Method and device for actuating a camshaft adjuster

A method for actuating a camshaft adjuster of an internal combustion engine, in which a current is generated in an electric motor of the camshaft adjuster, the method comprising:

• measuring an instantaneous strength of the current;
• calculating a mean value of the measured strength of the current over a predefined elapsed time;
• measuring a temperature of the camshaft adjuster;
• comparing the mean value of the measured strength of the current to a threshold value obtained from a characteristic diagram stored in a memory, the threshold value corresponding to the measured temperature and the predefined elapsed time;
• reducing the current if the calculated mean value of the strength of the current is higher than the threshold value;
• and
• when the internal combustion engine is switched off, activating a holding phase, then ending the holding phase when the mean value of the measured strength of the current is less than a predefined minimum value.

A method for actuating a camshaft adjuster of an internal combustion engine, in which a current is generated in an electric motor of the camshaft adjuster, the method comprising:

• measuring an instantaneous strength of the current;
• calculating a mean value of the measured strength of the current over a predefined elapsed time;
• measuring a temperature of the camshaft adjuster;
• comparing the mean value of the measured strength of the current to a threshold value obtained from a characteristic diagram stored in a memory, the threshold value corresponding to the measured temperature and the predefined elapsed time;
• reducing the current if the calculated mean value of the strength of the current is higher than the threshold value;
• restarting a control unit after resetting the control unit and/or a defect in the non-volatile memory;
• and
• initializing new mean values of the strength of the current which correspond to the threshold value stored in the characteristic diagram.

A device for actuating a camshaft adjuster of an internal combustion engine, the device comprising:

• an electric motor;
• and
• a control unit programmed to:
• measure an instantaneous strength of the current;
• calculate a mean value of the measured strength of the current over a predefined elapsed time;
• measure a temperature of the camshaft adjuster;
• compare the mean value of the measured strength of the current to a threshold value obtained from a characteristic diagram stored in a memory, the threshold value corresponding to the measured temperature and the predefined elapsed time;
• and
• reduce the current if the calculated mean value of the strength of the current is higher than the threshold value;
• wherein reducing the instantaneous strength of the current includes at least one technique selected from the group consisting of:
• (a) using a predefined static setpoint value for the camshaft position and (b) reducing the dynamics of the setpoint value for the camshaft position.