A control system for a hybrid vehicle. The system comprises a controller configured to cause a net negative drive torque to be applied by an engine or an electric machine of the vehicle to the input shaft of a transmission in a direction opposing travel of the vehicle to effect braking, determine when a transmission gear shift is about to occur requiring a non-negative torque to be applied at the input shaft, and when the gear shift is about to occur, temporarily cause a net non-negative drive torque to be applied to the input shaft by causing the electric machine to apply a positive drive torque to the input shaft to compensate for negative torque applied by the engine, and cause brake force to be applied by a braking system to compensate for a reduction in negative drive torque applied to the input shaft, while the gear shift occurs.

The present invention relates to a method for managing the drive system of a hybrid vehicle comprising an internal combustion engine and an electric machine having an energy storage means, wherein the vehicle has information on the topology of an approaching downward section of road. Said method includes: predicting a power need of the vehicle according to at least one slope degree of said section of road; predicting the mode of operation of the drive system as well, said mode of operation being selected from at least: a freewheel descent, a descent assisted by the drive system, preferably by the electric machine only, a descent braked by energy recovery; and adjusting the energy level in the storage system prior to arrival on the section of road according to said predictions.

A method controls regenerative braking of a vehicle equipped with regenerative brakes and with a separate braking apparatus. The method is designed to generate a regenerative braking setpoint as a function of a braking request signal coming from a driver pedal of the vehicle, according to a first setpoint generation mode. The method includes receiving a flag signal coming from an active safety system of the vehicle, detecting value changes of the received flag signal, when the received flag signal changes value to take a value corresponding to activation of regulation by the active safety system, incrementing a counter value, and comparing the counter with a threshold. When the counter reaches the threshold, a control signal is formed to end the generation of the regenerative braking setpoint according to the first calculation mode and to impose generation of the regenerative braking setpoint according to a second calculation mode.

A vehicle that includes: a towing axle connected to a heat engine; a directional axle; and a complementary axle that is neither directional nor motor-driven. When the vehicle is hybridized according to the method of the invention, the wheels of the complementary axle are removed and replaced by in-wheel motors, each connected with an inverter specifically dedicated for supplying electrical power thereto from an electrical power battery. A control housing is also provided, that has built-in acceleration control devices connected to the accelerator pedal, and built-in deceleration control devices connected to the brake pedal, so as to control and monitor all the mechanisms needed for the driver to transparently accelerate and decelerate the vehicle.

A control device of a vehicle includes a discharge control unit. The discharge control unit, in a case where a plurality of regenerative sections are included in a scheduled traveling route, extracts a first regenerative section on a vehicle side, a second regenerative section closest to the first regenerative section, and a dischargeable section between the first regenerative section and the second regenerative section. The discharge control unit, in a case where a predicted regenerative electric power amount in the first regenerative section is greater than a predicted discharge electric power amount in the dischargeable section, sets a section obtained by merging the first regenerative section, the second regenerative section, and the dischargeable section as a control target section, and performs the discharge control based on a remaining capacity of a power storage device and a predicted regenerative electric power amount in the control target section.

A control device of a vehicle includes a discharge control unit configured to, in a case where a regenerative section is included in a scheduled traveling route of the vehicle, perform a discharge control for increasing a discharge amount of a power storage device as compared with a case where the regenerative section is not included in the scheduled traveling route. The discharge control unit is configured to determine a target discharge electric power amount, which is a target value to be discharged before the vehicle reaches a start point of the regenerative section, based on a predicted regenerative electric power amount that is capable of being generated in the regenerative section, and perform the discharge control based on the target discharge electric power amount and a parameter that changes in accordance with a distance from the vehicle to the start point.

A method may include distributing target torque to target engine torque of an engine and target motor torque of a motor according to a predetermined control logic according to driver demand torque, comparing torques which determines whether actual torques of the engine and the motor are smaller than the target engine torque and the target motor torque, comparing whether a time period during which a state where a state where the torque of the engine or the motor is insufficient is maintained is a predetermined reference time or more, determining that any one of the engine and the motor is failed, when the time during which a state where the state where the torque of the engine or the motor is insufficient is maintained is the reference time or more, and controlling limp-home which limits the target engine torque of the engine, the target motor torque of the motor, and the regenerative braking amount of the motor.

A control system for a hybrid vehicle configured to reduce frequency of establishing an engine braking force is provided. The control system is configured to operate a first motor as a motor to increase torque of an output member while halting the output shaft of the engine by a brake, and to increase the deceleration torque of the second motor, if a state of charge of the battery is higher than a predetermined threshold level when deceleration of the hybrid vehicle is demanded.

A controller for a motor vehicle powertrain, the controller being configured to control the amount of torque generated by each of a plurality of drive torque sources, each drive torque source being coupled via a respective torque transfer arrangement to a respective group of one or more wheels, the controller being configured to cause a first of the drive torque sources, during acceleration, deceleration and substantially constant speed operation, substantially continually to apply a drive torque to a first group of one or more wheels to which the first drive torque source is coupled acting in a first direction relative to a longitudinal axis of the vehicle and causes a second of the drive torque sources, during acceleration, deceleration and substantially constant speed operation, substantially continually to apply a drive torque to a second group of one or more wheels to which the second drive torque source is coupled, the direction of drive torque applied to the second group being in a second direction opposite the first such that a net drive torque applied to the first and second group in combination corresponds substantially to a predetermined drive torque demand value, the predetermined torque demand value being determined at least in part by reference to a torque demand signal received by the controller.

A vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes an engine, an electric machine, an electric heater, and a controller. The electric machine is configured to recharge a battery through regenerative braking. The electric heater is configured to heat an engine coolant. The controller is programmed to redirect regenerative braking power to the electric heater in response to the engine coolant temperature being below a threshold.