Patent ID: 8868269

Claim:
A method of controlling a hybrid electric vehicle having an internal combustion engine including a crankshaft, a cylinder provided with a first intake valve, a second intake valve, and a piston configured to reciprocate inside the cylinder and rotate the crankshaft, the method comprising: closing the first and second intake valves via a device operatively connected to the cylinder at a first predetermined instance when the cylinder is being fueled; wherein the device is a concentric camshaft mechanism having a first camshaft lobe configured to regulate operation of the first intake valve and a second camshaft lobe configured to regulate operation of the second intake valve, and wherein the concentric camshaft mechanism is configured to alter position of the first lobe with respect to position of the second lobe; determining whether a deceleration of the vehicle is desired; ceasing a supply of fuel to the cylinder to motor the engine when the deceleration is desired; closing the first intake valve via the device at the first predetermined instance when the supply of fuel to the cylinder has been ceased; and closing the second intake valve via the device at a second predetermined instance when the supply of fuel to the cylinder has been ceased; wherein: the second predetermined instance is after the first predetermined instance relative to rotational position of the crankshaft; and closing the second intake valve at the second predetermined instance reduces an amount of intake air being trapped inside the cylinder when the supply of fuel has been ceased and reduces a magnitude of compression pulses in the cylinder during deceleration relative to when the cylinder is being fueled.