The present invention relates to a control device and to a control method for a vehicle drive mechanism including a moving body having a movability range regulated by two stoppers, and a sensor which senses a position of the moving body. The control device of the present invention learns an output of the sensor corresponding to a contact state of a high-rigidity stopper, and limits, to a lower level, an operation variable of the actuator for moving the moving body toward a low-rigidity stopper along with an increase in an amount of change in the output of the sensor from the contact state of the high-rigidity stopper. Then, the control device learns the output of the sensor corresponding to the contact state of the low-rigidity stopper, and controls the actuator based on the output of the sensor learned at both the stopper positions.

A method of calibrating a soot load estimating function for a diesel particulate filter uses radio frequency attenuation measurement and temperature measurements. The method comprises identifying a minimum mean attenuation value associated with a standard deviation that exceeds a standard deviation threshold and using this minimum mean attenuation value as a reference value. The method further comprises using a data library that contains gradient values for each of a range of possible temperature values to obtain a first gradient value, the first gradient value corresponding to the first temperature value, wherein each gradient value relates to the gradient of a linear approximation between mean attenuation and soot load at the corresponding temperature. The method involves using the reference value and the first gradient value to determine an axis intercept value for use as an offset value and adopting the offset value as a temperature-independent calibration value for the diesel particulate filter.

Methods and systems for calculating a plurality of aging factors in a system operating an engine. The calculated aging factors may include one or more of fuel injector drift, exhaust gas recirculation valve obstruction, and mass air flow sensor bias. Mass flow throughout the system, and pressures and temperatures within the system, are observed in an approach that relies on mass preservation concepts to estimate drift, obstruction and bias estimates.

Disclosed is a method for establishing an engine maintenance diagnosis. The engine includes a throttle which regulates air access into an air intake system of the engine, a position sensor which measures the position of the throttle, a manifold in fluidic communication with the throttle, a pressure sensor which measures the pressure in the manifold, at least one intake valve, a richness probe which measures an oxygen level and a richness controller for modifying the proportions of air and fuel in the air-fuel mixture. The method uses two air flow measurements in order to identify a problem in the throttle or the play at the valves.

An internal combustion engine controller for controlling an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine controller comprises a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store a plurality of control maps, each control map defining a hypersurface of actuator setpoints for controlling an actuator of the internal combustion engine based on a plurality of input variables to the internal combustion engine controller. The processor comprises an engine setpoint module and a map updating module. The map updating module is configured to optimise one or more of the hypersurfaces of the control maps at the location defined by the plurality of input variables. The map updating module comprises an optimiser module configured to search for an optimised group of actuator setpoints wherein the map updating module updates the one or more hypersurfaces at the location defined by the plurality of input variables based on the optimised group of actuator setpoints. A method of controlling an internal combustion engine is also provided.

A system and method of controlling a turbocharged engine system includes receiving a boost mode selection signal and controlling the turbocharged engine system in response to the boost mode selection signal.

To keep catalyst purification efficiency high and prevent deterioration of emission performance. Therefore, an internal combustion engine control device according to an aspect of the present invention includes: an oxygen storage ratio calculation unit that calculates an oxygen storage ratio of a catalyst based on a catalytic reaction model having at least a detection value of a first exhaust gas sensor disposed on an upstream side of the catalyst as an input; a statistical model calculation unit that predicts a catalyst downstream exhaust gas concentration using a statistical model having an oxygen storage ratio as an input and a catalyst downstream exhaust gas concentration as an output; and an air-fuel ratio correction amount calculation unit that calculates an air-fuel ratio correction amount of an air-fuel mixture of an internal combustion engine based on a future catalyst downstream exhaust gas concentration calculated by the statistical model calculation unit.

A vehicle includes an internal combustion engine, an exhaust purification catalyst, and an air fuel ratio sensor. The internal combustion engine is structured to be motored by an electric motor generator. The exhaust purification catalyst is structured to purify exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine. The air fuel ratio sensor is located upstream of the exhaust purification catalyst and structured to sense an air fuel ratio. When a quantity of oxygen stored in the exhaust purification catalyst is larger than a reference value, it is determined that inflow of oxygen into the exhaust purification catalyst has an insignificant effect on exhaust performance. Then, fuel injection of the internal combustion engine is stopped, the internal combustion engine is motored, and air fuel ratio learning is performed for learning of a sensed value of the air fuel ratio sensor.

Methods and systems for monitoring a NOx sensor for a NOx offset value are described. In one example, the NOx offset value may be based on a minimum NOx concentration observed over an entire drive of a vehicle. The NOx offset monitor may be inhibited in response to inferring or detecting a presence of NH.sub.3 in an exhaust system.

Methods and systems for calculating a plurality of aging factors in a system operating an engine. The calculated aging factors may include one or more of fuel injector drift, exhaust gas recirculation valve obstruction, and mass air flow sensor bias. Mass flow throughout the system, and pressures and temperatures within the system, are observed in an approach that relies on mass preservation concepts to estimate drift, obstruction and bias estimates.