Transmission shocks and idling defects such as engine racing and rough idling due to aging of a throttle opening area are prevented from occurring. An internal combustion engine control apparatus for controlling an internal combustion engine that has an air flow rate sensor for measuring a rate of air represented as an actual air rate, the air flowing into a cylinder, and a throttle valve for adjusting the rate of air, includes a throttle valve controlling section for controlling a throttle opening of the throttle valve to reach a preset throttle opening set depending on a target air rate for realizing a demand torque, and a throttle opening correcting section for correcting the preset throttle opening on the basis of the target air rate upon fuel cutoff that stops a fuel from being supplied to the internal combustion engine and of an actual air rate measured by the air flow rate sensor.

Transmission shocks and idling defects such as engine racing and rough idling due to aging of a throttle opening area are prevented from occurring. An internal combustion engine control apparatus for controlling an internal combustion engine that has an air flow rate sensor for measuring a rate of air represented as an actual air rate, the air flowing into a cylinder, and a throttle valve for adjusting the rate of air, includes a throttle valve controlling section for controlling a throttle opening of the throttle valve to reach a preset throttle opening set depending on a target air rate for realizing a demand torque, and a throttle opening correcting section for correcting the preset throttle opening on the basis of the target air rate upon fuel cutoff that stops a fuel from being supplied to the internal combustion engine and of an actual air rate measured by the air flow rate sensor.

A control method for an internal combustion engine including: setting a target valve opening degree of the first throttle valve in accordance with a load, sensing a valve opening degree of the second throttle valve, judging whether or not the valve opening degree of the second throttle valve is an opening degree on a closing side relative to a predetermined set valve opening degree, and correcting the valve opening degree of the first throttle valve to the opening degree on the closing side relative to the target valve opening degree when it is judged that the valve opening degree of the second throttle valve is the opening degree on the closing side relative to the predetermined set valve opening degree.

A throttle valve abnormality determination device includes a permission/rejection determination unit configured to determine whether or not to permit a sticking determination of a throttle valve. The determination unit is configured to prohibit the sticking determination if a first temperature, which is a temperature in a passage through which intake air flows, is less than or equal to a freezing temperature at which the throttle valve may be frozen when an engine is started and, after prohibiting the sticking determination, permit the sticking determination if an integrated value of a heat amount conversion value based on a second temperature, which is a temperature in the passage, and an intake air amount exceeds a threshold value when the second temperature is greater than or equal to a de-freezing temperature at which a frozen portion of the throttle valve is de-frozen.

A control method for an internal combustion engine including: setting a target valve opening degree of the first throttle valve in accordance with a load, sensing a valve opening degree of the second throttle valve, judging whether or not the valve opening degree of the second throttle valve is an opening degree on a closing side relative to a predetermined set valve opening degree, and correcting the valve opening degree of the first throttle valve to the opening degree on the closing side relative to the target valve opening degree when it is judged that the valve opening degree of the second throttle valve is the opening degree on the closing side relative to the predetermined set valve opening degree.

A throttle valve abnormality determination device includes a permission/rejection determination unit configured to determine whether or not to permit a sticking determination of a throttle valve. The determination unit is configured to prohibit the sticking determination if a first temperature, which is a temperature in a passage through which intake air flows, is less than or equal to a freezing temperature at which the throttle valve may be frozen when an engine is started and, after prohibiting the sticking determination, permit the sticking determination if an integrated value of a heat amount conversion value based on a second temperature, which is a temperature in the passage, and an intake air amount exceeds a threshold value when the second temperature is greater than or equal to a de-freezing temperature at which a frozen portion of the throttle valve is de-frozen.