A gear change control device and method thereof are provided. The gear change control device is a target torque control device that sets a target torque of a motor outputting a torque to a multilevel transmission having a torque converter and a lockup clutch. In a case when the lockup clutch is in a fastened state and during upshifting gear change, target torque reduction control is executed for reducing the target torque of the motor such that the output of the motor becomes a torque at which a heat generation temperature of the lockup clutch does not exceed an allowable temperature. If the lockup clutch is fastened, threshold value changing control is executed for changing threshold value of a rotation speed of the motor or the input shaft when the gear range is shifted to the side of higher range during upshifting gear change to a higher rotation speed.

Methods and systems are provided for operating a hybrid vehicle during launch conditions from rest. In one example, a threshold speed below which a clutch is closed during a vehicle launch is adjusted so that driver demand wheel torque is held constant for a constant accelerator pedal position until the clutch is closed.

A method for operating a drive train of a motor vehicle, the drive train having at least one transmission (2) for carrying out different transmission gear ratios between an input shaft (21) and an output shaft (22) of the transmission (2) by selectively engaging hydraulically actuatable shift elements of the transmission (G), the drive train further having an electric machine as a drive source (1), and a hydraulically actuatable or bridgeable starting component (3) in the power path between the drive source (1) and the output shaft (22). The method includes performing a starting process of the motor vehicle driven solely by the drive source (1) with an engaged or bridged starting component (3). The method further includes limiting a drive source torque (1t) during the starting process to a maximum value dependent on a current system pressure (2p) of a hydraulic system of the transmission (2).

A vehicle is provided that includes a motor connected to vehicle wheels and configured to generate electrical power. A first rotational speed detector detects rotational speed of the motor and an engine generates mechanical power. A second rotational speed detector detects rotational speed of the engine. A clutch is disposed between the engine and the motor to open and close the connection between the engine and the motor. A controller diagnoses a failure of the clutch and outputs an instruction to open the clutch and an instruction to turn off the engine when the clutch has a failure. The controller determines whether the clutch is successfully opened based on the detected rotational speed of the motor and the detected rotational speed of the engine, executes a series driving mode when that the clutch is successfully opened and speed limit driving when that the clutch has failed to be opened.

A control system for a hybrid vehicle configured to limit a thermal damage to a starting clutch without generating a shock. The control system is applied to a vehicle in which a prime mover includes an engine, a first motor, and a second motor. In the vehicle, the first motor is connected to the engine, and a first clutch and a second clutch are disposed between the engine and drive wheels. A controller executes a transient slip control to cause the second clutch to slip while bringing the slipping first clutch into complete engagement if a temperature of the first clutch is high. If an engine speed is changed during execution of the transient slip control, the first motor generates a collection torque to suppress the change in the engine speed.

In the present invention, when an engine of a hybrid vehicle is in a cooled state, a control device 70 thereof performs control so as to disengage an engine clutch 14 configured from a wet multi-disc clutch and supply electrical power to a motor generator 21 from a high-voltage battery 24 to rotationally drive the motor generator 21 in order to agitate clutch oil 86 in the engine clutch 14 and raise the temperature thereof.

A control apparatus for a vehicle provided, with a step-variable transmission, includes: a feedback control portion; an input torque resetting control portion; a target input torque setting portion operated upon an increase of the accelerator pedal operation amount in the process of the shift-down action in a power-off state of the vehicle, to restrict an amount of increase of the input torque target value with respect to an amount of increase of an operator-required input torque value, so as to keep the target value not larger than an upper limit value until termination of the input torque resetting control; and an actual input torque increasing portion operated upon the increase of the accelerator pedal operation amount prior to initiation of the inertia phase, to implement an input torque increasing control to control the input torque so as to be larger than the target value, prior to the inertia phase initiation.

A vehicle control unit performs filling control in which the vehicle control unit boosts an oil pressure in a second oil passage by supplying electric power to a pressure regulating valve with a switch valve being in a first state in which the switch valve connects a first oil passage to a clutch and disconnects the second oil passage from the clutch, torque replacement control in which the vehicle control unit increases motor torque while reducing shaft torque of an engine, and clutch disengagement control in which the vehicle control unit disengages the clutch while performing hydraulic control by the pressure regulating valve with the switch valve being in the second state in which the switch valve connects the second oil passage to the clutch and disconnects the first oil passage from the clutch.

A vehicle control device has an engine, automatic transmission, and torque converter disposed between the engine and the automatic transmission. The torque converter includes a lockup clutch coupling an input member to an output member of the torque converter. The control device has: a slip control portion controlling lockup clutch slip when deceleration running; and a fuel cut control portion performing an engine fuel cut when deceleration running and to terminate the fuel cut when an engine rotation speed is reduced to a predetermined rotation speed or less during the fuel cut, the fuel cut control portion being permitted to perform the fuel cut, based on lockup clutch slip pressure controlled by the slip control portion has reached a slip pressure value at which the engine rotation speed does not decrease due to a shortage of torque capacity of the lockup clutch even when the fuel cut is performed.

A travel control apparatus including a driving level switching portion switching to a first driving automation level involving a driver responsibility to monitor surroundings or a second driving automation level not involving the driver responsibility to monitor the surroundings, a distance measurement device measuring an inter-vehicle distance to a forward vehicle, and a microprocessor. The microprocessor performs controlling an equipment according to the inter-vehicle distance so as to follow the forward vehicle, controlling the equipment so that the self-driving vehicle starts when the inter-vehicle distance increases up to a predetermined value, and determining a first predetermined value as the predetermined value when the driving automation level is switched to the first driving automation level and a second predetermined value larger than the first predetermined value as the predetermined value when the driving automation level is switched to the second driving automation level.