The start system related to the present invention is for an internal combustion engine of a hybrid vehicle. The hybrid vehicle is configured to use at least one of a differential mechanism and a transmission gear mechanism to temporarily change an engine speed in starting of the internal combustion engine. The start system includes an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to determine a duration for which the engine speed needs to be changed in starting of the internal combustion engine. The electronic control unit is configured to determine a degree of change in the engine speed in starting of the internal combustion engine. The electronic control unit is configured to determine whether the engine speed needs to be changed by changing the gear position of the transmission gear mechanism based on the degree and the duration.

A first heater heats a vehicle compartment by using cooling water of the internal combustion engine. A second heater heats the vehicle compartment by using electrical power supplied by the electrical storage device. The controller during driving of the internal combustion engine, when a temperature of the cooling water is equal to or higher than a reference temperature, controls the internal combustion engine to stop; when the second heater is operated during driving of the internal combustion engine, when a state quantity indicating a state of charge of the electrical storage device is equal to or higher than a threshold, controls the second heater such that an amount of heat generation of the second heater is higher than that generated when the state quantity is less than the threshold; and sets the reference temperature to be low as compared to when the state quantity is less than the threshold.

Systems and methods for operating an engine with deactivating and non-deactivating valves are presented. In one example, estimates of engine fuel consumption for operating the engine with a plurality of cylinder modes or patterns while a transmission is engaged in different gears are determined and are used as a basis for deactivating engine cylinders.

In the case where a throttle valve has a sticking abnormality, a hybrid vehicle performs failsafe operation (limp home mode) with fixing the throttle valve to an opener position (S100) and sets a restoration diagnosis cooling water temperature T1 such as to decrease with a decrease in state of charge SOC of a battery (S120). When cooling water temperature Tw of the engine becomes equal to or higher than the restoration diagnosis cooling water temperature T1, the hybrid vehicle performs sticking restoration diagnosis to determine whether the throttle valve is restored from the sticking abnormality (S150). This allows for earlier diagnosis of whether the throttle valve is restored from the sticking abnormality at the lower state of charge SOC of the battery and enables the hybrid vehicle to return to normal operation at an earlier time. As a result, this ensures the more adequate sticking restoration diagnosis.

Systems and methods for cranking an engine of a hybrid vehicle that includes an electric machine to crank the engine and propel the vehicle are disclosed. In one example, engine cranking speed and engine cranking source are selected in response to vehicle operating conditions that may affect whether or not an electrical power source has sufficient energy to crank the engine.

A method and system for enabling an autonomous vehicle detection process is provided. The method includes detecting a sensor reading, of a sensor integrated with an autonomous vehicle, exceeding a specified threshold value. Additional sensor reading from additional vehicles located within a specified distance of the autonomous vehicle are received and compared to the original sensor reading. In response, a fault condition associated with the sensor is determined and an associated notification is presented to an occupant of the autonomous vehicle.

During deceleration with operation of an engine, an amount of wall surface deposition is estimated to tend to increase with a decrease in corrected operation time that is based on an operation time of the engine. A target amount of fuel injection is set by adding a correction value that is set according to a variation in the amount of wall surface deposition to a base amount of fuel injection. Fuel injection control of the engine is performed by using the set target amount of fuel injection.

A multi-mode powertrain system is described, and includes an internal combustion engine having stop/start capability. A method for controlling the multi-mode powertrain system includes circulating coolant to a heater core via an engine fluidic circuit that includes a water jacket of the internal combustion engine when temperature of the coolant is less than an engine fluidic circuit upper temperature threshold and the engine is in an ON state. Coolant is circulated to the heater core via a bypass fluidic circuit that excludes the water jacket of the internal combustion engine when temperature of the coolant is greater than a bypass fluidic circuit lower temperature threshold when the engine is in an OFF state.

A wireless communication device for collecting vehicle on-board diagnostics (OBD) data is disclosed, together with associated methods of handling OBD data in such wireless communication devices. The device comprises a connector for connecting the device to an OBD port of a vehicle to receive OBD data; a processor configured to continually aggregate the OBD data and/or acceleration data from an acceleration sensor into risk profile data during a journey made by the vehicle; a memory for storing the latest risk profile data for the journey; and a wireless transceiver for transmitting the stored risk profile data to an external mobile device during the journey. The processor is further configured to determine an engine state of the vehicle and to detect when the vehicle begins and ends a journey based on said determined engine state and OBD data relating to vehicle speed and/or engine revolutions, and to cause the stored risk profile data to be deleted from the memory upon detection that the vehicle has begun a new journey.

A system includes an autonomous vehicle (AV) comprising a sensor, a control subsystem, and an operation server. The control subsystem receives sensor data comprising location coordinates of the AV from the sensor. The operation server detects an unexpected event from the sensor data, comprising at least one of an accident, an inspection, and a report request. The operation server receives a message from a user comprising a request to access particular information regarding the AV and location data. The operation server associates the AV with the user if the location coordinates of the AV match location data of the user. The operation server generates a ticket for the unexpected ticket. The operation server communicates the particular information to the user. The operation server provides instructions to be forwarded to the user based on a request from the user. The operation server closes the ticket if the unexpected event is addressed.