Patent ID: 8392095

Claim:
A spark ignition type internal combustion engine provided with a variable compression ratio mechanism able to change a mechanical compression ratio, a variable valve timing mechanism able to control a closing timing of an intake valve, a throttle valve arranged in an engine intake passage, and a catalyst arranged in an engine exhaust passage, a processor; and a memory, the memory storing instructions which when executed cause the processor to: increase the mechanical compression ratio till a maximum mechanical compression ratio as an engine load becomes lower and shift the closing timing of the intake valve in a direction away from an intake bottom dead center as the engine load becomes lower when the catalyst is activated, wherein when it is predicted that a temperature of the catalyst will fall to less than an activation temperature, as compared with a case where the catalyst is activated, the mechanical compression ratio is decreased, the closing timing of the intake valve is shifted toward the intake bottom dead center and the opening degree of the throttle valve is decreased as the engine load becomes lower to lower an actual expansion ratio while maintaining the actual compression ratio the same or while increasing the actual compression ratio.