Method for operating an internal combustion engine

A method for operating an internal combustion engine, particularly of a motor vehicle, is described. The engine has a number of cylinders (Z 1 , Z 2 , Z 3 , Z 4 ), and in each of the cylinders (Z 1 , Z 2 , Z 3 , Z 4 ), one movable piston is accommodated, which is capable of passing through an intake phase (S), a compression phase (V), a working phase (A), and an expulsion phase (B). The fuel can be injected directly into a combustion chamber defined by the cylinder (Z 1 , Z 2 , Z 3 , Z 4 ) and the piston. A first output signal (P 1 ) is generated, which always changes its value whenever a transition from one phase to the next phase of the engine is taking place. A second output signal (P 2 ) is generated, which always changes its value upon every other transition between two phases of the engine. The two output signals (P 1 , P 2 ) are generated independently from one another, and from the two output signals, the present phase of at least one of the cylinders (Z 1 , Z 2 , Z 3 , Z 4 ) is ascertained.