Patent ID: 8187143

Claim:
A control apparatus for a vehicular drive system including (a) an internal combustion engine, and (b) a first transmission portion and a second transmission portion disposed in a power transmitting path between the internal combustion engine and a drive wheel of a vehicle, the first transmission portion having an electrically controlled differential portion which includes a first electric motor and a differential state of which is controllable by controlling an operating state of the first electric motor, said control apparatus comprising: a shifting-action determining portion configured to determine that a shifting action of the second transmission portion is abnormal when an amount of change of a speed ratio of the second transmission portion caused by the shifting action is larger than a nominal value obtained where the second transmission portion is normally operable; and an internal-combustion-engine control portion configured to change an operating state of the internal combustion engine so as to reduce a rotation speed of the first electric motor when it is determined that the shifting action of the second transmission portion is abnormal, wherein the internal-combustion-engine control portion changes the operating state of the internal combustion engine when an amount of opening of a throttle valve of the internal combustion engine or an amount of displacement of a vehicle accelerating member is larger than a predetermined upper limit while it is determined that the shifting action of the second transmission portion is abnormal.