Patent ID: 6879905

Claim:
An apparatus for controlling an engine comprising: a starter that cranks the engine; a rotation velocity detector that detects an engine rotation velocity; a battery voltage detector that detects a battery voltage for driving the starter; and a controller that performs an engine cranking control based upon the engine rotation velocity and the battery voltage, wherein the controller starts the engine cranking control when the engine is rotating, and judges that the starter is stopped if the following event occurs during the engine cranking control: the battery voltage is lowered to at least as low as a starter drive judgment value, and then, the battery voltage is raised to at least as high as a starter stop judgment value, wherein the starter drive judgment value is smaller than the starter stop judgment value; and the controller ends the engine cranking control when judging that the starter is stopped; and wherein, when the event has not occurred, the controller ends the engine cranking control if the following event occurs: a predetermined elapse time elapses starting when the engine cranking control is started, which predetermined elapse time elapses before battery voltage is raised to the starter stop judgment value.