Patent ID: 9356467
Filing Date: 2016-05-31
CPC Classification: H02J

Claim Text:
1. A method for balancing charge storage elements of a charge storage device, the charge storage device comprising at least two series connected chains of charge storage elements, the method comprising: (a) connecting a first charge storage element of a first chain in parallel with a first charge storage element of a second chain during a first period of time by closing at least a first switch from the plurality of switches that connects a first node of the first charge storage element of the first chain to a node of the first charge storage element of the second chain for a duration; (b) connecting the first charge storage element of the first chain in parallel with a second charge storage element of the second chain during a second period of time by closing at least a second switch from the plurality of switches that connects the first node of the first charge storage element of the first chain to a node of the second charge storage element of the second chain, the node of the second charge storage element in the second chain different than the node of the first charge storage element in the second chain; and (c) connecting the first charge storage element of the first chain in parallel with a third charge storage element of the second chain during a third period of time via at least a third switch from the plurality of switches that connects the first node of the first charge storage element of the first chain to a node of the third charge storage element of the second chain, the node of the third charge storage element in the second chain different than the nodes of the first and second charge storage elements in the second chain, wherein at least one node of the second chain is directly connected to three distinct nodes of the first chain via three respective switches of the plurality of switches during the first period of time, the second period of time and the third period of time respectively.