Lutron Electronics Company, Inc.

Thomas Richard Hinds

Mark Stephen Taipale

Venkatesh Chitta

Jonathan Robert Quayle

John H Bull

William Harlan Howe

Frank H Benetz

The present invention relates to a semi-automatic method of replacing a ballast within a lighting control system, such that the new replacement ballast can operate in the same manner as the ballast that was replaced. If multiple ballasts in a lighting control system are removed from the system and multiple new ballasts are installed to replace those ballasts, any operational configurations such as group configurations or area information associated with each removed (missing) ballast must be assigned to the proper new replacement ballast. The semi-automatic replacement method relies upon the operational configurations of the removed ballast to help a user identify which new ballast should replace each missing ballast.

Method of semi-automatic ballast replacement

The output current of a ballast is dynamically limited when an over-temperature condition is detected in the ballast according to one of (i) a step function or (ii) a combination of step and continuous functions, so as to reduce the temperature of the ballast while continuing to operate it.

Thermal protection for lamp ballasts

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Bethlehem, PA, United States of America

Thomas Richard Hinds