Patent ID: 8181637

Claim:
A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, comprising: a crankshaft provided in the internal combustion engine; a crank angle detection unit that is provided in the internal combustion engine and that outputs a crank signal each time the crankshaft rotates by a predetermined angle; a reverse rotation detection unit detecting whether or not the crankshaft is in reverse rotation; and a control unit that ascertains ignition timings based on the crank signals, performs ignition control so as to spark the internal combustion engine at the ignition timings, prohibits the ignition of the internal combustion engine due to a reverse rotation detection result based on the detection in the reverse rotation detection unit, and releases the reverse rotation detection result when the crankshaft is returned to a forward rotation state after the control unit has determined that the crankshaft is in reverse rotation, the control unit determining that the internal combustion engine is in a forward rotation state after releasing the reverse rotation detection result, the control unit proceeding to a normal ignition output permission mode in which an ignition control signal is output to an ignition circuit whenever the ignition timing arrives.