Patent ID: 7610891

Claim:
A method for starting an internal combustion engine for a vehicle, with the crankshaft of the internal combustion engine being connected via at least one separable clutch to a drive train comprising a transmission, which drive train comprises at least one electrical machine, with a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine being brought to a predefined start rotating position in a start preparation phase by the electrical machine, with the angular speed and the angular position of the crankshaft being determined by a vehicle rotational speed sensor during operation, said rotational speed sensor being capable of providing a signal of the rotational angle position of the crankshaft, wherein a means for a precise determination of a rotational angle position of the electrical machine is provided, wherein a synchronization between the rotational speed sensor and the means for the precise determination of the rotational angle position of the electrical machine is performed with closed clutch and at a crankshaft speed above a predetermined minimum speed, with said means being adjusted to the speed sensor, and wherein an assumption of the start rotating position is checked and controlled by means of the means for determining the rotational angle position of the electrical machine after the synchronization process.