Patent ID: 7954466

Claim:
A method for setting the rotary angle position of the camshaft of a reciprocating piston internal combustion engine relative to the crankshaft, wherein the crankshaft is drive-connected to the camshaft by means of an adjusting gear mechanism which is in the form of a triple-shaft gear mechanism with a drive shaft which is fixed to the crankshaft, an output shaft which is fixed to the camshaft, and an adjusting shaft which is drive-connected to an electric motor, wherein the crankshaft rotates and a crankshaft sensor signal is detected which changes its state when the rotary angle of the crankshaft changes, wherein the adjusting shaft rotates and an adjusting shaft sensor signal is detected which changes its state when the rotary position of the adjusting shaft changes, wherein a phase angle signal is updated, starting from a reference rotary angle value which is associated with a reference rotary angle position, when the state of the crankshaft sensor signal and/or of the adjusting shaft sensor signal changes, wherein the phase angle signal is adjusted to a provided setpoint phase angle signal, and wherein the ignition of the internal combustion engine is switched off and/or the rotational speed of the crankshaft is lowered to below a prespecified minimum rotational speed value, wherein, when the ignition is switched off and/or after the rotational speed of the crankshaft falls below the prespecified minimum rotational speed value of the crankshaft, the electric motor is supplied with power—while the crankshaft and/or the camshaft are still rotating—in a way that the camshaft rotates in the direction of a prespecified reference position relative to the crankshaft.