Patent ID: 8523736

Claim:
A control apparatus for a vehicular power transmitting system including (a) an electrically controlled differential portion having a differential mechanism disposed between an engine and a drive wheel of a vehicle, and a differential-portion electric motor operatively connected to the differential mechanism such that a differential state of the differential mechanism is controllable by controlling an operating state of the differential-portion electric motor, and (b) a transmission portion constituting a part of a power transmitting path, the control apparatus comprising: a shift-control start-point changing portion configured to change a shift-control start point at which a determination to perform a shifting action of the transmission portion is made on a basis of an operating point of the differential-portion electric motor, such that the shift-control start point is changed according to a shifting response of the transmission portion; and a compulsory shift-control starting portion configured to make the determination to perform the shifting action, when the shift-control start-point changing portion determines that an operating point of the differential-portion electric motor has reached the shift-control start point, wherein: in both cases of a shift-up action and a shift-down action of the transmission portion, the shift-control start-point changing portion changes the shift-control start point such that a moment of the determination to perform the shifting action of the transmission portion is advanced as the shifting response is reduced, and increases an amount of change of the shift-control start point with an increase of a running speed of the vehicle, wherein the amount of change of the shift-control start point is determined based on a predetermined chart that shows a relationship between the running speed of the vehicle and the amount of change of the shift-control start point.