A smart driveline disconnect assembly having a torque coupling assembly, an actuator, at least one sensor and a controller is provided. The torque coupling assembly is configured to selectively couple torque between a transmission and a final drive assembly. The actuator is configured to activate the torque coupling assembly. The at least one sensor is used to generate sensor information. The controller is configured to control the actuator based at least in part on the sensor information. The controller is further configured to determine at least a thermal energy level associated with the torque coupling assembly based on the sensor information and at least in part control the actuator based on the determined estimated thermal energy level.

Systems and methods for operating a vehicle that includes an engine and an electric machine are described. In one example, an actual total number of transmission gear downshifts are counted to determine whether or not a transmission clutch characterization is immature. The transmission clutch characterization may be adjusted if it is determined to be immature.

A drive control system is provided, which is mounted on a vehicle configured to travel by operation of a driver. The drive control system includes an actuator configured to output a driving force for the vehicle to travel, an output sensor configured to detect a driving force requested by the operation of the driver, and a control device configured to control operation of the actuator based on the requested driving force detected by the output sensor. The control device sets a target output value by adding a given delay time to a requested output value set corresponding to the requested driving force, and controls the actuator so as to output the target output value based on a response characteristic of the actuator.

A smart driveline disconnect assembly having a torque coupling assembly, an actuator, at least one sensor and a controller is provided. The torque coupling assembly is configured to selectively couple torque between a transmission and a final drive assembly. The actuator is configured to activate the torque coupling assembly. The at least one sensor is used to generate sensor information. The controller is configured to control the actuator based at least in part on the sensor information. The controller is further configured to determine at least a thermal energy level associated with the torque coupling assembly based on the sensor information and at least in part control the actuator based on the determined estimated thermal energy level.

Systems and methods for operating a vehicle that includes an engine and an electric machine are described. In one example, an actual total number of transmission gear downshifts are counted to determine whether or not a transmission clutch characterization is immature. The transmission clutch characterization may be adjusted if it is determined to be immature.

A vehicle is provided that includes a motor connected to vehicle wheels and configured to generate electrical power. A first rotational speed detector detects rotational speed of the motor and an engine generates mechanical power. A second rotational speed detector detects rotational speed of the engine. A clutch is disposed between the engine and the motor to open and close the connection between the engine and the motor. A controller diagnoses a failure of the clutch and outputs an instruction to open the clutch and an instruction to turn off the engine when the clutch has a failure. The controller determines whether the clutch is successfully opened based on the detected rotational speed of the motor and the detected rotational speed of the engine, executes a series driving mode when that the clutch is successfully opened and speed limit driving when that the clutch has failed to be opened.

A method and system of controlling an engine for vehicle interior heating is provided. The method includes performing a first engine control when the engine is not in an engine-on state for vehicle driving, to perform heating control for interior heating at a predetermined range of a reference coolant temperature. Additionally, the method includes performing a second engine control when the engine is in an engine-on state for vehicle driving, to prolong an engine-on time for vehicle driving by setting a minimum value of the range of the reference coolant temperature to a lower value and setting a maximum value of the range of the reference coolant temperature to a higher value and to determine a point of time of engine-off operation based on a real-time lock up time and an average lock up time of an engine clutch for vehicle driving.

A system and method for controlling engine clutch slip for a hybrid vehicle, in which it is determined whether an engine clutch has entered a slip mode and lubrication of the engine clutch is easily achieved through an additional lubrication hydraulic pressure circuit whenever the engine clutch enters the slip mode, thereby achieving the engine clutch slip control in all shift ranges including low-speed and medium-speed ranges and maintaining the heat energy that is generated from the engine clutch at a predetermined level or lower.

A shift control method for a rapidly accelerating DCT vehicle, may include determining, by a controller, whether or not there occurs a power-on upshift situation in which an accelerator pedal is depressed 50% or more; estimating, by the controller, a predicted time remaining until an engine speed enters a red zone when engagement of a target shift-stage gear is completed under the power-on upshift situation; and performing, by the controller, a torque phase by updating a predetermined target torque phase time to fall within the predicted time when the predicted time is less than the target torque phase time and controlling a disengaging clutch and an engaging clutch depending on the updated target torque phase time.

Methods and systems are provided for operating a vehicle driveline where the vehicle driveline does not include a torque converter. In one example, a method comprises controlling a capacity of a clutch configured to transmit torque between an engine and a transmission, and an output of an electric motor positioned in a driveline of the hybrid vehicle during a vehicle launch to emulate a performance of a torque converter positioned in the driveline of the vehicle. In this way, vehicle launch maneuvers may be conducted for vehicles that are equipped with a clutch and an electric motor, such that said launch maneuvers mimic those of a vehicle with a torque converter, which may improve customer satisfaction and improve engine efficiency.