In a cruise control method and a cruise control apparatus for a manual transmission vehicle, upon receiving a signal from an input device to start a cruise mode, a cruise control controller calculates an optimal gear stage for satisfying a target cruise traveling speed according to a traveling state of a vehicle, and a display device displays the calculated optimal gear stage to the driver to induce the driver to shift to the optimal gear stage. In addition, whether the gear stage by the driver's operation has matched the optimal gear stage may be determined within a predetermined time to determine whether a cruise control continues according to the determination result, thereby eliminating the driver's inconvenience due to frequent cancellation of the cruise mode.

An apparatus and method for diagnosing damage to drive-train hardware of a vehicle in which a disconnector may obtain speed of an auxiliary drive wheel motor of the vehicle and speed of a main drive wheel motor of the vehicle and determines damage to the drive-train hardware including the disconnector that controls whether to interrupt delivery of power through engagement or disengagement between auxiliary drive wheel motor-side drive-train hardware and auxiliary drive wheel-side drive-train hardware, based on whether a difference between the speed of the auxiliary drive wheel motor and the speed of the main drive wheel motor exceeds a threshold value, Accordingly, preventing divergence of motor RPM by diagnosing damage to the drive-train hardware of the vehicle.

A hybrid power train structure for off-road vehicles (ATVs, UTVs and SSVs) uses an internal combustion engine (“ICE”) rotating a crankshaft through a continuously variable transmission (“CVT”) as a primary source of locomotion torque, but also includes a driving/generator motor which, in certain established conditions, can either provide an additional or alternative source of locomotion torque or can harvest electricity from the torque created by the internal combustion engine. The driving/generator motor is an axial flux motor of small size for its relative torque output, which can either be directly coupled to the CVT output shaft or, when additionally used as a starter motor for the ICE in an automatic ICE starting and stopping routine.

A control system for a hybrid vehicle that can reduce a power loss resulting from shifting an operating mode from motor mode to hybrid mode is provided. A transmission that is adapted to distribute torque applied to an input element to a reaction element and an output element, and to change a ratio between a first torque delivered to the reaction element and a second torque delivered to the output element. A controller is configured to start an engine in a high mode in which a torque ratio of the output element to the input element is small if the vehicle speed is higher than a threshold value, and to start the engine in a low mode in which the torque ratio is greater if the vehicle speed is lower than the threshold value.

A method and system are provided for shifting a vehicle transmission having several members. Each member is a first, second, or third node of a planetary gear set (of multiple planetary gear sets), or an input, output, or stationary member. A first torque transmitting mechanism is applied to transfer torque between first and second members in a low gear state. In some versions, a second torque transmitting mechanism is applied in the low gear state without substantially transferring torque between third and fourth members, and then the second torque transmitting mechanism is disengaged. A third torque transmitting mechanism is then applied without substantially transferring torque between the third and fourth members in the low gear state. The transmission is upshifted by disengaging the first torque transmitting mechanism, keeping the third torque transmitting mechanism applied, and applying the second torque transmitting mechanism to transfer torque between the third and fourth members.

The present invention provides a shift control method implemented in a vehicle equipped with an automatic transmission for controlling an input shaft rotation speed to a target input shaft rotation speed during a shift. The method includes setting of a basic target synchronization rotation speed that is a basic target value of the input shaft rotation speed during the shift, and setting of a corrected target input shaft rotation speed as the target input shaft rotation speed when the shift is a downshift without a requirement for a driving force of the vehicle, The corrected target input shaft rotation speed is obtained by decreasingly correcting the basic target synchronization rotation speed. Further, a decreasing correction amount of the basic target synchronization rotation speed is set so as to become larger as a deceleration of the vehicle becomes larger.

A control system configured to accurately determine a condition of a road surface on which a vehicle travels. A learned model estimates the road surface condition based on the travelling data collected during propulsion of the vehicle, and a controller determines the road surface condition based on the road surface condition estimated by the learned model.

A method and device for operating a powertrain of a motor vehicle are provided, wherein the powertrain includes an internal combustion engine, a transmission and a friction clutch arranged there between in order to control a power flow between the internal combustion engine and the transmission. The method includes the steps of detecting clutch judder, analysing clutch judder, and determining a type of clutch judder. Based on determined type of clutch judder the method further includes selecting a udder countermeasure from a number of predetermined judder countermeasures and executing selected judder countermeasure. Detected clutch judder can be taken care of in an efficient way and future clutch judder may be prevented.

A control device for a continuously variable transmission includes first, second, and third controllers. The first controller controls, in response to a first speed control request for controlling a traveling speed of a vehicle for a predetermined state, a gear ratio of the continuously variable transmission such that a rotational speed of a drive power source approaches a set rotational speed. The second controller controls, in response to a second speed control request issued while the first controller is controlling the gear ratio, the gear ratio based on the rotational speed and the gear ratio. The third controller changes, when the rotational speed changes as a result of the second controller controlling the gear ratio, torque of the drive power source based on torque and the rotational speed of the drive power source before the gear ratio is changed and a target rotational speed of the drive power source.

A method of operating a vehicle having an engine, a throttle valve and a throttle operator. A continuously variable transmission operatively connected to the engine has a driving pulley, a driven pulley, and a belt operatively connecting the driving and driven pulleys. A ground engaging member is operatively connected to the driven pulley. A piston is operatively connected to the driving pulley for applying a piston force thereto and thereby changing an effective diameter of the driving pulley. A control unit controls actuation of the piston and the piston force. The method includes detecting a stall condition indicative of the vehicle being stalled, and, responsive to the detection, setting the piston force to be zero.