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 vibration damping control system for an automotive vehicle is provided. This system includes a torque generator operating with given operation timing to produce a torque vibration of a preselected frequency and an operation timing controller. The operation timing controller initially determines a phase difference between engine revolution and frequency of vehicle vibration formed of a resultant vector defined by a first vibration component caused by movement of a crankshaft of the engine and a second vibration component caused by movement of a piston of the engine. The controller then modifies the operation timing of the torque generator to provide the torque vibration in an opposite phase relative to the vehicle vibration based on the phase difference determined to compensate the vehicle vibration.

Abstract: A torque control system for engines reduces electric power consumption by appropriately avoiding torque application after the engine starts increasing its torque output. The system detects the ignition timing of an engine and initiates motor mode operation of a motor-generator. The motor-generator continuously applies torque to number of ignitions which occur immediately before the engine torque actually starts increasing under the torque increase command, and then initiates generator operation of the motor-generator. Since the motor operation of the motor-generator terminates almost simultaneously with the increase in engine torque, there is no overlap between torque application by the motor-generator and increase torque output of the engine, and effective torque application and savings of battery power can be achieved.

Abstract: Disclosed is an engine starting apparatus which suppresses engine vibrations and noises during engine cranking and reduces consumption of electric power supplied for engine cranking. When an engine starts to rotate to produce its torque, electric power supplied to a starter motor for engine cranking is reduced gradually so that a sum of torques produced by the starter motor and the engine may be prevented from increasing excessively. In the case a generator/motor is used for engine starting, operation of the generator/motor is switched from motor operation to generator operation for suppressing excessive speed rise when engine starting is completed.

Abstract: A control mechanism for an electric generator motor which can prevent excessive charging and insufficient capacity of an electrical power storage device includes a controller controlling operation of the electric generator motor when a total of restorable electrical power calculated on the basis of vehicle state and a present capacity of the electrical storage device is smaller than a specified reference capacity. The control mechanism effects a motor operation, i.e., application of torque, of the generator motor within a range in which the capacity of the electrical storage device does not fall below a specified minimum charge level required for driving vehicle auxiliary devices. The control mechanism effects motor operation of the electric generator motor with continuously changing restorable electrical power which has a positive correlation with an effective amount of depression of a brake pedal.

Abstract: A starting system and a method for starting an automotive internal combustion engine, the method and apparatus being capable of improving the starting ability of the engine. The starting system includes a starter motor, a means for measuring a crankshaft angle of the engine, and a control means which controls the entire system. The system is initiated by a start command being input thereto. The system, i.e., the control means, then preliminarily drives the starter motor in a reverse direction in a predetermined relation to the start command so that a load torque on the starter motor is reduced. Then, the control means of the system determines whether the reverse rotation of the starter motor has attained a predetermined value. Then, the starter motor is driven in a forward direction when the reverse rotation has attained the predetermined value.