Patent ID: 6434020
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: H02M,H03F

Abstract:
A method of operating two switches connecting respectively a load to power source terminals in response to a switch control signal, the method comprising the steps of:a) detecting a signal indicative of current direction through the load to identify one of the switches as active switch; b) if the switch control signal is for opening the active switch, (i) sending an opening gate signal to the active switch if a closing gate signal was previously sent to the active switch, and (ii) triggering a predetermined time period on a timer associated to the switch that is actually considered the active switch if the sending of step (i) is performed; and c) if the switch control signal is for closing the active switch, (iii) sending an opening gate signal to the other switch if a closing gate signal was previously sent to the other switch, (iv) triggering a predetermined time period on a timer associated to the switch that is actually considered the other switch if the sending of step (iii) is performed, and (v) sending a closing gate signal to the active switch when the predetermined time period of the timer associated with the other switch has elapsed.