TRANSMISSION CONTROL METHOD AND TRANSMISSION CONTROL APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE TRANSMISSION

To achieve an improvement in an acceleration response with respect to a re-acceleration request, while improving the feeling of deceleration during deceleration by selecting a pseudo-stepped downshift mode.In a transmission control method for a belt-type continuously variable transmission (4), to an input side of which is connected an engine (1), a pseudo-stepped downshift mode for carrying out a pseudo-stepped downshift is provided as a pseudo-stepped transmission mode. The downshift target rotational speed Nta and the lower-limit target rotational speed Ntb used for the pseudo-stepped downshift are set to values in an engine rotational speed region in which an engine output becomes greater than or equal to a prescribed value. When a mode transition condition is satisfied during deceleration by selecting the normal transmission mode, the mode is shifted to the pseudo-stepped downshift mode to start the pseudo-stepped downshift. When the pseudo-stepped downshift is initiated, an increase to the downshift target rotational speed Nta and a decrease to the lower-limit target rotational speed Ntb of the primary rotational speed Npri are repeated, until the mode cancellation condition, including the re-acceleration request, is satisfied.