Patent ID: 8957591
Filing Date: 2015-02-17
Classification: H05B,Y02B

Abstract:
1. An illumination system, comprising: a lighting apparatus having a solid-state light emitting element as a light source; and a dimmer including a bidirectional switching element having a self-sustaining function and connected to a serial circuit of the lighting apparatus and an external power source, wherein the dimmer varies a conduction angle of the bidirectional switching element by controlling a phase of an AC voltage of the external power source, wherein the lighting apparatus performs dimming of the light source based on the conduction angle of the bidirectional switching element, and the dimmer continues to apply driving current to a gate terminal of the bidirectional switching element during a first period, wherein the bidirectional switching element is allowed to conduct throughout a second period which begins at the beginning of the first period and extends for a duration longer than the first period, and wherein the length of the first period varies depending on the length of the second period.