Patent ID: 7543566

Claim:
A method for operating an internal combustion engine having an injection system, comprising: conveying fuel into a fuel accumulator by a metering unit and a high-pressure pump; recording and regulating a pressure in the fuel accumulator by controlling the metering unit; ascertaining an individual characteristics curve that represents an actual response of the metering unit for control of the metering unit during operation of the internal combustion engine; and determining a support point for the individual characteristic curve which represents a fuel-mass flow supplied by the metering unit for the high pressure pump as a function of a control current, including: operating the internal combustion engine in a suitable predetermined reference operating point; and ascertaining a provisional support point of the individual characteristic curve for the reference operating point as a value pair encompassing the fuel-mass flow provided by the metering unit in the reference operating point for the high-pressure pump, and an associated electrical control current.