A controller is configured to control a vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine and an automatic transmission. The controller is configured to execute a shifting process that switches a gear ratio of the automatic transmission and a lean operation process that operates the internal combustion engine with an air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture in a cylinder leaner than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. The controller is further configured to, when executing the shifting process during execution of the lean operation process, set an air-fuel ratio in a case in which the shifting process is being executed to a value closer to the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio than an air-fuel ratio in a case in which the shifting process is not being executed.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling vehicle torque output during cruise control. In one example, a method may include determining future vehicle torque output by minimizing an objective function based on an instantaneous vehicle speed, an average vehicle speed, and a present vehicle torque output. The weights of the objective function may be updated based on the past and the present vehicle operating parameters.

A vehicle system comprises an engine, a motor-generator and a controller. The engine has a combustion mode in which a part of an air-fuel mixture is combusted by spark ignition, and then the remaining air-fuel mixture is combusted by self-ignition. The controller sets a target additional deceleration based on a steering angle, when a steering wheel is turned, and sets an air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture to either one of a first air-fuel ratio and a second air-fuel ratio which is on a lean side, based on an operating state, when the engine performs the combustion mode. The controller controls an ignition timing so as to generate the target additional deceleration in the first air-fuel ratio, and controls a regenerative electric power generation of the motor-generator so as to generate the target additional deceleration in the second air-fuel ratio.

A system and method for power management of hybrid electric vehicles is provided. In some implementations, a plug-in series hybrid electric vehicle may include an engine, a motor/generator (MG), a traction motor, an energy storage device, and a controller. The controller is coupled to the engine and the MG to control operation of the engine and the MG such that a state-of-charge (SOC) of the energy storage device tracks a dynamic reference SOC profile during a trip and an average engine power (AEP) is maintained above a threshold. In some instances, maintaining AEP above a threshold supports emission control of the vehicle.

The present invention relates to a method to detect whether combustion is taking place in an internal combustion engine (10) of a hybrid vehicle during operation of the hybrid vehicle, whereby a decoupler (13) is provided between the internal combustion engine (10) and an electric machine (12) that serves to power the hybrid vehicle. The method comprises opening (31) the decoupler between the internal combustion engine (10) and the electric machine (12), receiving (32) a speed signal when the decoupler is open (13), said signal indicating a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine (10) when the decoupler (13) is open, and determining (33, 38), on the basis of the speed signal when the decoupler (13) is open, whether combustion is taking place in the internal combustion engine (10). The present invention also relates to a control device to carry out the method according to the invention.

A powertrain optimization method is used to identify the optimal torque operating range. The method for controlling the vehicle includes: receiving, by a planning controller, a trip plan based on an input from a vehicle-operator, wherein the trip plan is indicative of a planned trip; determining, by the planning controller, a current location of the vehicle using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) of the vehicle; determining, by the planning controller, a geography of the planned trip using map data from a map database; determining, by the planning controller, a target speed profile for the vehicle as a function of the trip plan, the geography of the planned trip, and a predetermined, optimal acceleration range; determining, by an adaptive cruise controller, a torque request as a function of the target speed profile, a predetermined-optimal torque range, and a current speed of the vehicle.

An engine management apparatus for a vehicle having a fuel ratio controller arranged to control the air to fuel ratio of a fuel mixture for the vehicle's engine, a power demand sensor arranged to sense power demands made of the engine, and an engine controller configured to increase the air to fuel ratio from a first selected value to a second selected value in the event that the rate of vehicle speed change is less than a first threshold and the demand is less than a second threshold.

A controller is configured to control a vehicle that includes an internal combustion engine and an automatic transmission. The controller is configured to execute a shifting process that switches a gear ratio of the automatic transmission and a lean operation process that operates the internal combustion engine with an air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture in a cylinder leaner than a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. The controller is further configured to, when executing the shifting process during execution of the lean operation process, set an air-fuel ratio in a case in which the shifting process is being executed to a value closer to the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio than an air-fuel ratio in a case in which the shifting process is not being executed.

When a temperature of a catalyst in an exhaust emission control device mounted in an exhaust system of an engine is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature at a time of a request for stopping the engine, a hybrid vehicle including the engine and a motor continues fuel injection of the engine until satisfaction of a predetermined condition and stops fuel injection of the engine on satisfaction of the predetermined condition. When the temperature of the catalyst is lower than the predetermined temperature at the time of the request for stopping the engine, on the other hand, the hybrid vehicle immediately stops fuel injection of the engine.

A propulsion system, control system, and method are provided for optimizing fuel economy, which use model predictive control systems to generate a plurality of sets of possible command values and determine a cost for each set of possible command values of based on a first predetermined weighting value, a second predetermined weighting value, a plurality of predicted values, and a plurality of requested values. The set of possible command values having the lowest cost is determined and defined as a set of selected command values. Fuel is minimized by minimizing engine power for a requested axle power. Accordingly, a fuel consumption rate requested value is determined based on an air-per-cylinder (APC) requested value.