Disclosed is a vehicle control device which is applied to a vehicle equipped with an engine (10) and an engine torque adjustment mechanism for adjusting an engine torque. The control device comprises a PCM (50) configured, upon satisfaction of a condition that the vehicle is traveling and a steering angle-related value relevant to a steering angle of a steering device is increasing, to control the engine torque adjustment mechanism to reduce the engine torque, so as to execute a vehicle attitude control for generating vehicle deceleration. The PCM (50) is configured, upon satisfaction of a vehicle attitude control-terminating condition for terminating the vehicle attitude control, to control the engine torque adjustment mechanism to restore the engine torque to an original level of torque before the execution of the vehicle attitude control. The PCM (50) is further configured to gradually ease the vehicle attitude control-terminating condition, as the number of times of combustion per unit time in the engine (10) becomes smaller.

A drive force control system for a vehicle configured to accurately imitate a change in a drive force in a model vehicle. A drive torque simulator computes a virtual drive torque supposed to be delivered to drive wheels of the model vehicle in response to a manual operation to manipulate the vehicle, based on torque changing factors of a powertrain of the model vehicle. An actual torque calculator computes a target torque of a motor that is practically delivered to the drive wheels in the vehicle based on the virtual drive torque computed by the drive torque simulator, taking account of torque changing factors of the powertrain of the vehicle.

In a method for controlling a vehicle with a drive system comprising a power unit configuration adapted to provide output for the vehicle's operation, and further comprising a planetary gear and a first and second electrical machine, connected to components in the planetary gear via their rotors, a locking means is moved from a locked position, in which two of the planetary gear's components are locked together, so that the three components of the planetary gear rotate with the same speed, to a release position, when the vehicle is driven with the locking means in a locked position, by carrying out the following method steps. The power unit configuration is controlled in order to achieve torque balance between the components that are locked together by the locking means, and such locking means are moved into a release position, when said torque balance prevails.

A vehicle control device is provided, which includes a drive source configured to generate torque as driving force of a vehicle, a transmission torque control mechanism configured to control transmission torque to drive wheels according to the generated torque, and a processor configured to execute a vehicle attitude controlling module to perform a vehicle attitude control by controlling the transmission torque control mechanism to reduce the transmission torque so as to decelerate the vehicle when a starting condition that the vehicle is traveling and a steering angle related value increases is satisfied, and then, when a given terminating condition is satisfied, controlling the mechanism to resume the transmission torque back to the torque before being reduced. The transmission torque is controlled so as to cause a yaw rate that occurs in the vehicle while the vehicle attitude control is performed, to be lower than an upper limit yaw rate.

A control system for a powertrain system includes an electronic control unit structured to receive ground speed data and load factor data. The electronic control unit determines an engine speed command to an engine and a torque command to a variable-torque transmission based upon an engine speed limit and a torque scale factor that can vary with ground speed and load factor. The commands produce an economy output of the powertrain to reduce fuel consumption.

A damping control device for a hybrid vehicle is provided that make it possible to suppress behavior that differs from a request of a driver. The damping control device includes a controller that calculates an amount of change in a target driving torque, and calculates an amount of change in a target motor torque. The damping control device also includes a damping rate variation unit that sets the damping of a feed forward control unit to a first damping rate when the target driving torque change amount and the target motor torque change amount both are positive or negative, and to a second damping rate, which is smaller than the first damping rate, when the target driving torque change amount and the target motor torque change amount have opposite positivity or negativity.

A speed control system for automatically controlling the speed of a vehicle. The system operates according to a method that includes: causing automatically a vehicle to travel at a predetermined speed value at least in part by controlling an amount of torque applied to one or more wheels of a vehicle; determining a recommended transmission gear ratio for a transmission of the powertrain at a given moment in time; providing an indication of the recommended transmission gear ratio to a user; and receiving a clutch actuation signal indicative of an actuation state of a clutch that is configured to connect the transmission to a torque drive source. The system is configured automatically to control a speed of the torque drive source to achieve a speed determined in dependence at least in part on at least one predetermined parameter when a predetermined one or more conditions are met,

A control device of a vehicle including a multi-speed transmission having gear positions switched by executing release of a release-side engagement device out of a plurality of engagement devices and engagement of an engagement-side engagement device out of the plurality of engagement devices, and an engine of which a power is transmitted through the multi-speed transmission to drive wheels, the control device performing a shift of the multi-speed transmission by using a predefined shift model for determining control operation amounts of a torque at an input rotating member of the multi-speed transmission, a torque capacity of the release-side engagement device, and a torque capacity of the engagement-side engagement device, the control operation amounts achieving shift target values that are a target value of a torque at an output rotating member of the multi-speed transmission and a target value of angular acceleration of the input rotating member of the multi-speed transmission, the control device comprising: a condition setting portion setting a condition necessary for determining the control operation amounts using the shift model such that during a downshift performed during deceleration running associated with accelerator-off state, an output torque of the engine is raised with the release-side engagement device released so as to increase a rotation speed of the input rotating member of the multi-speed transmission toward a synchronous rotation speed after the downshift and such that the engagement-side engagement device is then engaged; and a shift target value setting portion setting the target value of the torque at the output rotating member of the multi-speed transmission during the downshift such that the torque at the output rotating member of the multi-speed transmission is increased from a value of the torque at the output rotating member before the downshift within a range of zero or less, and when a rotation speed of the input rotating member of the multi-speed transmission approaches the synchronous rotation speed after the downshift, the target value is reduced toward a torque at the output rotating member after the downshift.

A vehicle powertrain includes an engine and a transmission, each controlled by controllers that communicate with one another. When the vehicle is coasting in certain gears, a one-way clutch over-runs. When the driver depresses the accelerator pedal (tips in), the transmission controller adjusts a transmission torque demand limit which is communicated to the engine controller. In response, the engine controller adjusts the engine torque, resulting in a smooth re-engagement of the one-way clutch.

A method of controlling the deceleration of a vehicle to account for an increase in friction in the vehicle brake system as the vehicle decelerates. The method comprises receiving a signal indicative of a value of the speed of the vehicle and a signal indicative of a value of a brake pressure in the vehicle brake system. The method further comprises comparing the vehicle speed value and the brake pressure value to respective thresholds. The method still further comprises increasing the drive torque applied to one or more wheels of the vehicle when the vehicle speed value falls below the threshold to which it was compared and the brake pressure value exceeds the threshold to which it was compared, such that the increased drive torque acts against the braking of the vehicle as the vehicle is decelerated to a stop.