Patent ID: 7503870

Claim:
A control apparatus for a vehicular drive system including a continuously-variable transmission portion operable as an electrically controlled continuously variable transmission, and a step-variable transmission portion, said continuously variable transmission portion having a differential mechanism operable to distribute an output of an engine to a first electric motor and a power transmitting member, and a second electric motor which can transmit power to a drive wheel, said step-variable transmission portion disposed in a power transmitting path between the engine and the drive wheel to function as an automatic transmission, said control apparatus comprising: a differential-state limiting device provided in said differential mechanism, and operable to limit a differential function of said differential mechanism, for limiting an operation of said continuously-variable transmission portion as said electrically controlled continuously variable transmission; and an electric-motor control portion for controlling a drive-force assisting operation to generate an assisting drive force to drive the vehicle during a shifting action of said step-variable transmission portion, differently depending upon whether said continuously-variable transmission portion is placed in a continuously-variable shifting state in which said continuously-variable transmission portion is operable as said electrically controlled continuously variable transmission, or a non-continuously-variable shifting state in which the continuously-variable transmission portion is not operable as said electrically controlled continuously variable transmission.