In a hybrid automobile in which a first motor, an engine, and a drive shaft coupled to an axle are connected respectively to a sun gear, a carrier, and a ring gear of a planetary gear set and a second motor is connected to the drive shaft, during a predetermined travel period in which the engine is operative and respective gates of a first inverter and a second inverter used to drive the first motor and the second motor are both blocked, the engine is controlled such that the first motor rotates at a predetermined rotation speed, and a boost converter is controlled such that a voltage of a drive voltage system power line reaches a target voltage corresponding to an accelerator depression amount.

Systems and methods for operating a vehicle in an electric idle mode are presented. The vehicle electrical idle mode may be characterized as a mode where the vehicle's engine is off; the vehicle increases torque to vehicle wheels responsive to an application of an accelerator pedal, release of a brake pedal, or a vehicle occupant shifting a transmission; and the vehicle's battery supplies electrical energy to devices of the vehicle being operated by a vehicle occupant.

A maximum acceleration identification system determines a suitable maximum acceleration for transitioning a given motion/motor system to a target position or velocity, taking the friction of the motion system into consideration. The maximum acceleration determined by the maximum acceleration identification system can then be used by the motion control system as the acceleration limit for generating motion profiles. Thus, motion profiles can be generated that are closer to the true maximum acceleration supported by the motion system without violating the mechanical and electrical constraints of the system as characterized in part by the viscous friction, resulting in a more time-optimal move. In some embodiments, the maximum acceleration identification system can automatically set the maximum acceleration of the control system's profile generator to be equal to the derived value, thereby eliminating the need for the maximum acceleration to be selected and set by the system designer.

A control system for a hybrid vehicle configured to avoid a sudden and significant reduction in a drive torque generated by a motor during high load operation. A controller comprises a determiner that determines a satisfaction of a predetermined condition, and a power limiter that restricts an upper limit of an output power of an electric storage device supplied to the motor upon satisfaction of the predetermined condition, to a restricted upper limit value which is smaller than a normal upper limit value set in a case that the predetermined condition is not satisfied.

A controller and a control strategy for a hybrid electric vehicle having a traction motor between an engine and an automatic transmission include maintaining a bypass clutch of a torque converter in an engaged position and applying a motor torque from a traction motor to the torque converter such that slip of the torque converter does not otherwise reach zero while the bypass clutch is maintained in the engaged position.

A trailer backup assist system for a vehicle reversing a trailer includes a brake system and a throttle sensor module outputting a throttle application signal. The system further includes a control module estimating a road grade beneath the trailer and outputting a brake torque request to the brake system based on the estimated road grade and the throttle application signal.

A construction machine includes an engine, a load estimation unit that estimates a pump power absorption, a regeneration/powering power demand calculation unit that calculates a regeneration/powering power demand according to a state of charge in an electrical storage device, an engine power demand calculation unit that calculates an engine power demand based on the power absorption and regeneration/powering power demand, and a motor generator control unit that performs rotational speed control or torque control. The control unit includes a control switching unit that switches the rotational speed and the torque control according to the engine power demand and the rotational speed of the engine. The control switching unit switches from the torque control to the rotational speed control when during performance of the torque control, the engine power demand increases and the rotational speed of the engine becomes lower than a predetermined rotational speed.

A method of controlling a transmission includes determining if an internal combustion engine of the vehicle is currently operating with active fuel management, or if the internal combustion engine is currently operating without active fuel management. The vehicle controller further determines if a possible engine torque is equal to, greater than, or less than a required engine torque. The transmission is upshifted when the internal combustion engine is currently operating with active fuel management, and when the possible engine torque is equal to or greater than the required engine torque. When the possible engine torque is less than the required engine torque, active fuel management is exited so that the internal combustion engine is currently operating without active fuel management. When the internal combustion engine is currently operating without active fuel management, the vehicle controller upshifts the transmission from the current gear ratio to the higher gear ratio.

Methods, apparatuses and computer program products for estimating absolute wheel roll radii and/or a vertical compression value of wheels of a vehicle are disclosed, wherein yaw rates of the vehicle, wheel speeds of first and second wheels, and optionally lateral acceleration of the vehicle are measured and used as a basis for the estimation.

A vehicle includes an electric machine, an engine, an engine mount, and a controller. The engine has a base speed that corresponds to a speed of the electric machine and an engine power demand. The engine mount is disposed between the engine and a vehicle structure such as a frame or unibody. The controller is configured to, in response to compression of the engine mount, increase an engine speed to a value that is greater than the base speed to reduce engine lugging.