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:
Dec. 02, 2008
Filed:
May. 11, 2007
Qinghong Yu, Waltham, MA (US);
Kaiyu Wang, Peabody, MA (US);
Qinghong Yu, Waltham, MA (US);
Kaiyu Wang, Peabody, MA (US);
Osram Sylvania Inc., Danvers, MA (US);
Abstract
A ballast () for powering at least one gas discharge lamp () in a program start mode comprises an inverter (), a resonant output circuit (), and a control circuit (). During operation of ballast (), control circuit () monitors a voltage within resonant output circuit (). When the monitored voltage reaches a first specified level that is indicative of sufficient filament preheating, control circuit () maintains the inverter operating frequency at a first present value for a preheating period so as to provide preheating of lamp filaments (). Following completion of the preheating period, control circuit () allows the inverter operating frequency to decrease. When the monitored voltage reaches a second specified level that is indicative of sufficient ignition voltage, control circuit () maintains the inverter operating frequency at a second present value for an ignition period so as to provide ignition of lamp ().