Driving force control apparatus and method for a vehicle

A driving force control apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

• slip detection means for detecting a slip condition amount indicating a magnitude of a slip condition generated in driving wheels of the vehicle when starting or accelerating the vehicle;
• driving force control means for controlling a driving force transmitted from the driving wheels to a road surface;
• driving condition detecting means for detecting that a driving condition of the vehicle is in a condition that a vibration generates in the driving wheels;
• control means for controlling said driving force control means according to the slip condition amount detected by said slip detection means to reduce the driving force and suppress a slip of the driving wheels;
• and
• control regulation means for restricting a change in the driving force made by said driving force control means when said driving condition detecting means detects a condition where a vibration occurs in the driving wheels,
• wherein said driving condition detecting means includes rotational speed difference detecting means for detecting a difference in rotational speed between said right and left driving wheels, and split road determination means for determining that the vehicle is traveling on a split road, differing in frictional coefficient between road surfaces contacting the right and left driving wheels of the vehicle, when the rotational speed difference detected by said rotational speed difference detecting means is greater than a predetermined value,
• whereby a driving condition of the vehicle is determined which may generate a vibration in the driving wheels when the vehicle is determined to be traveling on a split road by said split road determination means.