Patent ID: 7771310

Claim:
A drive state shift control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle, the hybrid vehicle including an engine and a motor-generator switchable between an electric drive mode and a hybrid drive mode during a mode shift and a transmission switchable between a plurality of gear shift positions during a gear shift, the apparatus comprising: means for receiving a request for a mode shift and a request for a gear shift; means for receiving vehicle information including at least one of a vehicle speed and an engine load; and means for determining a time for commencing performance of the gear shift and a time for commencing performance of the mode shift based upon a comparison of vehicle information to a threshold when the receiving means receives the request for the mode shift and the request for the gear shift at or substantially at a same time before commencing performance of both the mode shift and gear shift in response to their respective requests; and means for performing the mode shift between the electric drive mode and the hybrid drive mode and the gear shift.