Patent ID: 8310272

Claim:
A method for testing a multiple-phase circuit comprising an inverter coupled to an electric motor, the method comprising: activating first and second switches of a plurality of switches in the inverter, the first and second switches having respective first and second diodes coupled thereto; monitoring current flow through the first and second switches while the first and second switches are activated; deactivating the first and second switches; monitoring current flow through respective diodes coupled to a third switch and a fourth switch of the plurality of switches after the deactivating of the first and second switches, wherein the first and second switches and the respective diodes coupled to the third and fourth switches are associated with a first set of a plurality of windings; and generating a signal representative of whether there is an open circuit in the inverter based on a first comparison between the current flow through the first and second switches when the first and second switches are activated and a first predetermined threshold and a second comparison between the current flow through the respective diodes coupled to the third and fourth switches after the deactivating of the first and second switches and a second predetermined threshold.