Patent ID: 8296028

Claim:
A control device for a vehicle that includes an engine; an automatic transmission; a torque converter arranged between the engine and the automatic transmission; and a lock-up clutch that connects an input side of the torque converter with an output side of the torque converter, the control device comprising: an engine speed detector that detects a rotational speed of the engine; a turbine speed detector that detects a turbine speed of the torque converter; a rotational speed difference calculation unit that calculates a rotational speed difference between the engine speed and the turbine speed; a torque reduction control unit that executes a torque reduction control to reduce an output torque of the engine; a lock-up control unit that controls engagement or release of the lock-up clutch; and a lock-up determination unit that determines whether a lock-up ON condition is satisfied; wherein the control device is configured such that: if the lock-up determination unit determines that the lock-up ON condition is satisfied, then the control device determines whether the rotational speed difference calculated exceeds a predetermined target rotational speed difference, and if the control device determines that the rotational speed difference calculated exceeds the target rotational speed difference, then the lock-up control unit controls the lock-up clutch to be engaged after the torque reduction control is executed until the control device determines that the rotational speed difference calculated has been reduced to the target rotational speed difference.