The present disclosure is directed to operation of a motor vehicle including a first motor configured as an internal combustion engine and a second motor configured as an electric motor. The first motor comprises a combustion chamber, an ignition source and a prechamber that is coupled fluidically to the combustion chamber and into which a portion of the ignition source is introduced. The first motor can be operated by ignition of a fuel/air mixture in the prechamber interior by the ignition source. By way of a control device, the first motor is activated in a manner dependent on a load requirement, and is operated by ignition of the fuel/air mixture in the prechamber interior by the at least one ignition source only when it is operated exclusively in a stable combustion state as a result.

Various embodiments include a method for starting an internal combustion engine comprising: in a first phase after a starting process, setting a throttle valve to a value near to zero so the pressure in the intake tract is lowered below the ambient pressure and injecting a fuel into the intake tract above a rich combustion limit at which the fuel/air mixture would still just be combustible; in a second phase, reducing the fuel mass as a function of the pressure; in a third phase shorter than the second phase, further reducing the fuel mass and increasing the opening of the throttle valve to increase the pressure in the intake tract; and in a fourth phase, increasing the fuel mass as a function of rising pressure in the intake tract.

An embodiment method comprises selecting memory zones from a position of instructions of a program, the instructions each occupying one or more memory locations, and the zones comprising, for each memory location, a same number of bits, preferably equal to one or two.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling camshaft phasers of a variable displacement engine. In one example, the engine includes first and second cylinder banks, with the engine being configured to operate in a rolling variable displacement mode. The camshaft phasers are torque actuated camshaft phasers, and a controller of the engine may adjust operation of camshaft phasers at the first cylinder bank differently than camshaft phasers at the second cylinder bank.

Systems and methods for operating a vehicle that includes an engine and an electric machine are described. In one example, a speed of the engine may be adjusted so that the engine provides power to drive the electric machine without generating numerous rapid engine speed changes in a short amount of time.

An abnormality detection device for an air-fuel ratio sensor is provided. An air-fuel ratio sensor is provided in an exhaust passage. A storage device stores mapping data specifying a mapping. The mapping outputs an abnormality determination variable using first time series data and second time series data as an input. The first time series data is time series data of an excess amount variable in a first predetermined period. The excess amount variable is a variable corresponding to an excess amount of fuel actually discharged to the exhaust passage in relation to an amount of fuel reacting without excess or deficiency with oxygen contained in a fluid discharged to the exhaust passage. The second time series data is time series data of an air-fuel ratio detection variable in a second predetermined period.

A misfire detection device for an internal combustion engine includes a storage device and processing circuitry. The storage device stores mapping data. The mapping data is data specifying a mapping that outputs a misfire variable using a rotation waveform variable as an input. The misfire variable is a variable related to a probability that a misfire has occurred in the internal combustion engine. The rotation waveform variable is a variable based on an instantaneous speed variable corresponding to each of discontinuous rotational angle intervals selected from multiple continuous rotational angle intervals.

In a method, dynamic pressure oscillations in the intake tract or outlet tract of a respective internal combustion engine are measured during normal operation, and from these measured oscillations, a corresponding pressure oscillation signal is generated. A crankshaft phase angle signal is determined at the same time. From the pressure oscillation signal, an actual value of at least one characteristic of at least one selected signal frequency of the measured pressure oscillations in relation to the crankshaft phase angle signal is determined, and the current trimming of the intake tract is determined on the basis of the determined actual value, taking into consideration reference values of the corresponding characteristic of the respectively identical signal frequency for different trimmings of the intake tract.

An abnormality detection device for an air-fuel ratio sensor is provided. An air-fuel ratio sensor is provided in an exhaust passage. A storage device stores mapping data specifying a mapping. The mapping outputs an abnormality determination variable using first time series data and second time series data as an input. The first time series data is time series data of an excess amount variable in a first predetermined period. The excess amount variable is a variable corresponding to an excess amount of fuel actually discharged to the exhaust passage in relation to an amount of fuel reacting without excess or deficiency with oxygen contained in a fluid discharged to the exhaust passage. The second time series data is time series data of an air-fuel ratio detection variable in a second predetermined period.

An operating range boundary for switching a cam for driving an intake valve (drive cam) is changed in a direction of increasing an engine load if a target EGR rate is predicted to increase across the contour line of the EGR rate during an acceleration operation. By changing to such a high load direction, a range in which a large cam is selected is enlarged. That is, switching of the drive cam from the large cam to a small cam is delayed.