An automatic transmission control device implements a downshift by disengagement of a clutch that is engaged in a gear position before the downshift. It is determined whether an engine state is in a predetermined region in which a change of an engine torque per a change of an accelerator pedal opening is smaller than that in another region, and the engine torque is within a predetermined range, and an engine rotational speed is within a predetermined range. It is determined whether an operating state is in a predetermined state of accelerator operation in which the accelerator pedal opening is larger than a predetermined value, and an accelerator pedal opening change rate has an absolute value smaller than a predetermined value. The downshift is inhibited in response to determination that the engine state is in the predetermined region and the operating state is in the predetermined state of accelerator operation.

A control apparatus for a vehicle provided with a step-variable transmission which is disposed between drive wheels and a drive power source including at least an engine, and which is shifted by changing operating states of coupling devices, the control apparatus including an engine stability time estimating portion configured to estimate a length of stability time required for stabilization of an output state of the engine, when a determination to implement a power-on shift-down action of the step-variable transmission is made, and a control portion configured to delay a moment of generation of a shift-down command to implement the power-on shift-down action of the step-variable transmission, with respect to a moment of the determination to implement the power-on shift-down action, where the estimated length of stability time is longer than a predetermined value.

A method includes reducing automatically a speed of an engine from a first speed value to a second speed value in response to both the first speed value being at or above a first speed threshold value and a rate of change of one or both of (i) engine power and (ii) the engine speed is substantially zero for a designated period.

A vehicle includes an engine and a motor selectively coupled by a clutch. A controller of the vehicle is programmed to, responsive to driver-demanded torque exceeding a maximum torque of the motor and the clutch being locked, confine rates of output torque increase of the engine to a limit having a first value, and responsive to the driver-demanded torque being satisfied, reduce the limit to a second value.

A method for controlling torque intervention of a hybrid vehicle includes: during a torque phase time interval, reducing torque of an engine which is connected to a motor and generates a power transferred to a transmission by reducing an amount of air supplied to the engine in a state in which control for generating optimal combustion efficiency of the engine is maintained; increasing torque of the motor as much as the reduced torque of the engine during the torque phase time interval; and during an inertia phase time interval, reducing the increased torque of the motor by subtracting the reduced torque of the engine from an amount of torque intervention request for the transmission. The control for generating optimal combustion efficiency is obtained by controlling an ignition angle of the engine according to the amount of air supplied to the engine to maximize efficiency of the engine.

A method and system for blending between different torque maps of a vehicle so that step changes of torque output are avoided as accelerator pedal position is changed. Different blending rates are provided so as to reduce the blending time if driver demand is in the direction of torque change.

Controlling an actual slip of at least one driven axle of a motor vehicle with at least one axle having at least one wheel and a one drive unit for providing a drive torque for the axle and for the wheel can be carried out by a control device for controlling the drive unit. The control device can be configured for establishing a first actual speed of the motor vehicle; establishing a second actual speed of the at least one wheel; calculating a target speed of the at least one wheel for the established first actual speed taking into account parameters; determining an actual slip of the at least one wheel with respect to a substrate on which the motor vehicle is being moved; when the actual slip exceeds a defined first limit slip, generating a limit torque by which the drive torque produced by the drive unit is adjusted.

A vehicle control device is provided, which includes a drive source configured to generate torque as driving force of a vehicle, a transmission torque control mechanism configured to control transmission torque to drive wheels according to the generated torque, and a processor configured to execute a vehicle attitude controlling module to perform a vehicle attitude control by controlling the transmission torque control mechanism to reduce the transmission torque so as to decelerate the vehicle when a starting condition that the vehicle is traveling and a steering angle related value increases is satisfied, and then, when a given terminating condition is satisfied, controlling the mechanism to resume the transmission torque back to the torque before being reduced. The transmission torque is controlled so as to cause a yaw rate that occurs in the vehicle while the vehicle attitude control is performed, to be lower than an upper limit yaw rate.

A vehicle control device is provided, which includes an engine, an engine control mechanism configured to control torque generated by the engine, a processor configured to execute a vehicle attitude controlling module to control attitude of a vehicle by controlling the engine control mechanism to reduce the torque so as to decelerate the vehicle, when a condition that the vehicle is traveling and a steering angle related value that is related to a steering angle of a steering device increases is satisfied, and a torque reduction amount setting module to set the reduction amount of the torque to be larger as a combustion frequency of the engine per unit time decreases. The vehicle attitude controlling module controls the engine control mechanism to reduce the torque based on the set reduction amount.

To suppress occurrence of a wheelie of a motorcycle. A torque control apparatus includes a the detection unit that detects a state in which the front wheel of the motorcycle is likely to be lifted up based on at least one of engine information of the motorcycle, accelerator operation information of the driver of the motorcycle, and information of the vehicle body or wheel of the motorcycle. The torque control apparatus further includes an output unit that, when the detection unit detects the state in which the front wheel is likely to be lifted up, outputs a torque smaller than a request torque of the driver as a request torque for an the engine of the motorcycle or outputs the difference between the request torque of the driver and a torque smaller than the request torque of the driver as a brake torque.