A transmission for outputting a rotational torque in accordance with a torque requirement. The transmission includes a generator, a motor and a control device. The generator includes a rotor configured to receive first rotational power from an engine, a stator including a stator core with a winding wound thereon, a magnetic circuit for the winding passing through the stator core, and a supply current adjustment device configured to adjust magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, to thereby change an inductance of the winding to adjust a current outputted by the generator. The motor is driven by the current outputted from the generator, to thereby output second rotational power. The control device controls the supply current adjustment device to change the inductance of the winding, in accordance with the torque requirement.

A computing device implemented method includes receiving one or more signals that represent an angular speed of a permanent magnet electric motor of a hybrid electric vehicle, the one or more signals being provided by an angular sensor connected to the electric motor, receiving a signal representing a voltage from the electric motor, the voltage being a direct axis voltage component of a three-phase motor model, determining if the angular speed is within a predetermined threshold, calculating an error angle representing a correction factor for an alignment of the electric motor based on a ratio of the voltage and the angular speed, storing the correction factor, and determining a binary indication of a status of error angle, and repeating the steps until the binary indication is positive.

A multimode clutch may be adapted for selectively connecting and disconnecting front and/or rear axles from respective internal combustion engine and electric motor powertrains connected to such front and rear driving axles in a through-the-road hybrid vehicle. For example, the engine may be part of a front axle driven powertrain connected to the front wheels, while the motor may be part of a separate rear axle driven powertrain connected to the rear wheels, or vice versa. By selective disconnection of an axle not being actively driven, a real time reduction in parasitic losses may be achieved, leading to higher overall operating efficiencies. The multimode clutch offers greater flexibility over the use of standard friction clutches; each multimode clutch may provide four distinct operational modes for accommodating a wide diversity of driving conditions. For example, bi-rotational freewheeling of the rear axle may occur whenever the motor is not in use.

An electric power supply system configured to supply electric power to an electrical load device in accordance with a current requirement. The electric power supply system includes an engine configured to output rotational power, a generator configured to receive the rotational power and to supply a current to the electrical load device. The generator includes a rotor, and a stator including a winding and a stator core with the winding wound thereon, a magnetic circuit for the winding passing through the stator core, and a supply current adjustment device configured to adjust magnetic resistance of the magnetic circuit for the winding, to thereby change an inductance of the winding to adjust the supplied current. The electric power supply system further includes a control device configured to control the engine to adjust the output rotational power and to control the supply current adjustment device to adjust the inductance of the winding.

A vehicle includes a vehicle body, an electromotive driving unit mounted on the vehicle body, an engine operable with a liquid fuel, a generator that generates electric power, and a control device including a power generation control unit and an electric power output unit. The power generation control unit outputs a signal for controlling the engine and the generator, the electric power output unit outputting electric power generated by the generator to the electromotive driving unit. The control device in combination with the engine and the generator constitutes a physically integrated unit that is mountable to and dismountable from the vehicle body. The control device is configured to output a store visit promotion signal to an informing device while the physically integrated unit is mounted on the vehicle body, to prompt a visit to a store where the physically integrated unit is replaceable.

Presented are engine-disconnect clutches with attendant control logic, methods for making/operating such disconnect clutches, and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) equipped with an engine that is coupled to/decoupled from a transmission and electric motor via a disconnect clutch. A representative method for controlling an HEV powertrain includes receiving an HEV powertrain operation command, then determining a clutch mode of a multi-mode clutch device to execute the HEV powertrain operation. This multi-mode clutch device is operable in: a lock-lock mode, in which the clutch device transmits torque to and from the engine; a free-free mode, in which the clutch device disconnects the engine's output member from the transmission's input member, preventing torque transmission to and from the engine; a lock-free mode, in which the clutch device transmits torque from but not to the engine; and, a free-lock mode, in which the clutch device transmits torque to but not from the engine.

The control device of hybrid vehicle 1 comprises: a target state-of-charge setting part 42 configured to set a target state of charge which is a target value of a state of charge of the battery 20; and an output control part 41 configured to control outputs of the internal combustion engine 10 and the electric motor 16 so that the state of charge of the battery becomes equal to or more than the target state of charge when the hybrid vehicle is being driven outside a charging location. The target state-of-charge setting part is configured to set the target state of charge based on an amount of electric power required for the hybrid vehicle to reach the charging location by output of only the electric motor, and grade information of a road near the charging location.

An apparatus and method for controlling a vehicle are disclosed. The apparatus includes a controller and a sensor configured to obtain surrounding environment information and driving information of the vehicle. The controller is configured to divide, into one or more sections, a section of a road in which a steering change occurs corresponding to obstacle avoidance driving of the vehicle. The controller is configured to, when a collision with an obstacle is determined based on the surrounding environment information and the driving information, separately calculate a control amount for each section, among the one or more sections, according to a type of the road determine the type of the road by determining whether the vehicle is traveling on a straight road or a curved road based on the driving information.

A method of operating a first electric machine and a second electric machine in a vehicle drive includes operating the vehicle drive in a first operating mode by operating the first electric machine to regulate electrical power at a bus to maintain a first voltage on the bus and operating the second electric machine to consume electrical power from the bus. The method includes operating the vehicle drive in a second operating mode by operating the first electric machine to consume electrical power from the bus and operating the second electric machine to regulate electrical power at the bus to maintain a second voltage on the bus. A sum of the electrical power regulated by the first electric machine, the electrical power losses, and the electrical power consumed by the second electric machine is zero in the first operating mode and in the second operating mode.

A corner or end module for assembly on a vehicle body comprises a wheel(s), a frame having connection points for removably securing the corner module to the vehicle body, a drive system capable of providing torque to drive the wheel(s), a brake system connected to the wheel(s) capable of braking the wheel(s), a suspension system located between the frame and the wheel(s), a steering system connected to the wheel(s), capable of providing a steering input for the wheel(s), and a communication system capable of communicating from at least one of a drive controller, brake controller, and steering controller of the corner or end module with one of: another corner or end module, a vehicle controller; an autonomous drive controller; another vehicle, infrastructure, and a wireless data server.