Method and device for triggering an electric motor

A method for triggering an electric motor, especially an electronically commutated motor with a rotor, where a position and a direction of rotation of the rotor are acquired by electronic sensor signals, where the acquired sensor signals are read in as a decimal equivalent and where one rotation of the rotor is acquired by a certain sequence of decimal equivalents and the electric motor is triggered as a function of the position and the direction of rotation of the rotor, comprising:

• operating the motor for a plurality of rotations;
• comparing first acquired sensor signals for a first rotation of the motor with a pattern of sensor signals selected from the group consisting of stored sensor signals and second acquired sensor signals for a second rotation of the motor subsequent to the first rotation of the motor;
• detecting at least one erroneous sensor signal as a difference between the first acquired sensor signals and the pattern of sensor signals;
• and,
• triggering the electric motor by way of an emergency run as a function of the at least one erroneous sensor signal.