Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a motor having a housing in which a stator and a rotor are disposed. The motor is cooled by a cooling oil in the housing. The apparatus includes a control unit configured to control the motor. The control unit has a temperature increase mode for heating the cooling oil with use of heat generated by a resistance of a coil provided in the stator.

Abstract: An apparatus for controlling a motor having a housing in which a stator and a rotor are disposed. The motor is cooled by a cooling oil in the housing. The apparatus includes a control unit configured to control the motor. The control unit has a temperature increase mode for heating the cooling oil with use of heat generated by a resistance of a coil provided in the stator.

Abstract: Since a power of an engine is transmitted to a first axle and a power of a MG is transmitted to a second axle, a space for providing the MG can be readily ensured. Further, since an accessory is driven by the power of the engine, a private power source for the accessory is not necessary. In this case, the accessory may be a water pump, an oil pump, or an air-conditioner compressor. Furthermore, since a vehicle driving mode is switched between an engine driving mode and a MG driving mode, only a control system relative to the MG driving mode is necessary to be developed when the hybrid vehicle is developed by using the engine vehicle as the base part.

Abstract: Since a power of an engine is transmitted to a first axle and a power of a MG is transmitted to a second axle, a space for providing the MG can be readily ensured. Further, since an accessory is driven by the power of the engine, a private power source for the accessory is not necessary. In this case, the accessory may be a water pump, an oil pump, or an air-conditioner compressor. Furthermore, since a vehicle driving mode is switched between an engine driving mode and a MG driving mode, only a control system relative to the MG driving mode is necessary to be developed when the hybrid vehicle is developed by using the engine vehicle as the base part.

Abstract: Since a power of an engine is transmitted to a first axle and a power of a MG is transmitted to a second axle, a space for providing the MG can be readily ensured. Further, since an accessory is driven by the power of the engine, a private power source for the accessory is not necessary. In this case, the accessory may be a water pump, an oil pump, or an air-conditioner compressor. Furthermore, since a vehicle driving mode is switched between an engine driving mode and a MG driving mode, only a control system relative to the MG driving mode is necessary to be developed when the hybrid vehicle is developed by using the engine vehicle as the base part.

Abstract: Engine load for a supercharged engine is estimated by determining airflow upstream of a throttle valve that is upstream of a supercharger, subtracting a value representative of a change in air mass between the throttle valve and the supercharger based on a measured change in pressure between the throttle valve and the supercharger, and subtracting a modification value dependent upon a current engine speed and a signal representative of a pressure at the intake manifold.

Abstract: Engine load for a supercharged engine is estimated by determining airflow upstream of a throttle valve that is upstream of a supercharger, subtracting a value representative of a change in air mass between the throttle valve and the supercharger based on a measured change in pressure between the throttle valve and the supercharger, and subtracting a modification value dependent upon a current engine speed and a signal representative of a pressure at the intake manifold.

Abstract: A method of controlling an internal combustion engine during a start up phase, include cranking the internal combustion engine to initiate the start up phase and controlling an alternator load so as to increase load on the engine during at least a part of the start up phase, thereby to control engine speed flare and/or at least partially to recover energy used to start the internal combustion engine. Even when base ignition timing and/or fueling calibration for starting the engine is modified to improve combustion stability, the alternator load can be controlled to control engine speed flare and/or recover start energy.

Abstract: A method of controlling an internal combustion engine during a start up phase, include cranking the internal combustion engine to initiate the start up phase and controlling an alternator load so as to increase load on the engine during at least a part of the start up phase, thereby to control engine speed flare and/or at least partially to recover energy used to start the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: The ignition timing is sustained at an initial value during a predetermined time beginning at a start of an engine, and is retarded after the predetermined time is elapsed to heat a catalyst at an early time. The predetermined time ends when the negative pressure of an intake pipe or the negative pressure of a brake booster reaches to a predetermined value. That is, the predetermined time is a period, which begins at a start of the engine and ends when a proper negative pressure can be sustained in the brake booster. As a result, it is possible to assure a negative pressure in the brake booster at an early time and to reduce exhaust emission at a start of the engine simultaneously.

Abstract: A throttle position corresponding to a R—R torque representing a torque in which a reserve torque is added to a required torque at MBT is computed. The throttle position is offset by an amount of a reserve torque in a torque increasing direction. An ignition retard amount for obtaining the required torque is computed based on a ration between the required torque and the R—R torque to cancel an increment in torque due to the offset of the throttle position. Because the offset amount of the ignition timing in the retard direction can be computed without an estimated torque which is determined based on the intake air flow rate including the leak air, it is restricted that the ignition retard amount becomes too large even if the large amount of leak air is generated at the throttle valve.

Abstract: A throttle position corresponding to a R-R torque representing a torque in which a reserve torque is added to a required torque at MBT is computed. The throttle position is offset by an amount of a reserve torque in a torque increasing direction. An ignition retard amount for obtaining the required torque is computed based on a ration between the required torque and the R-R torque to cancel an increment in torque due to the offset of the throttle position. Because the offset amount of the ignition timing in the retard direction can be computed without an estimated torque which is determined based on the intake air flow rate including the leak air, it is restricted that the ignition retard amount becomes too large even if the large amount of leak air is generated at the throttle valve.

Abstract: The ignition timing is sustained at an initial value during a predetermined time beginning at a start of an engine, and is retarded after the predetermined time is elapsed to heat a catalyst at an early time. The predetermined time ends when the negative pressure of an intake pipe or the negative pressure of a brake booster reaches to a predetermined value. That is, the predetermined time is a period, which begins at a start of the engine and ends when a proper negative pressure can be sustained in the brake booster. As a result, it is possible to assure a negative pressure in the brake booster at an early time and to reduce exhaust emission at a start of the engine simultaneously.

Abstract: The ignition timing is sustained at an initial value during a predetermined time beginning at a start of an engine, and is retarded after the predetermined time is elapsed to heat a catalyst at an early time. The predetermined time ends when the negative pressure of an intake pipe or the negative pressure of a brake booster reaches to a predetermined value. That is, the predetermined time is a period, which begins at a start of the engine and ends when a proper negative pressure can be sustained in the brake booster. As a result, it is possible to assure a negative pressure in the brake booster at an early time and to reduce exhaust emission at a start of the engine simultaneously.

Abstract: During an operation to warm up a catalyst at an early time, an engine control apparatus adjusts an intake valve to a target opening position, which is set to provide a sufficient flow velocity of a flow of intake air flowing through the intake valve. Thus, fuel stuck on the intake passage is evaporated and, in addition, mixed gas in a combustion chamber is well agitated. Furthermore, the engine control unit controls a fuel injection period, a fuel injection timing and an ignition timing in accordance with the opening timing of the intake valve. Therefore, an amount of stuck fuel is reduced according to increase in the flow velocity of intake air.

Abstract: A response delay compensation element for compensating a response delay of an output gMAF of an airflow meter by a phase advance compensation is provided so that an output g of the response delay compensation element is input to the intake air system model. A transfer function of the phase advance compensation is g=(1+T1·s)/(1+T2·s)·gMAF where T1 and T2 are time constant of the phase advance compensation, which is set based on at least one of the output gMAF of the airflow meter, engine speed, an intake air pressure, and a throttle angle. The model time constant &tgr;IM of the intake air system model is calculated by variables including volumetric efficiency and the engine speed. The volumetric efficiency is calculated by two-dimensional map having the engine speed and the intake air pressure as parameters thereof.

Abstract: The ignition timing is sustained at an initial value during a predetermined time beginning at a start of an engine, and is retarded after the predetermined time is elapsed to heat a catalyst at an early time. The predetermined time ends when the negative pressure of an intake pipe or the negative pressure of a brake booster reaches to a predetermined value. That is, the predetermined time is a period, which begins at a start of the engine and ends when a proper negative pressure can be sustained in the brake booster. As a result, it is possible to assure a negative pressure in the brake booster at an early time and to reduce exhaust emission at a start of the engine simultaneously.

Abstract: An output timing of an opening degree command value &phgr;total is delayed by a predetermined delay time Tdly. A predictive throttle opening change &Dgr;&thgr;, calculated by using an electronic throttle model M4, is added to a present throttle opening degree &thgr; to obtain a predictive throttle opening degree &thgr;f at an intake valve close timing. Then, a provisional predictive charged air amount Gcf is calculated based on the predictive throttle opening degree &thgr;f by using an intake system mode M5. Then, a predictive change &Dgr;Gc of the charged air amount at the intake valve close timing is calculated by derivative and integral processing the provisional predictive charged air amount Gcf until the intake valve close timing. Then, the predictive change &Dgr;Gc is added to a base charged air amount Gbase calculated by a base intake system model M8 to obtain a final predictive charged air amount Gc.

Abstract: A response delay compensation element for compensating a response delay of an output gMAF of an airflow meter by a phase advance compensation is provided so that an output g of the response delay compensation element is input to the intake air system model.

Abstract: An output timing of an opening degree command value &phgr;total is delayed by a predetermined delay time Tdly. A predictive throttle opening change &Dgr;&thgr;, calculated by using an electronic throttle model M4, is added to a present throttle opening degree &thgr; to obtain a predictive throttle opening degree &thgr;f at an intake valve close timing. Then, a provisional predictive charged air amount Gcf is calculated based on the predictive throttle opening degree &thgr;f by using an intake system mode M5. Then, a predictive change &Dgr;Gc of the charged air amount at the intake valve close timing is calculated by derivative and integral processing the provisional predictive charged air amount Gcf until the intake valve close timing. Then, the predictive change &Dgr;Gc is added to a base charged air amount Gbase calculated by a base intake system model M8 to obtain a final predictive charged air amount Gc.