Patent ID: 7257480

Claim:
A method for starting an internal combustion engine, comprising: providing a sensor disk coupled to a crankshaft of the engine, the sensor disk having a marking via an alternating arrangement of teeth and tooth spaces; providing a first sensor and a second sensor each capable of generating an electric signal which can assume at least two signal levels, being associated with the sensor disk, one of the signal levels being associated with a tooth and another of the signal levels with a tooth space, one of a rising and falling signal edge of the one signal and the signal level of the another signal being used for determining a direction of rotation and an increment of an angle of rotation of the crankshaft; and providing a non-volatile memory for saving an absolute crankshaft angle position when the engine is shut off; wherein, when the engine is started, a status of a parking lock in a control unit is transmitted to an engine control unit and a value saved in the non-volatile memory is accepted as an instantaneous crankshaft angle position if the parking lock has been activated since the shutoff of the engine.