Patent ID: 7748357

Claim:
A control apparatus for a variable valve timing mechanism which changes a rotational phase of a camshaft relative to a crankshaft to vary valve timing of a valve of an engine, comprising: a first detecting section configured to detect a current rotational phase of the camshaft; a setting section configured to set a target value of the rotational phase; a second detecting section configured to detect computing timings in synchronism with a cycle of variation of torque acting on the camshaft; a first manipulating section configured to compute a manipulated variable to be outputted to the variable valve timing mechanism at the computing timings, based on a deviation of the current rotational phase detected by the first detecting section from the target value; a second manipulating section configured to compute the manipulated variable to be outputted to the variable valve timing mechanism at a previously set time, based on the deviation of the current rotational phase detected by the first detecting section from the target value; and a switching section configured to permit the second manipulating section to implement computing and outputting of the manipulated variable in a high rotation region in which an engine rotating speed exceeds a threshold, while permitting the first manipulating section to implement computing and outputting of the manipulated variable in a low rotation region in which the engine rotating speed is equal to or less than the threshold.