Patent ID: 8897992

Claim:
A control device for an internal combustion engine that includes variable valve timing mechanism that changes a valve timing, the control device comprising: a control unit that controls changing of the valve timing, wherein the control unit sets an engine stop request-time target valve timing that is a target valve timing at a time when engine stop as stop of operation of the internal combustion engine is requested, the control unit starts engine stop request-time valve timing control as control of changing the valve timing such that the valve timing coincides with the engine stop request-time target valve timing when the engine stop is requested, the control unit operates the internal combustion engine in an idling state for a predetermined time after the engine stop is requested, and the control unit starts an engine stop process as a processing of stopping operation of the internal combustion engine upon a lapse of the predetermined time after the engine stop is requested, and the control unit sets the predetermined time such that a sum of the predetermined time and an engine stop time as a time required from start of the engine stop process to stop of operation of the internal combustion engine becomes equal to a valve timing control time as a time that is needed until the valve timing is made to coincide with the engine stop request-time target valve timing through the engine stop request-time valve timing control.