Patent ID: 8246507

Claim:
A control apparatus for a drive system of a vehicle including a differential portion having a differential mechanism having a first element connected to an-engine, a second element connected to a first electric motor and a third element connected to a power transmitting member and configured to distribute an output of said engine to said first electric motor and said power transmitting member, and a transmission portion disposed in a power transmitting path between said power transmitting member and a drive wheel, said control apparatus comprising: engine speed limiting means for limiting a range of an operating speed of said engine according to a speed ratio of said transmission portion; and said engine speed limiting means limiting the range of the operating speed of said engine in a range of a low vehicle speed, and further limiting the range of the operating speed of said engine in a range of a high vehicle speed in addition to the range of the low vehicle speed, the range of the high vehicle speed being set up to a higher value of the vehicle speed as the speed ratio of said transmission portion becomes higher.