Method and device for operating an internal combustion engine

A device for operating an internal combustion engine which has at least one cylinder with a combustion chamber into which fuel is injected, wherein the device is configured to:

• determine a local maximum value of a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine as a function of a profile of a temporally highly resolved measurement signal of the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine,
• determine a rotational speed difference between the local maximum value and a present measurement value of the rotational speed,
• increment a counter value when the rotational speed difference is greater than or equal to a predefined threshold value of the rotational speed difference,
• compare the incremented counter value to a predefined threshold value of the counter, the predefined threshold value of the counter being greater than one, and
• in response to determining that the counter value is greater than or equal to the predefined threshold value of the counter, control the internal combustion engine to reduce a torque of the internal combustion engine.

An internal combustion engine, comprising:

• at least one cylinder, each having a combustion chamber into which fuel is injected;
• and
• a control unit configured to:
• determine a local maximum value of a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine as a function of a profile of a temporally highly resolved measurement signal of the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine,
• determine a rotational speed difference between the local maximum value and a present measurement value of the rotational speed,
• increment a counter value when the rotational speed difference is greater than or equal to a predefined threshold value of the rotational speed difference,
• compare the incremented counter value to a predefined threshold value of the counter, the predefined threshold value of the counter being greater than one, and
• in response to determining that the counter value is greater than or equal to the predefined threshold value of the counter, control the internal combustion engine to reduce a torque of the internal combustion engine.