Patent ID: 7487026

Claim:
A vehicle drive force control apparatus comprising: a main drive source configured and arranged to drive a first wheel; an electric generator configured and arranged to be driven by the main drive source; an electromechanical device configured and arranged to receive electric power from the electric generator; a controller operatively coupled to at least one of the electric generator and electromechanical device, the controller comprising a predicting section configured to predict a sudden acute change in one of a rotational speed of the main drive source and a voltage delivered from the electric generator to the electromechanical device, and an output stabilizing section configured to adjust one of a field current of the electric generator in advance of the acute change to suppress a change in an output of the electric generator that will result from the sudden acute change in the rotational speed of the main drive source, and a magnitude of a field magnetic flux of the electromechanical device in advance of the acute change to suppress a change in an output of the electromechanical device that will result from the sudden acute change in the voltage delivered from the electric generator to the electromechanical device; and a transmission installed in a torque transmission path between the main drive source and the first wheel driven by the main drive source, the predicting section being configured to predict the acute change in the rotational speed of the main drive source based on detecting a gear shifting indication of the transmission; and the output stabilizing section being further configured to change the field current of the electric generator in advance upon predicting that the transmission will shift to a different gear ratio with the change in the field current of the electric generator being made in accordance with the shift.