Control device for internal combustion engine

A device for controlling an internal combustion engine which sets a target throttle valve opening degree of the internal combustion engine based on a present amount of accelerator pedal operation and, after a predetermined delay time has passed, starts driving the throttle valve so that the actual throttle valve opening degree becomes said target opening degree, thereby to estimate the actual throttle valve opening degree in the future after a predetermined period of time has passed from the present based on said target opening degree, said delay time and the operation characteristics of the throttle valve, and to calculate the amount of the air that will be taken in by the engine in the future after said predetermined period of time has passed based upon said estimated value, said device for controlling an internal combustion engine comprising:

• target valve timing-setting means for setting a target valve timing of the engine based on an actual throttle valve opening degree;
• variable valve timing means for controlling the valve timing of the engine to said target valve timing;
• valve timing-estimating means for calculating an estimated value of said target valve timing in the future after said predetermined period of time has passed based on said estimated throttle valve opening degree, and for estimating a actual engine valve timing in the future after the passage of said predetermined period of time based on said estimated target valve timing;
• and
• intake air amount-estimating means for estimating the amount of the air that will be taken in by the engine in the future after said predetermined period of time has passed based on said estimated throttle valve opening degree and said estimated valve timing.