Internal combustion engine control apparatus

An internal combustion engine control apparatus comprising:

• an engine control unit configured to perform an ignition timing control to control an ignition timing of an ignition device attached to an internal combustion engine, and
• to perform an in-cylinder temperature raising control to
• raise an in-cylinder temperature of a cylinder after a cold start of the internal combustion engine,
• close an exhaust valve before a top dead center of an exhaust stroke and open an intake valve after the top dead center of the exhaust stroke, responsive to determining that a first predetermined time after start is reached, thereby providing a negative valve overlap (NVO) period where an exhaust is compressed,
• gradually retard the ignition timing of the ignition device until a first predetermined ignition timing is reached;
• and
• responsive to determining that a predetermined in-cylinder temperature or a second predetermined time after start is reached, retard further the ignition timing of the ignition device until a second predetermined ignition timing later than the first predetermined ignition timing is reached.