Patent ID: 8258823

Claim:
A method of operating a semiconductor power switch having a control electrode and a reference electrode in response to a first switching command and a second switching command included in a control signal, the method comprising: providing a control voltage between a first electric pole and a second electric pole; upon each first switching command, coupling the control electrode to the first electric pole, and the reference electrode to the second electric pole; and upon each second switching command, coupling the control electrode to the second electric pole, and the reference electrode to the first electric pole, wherein, upon each first switching command and second switching command, coupling one of the control electrode and the reference electrode to one of the first electric and the second electric pole comprises continuously transitioning an electric potential of the one of the control electrode and the reference electrode during a first transition period, and coupling the respective other of the control electrode and the reference electrode to the respective other of the first electric pole and the second electric pole comprises continuously transitioning an electric potential of the respective other of the control electrode and the reference electrode during a second transition period, and wherein the first transition period begins before and ends after the second transition period.