Patent ID: 7395813

Claim:
A method of controlling intake and/or the exhaust of at least one deactivated cylinder of an internal-combustion engine operating in four phases, said at least one deactivated cylinder comprising intake means with an intake valve, exhaust means with an exhaust valve, a fuel injection means, ignition means and a piston sliding within said at least one deactivated cylinder between a position corresponding to its top dead center (PMHa, PMHd) and a position corresponding to its bottom dead center (PMBa, PMBd), characterized in that, when the engine runs at low or partial loads: one of the intake valve and exhaust valve of the deactivated cylinder is opened in the vicinity of a top dead center (PMHa, PMHd), said one of the intake valve and exhaust valve remains open until it is closed in the vicinity of the next top dead center (PMHd, PMHa).