Patent ID: 8451637

Claim:
A method for operating a Buck-Boost Converter, comprising the actions of: operating a first bridge switch array, comprising bidirectional switching devices, to operatively connect at least one terminal of a substantially parallel inductor-capacitor combination to a power input, with polarity which reverses at different times; wherein said first switch array is operatively connected to said power input, and is operated to drive power into said inductor-capacitor combination with a non-sinusoidal waveform; operating a second bridge switch array to extract power from said inductor-capacitor combination to a power output; and under at least some overvoltage conditions, disconnecting said inductor-capacitor combination from said power input or said power output or both, while also dumping energy from said inductor-capacitor combination through a link switch which shunts said inductor-capacitor combination; wherein, when said link switch is on, said switch arrays are connected to totally disconnect said inductor-capacitor combination from said power input and said power output.