Patent ID: 6865451

Claim:
A control device for an engine of a vehicle, the engine comprising an operating device which operates the engine under an electronic key system comprising a portable electronic key which emits an identification code, and an identification device mounted in the vehicle to verify the identification code of the electronic key, the control device comprising: a programmable controller programmed to: control the operating device to execute an idle stop which stops the engine under a predetermined stop condition; control the operating device to restart the engine during the idle stop when any of a plurality of restart conditions are satisfied, the restart conditions including a restart request from a driver of the vehicle; determine whether or not the engine is in the idle stop; determine whether or not a restart condition is satisfied which does not correspond to a restart request from the driver during an idle stop; control the identification device to verify the identification code of the electronic key when a restart condition is satisfied which does not correspond to the restart request from the driver during the idle stop; and prohibit the operating device from restarting the engine when the identification device has failed in verifying the identification code.