Patent ID: 8072724

Claim:
An over-voltage protection circuit for connection to a charging circuit for maintaining a voltage across a plurality of electrical energy storage devices at or below a predetermined voltage during charging, comprising: a first electrical energy storage device connected from a top voltage rail to a primary junction; a second electrical energy storage device connected from the primary junction to a bottom voltage rail; an inductor; and a first switch and a second switch; the over-voltage protection circuit to perform a first procedure in which a charge is drawn from the first electrical energy storage device through the inductor to energize the inductor, the inductor then to cause a current that charges the second storage device, the first procedure beginning when the first switch is closed; the over-voltage protection circuit to perform a second procedure in which a charge is drawn from the second electrical energy storage device through the inductor to energize the inductor, the inductor then to cause a current that charges the first storage device, the second procedure beginning when the second switch is closed; and a dissipation controller to perform a third procedure in which a charge is discharged from the energized inductor upon detection of an over-voltage condition by a voltage sensor.