Patent ID: 7225772

Claim:
A method for controlling a camshaft control device in a start-up operation of an internal combustion engine, the camshaft control device being for steplessly changing valve timing in the internal combustion engine which has a crankshaft and at least one camshaft, a phase angle of the camshaft being changeable with respect to the crankshaft by the camshaft control device, the camshaft control device including a locking position, the method comprising: determining, in the start-up operation of the internal combustion engine, whether there is an adaptation of the camshaft to the crankshaft so that the phase angle of the camshaft with respect to the crankshaft may be determined; monitoring the phase angle during an operation of the internal combustion engine; and controlling the camshaft control device as a function of a variable setpoint value so that the phase angle is equivalent to the setpoint value; wherein, when there is no release command and the adaptation has not occurred and the camshaft control device is not in the locking position in the start-up operation of the internal combustion engine, the camshaft control device is activated so that the camshaft control device assumes a predefinable reference position that is different from the locking position, and wherein the reference position is selected in such a way that an idling operation of the internal combustion engine is enabled, and wherein the setpoint value is purposefully controlled in such a way that the camshaft control device lies outside the locking position to prevent an independent locking.