The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 20, 1997
Filed:
Sep. 19, 1995
Dan E Rothenbuhler, Meridian, ID (US);
Samuel A Johnson, Eagle, ID (US);
Beacon Light Products, Inc., Meridian, ID (US);
Abstract
A method of regulating an operating current conducted from a source through a fluorescent lamp involves conducting a charging current from the source through an energy storage element of a resonator circuit to store a predetermined different degree of energy in the element than is stored by conduction of the operating current, and then releasing the stored energy to regulate the operating current delivered to the plasma within the lamp. The conductive time interval during which charging current flows is adjusted to regulate the lamp current to an optimal level for the best illumination efficiency from the lamp and the longest useful lifetime of the lamp. The conductive time interval is adjusted based on the voltage across the plasma. The known negative impedance characteristics of the plasma correlate the sensed voltage to the lamp current conducted by the plasma, thereby allowing regulation of the lamp current to the desired optimal level.