Patent ID: 6531833
Filing Date: 2003-03-11
Classification: H05B,Y10S

Abstract:
A ballast powered by a power source, for regulating operation of at least one discharge lamp, the ballast comprising:an e-m component having a magnetically coupled primary winding and secondary winding, the primary winding further connected across the power source, and generating a ballast voltage; a capacitor electrically connected at a first end to the secondary winding, and at a second end to at least one of the primary winding and a reference bus, the capacitor configured for two modes of operation, a first mode as a power capacitor for producing a desired phase angle between current and voltage supplied by the power source, and a second mode to provide capacitor voltage in combination with the ballast voltage sufficient to start the at least one discharge lamp; and a switching circuit operationally connected to the capacitor, wherein the switching circuit is configured for connection across the at least one discharge lamp, a current created by the power source by-passing the switching circuit, as a function of a voltage on the capacitor, the voltage on the capacitor increasing when the current flows through the ballast, the current flowing through the ballast at least until the combined voltage on the capacitor and the ballast voltage is sufficient to start the at least one discharge lamp.