Patent ID: 6928808

Claim:
Method for controlling a NO x regeneration of a NO x storage catalyst ( 14 ) arranged in an exhaust gas channel ( 12 ) of an internal combustion engine ( 10 ) for motor vehicles, wherein the NO x regeneration is initiated at least when a threshold value for a load state of the NO x storage catalyst ( 14 ) or a threshold value for a NO x emission downstream of the NO x storage catalyst ( 14 ) is exceeded, the method comprising the steps of: (a) determining if the internal combustion engine ( 10 ) is operating in an idle mode, and (b) performing at least one of the following steps for extending a lean operation in the idle mode if the determination is that the engine is operating in the idle mode: increasing the threshold value for the load state of the NO x storage catalyst, increasing the threshold value for the NO x emission, initiating the NO x regeneration after a predetermined time interval has passed, and interrupting a current NO x regeneration.