The invention relates to a method for the automatic control of a ventilator machine for changing over (triggering) between successive phases of ventilation (inspiration and expiration phases), in which a pneumatic signal for breathing activity Upneu(t) and a non-pneumatic signal for breathing activity unon-pneu(t) from a patient are sensed and, as from a preset reference time after the beginning of the current phase of ventilation, the respective distances Δpneu(t) and Δnon-pneu(t) from associated threshold values are determined and these distances Δpneu(t) and Δnon-pneu(t) are standardised in relation to one another, to become δpneu(t) and δnon-pneu(t), in such a way that their values are the same at the preset reference time, a mean is formed of the standardised distances δpneu(t) and δnon-pneu(t) to give a mean distance, and a changeover is made to the next phase of ventilation when the combined distance is 0.
