An apparatus and a method for controlling an engine operating point of a hybrid electric vehicle are provided to determine charging and discharging tendency based on a moving average of an engine torque and a demand torque as well as a dynamical event capture. The method includes detecting a demand torque of a driver and determining a charging and discharging tendency by calculating a moving average based on the demand torque. System efficiency is then reflected using a dynamical event capture and the charging and discharging tendency is leveled. A compensation amount of the operating point is also determined based on the leveling of the charging and discharging tendency and the operating point of the hybrid electric vehicle is adjusted based on the compensation amount of the operating point.

A method for controlling a vehicle including an actuator along a trajectory, in which the trajectory is planned within a search space, and considers a projection of a manipulated variable of the actuator. The method includes creating an actuator model of the actuator on the basis of the manipulated variable of the actuator; defining time increments of the projection; determining the change in the manipulated variable of the actuator along the time increments on the basis of the actuator model and a limit value for the manipulated variable; limiting the search space on the basis of the limit value of the manipulated variable of the actuator; determining an acceleration value and/or a deceleration value of the vehicle by converting the manipulated variable using the vehicle mass and the wheel radius; and outputting the acceleration value and the deceleration value to limit the search space within which the trajectory is planned.

A method of optimizing fuel economy and reduced noise and vibration levels in a vehicle includes one or more of the following steps: evaluating an engine speed and a speed of the vehicle, determining if the engine speed and the speed of the vehicle produces a noise level that causes a potential customer complaint, monitoring the noise level in the vehicle, calculating the engine operating condition that causes the noise level, determining if the noise level is above a threshold, adjusting an engine torque or a slip condition of a torque converter for optimal vehicle fuel economy if the noise level is at or below the threshold, and, if the noise level is above the threshold, adjusting the engine torque or the slip condition of the torque converter such that the noise level is at or below the threshold.

The disclosed technology enables an in-vehicle control computer located in an autonomous vehicle to control torque applied by an engine in the autonomous vehicle. An example method of autonomous driving operation includes sending, by a computer located on the vehicle, instructions to one or more devices located on the vehicle that cause the vehicle to perform autonomous driving related operations in accordance with the instructions, where the sending the instructions includes sending a set of torque related values over time to control an engine located in the vehicle, where the set of torque related values are not converted to control parameters indicative of positions associated with an accelerator pedal located in the vehicle; receiving an indication that indicates that the accelerator pedal is depressed from an undepressed position; and causing, in response to the receiving the indication, the vehicle to not perform additional autonomous driving related operations.

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 hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a first motor, a planetary gear mechanism, a second motor, a battery, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit is configured to: control the engine, the first motor, and the second motor such that the hybrid vehicle travels using a required driving force; set a target rotation speed on a basis of the depression amount of the accelerator pedal, the vehicle speed, and a shift stage such that the target rotation speed of the engine increases as the depression amount of the accelerator pedal increases; set an upper-limit driving force; and control the engine, the first motor, and the second motor such that the engine operates at the target rotation speed and the smaller driving force of the upper-limit driving force and the required driving force is output to the drive shaft.

Some embodiments of the present invention comprise a method of controlling a powertrain of a vehicle, the powertrain comprising drive torque means, a transmission and a driveline, the drive torque means comprising an internal combustion engine, the method comprising: detecting that coasting entry criteria have been met; causing the powertrain to assume a first coasting mode for a first time period in which the drive torque means delivers positive drive torque to the driveline to substantially balance powertrain losses; determining a value for at least one parameter, the or each parameter being indicative of: a probability that a demand will be made for torque to be delivered to the driveline in addition to torque delivered to substantially balance powertrain losses; or a probability that a demand will be made for braking of the vehicle; and setting the value of the first time period in dependence on the value of the or each parameter.

A vehicle control device is mounted on a vehicle including a driving actuator configured to apply a driving force and a braking actuator configured to apply a braking force. The vehicle control device includes a processor. The processor is configured to correct, when a predetermined condition including at least that the vehicle is decelerating is satisfied, the required driving force and the required braking force so as to increase the required driving force and the required braking force such that a sum of a magnitude of the required driving force and a magnitude of the required braking force is equal to or larger than a magnitude of the component of the gravity acting on the vehicle in the movement direction of the vehicle.

Provided are a driver posture measurement device and a vehicle control device that can accurately measure the posture of a driver with a simple configuration without attaching a plurality of wireless communication units to a vehicle. The driver posture measurement device and the vehicle control device are configured such that, between one wireless communication unit provided on the vehicle side and one wireless communication unit provided on the driver side, radio waves are radiated from the wireless communication unit provided on the vehicle side, and on the basis of a radio wave arrival angle of the radio waves arriving at the wireless communication unit provided on the driver side, the driver posture is measured.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a method and to a control system for a vehicle, the vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine configured to provide torque to a first axle of the vehicle for generating first axle wheel torque, and an electric machine configured to provide torque to a second axle of the vehicle for generating second axle wheel torque, the method comprising: outputting a torque request for the engine and a torque request for the electric machine, the torque requests having a first ratio dependent on a required torque split between the first axle wheel torque and the second axle wheel torque, wherein received first axle wheel torque and received second axle wheel torque have a second variable ratio dependent on a difference between wheel torque response capabilities of the engine and of the electric machine; determining that a trigger condition is satisfied; and controlling, in dependence on satisfaction of the trigger condition, determination of the torque request for the electric machine such that deviation of the second ratio from the first ratio is inhibited.