A vehicle control device includes a controller configured to perform: ignition starting of an engine when a detected crank angle is within a first area in which the ignition starting of the engine may be performed with probability not smaller than a first predetermined value; and the ignition starting of the engine while increasing an engine speed by engaging a clutch to transmit torque of a drive wheel to a crankshaft when the crank angle is within a second area in which the ignition starting of the engine may be performed with probability not smaller than a second predetermined value smaller than the first predetermined value and smaller than the first predetermined value, the instruction is output based on a signal indicating that a braking unit is turned on, and a gear of a transmission is not in neutral.

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.

The invention relates to a method for starting an internal combustion engine of a hybrid vehicle, where an electric motor of the hybrid vehicle is accelerated to a predetermined engine speed and a hybrid disconnect clutch, which is arranged between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor, is moved in the closing direction depending on the set-point clutch torque. In a method which safeguards a high reproducibility of the restart operation, the set-point clutch torque for restarting the internal combustion engine is determined depending on an engine switch-off position of the internal combustion engine in a first phase in which the internal combustion engine is not running.

A method of controlling a hybrid vehicle includes commanding a first electric machine to provide a compensating torque. The compensating torque is based on a calculated cylinder pressure. The calculated cylinder pressure is calculated using a dynamic model. The model has an initializing input of engine crank position and real-time inputs of measured speed of the first electric machine and measured speed of the second electric machine.

One form of a driving test system for a moving object includes: an unmanned aircraft configured to fly at a set distance from the moving object that is configured to drive along a set route in a set zone and has a vision sensor disposed on one side that is configured to detect the moving object's motion; and a controller configured to control the flight of the unmanned aircraft to follow the moving object and to transmit to the vision sensor and to receive from the vision censor, detected motion characteristics of the moving object.

A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) comprises an engine and at least one electric machine. The vehicle is operable in an electric vehicle (EV) mode in which the electric machine develops torque to drive the vehicle whilst the engine is switched off. In an embodiment, the vehicle is operable when in EV mode automatically to cause engine turnover without starting the engine when a prescribed one or more conditions are met.

An engine has a variable valve actuation device for controlling an actuation characteristic of an intake valve that is an amount of lifting the intake valve and/or a working angle on the intake valve. When the intake valve, having the actuation characteristic (or lifted in an amount and/or worked by a working angle), as controlled by the variable valve actuation device, has the actuation characteristic fixed (YES in S120), a range applied to set therewithin an output that the engine is required to provide is limited to be narrower and a power storage device's controlled target SOC is raised to be higher (S150, S160, S170) than when said actuation characteristic is not fixed (NO in S120).

A method for detecting a combustion process of an internal combustion engine of a hybrid vehicle includes the steps of acquiring a rotational speed signal representing a rotational speed of the crankshaft, acquiring a crankshaft angle signal representing a crankshaft angle of the crankshaft, and determining, based on the rotational speed signal and the crankshaft angle signal, whether a combustion occurs in the internal combustion engine. A control device for detecting a combustion process of an internal combustion engine of a hybrid vehicle is also provided.

Provided are a driving force control method and device for a hybrid vehicle, each capable of effectively absorbing torque fluctuation of an engine while suppressing deterioration in energy efficiency. The driving force control device for a hybrid vehicle comprises a PCM configured to: estimate an average torque output by an engine; estimate a torque fluctuation component of the torque output by the engine; set a countertorque for suppressing the estimated torque fluctuation component; and control an electric motor to output the set countertorque, wherein the PCM is operable, under a condition that an engine speed is constant, to set the countertorque such that, as the average torque output by the engine becomes larger, the absolute value of the countertorque becomes larger.

A method controls an internal combustion engine having a drive output shaft that is coupled to an input shaft of a transmission. The internal combustion engine and the transmission are encompassed by a drivetrain for the drive of a motor vehicle. The method includes determining a rotational speed of the drive output shaft of the internal combustion engine and determining a rotational acceleration of the drive output shaft based on the rotational speed of the drive output shaft. A dynamic torque of the internal combustion engine is determined as a product of the rotational acceleration and a dynamic moment of inertia of the internal combustion engine. A maximum combustion torque of the internal combustion engine is determined from a sum of a predetermined maximum torque at the input shaft of the transmission and the dynamic load torque of the internal combustion engine.