Patent ID: 7671569

Claim:
A method for monitoring and controlling a plurality of series-connected capacitances, comprising: continuously determining a voltage of every capacitance at least during a discharge of said capacitances; and comparing the voltage thus determined with a first threshold voltage, and, during discharge of said capacitances; bridging over at least one said capacitance to the end of the discharge in an instance of a drop-off of the voltage of said at least one of the capacitances below the first threshold voltage; wherein for effectuating a symmetrizing of the voltages of the capacitors, continuously determining a voltage of every capacitance at least during a charging of said capacitances; comparing the voltages thus determined to a second threshold voltage; and during charging of said capacitances, connecting, in parallel with a capacitance having the highest voltage, a resistance R in an instance of a drop-off of the voltage of one of the capacitances below the second threshold voltage.