When an output limitation value of a battery is equal to or less than a threshold, an electronic control unit determines that basic torque is able to be output from a second motor to a drive shaft. Then, the electronic control unit sets a predetermined value as a target motoring rotation speed for ending motoring of an engine by a first motor. When the output limitation value is greater than the threshold, the electronic control unit determines that the basic torque is unable to be output from the second motor to the drive shaft at the time of starting the engine, and sets a value smaller than the predetermined value as the target motoring rotation speed.

A propulsion system for a hybrid electric vehicle comprises a traction motor having first and second stator windings; a power source having a DC power output coupled to the first windings; a battery having a DC power output coupled to the second windings; and a controller to independently control: (i) a first power level output at the first DC power output, and (ii) a second power level of motive power output by the traction motor; wherein responsive to a signal to set the second power level less than full capacity of the traction motor, the controller provides a power difference between the first and second power levels from the second windings to the battery.

In a method for controlling a vehicle with a drive system comprising an output shaft of a combustion engine and a planetary gear with a first and a second electrical machine, connected via their rotors to the components of the planetary gear, the combustion engine is started while the vehicle is driven by ensuring that the rotor of the second electrical machine is connected with the output shaft of the combustion engine, and controlling such electrical machine's rotational speed towards the combustion engine's idling speed, whereupon fuel injection into the combustion engine is carried out to start the latter.

Systems and methods for operating a vehicle in an electric idle mode are presented. The vehicle electrical idle mode may be characterized as a mode where the vehicle's engine is off; the vehicle increases torque to vehicle wheels responsive to an application of an accelerator pedal, release of a brake pedal, or a vehicle occupant shifting a transmission; and the vehicle's battery supplies electrical energy to devices of the vehicle being operated by a vehicle occupant.

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle provided with an engine and a motor/generator functioning as a drive power source, an automatic transmission which constitutes a part of a power transmitting path between the drive power source and drive wheels and in which a shifting action is performed by selective engagement of a plurality of coupling devices, and an electric storage device giving/receiving electric power to/from the motor/generator, the control apparatus comprising: a hybrid control portion configured to control an input torque to the automatic transmission by the motor/generator during a shifting action of the automatic transmission on the basis of an output torque of the engine and a transmitted torque of the coupling devices, such that a value representing a rotating state of an input rotary member of the automatic transmission coincides with a target value; a racing determining portion configured to determine whether a rotating speed of the engine is predicted to exceed a predetermined rotating speed when control is provided such that the value representing the rotating state of the input rotary member of the automatic transmission coincides with the target value during a power-on shift-down action of the automatic transmission; and an output limiting portion configured to limit the output torque of the engine to a predetermined torque or less if the rotating speed of the engine is predicted to exceed the predetermined rotating speed during the power-on shift-down action of the automatic transmission.

A vehicle control apparatus includes: a transmission shifting control portion configured to implement a shifting action of a step-variable transmission by controlling a releasing coupling device and an engaging coupling device; a hybrid control portion configured to control an output torque of a first motor/generator and an output torque of a second motor/generator, based on an output torque of an engine and a transmitted torque to be transmitted through an initiative coupling device, such that a rotational acceleration value of the second motor/generator and a rotational acceleration value of the engine are changed along respective target trajectories during the shifting action; and a target-trajectory setting portion configured to set the target trajectories, based on a maximum charging amount of an electric power that is chargeable to an electric power storage device and a maximum discharging amount of the electric power that is dischargeable from the electric power storage device.

Methods of controlling a prime mover and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) are described. The CVT has a group of spherical power adjusters. Each power adjuster has a tiltable axis of rotation. The methods may include optimizing a vehicle having a drive motor and a continuously variable transmission. The CVT has a plurality of spherical power adjusters, each power adjuster having a tiltable axis of rotation. The methods may include optimizing a drive system having a prime mover and a continuously variable transmission.

In a method for controlling a vehicle with a drive system comprising an output shaft in a combustion engine, a planetary gear and a first and second electrical machine connected to the planetary gear, the turning off of the combustion engine is achieved when the vehicle is driven with the combustion engine running, and a transition to operation of the vehicle with the electrical machines is achieved by ensuring that the second electrical machine's rotor is connected with the combustion engine's output shaft, that injection of fuel into the combustion engine is interrupted and that the second electrical machines rotational speed is controlled towards and until a standstill, whereupon the combustion engine's output shaft is disconnected from the second electrical machine and the planetary gear.

An automotive battery system that includes a lead-acid battery electrically coupled to a first bus, in which the lead-acid battery supplies electrical power to a starter via the first bus to cold crank an internal combustion engine of a vehicle; a lithium-ion battery electrically coupled to a second bus, in which the lithium-ion battery captures and stores electrical energy generated by a regenerative braking system when the vehicle brakes and supplies electrical power to the second bus using the electrical energy captured from the regenerative braking system such that a first portion of the second electrical power is supplied to an electrical system; and a DC/DC converter electrically coupled between the first bus and the second bus, in which the DC/DC converter controls supply of a second portion of the second electrical power to charge the lead-acid battery.

In a method for controlling a vehicle with a drive system comprising a power unit configuration adapted to provide power for the vehicle's operation, and further comprising a planetary gear and a first and second electrical machine, connected to components in the planetary gear via their rotors, a locking means is moved from a release position, in which the planetary gear's components are free to rotate independently of each other, to a locked position, in which two of the planetary gear's components are locked together, so that the three components in the planetary gear rotate with the same speed. The power unit configuration is controlled in order to achieve a synchronous, or substantially synchronous, rotational speed between the input and output shaft of the planetary gear, and the locking means are then moved to the locked position.