Patent ID: 7552714

Claim:
An ignition device for a motor unit comprising an internal combustion engine, wherein the internal combustion engine of the motor unit comprises a piston, a combustion chamber with a spark plug, a crankshaft that is driven in rotation by the piston, an intake port for supplying combustion air into the combustion chamber, an exhaust for removing combustion gases from the combustion chamber, an alternator that is driven in rotation by the crankshaft and attached to the motor unit, wherein the alternator supplies electric energy to electric consumers and, for one crankshaft revolution, emits sequential alternating voltage signals; the ignition device comprising: an ignition unit that triggers a spark at the spark plug at a preselectable timing; wherein the ignition unit is a module that is separate from the motor unit; wherein an electric alternating voltage signal generated by the alternator is supplied by a single line to the ignition unit; and wherein the ignition unit comprises a first unit for energy processing and a second unit for processing information for control of the internal combustion engine, wherein the alternating voltage signal is supplied to said first and second units; wherein an angle information signal that angle-precisely correlates a mechanical crankshaft angle position to the alternating voltage signal is derived from the alternating voltage signal as an information signal sufficient for operating the internal combustion engine.