A technique is directed to methods and systems for detecting the presence of a machine operator. In some implementations, an operator presence system monitors a machine to determine whether an operator is present in an operating machine. The operator presence system collects input data from sensors or devices on the machine and determines whether the operator is in the operator seat. During operation, if an operator is determined to not be in the operator seat, the operator presence system can generate and send notifications (e.g., visual or audible warnings) to alert the operator to sit in the operator seat.

A hybrid power train structure for off-road vehicles (ATVs, UTVs and SSVs) uses an internal combustion engine (“ICE”) rotating a crankshaft through a continuously variable transmission (“CVT”) as a primary source of locomotion torque, but also includes a driving/generator motor which, in certain established conditions, can either provide an additional or alternative source of locomotion torque or can harvest electricity from the torque created by the internal combustion engine. The driving/generator motor is an axial flux motor of small size for its relative torque output, which can either be directly coupled to the CVT output shaft or, when additionally used as a starter motor for the ICE in an automatic ICE starting and stopping routine.

A method may include identifying computing systems corresponding to an autonomous vehicle (AV) in which each computing system is configured to perform at least one operation relating to driving the AV. The method may include determining whether the computing systems use a first respective real-world parameter as an input to any of the operations or generate a second respective real-world parameter as an output of the operations. A respective operation corresponding to a respective computing system may be designated for accelerated performance based on the determination, and the operations of the computing systems may be performed. A first operation not designated for accelerated performance may include first computations corresponding to the first operation after waiting for a synchronization delay period, and a second operation designated for accelerated performance may include second computations corresponding to the second operation and performed without waiting for the synchronization delay period.

A method and system for operating a vehicle that includes an automatic transmission with a torque converter clutch is described. In one example, the method includes predicting a time that the torque converter clutch will open so that stopping rotation of the engine may be requested before the torque converter clutch is opened. The stopping rotation of the engine is requested to conserve fuel.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for controlling operation of a vehicle. The system includes a microphone located in a passenger cabin of the vehicle and configured to detect sound data indicating noise in the passenger cabin. The system also includes a powertrain of the vehicle including an engine/motor for propelling the vehicle and a transmission of the vehicle having a plurality of gears. The system also includes an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle coupled to the microphone and the transmission. The ECU is configured to determine a powertrain torque limit based on the sound data, determine whether a torque output of the powertrain exceeds the powertrain torque limit, and instruct the transmission to downshift when the torque output of the powertrain exceeds the powertrain torque limit.

A method, performed by a control device, for starting a combustion engine during free-wheeling with engine off is described. The method comprises a step of controlling the clutch to a partially closed state, thereby starting the combustion engine; a step of controlling the clutch to an open state when the combustion engine has started, but prior to the output shaft of the combustion engine has reached a rotational speed synchronized with the rotational speed of the input shaft of the gearbox; and a step of synchronizing the speed of the combustion engine to the speed of the input shaft of the gearbox through control of fuel injection to the combustion engine.

The transmission control unit includes a gear ratio abnormality determination unit and a limp home control unit. The gear ratio abnormality determination unit is configured to determine that a gear ratio is abnormal when, during travelling at a predetermined gear position, a difference between an actual gear ratio, which is calculated based on a transmission input shaft rotation speed and a transmission output shaft rotation speed, and a set gear ratio at the predetermined gear position is equal to or greater than a set value. The limp home control unit is configured to, when the gear ratio abnormality determination unit determines that the gear ratio is abnormal, output a disengagement instruction for disengaging all of the plurality of friction elements, when it is confirmed that a neutral state is shifted to according to the output of the disengagement instruction, determine engagement/disengagement of a specific friction element among the plurality of friction elements based on rotation/stop information of a rotation member of the stepped transmission mechanism, and determine an evacuation gear position based on determination information on the engagement/disengagement of the specific friction element, and shift the gear position to the determined evacuation gear position.

A method of controlling a vehicle drivetrain by an electric motor, in order to synchronize the speed of an internal combustion engine and the speed of gears in the drivetrain, wherein if a speed synchronization error e.sub.sync(t) is controlled to remain within a prespecified region for a specific period of time, the synchronization is finished, and a gear may be engaged.

The present invention is intended to make it possible to automatically drive a test object without performing pre-learning for a running performance map for each vehicle. There is provided an automatic test object driving device that automatically drives a test vehicle based on a command vehicle speed, and that includes a driving actuator for performing driving operation of the test vehicle, and a driving control unit for controlling the driving actuator. The driving control unit includes a first accelerator map and a second accelerator map each of which indicates a relationship among a vehicle-speed-related value, an acceleration-related value, and an accelerator-depression-amount-related value. The driving control unit uses the first accelerator map to determine an accelerator depression amount corresponding to the command vehicle speed, and uses the second accelerator map to correct the accelerator depression amount by feeding back a vehicle speed and an acceleration of the test vehicle.

A method for controlling wheel slip of a vehicle includes: observing and estimating equivalent inertia information of a driving system in real time based on operation information of the driving system by receiving the operation information of the driving system for driving the vehicle; calculating the compensated amount for compensating a torque command of a driving device from the equivalent inertia information of the driving system observed and estimated by a controller; compensating the torque command of the driving device by using the calculated compensated amount; and performing a control of a torque applied to a driving wheel according to the compensated torque command.