Patent · US Active

Method of striking a lamp in an electronic dimming ballast circuit

US8441197B2 · kind B2 · utility

9Cited by
9References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 4, 2011
Grant dateMay 14, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 9, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02B20/00
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of striking a gas discharge lamp involves the steps of generating a high-frequency square-wave voltage having an operating frequency, generating a sinusoidal voltage from the high-frequency square-wave voltage, controlling the operating frequency to a low-end frequency, and increasing the amplitude of the sinusoidal voltage during successive pulse times and then decreasing the amplitude of the sinusoidal voltage towards the low-end amplitude at the end of each of the successive pulse times until the lamp has struck, where the length of each of the successive pulse times being greater than the length of the previous pulse time. A maximum amplitude of the sinusoidal voltage during each pulse time may be greater than a maximum amplitude of the sinusoidal voltage during the previous pulse time.

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