Patent ID: 7765983

Claim:
A method for controlling an internal combustion engine having a plurality of cylinders, a final control element for setting an air mass into one of the cylinders of the engine and an injection valve for metering in fuel connected to a fuel supply facility, comprising: determining a maximum fuel mass to be metered into one of the plurality of cylinders per working cycle, wherein the maximum fuel mass to be metered in is determined as a function of a cylinder segment period and a fuel pressure supplied to the injection valve; determining a maximum torque producible as a function of the maximum fuel mass to be metered in; determining an air mass flow to be set as a function of an air/fuel ratio to be set and the maximum fuel mass to be metered in; activating a final control element for setting the determined air mass flow; and activating the injection valve when a required torque is greater than or equal to the maximum producible torque.