Hybrid systems and the design of embedded controllers for automotive engine management

The problem of designing an automotive engine control unit for the next-generation automobiles has been formulated as a hybrid control problem. We present first the overall methodology and its basic components. Then we focus on the highest levels of abstraction that involve the formulation of the control problem and its solution. Two particular control sub-problems (cut-off and fast positive force tracking) are formulated as hybrid optimal control problems. A formal analysis as well as experimental results demonstrate the properties and the quality of the control laws.