Patent ID: 7374512

Claim:
A shift control apparatus for controlling an automatic transmission having a plurality of speed positions having respective different speed ratios and established by selectively engaging a plurality of frictional coupling devices, such that a shifting control to shift the automatic transmission to a target speed position according to a first shifting-action decision is switched to a shifting control to shift the automatic transmission to a target speed position according to a second shifting-action decision made during the shifting control according to the first shifting-action decision, said shift control apparatus comprising: shift control means operable, when it is impossible to shift the automatic transmission directly to the target speed position according to said second shifting-action decision, for determining, as an intermediate speed position of the automatic transmission, one of the speed positions to which the automatic transmission can be shifted directly at a moment of said second shifting-action decision, and effecting the shifting control to shift the automatic transmission to the target speed position according to said second shifting-action decision after establishing said intermediate speed positions, wherein the shift control means determines, as said intermediate speed position, one of said speed positions of the automatic transmission that can be directly established at the moment of said second shifting-action decision, which one speed position is established with a largest amount of change of a speed of an engine.