INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE CONTROL APPARATUS

In an internal combustion engine that performs a calculation processing through the use of a multicore processor having a plurality of cores, the cores for use are distributed at a high rate in accordance with a calculation load of the internal combustion engine. A control apparatus for the internal combustion engine has the multicore processor mounted with the plurality of the cores, calculates various tasks regarding the operation of the internal combustion engine, and is equipped with calculation means for distributing the tasks to the plurality of the cores respectively to perform a calculation, and control means for making the number of cores for use in the calculation means smaller while fuel cutoff is carried out than before the fuel cutoff is carried out. The calculation means includes selection means for selecting, as a designated core, at least one of the cores for use in a specific calculation associated with combustion of the internal combustion engine. The control means stops the designated core from being used while fuel cutoff is carried out. As the specific calculation associated with combustion, for example, it is possible to mention a combustion forecasting calculation of a cylinder model, a temperature forecasting calculation of a catalyst temperature estimation model, and a fuel adhesion amount forecasting calculation of a fuel adhesion model.