Patent ID: 7778762

Claim:
A method for operating a self-igniting internal combustion engine, comprising: (a) specifying a setpoint combustion position and a setpoint combustion noise feature; (b) operating at least one cylinder of the internal combustion engine for at least one cycle while maintaining a specified first injector control variable and/or an air valve control variable and a specified second injector control variable and/or an air valve control variable; (c) ascertaining an actual combustion position and an actual combustion noise feature of the at least one cylinder; (d) comparing the actual combustion position to the setpoint combustion position and, in case the actual combustion position deviates from the setpoint combustion position, determining anew the first injector control variable and/or the air valve control variable; (e) comparing the actual combustion noise feature to the setpoint combustion noise feature and, in case the actual combustion noise feature deviates from the setpoint combustion noise feature, determining anew the second injector control variable and/or the air valve control variable.