Method for operating an internal combustion engine

A computer-readable medium for storing a plurality of computer-executable program codes for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine based on an air-mass sensor signal from a first air-mass sensor, the plurality of computer-executable program codes performing:

• comparing at least one of a first auxiliary signal and a signal derived from the first auxiliary signal to one of the air-mass sensor signal and a signal derived from the air-mass sensor signal to obtain a differential signal;
• obtaining a positive differential signal by forming an absolute value of the differential signal;
• and
• obtaining a filtered differential signal by filtering the positive differential signal;
• wherein the air-mass sensor signal is used as a controlled variable if one of the positive differential signal and the filtered differential signal falls below a predefined threshold value, and wherein the first auxiliary signal is used as the controlled variable if one of the positive differential signal and the filtered differential signal exceeds the predefined threshold value.

A method for controlling the operation of an internal combustion engine using a control unit, based on an air-mass sensor signal from a first air-mass sensor, comprising:

• comparing at least one of a first auxiliary signal and a signal derived from the first auxiliary signal to one of the air-mass sensor signal and a signal derived from the air-mass sensor signal to obtain a differential signal;
• obtaining a positive differential signal by forming an absolute value of the differential signal;
• and
• obtaining a filtered differential signal by filtering the positive differential signal;
• wherein the air-mass sensor signal is used as a controlled variable if one of the positive differential signal and the filtered differential signal falls below a predefined threshold value, and wherein the first auxiliary signal is used as the controlled variable if one of the positive differential signal and the filtered differential signal exceeds the predefined threshold value.