Patent · US Active

Method for detection of non-zero-voltage switching operation of a ballast of fluorescent lamps, and ballast

US8022637B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by

13References

13Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Infineon Technologies AG · DE

Inventors

Martin Feldtkeller · Munich, DE
Antoine Fery · Munich, DE
Michael Herfurth · Gilching, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Mar 13, 2009
Grant date	Sep 20, 2011
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jul 2, 2029

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH05B41/2986
WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method detects a non-zero-voltage switching operation of a lamp ballast, the lamp ballast including a half-bridge circuit with a first and a second semiconductor switching element, a resonant circuit connected to the half-bridge circuit, and a snubber capacitance connected in parallel with one of the semiconductor switching elements. The method includes obtaining a voltage measurement signal representative of a voltage at an output of the half-bridge circuit. The method also includes providing a comparison signal representative of a comparison of the voltage measurement signal with a reference value. The method further includes evaluating the comparison signal in each case before the first semiconductor element is switched on and in each case before the second semiconductor element is switched on, and detecting one of a first and second non-zero-switching operations based on these evaluations.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.