Patent ID: 8779735

Claim:
A method for controlling a current between an energy source and a load, the method comprising: providing a switching module coupled between the energy source and the load, the switching module comprising two input terminals coupled to the energy source and two output terminals coupled to the load, and a semiconductor switching element coupled between one of the input terminals and one of the output terminals; permanently switching on the semiconductor switching element during normal operation comprising operating the switching module in a first switching mode comprising switching the semiconductor switching element on for a first on-period and then switching the semiconductor switching element off for an off-period in a pulsed fashion, and operating the switching module in a second switching mode comprising switching the semiconductor switching element on for a second on-period, wherein a duration of the second on-period is at least ten times a duration of the first on-period and the second switching mode directly follows the first switching mode; measuring at least one current parameter of the current between the energy source and the load during normal operation; and interrupting the current between the energy source and the load by switching off the semiconductor switching element when the at least one current parameter reaches or exceeds at least one predetermined parameter threshold value, wherein the semiconductor switching element is switched off directly from the second switching mode.