CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HYBRID VEHICLE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable reduction in vibration and noise generated in association with engagement of a clutch and improvement in the fuel economy of a vehicle while realizing seamless switching of drive force in a control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle performing drive-force switching control for drive force of the vehicle between the drive force of a motor and that of an internal combustion engine (an engine).SOLUTION: When performing drive-force switching control, before starting an engine (1), a rotation speed of an output shaft (1a) of the engine (1) is controlled by drive force of a travelling motor (4) at a rotation speed having a highest efficiency of the engine (1) in response to a requirement output of a driver of the vehicle; a clutch (3) is engaged when a difference between an input-side rotation speed of the clutch (3) and an output-side rotation speed thereof is reduced to or less than a given speed; and thereafter when starting the engine (1), an output of the travelling motor (2) or that of a generating-starting motor (4) is reduced synchronously with explosion timing of the engine (1). 【課題】車両の駆動力を電動機（モータ）の駆動力と内燃機関（エンジン）の駆動力とで切り替える駆動力切替制御を行うハイブリッド車両の制御装置において、クラッチの締結に伴い発生する振動や騒音を低減でき、シームレスな駆動力の切り替えを実現しながらも、車両の燃費性能の向上を図ることができるようにする。【解決手段】駆動力切替制御を行う際に、エンジン（１）の始動前に、走行用モータ（４）の駆動力でエンジン（１）の出力軸（１ａ）の回転数を車両の運転者の要求出力に対して該エンジン（１）の効率が最も高くなる回転数に制御し、クラッチ（３）の入力側回転数と出力側回転数との差が所定以下になったときに該クラッチ（３）を締結し、その後、エンジン（１）を始動する際に、該エンジン（１）の爆発タイミングに合わせて走行用モータ（２）又は発電及び始動用モータ（４）の出力を低下させる。【選択図】図１