Abstract: A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle drive system including (a) an engine, (b) an electrically controlled differential portion having an input shaft connected to the engine, an output shaft, a differential mechanism, and an electric motor which is operatively connected to a rotary element of the differential mechanism and an operating state of which is controlled to control a differential state between rotating speeds of the input and output shafts, (c) a hydraulically operated automatic transmission portion which constitutes a part of a power transmitting path between the electrically controlled differential portion and a drive wheel of a hybrid vehicle, (d) a hydraulic control unit for controlling the hydraulically operated automatic transmission portion, (e) a mechanical oil pump operable by the engine to deliver a pressurized working fluid to the hydraulic control unit, and (f) an electric oil pump electrically operated independently of the mechanical oil pump, to deliver a pressurized working fluid t

Abstract: A hybrid motor vehicle includes a differential having a differential mechanism equipped with a first rotating element that is connected to an engine, a second rotating element that is connected to a first electric motor and a third rotating element connected to both a second electric motor and a transfer member; and a transmission provided in a power transmission path, extending from the transfer member to driven wheels, that establishes a plurality of transmission ranges by selectively operating a plurality of coupling devices. An irreversible rotation member connected to a non-rotation member against reverse rotation through a one-way clutch is provided in the transmission. When the second electric motor is malfunctioning, an engine start control unit starts the engine by driving the first electric motor while selectively engaging the coupling devices to connect the transfer member to the irreversible rotation member.

Abstract: An ECT_ECU of the present invention executes a program including the step of setting a determination time T for determining the completion of an upshift in an accelerator off mode to a short determination time T (X) when a slip value NS (NS=NE?NT) between an engine revolution NE and a turbine revolution NT is smaller than a predetermined slip value NS (0) (when the difference between NT and NE is large), and the step of setting the determination time T to a long determination time T (Y) when the slip value NS (NS=NE?NT) is larger than the predetermined slip value NS (0) (when the difference between NT and NE is small.

Abstract: The invention relates to a shift control apparatus for an automatic transmission, that executes a torque reduction control when the transmission executes a second downshift in response to a second downshift determination made during first downshift. The shift control apparatus includes a multiple shift execution unit that starts the second downshift operation in response to the second downshift determination, and a torque reduction control execution unit that executes a torque reduction control when the rotational speed of the input member is increased to at least a predetermined first determination speed, which is determined in accordance with a shift ratio of a gear stage after the second downshift operation, after the second downshift starts. This allows the rotational speed of the input shaft to be quickly changed to the appropriate synchronous rotational speed. Thus, the desired driving force is provided upon completion of the second downshift without overspeeding the engine.

Abstract: The invention relates to a shift control apparatus for an automatic transmission that executes a torque reduction control when the transmission downshifts in response to a downshift determination made during an upshift. The shift control apparatus includes a multiple shift execution unit that starts the downshift in response to the downshift determination, and a torque reduction control execution unit that determines whether the rotational speed of the input member is at least a control start-up rotational speed, after the downshift operation starts, and executes a torque reduction control of the power source when the rotational speed of the input member is increased to at least the control start-up rotational speed. This allows the rotational speed of the input shaft to be quickly changed to the appropriate synchronous rotational speed. Thus, the desired driving force is provided upon completion of the downshift without overspeeding the engine.

Abstract: A failure determination threshold value HSH used for making a failure determination for a control apparatus, for example, a lock-up clutch (26) by failure determining means (116) is corrected by failure determination threshold value correcting means (114) based on a continuation quantity qNG, for example, a duration tNG, of an operation state in which a predetermined failure precondition for the control apparatus mounted on a vehicle is satisfied. Therefore, a failure determination is performed by the failure determining means (116) using the failure determination threshold value HSH obtained in consideration of individual differences such as variations between vehicles. As a result, it is possible to prevent an erroneous determination regarding a failure, and to improve sensitivity of a failure determination.

Abstract: An instruction value Duty for bringing a slip rotation speed Nslip to a target rotation speed is feedback-controlled based on a difference e between the slip rotation speed Nslip and the target rotation speed, and a weight &thgr; from a parameter map. Weights &thgr; are assigned individually to a plurality of models, each of which includes a group of parameters and which are used to form a control model that represents a slip control system. Based on a weight that is assigned to one of the plurality of models, a weight that is assigned to at least one model that is other than the one of the plurality of models is specified. Thus, the amount of calculation required can be reduced by estimating weights for the models including the groups of parameters, which contain parameters that are used to construct the control model, instead of directly estimating the control model-constructing parameters.

Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling a control system having a sliding resistance by using a sliding mode control method determines a deviation of an actual value of a quantity of state that is to be caused to follow a target value from the target value (step 1), calculates a switching surface &sgr; from the deviation (step 2), and determines a corrected switching surface &sgr;′ by adding a carrier wave to the calculated switching surface &sgr; (step 3). The carrier wave is expressed by a periodic function, for example, a sine wave, a sawtooth pulse wave, or the like, and has finite gradients on its waveform. Then, the control apparatus outputs an amount of operation u based on the value of the corrected switching surface &sgr;′ (step 4). The amount of operation u behaves in a manner similar to that in an ordinary sliding mode control method when the switching surface &sgr; is not close to zero.

Abstract: A characteristics change of a control object is functionally represented by a parameter &thgr; which varies between values of 0 and 1 as the gain of the control object is surveyed. The frequency of the identification signal is set at a frequency where the difference in gains becomes large. The amplitude of the identification signal is set so that the variation width of the output of the control object is less than or equal to a predetermined value. Because the identification accuracy improves where the input/output characteristics with respect to the parameter are more sensitive, the identification signal set by such a setting apparatus imparts high identification accuracy. Moreover, because the amplitude of the identification signal is set based on the variation width of the output of the control object, identification can be performed without significantly affecting the output of the control object.

Abstract: A deviation between a target value of a quantity of state and an actual value of the quantity of state that is caused to follow the target value or a time-integral of the deviation is filtered. Based on the filtered value, a switching surface &sgr; is calculated. Based on a value of the switching surface &sgr;, a control input value u is outputted. The filter is set through comparison in Bode diagrams between a design model of a control system based on an ordinary sliding mode control method and a characteristic variation model of the control system, and by performing compensation in such a direction as to cancel out the variation. The filtering process makes it possible to properly control the control system having a dead time by the sliding mode control method.