The present invention relates to a method for operating a driver model for controlling a vehicle. Acc.sup.Vehicle speed (kph) ntion, a vehicle .sub.Accelerator pedal [%] cle is selected and activated by the driver model from a number of vehicle statuses (301, 303, 305, 307, 309) by comparing a current status of the vehicle with at least one selection condition specified for a particular vehicle status, the number of vehicle statuses (301, 303, 305, 307, 309) comprising at least a first vehicle status (301, 303, 305, 307, 309) and a second vehicle status (301, 303, 305, 307, 309). Furthermore, the driver model, on activation of a particular vehicle status (301, 303, 305, 307, 309), enables at least one control command assigned to the vehicle status (301, 303, 305, 307, 309) for modifying a setting of the vehicle, wherein a plurality of changes are made by the driver model between a currently activated vehicle status (301, 303, 305, 307, 309) and at least one further vehicle status (301, 303, 305, 307, 309) and, for at least one change of the plurality of changes, a coasting status (303), in which the vehicle is coasting, is activated before any activation of the further vehicle status (301, 303, 305, 307, 309) by the driver model.

Disclosed is a method for controlling the powertrain of a motor vehicle between the current location of the vehicle and an arrival point, including calculating a theoretical optimal traction force, determining a friction force applied to the vehicle, calculating an actual optimal force to be applied to the wheels as far as the arrival point, and applying a traction force to the wheels of the vehicle when the calculated actual optimal force is strictly greater than a predetermined threshold value or else not applying a force to the wheels of the vehicle when the calculated actual optimal force is greater than or equal to zero and less than or equal to the predetermined threshold value, or else applying a braking force to the wheels of the vehicle when the calculated actual optimal force is strictly less than zero.

A method of determining a commanded friction brake torque is disclosed. The method uses inputs, such as from a gearshift sensor, an accelerator pedal sensor, a brake pedal sensor, and engine torque output sensor, a transmission speed input sensor and a transmission speed output sensor, to determine how much engine braking or regenerative braking is occurring. The method then uses this information combined with the braking command information from the brake pedal sensor to determine the amount of friction braking to apply to the friction brakes.

Methods and systems are described for vehicle coasting optimization. The system may include a vehicle having an engine, a drivetrain, and an accelerator. The system may include selecting a fuel-saving mode based on an anticipated braking requirement in response to detecting the vehicle is non-stationary and the accelerator is disengaged. The system may include generating an instruction corresponding the selected fuel-saving mode, wherein the instruction is configured to control at least the engine and the drivetrain.

Various embodiments include a method for controlling a motor vehicle having an internal combustion engine with a crankshaft and a drivetrain separable from the internal combustion engine using a releasable clutch comprising: propelling the vehicle in a first operating state in a predetermined range around a speed while the internal combustion engine is off and is separated from the drivetrain by the releasable clutch; sensing a braking operation while in the first operating state; predicting whether a power demand is expected within a predetermined time interval; and, if the power demand is expected, setting the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine in rotation, or increasing a rotational speed of the crankshaft in preparation for an engine restart.

A vehicle control apparatus, configured to control a vehicle, includes an engine that is configured to drive wheels via a power transmission device. The vehicle control apparatus includes a towing state detector and an engine controller. The towing state detector is configured to detect whether the vehicle is in a towing state. The engine controller is configured to stop the engine in a case where a predetermined engine stopping condition is satisfied during traveling of the vehicle. The engine controller is configured to vary, in a case where the towing state detector detects that the vehicle is in the towing state, the predetermined engine stopping condition to reduce an operational range in which the engine is to be stopped compared with an operational range in a case where the towing state detector does not detect that the vehicle is in the towing state.

The braking force control device detects an impossible state where one or some of the actuators are temporarily unable to generate a negative driving force, and a predictive state where one or some of the actuators are predicted to become unable to generate a negative driving force. Every time the coasting state occurs before establishment of the impossible state and after establishment of the predictive state, the braking force control device gradually increases the negative driving force generated by the corresponding one or ones of the actuators. Even when the coasting state occurs in the impossible state, the braking force control device does not cause the corresponding one or ones of the actuators to generate a driving force. Every time the coasting state occurs after the impossible state, the braking force control device gradually decreases the negative driving force generated by the corresponding one or ones of the actuators.

A method for inertia drive control is provided. The method includes performing advanced inertia drive control by an inertia drive controller. The controller detects a speed reduction event during road driving of a vehicle, lane division together with road type division for a road, and performs inertia drive control guide and the inertia drive control based on drive conditions of lane change and lane maintenance.

A controller for a hybrid electric vehicle including an internal combustion engine is provided. The internal combustion engine includes a filter arranged in an exhaust passage collect particulate matter from exhaust gas. The controller executes a first deceleration control process, a second deceleration control process, and a selection process. The first deceleration control process uses a fuel cutoff process when deceleration of the hybrid electric vehicle is required. The second deceleration control process does not use the fuel cutoff process when deceleration of the hybrid electric vehicle is required. The selection process selects execution of the second deceleration control process when a PM deposition amount is greater than or equal to a threshold value and selects execution of the first deceleration control process when the PM deposition amount is less than the threshold value.

Methods and systems are presented for improving performance of a vehicle operating in a cruise control mode where a controller adjusts torque output from a vehicle to maintain vehicle speed within a desired range. The methods and systems include adapting a vehicle dynamics model and a vehicle fuel consumption map that provide input to nonlinear model predictive controller.