Patent ID: 7263976

Claim:
A method for controlling an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, comprising: forming, from an angular pulse of a sensor, a pulse time that is a measure for a rotation of the crankshaft per time unit, a combustion being intended to take place at a predetermined target angle of the crankshaft through an ignition of a spark plug and an injection of a fuel; performing a charging of an ignition coil before the ignition and the injection, the ignition and the injection each requiring a predetermined time duration; starting each of the charging and the injection before the target angle at a respective start time; and calculating the start times as a function of a time duration of the charging and a time offset of the injection to the target angle, the calculating of the start times taking into account the pulse time, wherein the same pulse time is used for the calculation of the start times of the charging and of the injection.