METHOD OF DECIDING ABOUT COUPLING A DRIVING SHAFT

Method for predicting a rotational speed (n) of a drive shaft (16) in an internal combustion engine (13), wherein a past rotational speed (n) of the drive shaft (16) is determined, characterized in that in order to determine a theoretical rotational speed (nT1, nT2) of the drive shaft (16) at a future point in time (tT1, tT2), the change in the rotational speed (n) between two past events (P01, P11; P02, P12) occurring at different times is used, one rotational speed (n01, n11; n02, n12) and one point in time (t01, t11; t02, t12) being assigned to each event, wherein one point in time (t01, t02) is an earlier point in time and the other is a later point in time (t02, t12), which therefore lies before the predicted point in time (tT1, tT2), wherein a gradient (m) is determined for a period between the two events (P01, P11; P02, P12) and is used as the basis for deducing a theoretical future rotational speed (nT1, nT2) at the future point in time (tT1, tT2), such that in order to determine the theoretical rotational speed (nT1, nT2) of the drive shaft (16) at the future point in time (tT1, tT2), the determined gradient (m) is used to determine the theoretical rotational speed (nT1, nT2) at the future point in time (tT1, tT2), on the basis of the later point in time (t02, t12), thus determining whether the theoretical rotational speed (nT1, nT2) actually occurred before the future point in time (tT1, tT2) or not until afterwards.