Patent ID: 7254991

Claim:
A method for determining a rotation angle position for a camshaft of a reciprocating-piston engine relative to a crankshaft, the crankshaft being in a drive connection with the camshaft via a three-shaft actuating gear, the actuating gear including a drive shaft fixedly attached to the crankshaft, an output shaft fixedly attached to the camshaft and an actuating shaft in drive connection with an actuating motor, the method comprising: determining at least one crankshaft rotation angle measured value for the crankshaft rotation angle for at least one respective crankshaft measurement point in time; digitally determining at least two actuating shaft rotation angle measured values for the actuating shaft rotation angle for at least two respective actuating shaft measurement points in time; extrapolating an estimate for the rotation angle of the actuating shaft at a reference point in time from the at least two actuating shaft rotation angle measured values, a time difference between the actuating shaft measurement points in time, and an interval between the latest actuating shaft measurement point in time and the reference point in time, wherein the reference point in time is after the crankshaft and actuating shaft measurement points in time; and determining the rotation angle position value for the camshaft relative to the crankshaft based on the estimate, at least one crankshaft rotation angle measured value, and a transmission characteristic of the three-shaft transmission.