Patent ID: 7753818

Claim:
A control apparatus for a vehicular drive system including an engine, and a continuously-variable transmission portion operable as an electrically controlled continuously variable transmission and having a differential mechanism operable to distribute an output of the engine to a first electric motor and a power transmitting member, and a second electric motor disposed in a power transmitting path between said power transmitting member and a drive wheel of a vehicle, said control apparatus comprising: a differential-state switching device disposed in said differential mechanism and configured to place said continuously-variable transmission portion selectively in one of a continuously-variable shifting state in which the continuously-variable transmission portion is operable as said electrically controlled continuously variable transmission, and a non-continuously-variable shifting state in which the continuously-variable transmission portion is not operable as said electrically controlled continuously variable transmission; engine-torque-variation restriction control means configured to control an electric energy to be supplied to said second electric motor in said continuously-variable shifting state of said continuously-variable transmission portion, for restricting a variation of a transmission torque to be transmitted to said power transmitting member, which variation is caused by a variation of an output torque of said engine; and switching control means operable when said continuously-variable transmission portion is placed in said non-continuously-variable shifting state, and configured to switch said continuously-variable transmission portion to said continuously-variable shifting state, for enabling said engine-torque-variation restriction control means to control the electric energy to be supplied to said second electric motor.