Patent ID: 7198123

Claim:
A hybrid vehicle mode shift control device comprising: a drive force combining transmission configured and arranged to selectively combine drive forces generated by an engine and at least one motor to deliver a drive force to a drive system of a vehicle such that the vehicle is selectively driven by the engine and the motor as a hybrid vehicle or solely by the motor as an electric vehicle; a traveling mode control section configured to control the drive force combining transmission to selectively operate the vehicle in one of a plurality of traveling modes including at least an electric vehicle continuously variable transmission mode, an electric vehicle fixed transmission mode, a hybrid vehicle continuously variable transmission mode, a hybrid vehicle fixed transmission mode; and a mode shift control section configured to select one of a first mode shift route that passes through the electric vehicle continuously variable transmission mode and a second mode shift route that passes through the hybrid vehicle fixed transmission mode when a mode shift request is issued to shift the traveling mode from the electric vehicle fixed transmission mode to the hybrid vehicle continuously variable transmission mode.