Patent ID: 8345452

Claim:
A Soft Switched Universal Full-Bridge Buck-Boost Converter, comprising: an inductor with a first and second terminal; a capacitor attached in parallel with said inductor; connections to a plurality of voltage sources or sinks (portals) of electric power each with a plurality of lines; a first set of electronic bi-directional switches that comprise said connections between said first terminal of the inductor and each said line of each said portal, with one said switch between the first terminal of the inductor and each line of each portal; a second set of electronic bi-directional switches that comprise said connections between said second terminal of the inductor and each line of each portal, with one switch between the second terminal of the inductor and each line of each portal; capacitive filtering means connected between each said line within each said portal; control means to coordinate said switches to connect said inductor to line pairs on each portal, with no more than two switches enabled at any given time; said control means further coordinating said switches to first store electrical energy in the inductor by enabling two switches on a given input portal to connect the inductor to said input portal, then disabling the switches after the proper amount of energy has been stored in the inductor; and wherein said control means is configured to enable further pairs of switches on the same or other input portals so as to further energize the inductor, and disable said switches after the appropriate inductor energizing is complete; wherein said control means further enables another pair of switches on another, output, portal to transfer some or all of the inductor energy into said output portal, and then disables said switches after the desired amount of charge has been transferred to said portal; wherein said control means is configured to enable further pairs of switches on the same or other output portals so as to further send charge into said output portals, and disable said switches after the desired amount of charge has been transferred to said portal; and wherein if the inductor has excess energy after discharging into the last output portal, said control means then enables an appropriate switch pair to direct said excess energy back into the input portal; wherein said control means is configured to modify the above sequence so as to achieve any required energy transfer among the lines and portals; said inductor magnetically storing electrical energy in the form of electric current, using said switches; energy transfer from one or more input portals to said inductor occurring via current flow through two or more said lines of one or more said portals, with only one pair of terminals; and cyclically repeating said energy and charge transfers; said bidirectional switches being capable of blocking voltage in either direction and conducting current in either direction.