Method of operating an internal combustion engine, in particular in a motor vehicle

Abstract

A method of operating an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle has the steps of determining angular positions of a crankshaft and a camshaft from signals of two detecting devices, monitoring a relative angular position of one of the shafts relative to the other of the shafts, and, depending on whether a change of the determined actual relative position is located outside the tolerance region, releasing an action, and also a computer program, a storage medium, a control and/or regulating unit, and an internal combustion engine with the use of inventive method are proposed.

1 - 13 . (canceled) 
   
   
       14 . A method of operating an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, comprising the steps:
 determining angular positions of a crankshaft and a camshaft from signals of two detecting devices;   determining at different time points relative angular positions of one of the shafts relative to the other of the shafts;   determining whether a change of the determined relative positions is located outside a tolerance region; and   releasing an action that provides a corresponding operation of an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle when said change is located outside the tolerance region,   depending on whether the change is located within a predetermined parameter selected from the group consisting of a predetermined time interval, a predetermined number of revolutions, and both.   
   
   
       15 . An electrical storage medium for a control and/or regulating device of an internal combustion engine, formed so as to store a computer program which is programmed for performing a method of operating an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, which comprises the steps of determining angular positions of a crankshaft and a camshaft from signals of two detecting devices; monitoring a relative angular position of one of the shafts relative to the other of the shafts; and, depending on whether a change of the determined actual relative position is located outside the tolerance region, releasing an action depending on whether the change is located within a predetermined parameter selected from the group consisting of a predetermined time interval, a predetermined number of revolutions, and both. 
   
   
       16 . A control and/or regulating unit for an internal combustion engine, programmed for use in a method of operating an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, which comprises the steps of determining angular positions of a crankshaft and a camshaft from signals of two detecting devices; monitoring a relative angular position of one of the shafts relative to the other of the shafts; and, depending on whether a change of the determined actual relative position is located outside the tolerance region, releasing an action depending on whether the change is located within a predetermined parameter selected from the group consisting of a predetermined time interval, a predetermined number of revolutions, and both. 
   
   
       17 . An internal combustion engine for a motor vehicle, comprising a control and/or regulating unit for an internal combustion engine, programmed for use in a method of operating an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, which comprises the steps of determining angular positions of a crankshaft and a camshaft from signals of two detecting devices; monitoring a relative angular position of one of the shafts relative to the other of the shafts; and, depending on whether a change of the determined actual relative position is located outside the tolerance region, releasing an action depending on whether the change is located within a predetermined parameter selected from the group consisting of a predetermined time interval, a predetermined number of revolutions, and both. 
   
   
       18 . A method of operating an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, comprising the steps:
 determining angular positions of a crankshaft and a camshaft from signals of two detecting devices;   determining at different time points a relative angular positions of one of the shafts relative to the other of the shafts;   determining whether a change of the determined relative positions is located outside a tolerance region; and   releasing an action when said change is located outside the tolerance region depending on whether the change is located within a predetermined parameter selected from the group consisting of a predetermined time interval, a predetermined number of revolutions, and both, wherein releasing the action includes a stoppage of the internal combustion engine.   
   
   
       19 . A method of recognizing the change of the coupling of a crankshaft and a camshaft of an internal combustion engine in a motor vehicle, comprising the following steps:
 determining angular positions of said crankshaft and said camshaft from signals of two detecting devices;   monitoring a relative angular position of one of the shafts relative to the other of the shafts;   providing a tolerance region of the relative position;   determining whether a change of the determined actual relative position is located outside the tolerance region;   recognizing the change of the coupling of said crankshaft and said camshaft and, without compensating the changes, releasing an action depending on whether a change of the determined actual relative position is located outside said tolerance region; and   performing the release of the action depending on whether the change is located within a predetermined parameter selected from the group consisting of a predetermined time interval, a predetermined number of revolutions, and both.