Variable valve actuating apparatus for internal combustion engine, and controller for variable valve actuating apparatus

A controller for controlling a variable valve actuating apparatus for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, wherein the engine includes at least a first cylinder and a second cylinder, the controller comprising:

• a section programmed to perform a control process in response to a precondition that the first cylinder undergoes an initial combustion event at a startup of the engine earlier than any other cylinder of the engine, the control process including:
• a first operation of retarding an exhaust valve opening timing of the first cylinder to a most retarded position toward bottom dead center, wherein the exhaust valve opening timing is an initial one immediately after the initial combustion event;
• and
• a second operation of allowing exhaust gas to flow into an intake-side part of the engine, wherein the exhaust gas is produced by an initial combustion event of the second cylinder after the initial combustion event of the first cylinder.

A variable valve actuating apparatus for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, wherein the engine includes at least a first cylinder and a second cylinder, the variable valve actuating apparatus comprising:

• a section configured to perform a process in response to a precondition that the first cylinder undergoes an initial combustion event at a startup of the engine earlier than any other cylinder of the engine, the process including:
• a first operation of setting an exhaust valve opening timing of the first cylinder to a most retarded position toward bottom dead center, wherein the exhaust valve opening timing is an initial one immediately after the initial combustion event of the first cylinder;
• and
• a second operation of setting a second valve overlap period greater than a first valve overlap period, wherein the first valve overlap period is a period from an initial intake valve opening timing of the first cylinder to an initial exhaust valve closing timing of the first cylinder immediately after the initial combustion event of the first cylinder, and wherein the second valve overlap period is a period from an initial intake valve opening timing of the second cylinder to an initial exhaust valve closing timing of the second cylinder immediately after an initial combustion event of the second cylinder after the initial combustion event of the first cylinder.