DEVICE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ENGINES

An engine can switch a combustion mode between homogeneous charge combustion and stratified charge combustion. The engine is controlled in accordance with a load acting on the engine. When homogeneous charge combustion is executed, an intake pressure, or a parameter representing the amount of intake air, is used as a value representing an engine load. When stratified charge combustion is executed, a value equivalent to the intake pressure presuming homogeneous charge combustion is executed with the amount of manipulation of an acceleration pedal at that time is computed as a virtual intake pressure, and the virtual intake pressure is used as a value representing the engine load. In either combustion mode, therefore, the intake pressure, or a common parameter, is used as a value representing the engine load to control the engine. This simplifies matching of engine power torques between both combustion modes.