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. 26, 1998
Filed:
Mar. 15, 1996
Samuel A Johnson, Eagle, ID (US);
Dan E Rothenbuhler, Meridian, ID (US);
Beacon Light Products, Inc., Meridian, ID (US);
Abstract
The illumination intensity of a fluorescent lamp is controlled in response to control signals generated at a remote location on the power supply conductors of a lamp circuit and decoding those control signals at the fluorescent lamp to control the illumination intensity. A dimming controller is connected in the lamp circuit remote from the lamp and generates first and second control signals indicative of a request to increase or decrease, respectively, the lamp illumination intensity. The control module is connected in the lamp circuit to fluorescent lamp and the control module receives the control signals. The control module continually increases and decreases the illumination intensity of the lamp in response to the first and second control signals, respectively. The illumination intensity is controlled by adjusting a time point within each half-cycle of applied power where the lamp is extinguished. A third control signal generated by the dimming controller and decoded by the control module ceases the adjustment in the extinguishing point.