A control device transmits an opening degree command amount to an actuator to command an opening degree of a sealing valve. The control device sets a pressure difference between a tank-side pressure and a canister-side pressure to a specified value or more. The control device causes a pressure variable device to change the canister-side pressure to form a state in which the pressure difference becomes equal to or higher than a specified value while the sealing valve is closed. The control device learns a valve opening start amount based on the opening degree command amount when the tank-side pressure changes in response to the opening degree command amount that gradually increases from zero. The control device determines the opening degree command amount based on the valve opening start amount, which has been learned.

A controller includes a memory device and an execution device, which executes an operation of an operated unit of an internal combustion engine. The execution device includes a first operation process that operates the operated unit by an operated amount, which is calculated on the basis of a state of a vehicle, using an adapted data set, a second operation process that operates the operated unit by an operated amount that is defined by a relationship defining data set and the state of the vehicle, and a switching process that switches the operation of the operated unit between an operation by the first operation process and an operation by the second operation process, depending on whether the vehicle is performing a manual acceleration travel or an automatic acceleration travel.

Methods for management of a powertrain system in a vehicle. The methods receive data or signals from multiple sensors associated with the vehicle. Optimum thresholds for classifications of the sensor data can be changed based injecting signals into the powertrain system and receiving responsive signals. Expected priorities for the sensor signals can be altered based upon attributes of the signals and confirming actual priorities for the signals. Look-up tables for engine management can be modified based upon injecting signals into the powertrain system and measuring a utility of the responsive signals. The methods can thus dynamically alter and modify data for powertrain management, such as look-up tables, during vehicle operation under a wide range of conditions.

A method for controlling and/or regulating the operation of an internal combustion engine, wherein the relevant specific relative locations of the intake camshaft with respect to the crankshaft are defined and/or controlled with the aid of regulating control values of the engine control unit, in particular for controlling the intake valves between the control value 1 for late and the control value 0 for early, and wherein a specific regulating control value curve and/or specific regulating control values for controlling the relative position of the intake camshaft is or are stored, at least for a specific control period for implementing the load jump, namely at least between the time of the start of the target load jump to the time of the end of the actual load jump corresponding to the target load jump.

A control device of an internal combustion engine includes: a parameter value acquiring part acquiring values of input parameters; a computing part utilizing a model using a neural network to calculate a value of an output parameter, and a control part controlling operation of the engine. The model outputs the value of the output parameter from an output layer node if the values of the input parameters are input to the input layer nodes. When an abnormality occurs at values of part of the input parameters among the input parameters, the computing part uses the corrected model to calculate the value of the output parameter, the corrected model being provided by correcting the model so that a value changing in accordance with a value of an abnormal input parameter is not input from a input layer node corresponding to the abnormal input parameter to a hidden layer node.

A vehicle controller is provided. An update process updates a relationship defining data by inputting, to a predetermined update map, a state of a vehicle, a value of an action variable used to operate an electronic device, and a reward corresponding to that electronic device. A reward calculating process provides, based on the state of the vehicle obtained by an obtaining process, a greater reward when a characteristic of the vehicle meets a standard than when the characteristic of the vehicle does not meet the standard. A loosening process loosens the standard to a larger extent when the degree of deterioration is large than when the degree of deterioration is small.

A vehicle controller is provided. An update process updates a relationship defining data by inputting, to a predetermined update map, a state of a vehicle, a value of an action variable used to operate an electronic device, and a reward corresponding to that electronic device. A reward calculating process provides, based on the state of the vehicle obtained by an obtaining process, a greater reward when a characteristic of the vehicle meets a standard than when the characteristic of the vehicle does not meet the standard. A loosening process loosens the standard to a larger extent when the degree of deterioration is large than when the degree of deterioration is small.

A vehicle controller includes processing circuitry and a storage device. The storage device stores relationship specifying data that specifies a relationship between a state of a vehicle and at least one action variable. The at least one action variable is a variable related to operation of an operating unit of an internal combustion engine. The processing circuitry is configured to execute an obtaining process that obtains a state of the vehicle, an operating process that operates the operating unit based on a value of the at least one action variable, a reward calculation process, an updating process that updates the relationship specifying data, and a determination process that determines whether the internal combustion engine has deteriorated. The determination process is executed on condition that at least one of the at least one action variable equals a predetermined value.

A method according to the invention for checking the plausibility of the function of a pressure sensor in an injection system of an internal combustion engine includes acquiring a calibrated actuation profile, by which peak current values for opening at least one electrically actuatable injection valve are assigned to existing internal pressures. An existing internal pressure is measured in the form of an actual sensor pressure value by the pressure sensor. The method includes obtaining the electrical peak current value corresponding to the measured sensor pressure value from a calibrated actuation profile, such that the corresponding electrical peak current value acquired in this way is applied to the injection valve. Subsequently, an opening state of the injection valve is monitored in reaction to the applied electrical peak current value, and a functional state of the pressure sensor is assigned as a function of the opening state of the injection valve.

A method of adaptively predicting, during operation of a pump, a mass of fuel pumped by the pump during a pumping event to a fuel accumulator (“Q.sub.pump”) to control operation of the pump is provided, comprising: generating an adaptive model of operation of the pump, including estimating a start of pumping (“SOP”) position of a plunger of the pump, estimating Q.sub.pump, determining a converged value of the estimated SOP position, and determining a converged value of the estimated Q.sub.pump; using the adaptive model to predict Q.sub.pump by inputting to the model the converged value of the estimated SOP position, a measured pressure of fuel in the fuel accumulator and a measured temperature of fuel in the fuel accumulator; and controlling operation of the pump in response to the predicted Q.sub.pump.