Patent ID: 8287411

Claim:
A transmission device, comprising: an input member coupled to a first element of an input differential gearset; a second element of the input differential gearset coupled to a third element of an output differential gearset; a third element of the input differential gearset coupled to a second element of a reactive differential gearset; a torque machine including a rotor and a stator; the rotor of the torque machine rotatably coupled to the third element of the input differential gearset and the second element of the reactive differential gearset; an output member coupled to a second element of the output differential gearset and coupled to a third element of the reactive gearset; a first clutch device configured to selectively couple rotation of the input member to rotation of a first element of the reactive differential gearset; a second clutch device configured to selectively ground rotation of the first element of the reactive differential gearset; a third clutch device configured to selectively couple rotation of the input member to rotation of the second element of the reactive differential gearset; a fourth clutch device configured to selectively ground rotation of a first element of the output differential gearset; the transmission configured to transfer torque among the input member and the output member in one of a plurality of fixed gear states when selected pairs of the first, second, third, and fourth clutch devices are applied; the transmission configured to transfer torque between the input member, the torque machine, and the output member in a continuously variable state when only the fourth clutch device is applied; the transmission configured to transfer torque between the torque machine and the output member in a torque machine state when the first and second clutch devices are applied; and the transmission configured to transfer torque between the torque machine and the input member in an energy storage device charging state when all of the clutch devices are deactivated.