Patent ID: 8378528

Claim:
An electrical system comprising: a first switch coupled to a first voltage rail; a second switch coupled between the first switch and a second voltage rail; and a control system coupled to the first switch and the second switch, wherein the control system is configured to alternately activate the first switch and the second switch such that an energy potential between the first voltage rail and the second voltage rail is alternately dissipated through the first switch or the second switch by: applying a first voltage pulse to the first switch, the first voltage pulse having a first duration greater than or equal to a minimum amount of time required for the first switch to transition from an OFF state to an ON state, wherein the second switch is in an OFF state while the first voltage pulse is applied; applying a second voltage pulse having a second duration to the second switch a first dead time after applying the first voltage pulse to the first switch, the second duration being greater than or equal to a minimum amount of time required for the second switch to transition from an OFF state to an ON state and the first dead time corresponding to an amount of time required for the first switch to transition from an ON state to an OFF state, such that the first switch is in an OFF state while the second voltage pulse is applied; applying a third voltage pulse having the first duration to the first switch a second dead time after applying the second voltage pulse to the second switch, the second dead time corresponding to an amount of time required for the second switch to transition from an ON state to an OFF state such that the second switch is in an OFF state while the third voltage pulse is applied; and applying a fourth voltage pulse having the second duration to the second switch the first dead time after applying the third voltage pulse to the first switch such that the first switch is in an OFF state while the fourth voltage pulse is applied.