A method for turning off an internal combustion engine (ICE) where a clutch arrangement has first and second clutches that respectively couple the ICE to first and second input shafts of a transmission. The input shafts are drivingly connected to first and second sets of gears, respectively. The sets of gears are connected to an output shaft of the transmission. The method includes: controlling the ICE in an idling state when the vehicle is in standstill, wherein the clutches are in open positions; engaging the first input shaft with a first pre-selected gear, and engaging the second input shaft with a second pre-selected gear; initiating an engine turning off command; stopping the ICE by at least partly closing the clutches for simultaneously introducing torque transfer to the clutches into a transmission tie-up state for a controlled engine stop, wherein engine inertia of the ICE is captured in the clutches.

Misfire detection techniques for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) including an internal combustion engine and an electric motor involve utilizing a crankshaft speed sensor configured to generate a crankshaft speed signal indicative of a rotational speed of a crankshaft of the engine that is coupled to the electric motor via a flywheel. The techniques also utilize a controller configured to control the electric motor to provide a vibrational response to dampen disturbances to the crankshaft, receive the crankshaft speed signal, selectively modify the crankshaft speed signal to obtain a modified crankshaft speed signal, and detect a misfire of the engine based on the modified crankshaft speed signal and a set of thresholds including at least one of a negative misfire threshold and a positive vibrational response threshold.

A vehicle drive system for a vehicle including a first prime mover, a first prime mover driven transmission, and a rechargeable power source can be configured for reduced fuel consumption at idle. The vehicle drive system includes an electric motor in direct or indirect mechanical communication with the first prime mover. The control system causes fuel to be eliminated to the first prime mover while the vehicle is stopped and causes the electric motor to rotate the first prime mover at a speed, thereby reducing fuel consumption at idle for the vehicle.

A vehicle drive apparatus includes: an engine; a rotary machine; an output member coupled to a drive wheel of a vehicle; a differential mechanism configured to couple the engine, the rotary machine, and the output member together to be differentially rotatable via a plurality of differentially rotatable rotational elements; and an elastic member configured to couple a rotation shaft of the rotary machine to the rotational element of the differential mechanism to be relatively rotatable.

Disclosed is a control method for an internal combustion engine (3) including a power generation motor (4) driven by a power of the internal combustion engine (3) and a damper (30) provided between the internal combustion engine (3) and the power generation motor (4) in a power transmission path, wherein a maximum value of a torque fluctuation generated in an event of a misfire occurring in a cylinder of the internal combustion engine (3) is larger than a value at which a displacement of a main damper (30a) of the damper (30) is allowed to be suppressed to be smaller than a displacement at which abutting occurs on a first stopper (31a) by a counter torque of the power generation motor (4), and the control method includes limiting a torque (Te) of the internal combustion engine (3) within a range in which a displacement of the main damper (30a) is allowed to be controlled to be smaller than a displacement at which abutting occurs on the first stopper (31a) by a counter torque of the power generation motor (4).

A method for controlling torque reduction of a hybrid vehicle includes: determining a discharging torque control factor of a motor and a charging torque control factor of the motor based on a current state of charge of a battery that supplies electric power to the motor and a threshold state of charge of the battery; calculating a torque of the motor corresponding to driving torque reduction request of a traction control system (TCS) based on a discharging limit torque of the motor that the discharging torque control factor is reflected in and a charging limit torque of the motor that the charging torque control factor is reflected in; and calculating a torque of the engine corresponding to the driving torque reduction request based on the calculated torque of the motor and a request torque of the traction control system.

Methods, devices, estimators, controllers and algorithms are described for estimating the torque profile of an engine and/or for controlling torque applied to a powertrain by one or more devices other than the engine itself to manage the net torque applied by the engine and other device(s) in manners that reduce undesirable NVH. The described approaches are particularly well suitable for use in hybrid vehicles in which the engine is operated in a skip fire or other dynamic firing level modulation manner—however they may be used in a variety of other circumstances as well. In some embodiments, the hybrid vehicle includes a motor/generator that applies the smoothing torque.

A method of generating vehicle control data includes: storing, with a storage device, relationship prescription data; operating, with an execution device, an operable portion of an internal combustion engine; acquiring, with the execution device, a detection value from a sensor that detects the state of the vehicle; calculating, with the execution device, a reward; and updating, with the execution device, the relationship prescription data using update mapping determined in advance, the update mapping using the state of the vehicle based on the detection value, an operation amount used to operate the operable portion, and the reward corresponding to the operation as arguments, and returning the relationship prescription data which have been updated such that an expected profit for the reward calculated when the operable portion is operated in accordance with the relationship prescription data increases.

A regulator valve regulates pressure of transmission fluid applied to a clutch of a transmission and a flow rate of the transmission fluid from the regulator valve to a transmission fluid sump. A transmission fluid pump is driven by an engine of the vehicle. A control module, while an ignition system of the vehicle is ON, selectively shuts down the engine of the vehicle for an auto-stop event. A target pressure module, before an engine speed reaches zero for the auto-stop event, increases a target value of a pressure of the transmission fluid at an output of the transmission fluid pump. A regulator control module, before the engine speed reaches zero for the auto-stop event and based on the increase in the target value of the pressure, adjusts the regulator valve to increase the pressure of the transmission fluid at the output of the transmission fluid pump.

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.