An apparatus and method are provided for controlling a powertrain of an autonomous vehicle. The apparatus includes an autonomous driving controller that controls autonomous driving of the vehicle and a transmission controller that determines whether the vehicle satisfies a pulse and glide (P&G) driving condition during the autonomous driving. The transmission controller alternately performs pulse driving and coasting in conjunction with the autonomous driving controller when the vehicle satisfies the P&G driving condition. The transmission controller causes a transmission to remain in a neutral state during the coasting.

A vehicle control device includes control means for executing coasting control, in which a friction engaging element is disengaged and a rotation speed of a rotary shaft of a drive source is set at zero, when a shift range corresponds to a travel range and a coasting condition is established, and the control means executes the coasting control when the shift range is modified to a neutral range.

A travelling control apparatus includes a preceding vehicle information acquiring unit acquiring a preceding vehicle travelling speed pattern indicating a travelling speed change of a preceding vehicle; an energy efficiency index calculation unit calculating an energy efficiency index indicating a degree of improvement in an energy efficiency of the vehicle, in the case where the vehicle travels based on an own vehicle travelling speed pattern indicating a travelling speed change of the vehicle when the vehicle travels tracking the preceding vehicle; a compatibility index calculation unit calculating a compatibility index indicating a degree of compatibility between the vehicle and a following vehicle based on a travelling speed of the vehicle and the following vehicle; and a control unit performing a coasting travel determination determining whether to perform a coasting travel of the vehicle based on a degree of the energy efficiency index and the compatibility index.

The present invention presents a method and a system for the control of preparatory measures during a road section, for at least one system. First, one or several parts of a road section are identified, during which parts one or several engines comprised in the vehicle may be shut down. Such identification is carried out when the road section is ahead of the vehicle, that is to say before the vehicle has entered the road section. The identification is based on available information about the road section. Subsequently it is determined whether at least one preparatory measure for at least one respective system in the vehicle needs to be carried out, in order to facilitate that one or several of the engines may be shut down. Subsequently, the preparatory measures are controlled based on the determination of the need to carry out the at least one preparatory measure.

A control device for a vehicle controlling the vehicle including a driving source and an automatic transmission coupled to the driving source and includes a power transmission mechanism including a forward engaging element. The control device for the vehicle includes a first control unit configured to execute a driving-source-stop-while-traveling control that stops the driving source and brings the automatic transmission into a neutral state when a driving-source-stop-while-traveling condition for stopping the driving source while traveling is satisfied and a second control unit configured to engage the forward engaging element on the basis of input and output rotation speeds of the power transmission mechanism after a driving-source-stop-while-traveling cancellation condition is satisfied.

A method and apparatus for evaluating the driving of a vehicle performing a journey on a road network is disclosed. The method comprises determining a fuel usage rate and an engine speed of a vehicle, and determining when the vehicle is coasting based upon at least one of the fuel usage rate and the engine speed of the vehicle. An acceleration of the vehicle, when the vehicle is determined to be coasting, is compared with a predetermined reference acceleration, and an application of braking during the coasting is determined based on the result of the comparison. A method and apparatus is also disclosed for determining a score indicative of the relative amount of time for which the vehicle is coasting without braking during a journey.

Some embodiments of the present invention comprise a method of controlling a powertrain of a vehicle, the powertrain comprising drive torque means, a transmission and a driveline, the drive torque means comprising an internal combustion engine, the method comprising: detecting that coasting entry criteria have been met; causing the powertrain to assume a first coasting mode for a first time period in which the drive torque means delivers positive drive torque to the driveline to substantially balance powertrain losses; determining a value for at least one parameter, the or each parameter being indicative of: a probability that a demand will be made for torque to be delivered to the driveline in addition to torque delivered to substantially balance powertrain losses; or a probability that a demand will be made for braking of the vehicle; and setting the value of the first time period in dependence on the value of the or each parameter.

A system, method, and apparatus includes management of coasting during operation of a vehicle equipped with a predictive cruise control system.

A method for operating a vehicle drivetrain (1) having a drive machine (2), an output (3) and a gearbox (4) with the gearbox (4) arranged in power flow between the drive machine (2) and the output (3) includes opening, in the presence of a demand for activation of a sailing operating function of the vehicle drivetrain (1) and a simultaneously activated engine start-stop function, a positively engaging shift element (F) while the drive machine (2) is left both decoupled from the output (3) and shut down.

A method for controlling a car with a parallel hybrid system comprising at least a combustion engine and an electrical machine in P0- or P1-configuration, with a clutch for connecting the combustion engine's output shaft with at least one drive shaft. Steps include determining a power demand P.sub.d, and decoupling the combustion engine from the drive shaft if the power demand P.sub.d is below a first threshold P.sub.1. Coupling the combustion engine with the drive shaft when the power demand P.sub.d is above the first threshold P.sub.1 provides additional fuel savings when the method further comprises shutting off the combustion engine and providing power to the drive shaft by providing electrical power to the electrical machine to drive the car, when the power demand P.sub.d is between the first threshold P.sub.1 and a second threshold P.sub.2. The second threshold P.sub.2 is greater than the first threshold P.sub.1, i.e. if P.sub.1<P.sub.d<P.sub.2.