Patent ID: 8464522

Claim:
A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a first three-way catalyst disposed in an exhaust passage of the internal combustion engine and capable of purifying exhaust gas; a particulate filter, disposed in the exhaust passage downstream from the particulate filter, for trapping particulate matter contained in exhaust gas; a second three-way catalyst disposed in the exhaust passage downstream of the first three-way catalyst and the particulate filter, wherein the second three-way catalyst has an oxygen storage capacity; and an electronic control unit including program logic that, when executed by the electronic control unit, executes filter regeneration control which regenerates the particulate filter on which the particulate matter accumulates; executes catalyst warm-up control which facilitates warm-up of the first three-way catalyst at cold start of the internal combustion engine; adjusts control timing so that the filter regeneration control is started after the catalyst warm-up control is started; judges a state of richness of atmosphere gas of the second three-way catalyst; and prohibits a start of the filter regeneration control until the atmosphere of the second three-way catalyst becomes a rich atmosphere, wherein the control apparatus uses control for providing a stoichiometric air-fuel ratio as basic control for an air-fuel ratio.