process, and a cancellation process for cancelling the fuel cutoff process when the first index value becomes equal to or larger than a first predetermined value during the performance of the fuel cutoff process. Besides, the control apparatus performs a second acquisition process for acquiring a second index value corresponding to an elapsed time from the end of the fuel cutoff process to the subsequent start of the fuel cutoff process, and a change process for making the first predetermined value smaller when the second index value is small in starting the fuel cutoff process than when the second index value is large in starting the fuel cutoff process.