Patent ID: 8928255
Filing Date: 2015-01-06
Classification: H05B,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A system, comprising: a ballast configured to be connected a source of an oscillating current and to energize a lamp, wherein the ballast comprises a lamp control circuit responsive to a mode command indicating whether the lamp will be energized in one of a dim mode and a normal mode; a voltage monitor comprising an input configured to receive the oscillating current and an output configured to indicate a voltage level of the oscillating current; a processing circuit comprising a first input connected to the output of the voltage monitor to receive the voltage level therefrom, a second input, a first output connected to the lamp control circuit to provide the mode command thereto, wherein the mode command indicates one of a dim mode and a normal mode, and a second output to provide a reference voltage indicative of the voltage level of the oscillating current; a rectifier circuit comprising an input configured to receive the oscillating current and an output configured to provide a rectified voltage indicative of the oscillating current, wherein the rectifier circuit is responsive to user input to selectively energize the lamp in one of a dim mode and a normal mode; and a comparator circuit comprising a first input connected to the rectifier circuit, a second input connected to the second output of the processing circuit, and an output connected to the second input of the processing circuit and configured to provide a compared voltage indicative of a power level applied to the lamp; wherein the processing circuit is responsive to the compared voltage provided by the comparator circuit and is responsive to voltage level indicated by the voltage monitor to provide the mode command to the ballast.