A method for monitoring/controlling starting of a heat engine of a hybrid vehicle including at least one electrical engine, including: launching a simulated sequence for starting the heat engine by using a start battery; measuring and recording progress over time of at least one parameter of the start battery, including a given current strength and voltage at terminals of the start battery; and detecting whether or not the progress over time of the at least one parameter reaches a predetermined value defining a state of the start battery, with or without a required capacity, for starting the heat engine during a predetermined time interval.

A technique provides power-limiting regenerative braking to a utility vehicle. The technique involves detecting that the utility vehicle is moving in a forward direction at a first speed. The technique further involves applying a first regenerative braking power level to the utility vehicle in response to detecting that the utility vehicle is moving in the forward direction at the first speed. The technique further involves detecting that the utility vehicle is moving in the forward direction at a second speed which is less than the first speed. The technique further involves applying a second regenerative braking power level to the utility vehicle in response to detecting that the utility vehicle is moving in the forward direction at the second speed. The second regenerative braking power level is lower than the first regenerative braking power level.

The invention relates to a control device for a voltage transformer of an electrically operated vehicle, which voltage transformer feeds an n-phase electric machine, n>1. The control device comprises an observer unit, which is designed to determine a present rotational speed of the electric machine and a present output current of the voltage transformer, a computing unit, which is coupled to the observer unit and which is designed to compute an instantaneous wheel speed of the wheels of the vehicle in dependence on the determined present rotational speed, and a slip control unit, which is coupled to the computing unit and which is designed to at least temporarily apply a current correction amount to the output current of the voltage transformer if the present change of the wheel speed of the wheels exceeds a first predetermined threshold value.

A first ECU estimates whether the operation of a second actuator has been started, based on the variation of the hydraulic pressure with respect to the flow rate of hydraulic fluid outputted from a first actuator. Even in a case where the operation information of the second actuator is not received, the first ECU sets the control mode to a simultaneous operation mode, when it is estimated that the operation of the second actuator has been started. In the simultaneous operation mode, a controlled parameter of linear control valves on assumption that the second actuator is operating is set up, and a stop instruction of regenerative braking is transmitted to a hybrid ECU.

A vehicle control apparatus includes a front-wheel drive system, a rear-wheel drive system, and a control system. The front-wheel drive system includes one or two front-wheel motors coupled to a front wheel. The rear-wheel drive system includes two rear-wheel motors coupled to a rear wheel. The control system controls the front-wheel drive system and the rear-wheel drive system. If a front-wheel slip rate is greater than a start threshold upon coasting, the control system executes a rear-wheel slip suppression control of reducing regenerative torque of each rear-wheel motor toward initial rear-wheel torque. If a yaw rate of the vehicle is greater than a behavior determination threshold after the rear-wheel slip suppression control has been started, the control system executes an attitude stabilization control of controlling the regenerative torque of at least one of the rear-wheel motors and thereby expanding a difference in the regenerative torque between the two rear-wheel motors.

An angular acceleration monitor may monitor whether or not an angular acceleration of a wheel detected by an angular acceleration detector is equal to or smaller than an acceptable angular acceleration (W) that is calculated with the following formula: W=k1RTt/m/r.sup.2 where k1 is a constant, Tt is a total drive torque that is a sum of drive torques of all motor units that drive wheels of the vehicle, m is vehicle mass, r is tire radius, and R is reduction ratio of a reducer unit interposed between the motor unit and the wheel. A slip-responsive controller causes, if it is determined that the acceptable angular acceleration is exceeded, a motor controller to reduce a drive torque of the motor unit(s).

A vehicle includes a friction brake, a regenerative brake, and an ECU. The ECU is configured to: (a) control a total braking force that is generated in the vehicle; (b) execute first brake control for controlling a braking force of the vehicle on the basis of the brake operation amount; (c) determine based on the brake operation amount whether the driver's brake operation is being carried out; (d) when the ECU determines that the driver's brake operation is not being carried out, execute second brake control for automatically controlling the braking force of the vehicle in response to a condition of the vehicle, other than the brake operation amount; and (e) when the second brake control is executed, reduce a proportion of a braking force of the regenerative brake within the total braking force as compared to when the first brake control is executed.

The Brushless Multiphase Self-Commutation Controller or BMSCC is an adjustable speed drive for reliable, contact-less and stable self-commutation control of electric apparatus, including electric motors and generators. BMSCC transforms multiphase electrical excitation from one frequency to variable frequency that is automatically synchronized to the movement of the electric apparatus without traditional estimation methods of commutation and frequency synthesis using derivatives of electronic, electro-mechanical, and field-oriented-control. Instead, BMSCC comprises an analog electromagnetic computer with synchronous modulation techniques to first establish magnetic energy and then dynamically share packets of magnetic energy between phase windings of a multiphase, position dependent flux, high frequency transformer by direct AC-to-AC conversion without an intermediate DC conversion stage.

A braking method is provided, including: obtaining a braking torque of a wheel; and determining a change amount of an energy regeneration braking torque and a change amount of a friction braking torque based on a change amount of the braking torque of the wheel. The change amount of the braking torque is equal to a sum of the change amount of the energy regeneration braking torque and the change amount of the friction braking torque. According to the method, cooperative control of friction braking and energy regeneration braking in an emergency braking process is implemented, energy regeneration can be fully used to quickly respond to a braking requirement, a control response speed is faster, an energy regeneration rate is higher, and vehicle stability during emergency braking is enhanced. An apparatus for implementing the method, an electronic device, a vehicle, and a storage medium storing the method are further provided.

An apparatus for operating an electric machine of a vehicle during a recuperation process is provided. The vehicle includes a first electric machine which is coupled to a first axle of the vehicle, and a second electric machine which can be coupled to a second axle of the vehicle. The apparatus is configured to determine, on the basis of sensor data from one or more sensors in the vehicle, whether the second electric machine should be used to recuperate electric energy during a recuperation process in addition to the first electric machine. The apparatus is also configured, depending on this determination, to operate the second electric machine during the recuperation process in order to recuperate electric energy.