Abstract: A fuel injection control system corrects the amount of fuel injected by fuel injection valves toward an increased side when an acceleration state resulting from operation of a throttle occurs. A control unit includes a detector, an acceleration state determinor, and an acceleration corrector. When an increase in the detected value is a predetermined value or more within a first predetermined time period, the acceleration state determiner determines that a state is an acceleration state and inputs a signal inducing fuel-amount-increase correction to the acceleration corrector. When the state where an amount of change in the detected value reaches a predetermined value or more in an increasing or decreasing direction within a first predetermined time period continuously occurs a predetermined number of times or more before a second predetermined time period expires, determination of the acceleration state is stopped until a third predetermined time period passes.

Abstract: To quickly suppress a detected decrease in engine speed in a direct injection internal combustion engine (10), a fuel injection quantity is increased by performing a supplementary fuel injection in addition to a normal fuel injection.

Abstract: A system and method for operating an engine is disclosed. The system and method includes performing multiple ignitions during a single engine cycle. According to one embodiment, a first ignition takes place during a first stroke in the cycle and a second ignition takes place during a second stroke in the cycle. The system and method may further include performing multiple injections during the engine cycle.

Abstract: A fuel control system for an internal combustion engine includes a first module that determines a corrected injected fuel mass based on an engine temperature and a measured burned fuel mass and a second module that determines a raw injected fuel mass based on the corrected injected fuel mass and the engine temperature. A third module regulates fueling to a cylinder of the engine based on the raw injected fuel mass.

Abstract: A variable valve timing mechanism 9 includes an electric motor 10 coupled to an intake camshaft 7. A plurality of rotation sensors 18 to 20 are located about the rotor 17 of the electric motor 10. Each of the sensors 18 to 20 outputs a signal corresponding to induced voltage generated by rotation of the rotor 17. Based on the signals form the rotation sensors 18 to 20, reverse rotation of an engine is detected. A counter C is decremented every time a crank signal is output after the occurrence of reverse rotation is detected. Further, a subtraction value Y is computed that corresponds to a discrepancy between the counter C and the actual crank angle caused by a discrepancy between the actual point in time of the occurrence of reverse rotation and the point in time of the detection of the reverse rotation. The counter C is reduced by the subtraction value Y.

Abstract: A start control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which takes an amount of a fuel vaporized from a heated fuel into consideration to prevent deterioration of startability due to an overrich or overlean condition caused by an excessive or insufficient amount of the vaporized fuel and to realize improvement of cold startability. The start control apparatus includes: a heater (14) for heating a fuel to be supplied to the internal combustion engine; fuel heating control unit (22) for energizing the heater when a cooling water temperature is less than an internal combustion engine start possible water temperature value to heat the fuel; and start time fuel setting unit (26) for setting a start time fuel injection amount of the internal combustion engine according to a fuel temperature after the fuel is heated by the fuel heating control unit (22), an alcohol concentration, and the cooling water temperature.

Abstract: In a general-purpose engine having a throttle valve installed in an air intake passage connected to a combustion chamber, sucked air mixing with fuel to generate an air-fuel mixture to be ignited to drive a piston to rotate a crankshaft connected to a load, a first warm-up time period during which the engine is warmed up and a second warm-up time period which is longer than the first time period are determined based on detected engine temperature and a fuel quantity is increased during the first time period. The operation of the motor is controlled such that a change rate of throttle valve opening is limited within a range until the measured time exceeds the second warm-up time period after it exceeded the first time period. With this, it becomes possible to complete warm-up operation in a short period of time, while improving rate of fuel consumption and emission performance.

Abstract: Upon a start of the internal combustion engine, a starting system causes an injector to inject fuel into and causes an ignition plug to ignite a mixture in a cylinder stopped in the expansion stroke, and causes the injector to inject fuel into and causes the ignition plug to ignite a mixture at or in the vicinity of the compression TDC in a compression-stroke cylinder that follows the expansion-stroke cylinder. When the engine coolant temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the starting system retards the fuel injection timing for the compression-stroke cylinder.

Abstract: An approach is provided for compensating engine fueling during starting conditions in which positive valve overlap is enabled early in the start. In one example, the valve timing is adjusted to increase positive overlap during cold starting conditions, and fuel adjustments are provided to compensate for the evaporation effects of the increased residual push-back.

Abstract: A process for automatically controlling the rail pressure (pCR) in an internal combustion engine with a common-rail system during the starting operation, the process including: calculating control deviation from a nominal rail pressure and an actual rail pressure; calculating, in a pressure controller, a correcting variable for actuating a suction throttle on the basis of the control deviation; and the suction throttle determining the required quantity of fuel. After the engine has been started, an adaptation process is activated upon detection of a negative control deviation of the rail pressure (pCR) followed by a positive control deviation, as a result of which the correcting variable is changed temporarily in such way as to increase the amount of fuel being delivered.

Abstract: A fuel injection control device for an engine including a cylinder injector and an air intake passage injector is provided. The device changes a fuel injection style, from a compression stroke cylinder injection by the cylinder injector which is executed from a predetermined instant immediately after the beginning of the cold start of engine until a predetermined period has passed, to the combination of an air intake passage injection by the air intake passage injector, an intake stroke cylinder injection and a compression stroke cylinder injection by the cylinder injector which is executed after the predetermined period has passed. During the cold start of engine, the favorable combustion stability is obtained by the compression stroke cylinder injection before the predetermined period has passed, and an amount of HC is reduced after the passage of the predetermined period, promoting warming-up of catalyst.

Abstract: A method for determining the optimum fuel injection timing angle in a CI engine provided with means disposed in one or more cylinders for measuring Indicated Mean Effective Pressure. The pressure level during the power stroke of a piston is a direct correlate of engine torque being generated, and the timing of fuel injection can increase or decrease the amount of torque. Thus, maximum torque can be obtained by optimizing the timing of fuel injection. An algorithm in the ECM varies the timing of fuel injection in a narrow range until a IMEP maximum is achieved, which timing is then retained and employed until the engine operating conditions change. Thus, the invention can optimize fuel economy by optimizing the torque obtained from each injection of fuel into the cylinders.

Abstract: A fuel injection control device of an internal combustion engine capable of using multiple kinds of fuel includes an ECU with a ROM for storing multiple reference fuel injection quantity maps corresponding to mixture concentrations of the multiple kinds of fuels. A control program of the CPU stores which of the multiple reference fuel injection quantity map is used out of the maps in an EEP-ROM, performs starting control of an engine using the reference fuel injection quantity map which is used immediately before stopping previous time at the time of initiating the starting based on the stored maps and, at the same time, performs the starting control by gradually increasing the fuel injection quantity until the starting of an engine is finished. As a result, control of fuel supply is optimized in response to mixing different kinds of fuels, and the engine starting time is shortened.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a start-up control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that can further improve the start-up characteristics of an internal combustion engine.

Abstract: A method for estimating the composition of a fuel within an engine, comprises performing the following steps under ambient conditions: (a?) determining the ambient temperature of the fuel; (a) monitoring the fuel pressure inside a fuel rail of the engine over a period of time; (b) calculating at least one frequency component of the change in fuel pressure; (c) calculating the speed of sound transmission c on the basis of the at least one frequency component; and (d) estimating the composition of the fuel on the basis of the calculated speed of sound transmission at said ambient temperature. Suitably, the speed of sound transmission in the fuel is calculated using the equation: c=f?, where the wavelength ? of the standing wave with frequency f is 2L, where L is the length of the fuel rail. Also described are methods for estimating the temperature of the fuel at a non-ambient temperature, and determining a fuels physical properties.

Abstract: In a fuel supply amount control system, during a period of engine startup from the time when a crankshaft starts to rotate by a starter motor to the time when the crankshaft stably rotates by fuel combustion, a fuel supply amount is controlled independently before and after a cylinder stroke determination. This enables determination of the fuel supply amount independently before and after the cylinder stroke determination. Accordingly, the required fuel amounts are provided respectively before and after the cylinder stroke determination. As a result, even if the required fuel amounts are different before and after the cylinder stroke determination, engine startup can be achieved in a short time.

Abstract: In a hybrid vehicle of the invention, when a voltage level E of a low-voltage battery exceeds a preset alert reference value Eth1 (step S115), fueling control activates a negative pressure pump with a preset amount of power consumption for standard fuel vapor treatment (step S125). When the voltage level E of the low-voltage battery exceeds a low charge reference value Elow but is not higher than the preset alert reference value Eth1 (steps S115 and S120), the fueling control activates the negative pressure pump with a smaller amount of power consumption (step S130). When the voltage level E of the low-voltage battery is not higher than the low charge reference value Elow (step S120), the fueling control inactivates the negative pressure pump (step S135). Such control enables at least a voltage of the low charge reference value Elow to be reserved in the low-voltage battery even after regulation of internal pressure of a fuel tank.

Abstract: The internal combustion engine includes a reformer, and a heating unit composed of a power source connected to a reforming catalyst composed by carrying a catalyst on a metal foil, a positive electrode, and a negative electrode of the reforming catalyst. The reformer includes the reforming catalyst, and reforms a reforming mixture of reforming fuel and reforming air by the reforming catalyst to generate reformed gas containing hydrogen. This reformed gas is supplied to a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. Before the reforming mixture is supplied to the reforming catalyst, a temperature of the reforming catalyst is raised to a predetermined preheating temperature higher than an adiabatic reaction temperature in partial oxidation reaction, and then the internal combustion engine is started.

Abstract: A fuel injection control apparatus of an internal combustion engine is provided with a fuel injection valve that injects fuel directly into a combustion chamber and a controller. When the engine is cold started (i.e., YES in step S10), a first fuel injection is performed and the injected fuel is spark ignited during the compression stroke, and a second fuel injection is performed during the expansion stroke. The controller selects, according to exhaust emissions, one of a first fuel injection rate and a second fuel injection rate that is lower than the first fuel injection rate as a fuel injection rate during at least the expansion stroke and injects fuel at the selected fuel injection rate. The second fuel injection rate is selected as the fuel injection rate of the second fuel injection and the start timing of the injection is advanced compared with the conventional injection start timing (i.e., when a reference fuel pressure is used) (steps S11 to S16).

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for controlling a piezoelectric actuator are described. The voltage applied to the piezoelectric actuator is detected at a specified time. If certain variables are present, the detection of the voltage and/or the relaying of a detected voltage value is blocked.

Abstract: As one example, a method is provided for controlling a relative amount of air and fuel that is provided to a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The method comprises adjusting a relative amount of air and fuel provided to the combustion chamber during an engine start based on a volatility of the fuel identified during a previous engine start. As another example, a vehicle engine system is provided, comprising: an internal combustion engine including at least one combustion chamber; a fuel injector configured to provide fuel to the combustion chamber; a fuel system operatively coupled with the fuel injector including a fuel storage tank; a control system configured to vary an amount of fuel injected into the combustion chamber during an engine start based on a speed response of the engine during a previous engine run-up from rest and a change in an amount of fuel stored in the fuel storage tank before the engine start.

Abstract: When an internal combustion engine controller determines that an internal combustion engine is experiencing difficulty in starting, the fuel injection amount is corrected according to a first estimated ethanol (alcohol) concentration value that is approximately in the middle concentration value between the alcohol concentration of the fuel with the highest alcohol concentration and the alcohol concentration of the fuel with the lowest alcohol concentration among the fuels that can possibly be purchased in the market. If it is determined that the engine is experiencing difficulty in starting using the corrected fuel injection amount, the fuel injection amount is corrected a second time using a second estimated alcohol concentration value different from the first estimated alcohol concentration value. As a result, the engine air-fuel ratio can be optimized when starting the engine, so that poor engine starting can be quickly overcome.

Abstract: In at least a first cycle at startup, an opening timing of an exhaust valve is controlled to 45 degrees before-bottom-dead-center of an exhaust stroke, or to a retard side of the normal closing timing that is set after warm-up is complete. Also, the closing timing of the exhaust valve is preferably controlled to an advance side of top-dead-center in a second cycle at startup and thereafter at the latest. Accordingly, the amount of unburned HC discharged during a cold start of an internal combustion engine is reduced.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for startup characterization in a turbine engine that provides the ability to accurately characterize engine startup. The startup characterization system and method uses engine temperature sensor data and engine speed sensor data to accurately characterize the startup of the turbine engine by determining when several key engine startup conditions are reached. By storing and analyzing engine sensor data taken during these key conditions of engine startup, the system and method is able to accurately characterize the performance of the engine during startup. This information can be used as part of a trending system to determine when faults in the start transient regime are occurring or likely to occur. Additionally, this information can be used in real time by control systems to better control the startup and operation of the turbine engine.

Abstract: A method for determining fuel volatility and consequently performing cold starting of an internal combustion engine; in the event of cold starting, the method provides for the determination of an enrichment percentage as a function of a stored value for fuel volatility; the determination of a predicted value for starting quality before performing starting; the starting of the engine using the previously determined enrichment percentage; the determination of a measured value for starting quality; the determination of a correction value of the stored value for fuel volatility as a function of the comparison between the measured value for starting quality and the predicted value for starting quality; and the updating of the stored value for fuel volatility by applying the correction value to said stored value, so consequently modifying the amount of enrichment in force.

Abstract: When a combustion feedback correction coefficient to which a predetermined value is added in correspondence to half miss firing judgment exceeds a heavy fuel judgment value (K0), heavy fuel judgment is made, and heavy fuel corresponding control for increasing the fuel amount by a combustion feedback correction coefficient (Kfb) and by prolongation of increasing fuel amount (?) immediately after the startup is performed. When startup is consecutive startup, having a small drop width of a cooling water temperature (TH), from the last engine stop, and the number of times of ignition (Nig) accumulated during the last running is smaller than a warming judgment value (Nig0) at re-startup after running under the heavy fuel corresponding control, miss firing judgment is regarded as being impossible and alternative control for increasing the fuel amount is performed instead of the heavy fuel corresponding control.

Abstract: An engine control apparatus which can ensure and maintain a stability and constant exhaust emission characteristics even in such a condition that a nature of a fuel used as present is unsure, and which is robust among different fuel natures, comprising a plurality of different nature fuel quantity computing means and an operating condition detecting means for detecting an operating condition of an engine, wherein a first nature fuel quantity computing means among the plurality of different nature fuel quantity computing means is used as a fuel quantity computing means during an engine start, and the first nature fuel quantity computing means is forcibly changed over into a second nature fuel quantity computing means if an engine operating condition detected by the operating condition detecting means satisfies a predetermined term.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine the fuel is injected into an intake manifold. A quantity characterizing the injection quantity is a function of a predicted quantity which characterizes a predicted air charge. A setpoint quantity is used for determining the predicted quantity which characterizes a setpoint air charge.

Abstract: A rotation speed calculation interval is set near a combustion top dead center of each cylinder of an engine. An interval rotation time necessary for a crankshaft to rotate through the rotation speed calculation interval is calculated as angular speed information of the crankshaft in the rotation speed calculation interval for each combustion stroke of the engine. Engine rotation speed is calculated based on the interval rotation time. The angular speed information of the crankshaft in the rotation speed calculation interval set near the combustion top dead center reflects a combustion state or generated torque. By calculating the engine rotation speed based on the angular speed information, the engine rotation speed highly correlated with the combustion state or the generated torque of the engine can be calculated.

Abstract: The engine stop control of the invention uses a correction factor k based on an ambient temperature Tdp in the vicinity of a delivery pipe to set an engine-stop criterion fuel pressure Pref as a fuel pressure of ensuring the sufficient startability of an engine and preventing the vapor generation. The engine stop control stops the operation of the engine after a decrease in fuel pressure Pf in the delivery pipe below the engine-stop criterion fuel pressure Pref. This arrangement effectively prevents the fuel oil-tight leaked from fuel injection valves from being accumulated in cylinders of the engine and thus restrains the poor emission, which may be caused by direct discharge of the fuel accumulated in the cylinders at a restart of the engine. The engine stop control of the invention also reduces the frequency of operation of a relief valve, which works to prevent an excessive increase in fuel pressure Pf in the delivery pipe, thus enhancing the durability of the relief valve.

Abstract: In a method for cold-running or warm-up operation of a spark-ignition, direct-injection 4-stroke internal combustion engine having an exhaust gas catalytic converter, wherein fuel is injected into the cylinders of the internal combustion engine by means of injectors and is externally ignited by means of spark plugs, in an intake stroke fuel injection a lean, combustible but non-ignitable lean mixture is produced in the cylinders, in a compression stroke fuel injection following the intake stroke injection, by a compression stroke fuel injection, a combustible and ignitable fuel/air mixture is formed in the combustible but non-ignitable lean mixture in the cylinders and, subsequently, in a stratified fuel injection which is close in timing to an ignition time, a rich fuel/air mixture is locally formed in the region of the spark plug and is then ignited by the spark plug so as to provide for rapid heat up of the cold exhaust gas catalytic converter with reliable combustion and smooth engine operation.

Abstract: The internal combustion engine control apparatus of the invention starts gradually delaying an ignition timing ? for catalyst warm-up, immediately after a start of an internal combustion engine. When the ignition timing ? is delayed to or below a preset reference timing ?ref, a fuel amount increase flag F1 is set to 1 to start increase correction of a fuel injection amount. The internal combustion engine control apparatus then starts gradually increasing a throttle opening TH to a preset target opening THset. The increase correction of the fuel injection amount is terminated after elapse of a preset time t3 since the increase of the throttle opening TH to the preset target opening THset. This arrangement enables the increase correction of the fuel injection amount according to the requirement, thus improving the fuel economy and the emission.

Abstract: An engine start control apparatus includes an intake air amount control device for controlling an amount of air supplied to a combustion chamber, a fuel supply device for injecting fuel to be fed into the combustion chamber, and an igniting device for igniting the fuel.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a fuel injection control technique which maximizes engine power according to fuel evaporation characteristics. The fuel injection timing in the intake stroke is delayed according as a physical quantity affecting the fuel evaporation time changes such that the fuel evaporation time decreases. Further, the fuel injection timing when a physical quantity affecting the fuel evaporation time is such that the fuel evaporation time decreases is set closer to the end of the intake stroke than the fuel injection timing when the physical quantity is such that the fuel evaporation time increases. The fuel injection timing is controlled so as to maximize engine power according to fuel evaporation times.

Abstract: A method for starting an internal combustion engine having direct fuel injection, comprising of adjusting a number of direct injections per combustion cycle based on a cylinder event number from a first cylinder event.

Abstract: A method of controlling the start-up of an engine in which: an engine is used including: a plurality of cylinders in each of which a piston slides, a crankshaft linked with the pistons, inlet valves and exhaust valves, injectors, ignition element, there is used a sensor having a reference index, the rotation of the crankshaft is commanded, the rotation of the crankshaft is detected, a group of cylinders is selected for which the reference index is detected less than a half-turn of the crankshaft before the piston reaches the top dead center, before the inlet valves of the selected group of cylinders closes, the injectors of the selected group of cylinders are commanded, the reference index is detected, the ignition element is commanded.

Abstract: Barometric pressure is determined in a hybrid electric vehicle from manifold absolute pressure. During engine operation, wide open throttle is commanded and output torque disturbances are offset by the electric machine. Barometric pressure is estimated based on sensed intake manifold pressure and engine speed dependent pressure offsets. During engine shut down, barometric pressure may be determined from manifold pressure without any offset adjustments.

Abstract: An engine control device that controls, using a microprocessor, a fuel injection device including an injector and a fuel pump, and a starter motor that starts an engine, including: first fuel pump driving means for driving the fuel pump only during set time at power-on of the microprocessor; and first fuel injection control means for causing the injector to perform first fuel injection before driving of the starter motor when it is confirmed that the driving of the fuel pump by the first fuel pump driving means is completed and that a start command for commanding the start of the engine is given.

Abstract: A direct-injection internal combustion engine includes a variable-exhaust-valve control device for controlling value timing of a variable exhaust valve through which the combustion chamber of an engine cylinder communicates with an exhaust path. The variable-exhaust-value control device retards the opening timing of the variable exhaust value to a retard side when the fuel is injected during a compression stroke or an expansion stroke while the direct-injection internal combustion engine is operating in a cold-start state.

Abstract: A system for an engine, comprising of a cylinder of the engine; a first injector configured to inject a first substance to said cylinder; a second injector configured to inject a second substance to said cylinder; and a controller configured to commence combustion in the engine by injecting fuel into said cylinder, where said fuel is injected by only one of said first and second injectors during said start and/or warm-up.

Abstract: An operating condition value is acquired at the time of internal combustion engine startup. If the acquired condition value is one of a plurality of reference condition values for which optimum values are defined, the optimum value for the reference condition value is set as a fuel injection amount. If, on the other hand, the acquired condition value is other than the reference condition values, an interpolated value, which is interpolation-calculated by using the relationship between the reference condition values and optimum values, is set as a fuel injection amount. The angular acceleration for fuel injection according to the interpolated value, which is a physical quantity related to the operating performance of an internal combustion engine, is then determined to correct the interpolated value in accordance with the difference between the actual angular acceleration and target angular acceleration.

Abstract: A system and method to control engine valve timing to during the start of an internal combustion engine. Electromechanical valves are controlled in a manner to reduce hydrocarbon emissions during the start of an internal combustion engine. The method controls intake valves so that smaller adjustments are made to cylinder spark advance and air-fuel over a range of operating conditions.

Abstract: An engine includes a plurality of cylinders and fuel injection valves provided correspondingly to the plurality of respective cylinders. A vehicle includes a motor generator for forcibly rotating a crankshaft. A control device of an internal combustion engine controls the respective fuel injection valves so that an injection quantity of a last injection becomes smaller than an injection quantity of a first injection out of injection quantities of fuel injected in order in correspondence with the respective cylinders in a first cycle of fuel injection from a stopped state of the crankshaft to an end of a first fuel injection from each of the fuel injection valves.

Abstract: A method for starting an engine having fuel injected directly into cylinders of the engine is presented. The method can use multiple injections of fuel to start the engine even when the absolute position of each piston is not known. Furthermore, once the engine is started the individual piston positions can be determined and then the engine can be operated in a conventional manner.

Abstract: A fuel nature measuring device for measuring the nature of fuel stored in a fuel tank includes a measurement passage, a gas flow generator, a pressure detector, an concentration operator, a temperature detector, and a volatility calculator. The measurement passage has an orifice. The gas flow generator generates gas flow in the measurement passage. The pressure detector detects a differential pressure between opposite ends of the orifice. The concentration operator determines a concentration of evaporated fuel in the fuel tank based on the differential pressure detected when the opposite ends of the measurement passage communicate with the fuel tank and the fuel flows in the measurement passage. The temperature detector determines a temperature of the fuel in the fuel tank. The volatility calculator calculates a volatility of the fuel in the fuel tank based on the concentration of the evaporated fuel and the temperature of the fuel in the tank.

Abstract: To quickly suppress a detected decrease in engine speed in a direct injection internal combustion engine (10), a fuel injection quantity is increased by performing a supplementary fuel injection in addition to a normal fuel injection.

Abstract: An engine ECU executes a program including a step of sensing a coolant temperature TW of an engine, if a start request of the engine is sensed, a step of causing only an intake manifold injector to inject fuel to start engine 10, if coolant temperature TW is lower than a threshold value TW(0), and a step of causing only an in-cylinder injector to inject fuel to start engine 10, if coolant temperature TW is higher than threshold value TW(0).

Abstract: A method for operating an internal combustion engine, particularly of a motor vehicle, is described. The engine has a number of cylinders (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4), and in each of the cylinders (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4), one movable piston is accommodated, which is capable of passing through an intake phase (S), a compression phase (V), a working phase (A), and an expulsion phase (B). The fuel can be injected directly into a combustion chamber defined by the cylinder (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4) and the piston. A first output signal (P1) is generated, which always changes its value whenever a transition from one phase to the next phase of the engine is taking place. A second output signal (P2) is generated, which always changes its value upon every other transition between two phases of the engine. The two output signals (P1, P2) are generated independently from one another, and from the two output signals, the present phase of at least one of the cylinders (Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4) is ascertained.

Abstract: A requested injection amount of fuel necessary during ignition cut-off at the time of start at an extremely low temperature is calculated (step ST2), injection start timing and injection end timing between which wetting of a spark plug by fuel is less likely are set (step ST3), and the number of times of ignition cut-off is calculated based on the injection start timing and the injection end timing and the requested injection amount (step ST4). The injection start timing and the injection end timing are thus restricted to timings between which plug wetting is less likely, and the number of times of ignition cut-off is calculated based on the injection start timing and the injection end timing and the requested injection amount, so that wetting of the spark plug by fuel at the extremely low temperature can be avoided even in an in-cylinder direct-injection engine.

Abstract: A startup controller calculates a fuel pressure difference across a discharge stroke of a high-pressure pump at an end of an initial discharge after cranking is started. At the injection setting, the startup controller estimates a fuel pressure increment from an injection setting to an injection start based on the fuel pressure difference. The startup controller adds the fuel pressure increment to a fuel pressure sensed at the injection setting to estimate a fuel pressure at the injection start. The startup controller determines whether to perform or to prohibit the injection based on whether the estimated fuel pressure at the injection start is equal to or higher than an injection permission fuel pressure.