Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, driveline oscillations are reduced during engine air-fuel ratio modulation. The driveline oscillations may be reduced via adjusting torque of a motor.

A method for controlling a powertrain system in response to a command to execute a multi-state shift event for the transmission includes determining an initial output torque limit and determining an initial commanded output torque based upon the initial output torque limit. The powertrain system is controlled to generate torque in response to the initial commanded output torque prior to completion of a first state transition of the multi-state shift event that includes a commanded torque reduction. After completion of the first state transition of the multi-state shift event that includes the commanded torque reduction, a torque ramp rate is determined, and the initial commanded output torque is adjusted based upon the torque ramp rate. The powertrain system is controlled to generate torque in response to the initial commanded output torque and the adjusted initial commanded output torque during a remainder of the multi-state shift event.

A driving system includes an engine an engine, a motor generator, a gear mechanism, and a controller. The gear mechanism couples the engine and the motor generator to each other. The gear mechanism includes first and second gears. The first and second gears are configured to be supplied with first driving torque from the engine and second driving torque from the motor generator, respectively. The second gear meshes with the first gear. The controller is configured to perform torque control of the engine to make a rate of variation in the first driving torque at the first gear at a time when the following conditional expression (1) is satisfied smaller than that at a time when the following conditional expression (1) is not satisfied.
|T2−T1|<Th1  (1) T1 is the first driving torque, T2 is the second driving torque, and Th1 is a first threshold.

A driving mode control method and apparatus of a hybrid electric vehicle are provided. The driving mode control method includes decreasing a torque of an engine when a first driving mode in which both the engine and a first motor are driven is switched to a second driving mode driven by the first motor and applying a torque of a second motor. A clutch is then opened when a difference between the engine torque and the second motor torque is less than a first threshold torque.

Embodiments of the invention provide control means for a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) operable to control first and second actuators of a vehicle to deliver motive torque to drive a vehicle, the control means being operable to control a vehicle to transition between a first mode in which a first actuator is substantially disconnected from a driveline of a vehicle and a second actuator delivers motive torque to drive a vehicle and a second mode in which a first actuator is connected to a driveline by means of a releasable torque transmitting means and the control means controls first and second actuators to deliver respective first and second actuator target torque split values to drive a vehicle thereby to provide a driver demanded drive torque, when a transition from the first mode to the second mode is required the control means being configured to control rotation of a first actuator by means of a speed control means towards a target first actuator speed and to control a releasable torque transmitting means to transition between an actuator disconnected condition and an actuator connected condition thereby to connect a first actuator to a driveline, the control means being further configured to ramp an amount of torque delivered by a first actuator towards a first actuator target torque split value, and to ramp an amount of torque delivered by a second actuator towards a second actuator target torque split value while retaining a total drive torque value provided to a vehicle substantially equal to a driver demanded torque, wherein the target first actuator speed is a speed greater than a speed at which a first actuator would rotate with a releasable torque transmitting means in the actuator connected condition.

A hybrid vehicle includes a differential portion including a motor generator, an electric power storage device exchanging electric power with the motor generator included in the differential portion, a gear type transmission provided in a powertrain between a rotation shaft of the motor generator and a drive wheel, and a control device controlling torque of the motor generator during gear shifting in the transmission. A restriction value for a rate of change in torque of the motor generator while a temperature of the electric power storage device is low is smaller than the restriction value while the temperature of the electric power storage device is high.

A method for damping juddering in the drive train of a vehicle having an electric motor as the drive motor, and a vehicle having a closed-loop control system to carry out the method. The method includes calculating an electric motor setpoint torque for actuating the electric motor from an electric motor request torque which corresponds to a current request for a torque, and calculating a correction torque as a function of the electric motor request torque and a correction factor which is determined from a rotational speed of the electric motor.

When an engine is started by causing a first motor coupled to first drive wheels to motor the engine while a hybrid vehicle is turning with the engine stopped, an electronic control unit controls output torque of a second motor, in such a direction as to curb change of a steering characteristic of the hybrid vehicle due to change of drive torque of the first drive wheels induced by motoring of the engine by the first motor.

A method, for a trailer brake control device of a vehicle trailer with an electric drive, includes receiving at least one acceleration request signal with a requested positive acceleration or a requested negative acceleration and further receiving a status signal with at least one status variable of the electric drive of the vehicle trailer. The method also includes generating, with a controller of the trailer brake control device, at least one brake actuation signal for at least one friction brake of the vehicle trailer and a torque request signal for the electric drive, each based on the at least one acceleration request signal and the status signal. Furthermore, the method includes outputting the brake actuation signal and the torque request signal via at least one output and/or at least one interface of the trailer brake control device.

A vehicle propulsion system configured to generate wheel torque includes an engine arranged to output a first propulsion torque to a transmission and an electric motor arranged to output a second propulsion torque downstream of the transmission. The vehicle propulsion system also includes a controller programmed to, in response to detecting a lash crossing associated with one of the electric motor and the transmission, set a torque slew rate of the other one of the electric motor and transmission such that each of the electric motor and transmission undergoes lash crossings at different points in time.