Method and apparatus for controlling the power of a high-pressure gas-discharge lamp
US6051939A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 15, 1998 |
| Grant date | Apr 18, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 15, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH05B41/386
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method of controlling the power of a high-pressure gas discharge lamp (1), in which a control device is provided that controls a provided power-supply circuit at an essentially constant power in accordance with a characteristic curve (21), provides purposeful displacement of an operating point along the voltage/current characteristic curve, particularly through the manipulation of one or a plurality of input values of the characteristic curve, for changing the power. An arrangement for executing this method provides that a microcontroller (2) that is part of the control circuit, a control element and software support for the displacement along the characteristic curve (21). The displacement is effected through addition or subtraction of corresponding step values (.increment.U) or continuously-changeable values to or from the control values (U.sub.1, U.sub.2), which are supplied to the control element (3). A further embodiment option for the method consists of using an ASIC in the hardware-supported displacement of the characteristic curve.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.