The disclosure relates to a method for controlling an internal combustion engine configured with a belt starter generator or an electric machine of a hybrid powertrain. The internal combustion engine includes a cylinder and a piston, which together delimit a working chamber. The internal combustion engine includes a variable valve actuation system for actuation of inlet valves of the working chambers, controlling the opening time and/or the closing time and/or the lift. A strategy for operating the internal combustion engine with a negative drive torque or when shutting down or when starting up the internal combustion includes controlling the inlet valves of individual or all working chambers in such a way that the transfer of fresh air from an intake section to an exhaust manifold is controlled and that the drag torque of the internal combustion is reduced.

The invention provides an automatic braking system and method and a vehicle. The automatic braking method comprises: entering an automatic braking process when a vehicle speed is less than a predetermined speed threshold value and a driver completely releases an accelerator pedal, wherein the automatic braking process comprises: detecting surrounding information by a sensing module; determining a target stop position based on the surrounding information, and determining a braking deceleration based on the target stop position; adjusting a motor and a braking system to slow down a vehicle at the predetermined braking deceleration and to stop the vehicle at the target stop position; and automatically activate an autohold system upon the vehicle stopping at the target stop position. The method and device according to embodiments of the invention can enable completely automatic braking and holding. The method and device according to embodiments of the invention can enable completely automatic braking and holding.

This invention provides a device for increasing fuel economy which allows manual or automatic shutoff of an automobile engine under a first set of circumstances and restarting the engine under a second set of circumstances as well as control of the gear ratio selected by an automatic transmission and the rate of fuel delivery to the engine.

A motor vehicle stop/start control system for controlling at least a portion of a powertrain of a vehicle, the system being configured to: receive speed information indicative of vehicle speed; and receive brake information indicative that a braking system has been activated to apply brake torque; wherein the control system is further configured to cause an engine of the motor vehicle to be switched off when a first set of predetermined conditions are met, the first set of conditions including the conditions that the brake information indicates that the braking system is active and the speed information indicates that vehicle speed is a below a predetermined engine-off speed, the engine-off speed being determined by the control system at least in part by reference to information received by the control system.

An assembly for an engine includes a control module including a controller operable to control at least certain aspects of the operation of the engine, a display including an input connected to the controller, and a wireless receiver connected to the controller. The wireless receiver is arranged to receive a signal from a wireless device to cause the controller to send an engine start signal to cause starting of the engine and wherein the input when actuated causes the controller to send an engine start signal to cause starting of the engine. In at least some implementations, no keyed ignition switch is provided to start the engine and the engine is started only via the wireless device or the input.

A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

The invention relates to a wheeled vehicle (1) comprising: a chassis (2) carrying an engine (4), a starter (5) of the engine and a device for actuating said starter (5), a control unit, and an activatable/deactivatable device for energising the control unit, said vehicle (1) having an economical operating mode in which, in the activated state of the energising device, the control unit is designed to allow the motor (4) to be stopped without actuation of the energising device, said stoppage being called energised stoppage of the engine (4). The vehicle (1) comprises a memory for storing data relating to the number of starts of the engine (4) and the control unit is designed to allow or prohibit the energised stoppage of the engine (4), in the economical operating mode, according to said stored data.

An apparatus for starting engine of mild hybrid electric vehicle may include: an ignition switch; an ambient temperature detector; a state of charge (SOC) detector; a mild starter & generator (MHSG) including a stator and a rotor mounted inside the stator; a starter which is configured to start the engine independently of the MHSG; a converter which is configured to voltage-drop an electric power of a high voltage battery and supply it to the low voltage battery or the starter; an MHSG wheel rotating integrally with the rotor; an MHSG position detector; and a controller configured for determining a top dead center (TDC) of a predetermined cylinder based on a signal of the MHSG position detector.

Provided is a vehicle control method that performs basic self-driving control configured to automatically control the travel of a host vehicle based on an intervehicle distance between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle. When a traffic jam on a travel lane of the host vehicle is detected, low torque travel control configured to cause the host vehicle to travel by a drive torque lower than a drive torque determined based on the basic self-driving control is performed, and when the intervehicle distance exceeds, in the low torque travel control, a predetermined upper limit distance larger than a set during-vehicle-stop intervehicle distance serving as a reference for the start or the stop of the host vehicle in the basic self-driving control, the low torque travel control is switched to the basic self-driving control.

A vehicle comprises an autonomous driving system and a vehicle platform that controls the vehicle in response to a command received from the autonomous driving system. In the present vehicle, when the autonomous driving system issues a first command to request the vehicle platform to provide deceleration to stop the vehicle and a first signal indicates 0 km/h or a prescribed velocity or less, the autonomous driving system issues a second command to request the vehicle platform to maintain stationary. And after brake hold control is finished, a second signal indicates standstill. Until the second signal indicates standstill, the first command continues to request the vehicle platform to provide deceleration.