Patent ID: 6945220

Claim:
A starting device for an internal combustion engine which is provided with fuel injection valves for directly injecting fuel into a plurality of cylinders, and spark plugs for igniting fuel in said respective cylinders, said starting device comprising: piping for connecting between said respective cylinders; communication control valves for controlling the states of communication between said respective cylinders and said piping; an electronic engine control unit for controlling said starting device; a crank angle detector for detecting the crank angle of a crankshaft of said internal combustion engine; and an intake and exhaust valve electromagnetic driving device for electromagnetically opening and closing intake valves and exhaust valves of said internal combustion engine; wherein said electronic engine control unit includes: a basic operation control part for controlling said fuel injection valves and said spark plugs; a piston operating direction determination part for determining the operating direction of a piston in each of said cylinders from said crank angle position; a stroke setting part for setting the stroke of each cylinder whose operating direction is determined by said piston operating direction determination part; a communication state control part for controlling said communication control valves; and an electromagnetic device control part for controlling said intake and exhaust valve electromagnetic driving device; wherein fuel is injected into a cylinder on the expansion stroke set by said stroke setting part, and ignited therein under the control of said electronic engine control unit.