Patent ID: 7367322

Claim:
A controller of an internal combustion engine capable of carrying out fuel cut and stopping fuel supply into each cylinder, said controller comprising: an exhaust gas purification catalyst interposed in an exhaust passage for purifying exhaust gas; air-fuel ratio control means for controlling an in-cylinder air-fuel ratio of each cylinder; and ignition timing control means for controlling ignition timing of each cylinder, wherein: said air-fuel ratio control means increases a fuel injection amount at a first increase rate, during a first prescribed period corresponding to a period from a time point of end of said fuel cut to a time point of start of first fuel supply with respect to each cylinder, in relation to a basic fuel injection amount that is set based upon an operation state of said internal combustion engine, and increases the fuel injection amount at a second increase rate that is lower than said first increase rate, during a second prescribed period following said first prescribed period, in relation to said basic fuel injection amount; and said ignition timing control means controls ignition timing with respect to the fuel supplied during said first prescribed period to be first retarded ignition timing that is more retarded than reference ignition timing that is set based upon the operation state of said internal combustion engine, and controls ignition timing with respect to the fuel supplied during said second prescribed period to be second retarded ignition timing that is more retarded than said reference ignition timing and more advanced than said first retarded ignition timing.