Control apparatus for internal combustion engine and method of controlling internal combustion engine

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which controls an engine speed to a target engine speed during starting of the engine, by performing at least one control including intake air flow control under which an intake air flow rate is adjusted in accordance with the engine speed, and ignition timing control under which the ignition timing is adjusted in accordance with the engine speed, comprising:

• a determining unit that determines whether the engine speed is reduced to be lower than a first predetermined speed after reaching a peak engine speed during starting of the engine;
• and
• a switching unit that switches from the intake air flow control to the ignition timing control irrespective of a value of the peak engine speed, if the engine speed is reduced to be lower than the first predetermined speed.

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which performs engine speed control for controlling an engine speed to a target engine speed in a feedback manner during starting of the engine, comprising:

• an integrating unit that integrates an intake air quantity that has been introduced into the engine since the start of an engine starting operation;
• and
• a control unit that starts the engine speed control when an integrated value of the intake air quantity calculated by said integrating unit reaches a value that is equal to a volume of an intake air passage that extends from a throttle valve to an inlet of each cylinder.

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which performs engine speed control for controlling an engine speed to a target engine speed in a feedback manner during starting of the engine, comprising:

• a detecting unit that detects that the engine speed has reached a peak engine speed during starting of the engine, after the start of an engine starting operation;
• and
• a control unit that starts the engine speed control when said detecting unit detects that the engine speed has reached the peak engine speed.

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which performs engine speed control for controlling an engine speed to a target engine speed in a feedback manner during starting of the engine, comprising:

• a calculating unit that calculates a rate of change of the engine speed;
• and
• a control unit that starts the engine speed control when the rate of change of the engine speed calculated by said calculating unit becomes smaller than a predetermined value.

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which performs engine speed control for controlling an engine speed to a predetermined target engine speed in a feedback manner during starting of the engine, wherein the engine speed control is started when the engine speed becomes equal to the target engine speed after an engine starting operation is started.

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which controls an engine speed to a target engine speed during starting of the engine, by performing at least one control including intake air flow control under which an intake air flow rate is adjusted in accordance with the engine speed, and ignition timing control under which the ignition timing is adjusted in accordance with the engine speed, comprising:

• a switching unit that switches from the intake air flow control to the ignition timing control when it is determined that the engine is in a poor combustion state;
• and
• a control unit that starts the ignition timing control with the ignition timing being advanced by a certain advance amount, relative to the ignition timing before the start of the ignition timing control.

A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which controls an engine speed to a target engine speed during starting of the engine, by performing at least one control including intake air flow control under which an intake air flow rate is adjusted in accordance with the engine speed, and ignition timing control under which the ignition timing is adjusted in accordance with the engine speed, comprising:

• a switching unit that switches from the intake air flow control to the ignition timing control when it is determined that the engine is in a poor combustion state;
• and
• a setting unit that sets a feedback control constant for use in at least one of the intake air flow control and the ignition timing control, based on a difference between the target engine speed and an actual engine speed of the engine, and a rate of change of the difference.

A method of controlling an internal combustion engine, wherein an engine speed is controlled to a target engine speed during starting of the engine, by performing at least one control including intake air flow control under which an intake air flow rate is adjusted in accordance with the engine speed, and ignition timing control under which the ignition timing is adjusted in accordance with the engine speed, comprising the steps of:

• acquiring a parameter that represents a degree of deterioration of a combustion state in the engine;
• and
• controlling switching from the intake air flow control to the ignition timing control based on the parameter acquired.

A method of controlling an internal combustion engine, wherein engine speed control for controlling an engine speed to a predetermined target engine speed is performed in a feedback manner during starting of the engine, comprising the steps of:

• integrating an intake air quantity that has been introduced into the engine since the start of an engine starting operation, to provide an integrated value;
• and
• starting the engine speed control when the integrated value of the intake air quantity reaches a value that is equal to a volume of an intake air passage that extends from a throttle valve to an inlet of each cylinder.