Drive train slip for vibration mitigation during skip fire operation

A method of mitigating vibration during skip fire operation of an engine in a vehicle having a power train that includes a torque converter clutch, the method comprising:

• operating an engine in a skip fire operational mode;
• and
• modulating slip of a torque converter clutch (TCC) based at least in part upon selected skip/fire decisions associated with particular firing opportunities, wherein relatively higher TCC slip values are used any time a firing is commanded that follows a skip and relatively lower TCC slip values are used any time a skip is commanded.

A powertrain controller comprising:

• a firing controller configured to at least sometimes direct an engine to operate in a skip fire operational mode;
• and
• a power train component controller arranged to control the slip of a power train component based at least in part upon one or more individual skip/fire decisions, wherein during selected skip fire operation, the power train component controller is arranged to determine the slip of the drive train component dynamically on an individual firing opportunity by firing opportunity basis, and to command relatively higher TCC slip values any time a firing is commanded that follows a skip and relatively lower TCC slip values any time a skip is commanded.