Patent ID: 8919314

Claim:
An engine control apparatus for a vehicle with an engine and a brake device for applying a brake force to the vehicle in accordance with an amount of operation of the brake device by a vehicle driver, the engine control apparatus comprising: a stop control that performs an engine automatic stop to automatically stop the engine when predetermined engine stop conditions are satisfied and automatically restart the engine when predetermined engine restart conditions are satisfied, the predetermined engine stop conditions including that a vehicle speed decreases below a predetermined stop permission speed that is set above a creep range in which the vehicle can run using a creep force; a variation amount detection device that detects a variable amount of a brake operation being performed by the vehicle driver during a deceleration period while the vehicle is decelerating but before the vehicle has stopped; and a stop determination device that determines whether the engine automatic stop should be performed when the engine stop conditions are satisfied based on the variable amount detected by the variation amount detection device while the vehicle is decelerating.