Controller for an inductive load having one or more inductive windings

A controller for an electric vehicle, comprising:

• a motor of the vehicle having one or more inductive windings;
• a first drive circuit including a first half-bridge rectifier;
• a second drive circuit including a second half-bridge rectifier;
• a third drive circuit including a third half-bridge rectifier;
• wherein the one or more inductive winding is connected across from a midpoint of one of the first, second, or third half-bridge rectifiers to a midpoint of an other of the first, second, or third half-bridge rectifiers;
• a first input connected to respective like pairs of positive power rails and negative power rails of the first, second, and third drive circuits in a parallel arrangement;
• a first direct current energy source or an onboard battery connected across the first input;
• and
• a control module configured to issue control signals to reconfigure the first, second, and third drive circuits from a first state to a second state;
• wherein, in the first state, in response to the control signals, the first, second, and third drive circuits are configured in a first period to drive the motor to propel the vehicle and in a second period to generate a first direct current charging current to re-charge the on-board battery;
• wherein said first, second and third drive circuits are connected with the first input and are responsive to the control signals for receiving a load current and selectively energising at least one of the one or more inductive windings;
• and
• wherein, in the second, reconfigured state, the controller comprises:
• a second direct current external energy source connected across a second input, to charge the onboard battery, the second input connected across the second drive circuit;
• a switch in at least one of the positive power rail and the negative power rail, between the second drive circuit and the first drive circuit;
• and
• a first bulk capacitor across the first input and a second bulk capacitor across the second input;
• wherein, in the second state, the switch is open, the second drive circuit is disconnected from the first input, and the control module is configured to operate at least one of the first, second, and third drive circuits, with at least one inductive winding, in a buck convert mode, a boost convert mode, or a buck-boost convert mode from the second direct external power source at a second potential to a first potential in order to charge the onboard battery.