When a vehicle is in a traveling state having a low necessity to quickly increase required traveling torque, high-rotational-speed engine starting unit that reduces an emission amount of particulate matter emitted during engine starting starts the engine. Since quick torque response is not required when the vehicle is in the traveling state having the low necessity to quickly increase the required traveling torque, the high-rotational-speed engine starting unit starts the engine, so that increase of the emission amount of particulate matter emitted during engine starting can be curbed.

A system for starting an engine of a vehicle has a fuel injector injecting fuel into a closed intake port to form an air fuel mixture. The system also includes an actuator rotating a crankshaft in a first direction to open the intake port by moving a piston within a cylinder coupled to the crankshaft. A combustion chamber defines between the cylinder and the port receiving the air fuel mixture through the intake port. The actuator rotates the crankshaft in a second direction to close the intake port. A spark plug ignites the air fuel mixture to start the engine. The engine also includes many other disclosed features.

A device and method automatically switches off and starts a drive machine in a motor vehicle. The device includes a sensor unit for sensing a noise level and/or a vibration level of the environment of the motor vehicle and an electronic control unit for controlling an engine start-stop automatic system. The signals of the sensor unit are captured and are compared with at least one defined threshold value. The drive machine is automatically switched off when a predefined condition exists. The drive machine, having been automatically switched off, is automatically started again at the latest when the signals of the sensor unit exceed the at least one defined threshold value.

An electronic control unit of a hybrid vehicle is configured to determine whether or not parking operation of the hybrid vehicle is being performed. The electronic control unit is configured to control the engine and the rotary electric machine such that starting the engine when the parking operation of the hybrid vehicle is being performed is harder than starting the engine when the parking operation of the hybrid vehicle is not being performed.

The present disclosure provides a hybrid electric vehicle, a drive control method and a drive control device of a hybrid electric vehicle. The drive control method includes: obtaining a current gear position of the hybrid electric vehicle and a current electric charge level of a power battery; obtaining a slope of a road on which the hybrid electric vehicle is driving, if the current gear position of the hybrid electric vehicle and the current electric charge level of the power battery meet a preset requirement; and causing a working state of an engine and/or a motor of the hybrid electric vehicle according to the slope of the road on which the hybrid electric vehicle is driving.

Rolling engine start-stop (RESS) system and methods for a vehicle include a set of sensors configured to measure a set of operating parameters of the vehicle comprising at least (i) driver input via brake pedal of the vehicle, (ii) vehicle speed, and (iii) a steering angle of the vehicle and a controller configured to, based on the set of operating parameters, determine a target vehicle speed for stopping an engine of the vehicle, and based on the steering angle of the vehicle, selectively stopping the engine of the vehicle when the vehicle speed falls to the determined target vehicle speed, wherein stopping the engine of the vehicle at the determined target vehicle speed decreases noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) caused by stopping the engine.

A stop-start control system for a vehicle includes a camera disposed at the vehicle and having a field of view exterior and forward of the vehicle. A control includes an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera. Responsive to image processing of captured image data, the control determines the presence of a stopping area ahead of the vehicle and being approached by the vehicle. Responsive to determination of the presence of the stopping area ahead of the vehicle and being approached by the vehicle, and responsive to determination that the driver of the vehicle releases the accelerator pedal of the vehicle so the vehicle is coasting toward the determined stopping area, the control causes the engine to at least partially shut off.

There is a need to predict a driving environment with high responsiveness by a simple configuration. There is provided a driving environment prediction device that predicts a driving environment of a vehicle that causes a vehicle stop. The driving environment prediction device comprises: a first vehicle stop time rate calculator which is configured to calculate a rate of vehicle stop time in a first period, as a first vehicle stop time rate (shorter-period vehicle stop time rate); a second vehicle stop time rate calculator which is configured to calculate a rate of vehicle stop time in a second period which is longer than the first period, as a second vehicle stop time rate (longer-period vehicle stop time rate); and a driving environment predictor which is configured to predict the driving environment, based on the shorter-period vehicle stop time rate and the longer-period vehicle stop time rate.

Methods and systems are provided for selectively inhibiting a stop-start controller of a vehicle based on a predicted anxiety of a driver of the vehicle on a road segment that includes one or more road attributes associated with increased levels of anxiety. In one example, selectively inhibiting a stop-start controller of a vehicle based on a predicted anxiety of a driver of the vehicle includes determining a driver classification for a driver operating the vehicle; predicting an anxiety level of the driver at an upcoming traffic condition, based on the driver classification; and selectively inhibiting an upcoming engine idle-stop event based on the predicted anxiety level of the driver.

A system for establishing a torque limit for a vehicle is provided. The system uses impending terrain and speed conditions to determine an optimum torque, which improves engine efficiency and reduces fuel consumption.