Abstract:
A lighting system includes a high intensity discharge metal halide lamp having an arc discharge chamber with electrodes at each end and containing a fill of mercury, rare gas and metal halides, and a ballast circuit configured to supply pulsed electrical power to the lamp. The ballast circuit includes a controller configured to adjust the pulsed lamp power between a first relatively high power level at a relatively high duty cycle and a second relatively low power level at a relatively low duty cycle. The controller may be configured to adjust the pulsed lamp power between 90% duty cycle at rated lamp power and 10% duty cycle at 30% of the rated lamp power. The duty cycle of the pulsed lamp power may be controlled to maintain a substantially constant correlated color temperature (CCT) as the power level is adjusted.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to high intensity discharge lamp systems and, more particularly to high intensity discharge metal halide lamp systems which maintain a substantially constant correlated color temperature (CCT) during dimming from 100% to 30% of rated lamp power. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Metal halide discharge lamps, which are characterized by high efficacy and superior color rendering index (CRI), are more and more widely used for general lighting. Until now, almost all metal halide discharge lamps used for general lighting have been operated at rated lamp power. The major reason commercial metal halide discharge lamps are operated at rated lamp power without dimming is that lamp correlated color temperature (CCT) and hue, Duv, change dramatically under dimming conditions. This limitation prevents metal halide discharge lamps from being used in many installations where occupancy sensor, daylight coupling and/or constant light output features are required. 
     Due to the ever increasing cost of energy and increased interest in energy-conserving lighting systems, some metal halide discharge lamp systems with dimming ballasts are available on the market. Under dimmed conditions, usually dimmed to 50% of rated lamp power, the color performance of the metal halide discharge lamps with the conventional dimming ballasts deteriorates dramatically. When the lamps are dimmed, the CCT of the lamps typically increases significantly, while the hue of the light deteriorates significantly away from white light. Furthermore, for many real applications, 50% of rated lamp power is still too high for both light output level and energy consumption. Dimming of metal halide discharge lamps to even lower power levels is desired. 
     Under dimming conditions, metal halide arc discharge chamber wall temperatures and coldest spot temperatures are lower than the temperatures at rated power due to the power reduction. At the lower coldest spot temperature under dimming conditions, the vapor pressure of the metal halide fill in the arc discharge chamber is reduced, causing significant changes of the CCT of the lamp. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,717,364, issued Apr. 6, 2004 to Zhu et al., discloses metal halide lamps with a special chemical fill which exhibit superior dimming characteristics. The disclosed lamps have improved performance compared to conventional metal halide lamps when the lamp power is 50% or more of the rated lamp power. Upon dimming below 50% of the rated lamp power, the CCT and hue of the lamps change significantly due to the further decrease of the coldest spot temperature of the arc discharge chamber. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,242,851, issued Jun. 5, 2001 to Zhu et al., discloses metal halide lamps that have significantly better lamp performance under dimming conditions to 50% of rated lamp power. A lamp has an arc discharge chamber in a vacuum outerjacket to reduce convection heat loss from the coldest spot of the arc discharge chamber, and a metal heat shield is used on the arc discharge chamber to reduce radiation heat loss from the coldest spot during lamp operation. The disclosed lamp exhibits very good dimming performance to 50% of the rated lamp power. However, widely used high voltage starting pulses on metal halide lamps in conjunction with a vacuum jacket may make the lamps susceptible to arcing when the arc discharge chamber leaks or slow outer jacket leaks exist. The vacuum outer jacket and metal shield at the coldest spot may keep the coldest spot temperature too high at rated wattage and can accelerate corrosion of the arc discharge chamber. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,948, issued Dec. 16, 1997 to Caruso, discloses a discharge lamp that contains halides of Mg, Ti and one or several of the elements from the group including Sc, Y and Ln. The lamp fill also contains Mg to improve lumen maintenance. The lamp has a disadvantage of a strong green hue when dimmed to lower than the rated power, due to the relatively high vapor pressure of TlI under dimming conditions. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,369,518, issued Apr. 9, 2002 to Kelly et al., discloses high intensity discharge lamps with electronic control of color temperature and color rendering index by changing the duty cycle of the alternating current waveform on the electrodes. The waveform of each cycle is modified to energize one electrode as positive or negative for a longer time than the other electrode, thereby altering the temperature distribution within the arc tube, whereby the coldest spot and hottest spot temperature in the arc tube are changed to provide a color variable metal halide discharge lamp. The patent mentions in a general sense that color temperature can be controlled during dimming. 
     Disadvantages of existing metal halide discharge lamps and dimmable ballast systems are as follows. Existing systems are designed for controlling lamp power only, with no consideration of color performance under dimming conditions. When lamp power is reduced from rated wattage to 50% of the rated wattage, the CCT of the lamp increases dramatically, often more than 1,000 K due to the decrease of the coldest spot temperature of the arc discharge chamber. These changes are not acceptable for most lighting applications. When lamp power is reduced from rated wattage to 50% of rated wattage or lower, the light radiated by a metal halide discharge lamp has a color point which is far away from the black body line, leading to a nonwhite hue. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for high intensity discharge lamp systems with improved dimming performance. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to a first aspect of the invention, a lighting system comprises a high intensity discharge metal halide lamp having an arc discharge chamber with electrodes at each end and containing a fill of mercury, rare gas and metal halides, and a ballast circuit configured to supply pulsed electrical power to the lamp. The ballast circuit includes a controller configured to adjust the pulsed lamp power between a first relatively high power level at a relatively high duty cycle and a second relatively low power level at a relatively low duty cycle. 
     The controller may be configured to adjust the pulsed lamp power between 90% duty cycle at rated lamp power and 10% duty cycle at 30% of the rated lamp power. The duty cycle of the pulsed lamp power may be controlled to maintain a substantially constant correlated color temperature as the power level is adjusted. 
     According to a second aspect of the invention, a method for operating a high intensity discharge lamp is provided. The method comprises supplying pulsed electrical power to the lamp, and controlling the pulsed lamp power between a first relatively high power level at a relatively high duty cycle and a second relatively low power level at a relatively low duty cycle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein by reference and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an elevation view, partly in cross section, of a high intensity discharge metal halide lamp; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the arc discharge chamber of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an electronic ballast circuit in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3A  is a block diagram of an electronic ballast circuit which provides a variable duty cycle; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates current waveforms supplied by the electronic ballast circuit to the discharge lamp in accordance with embodiments of the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a graph of CCT as a function of duty cycle at different lamp power levels; 
         FIG. 6  is a graph of CCT as a function of lamp wattage when a discharge lamp is dimmed from 150 W (watts) to 45 W, with and without duty cycle control; 
         FIG. 7  is a graph of CRI as a function of lamp wattage when a discharge lamp is dimmed from 150 W to 45 W, with and without duty cycle control; 
         FIG. 8  is a graph of hue, Duv, as a function of lamp wattage when a discharge lamp is dimmed from 150 W to 45 W, with and without duty cycle control; and 
         FIG. 9  is a graph of lumens per watt (LPW) when a discharge lamp is dimmed from 150 W to 45 W, with and without duty cycle control. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A high intensity discharge metal halide lamp in accordance with an embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . An expanded cross-sectional view of the arc discharge chamber is shown in  FIG. 2 . A discharge lamp  10  includes a bulbous lamp envelope  11  having a conventional base  12  fitted with a standard glass flare  16 . Lead-in wires  14  and  15  extend from base  12  through flare  16  to the interior of envelope  11 . A harness  15   a , formed of a bent wire construction, is disposed within lamp envelope  11 . The harness  15   a  is anchored within the envelope on a dimple  24  at one end of lamp envelope  11 . The harness  15   a  and the lead-in wire  14  support an arc discharge chamber  20 . A conventional getter  19  is attached to harness  15   a . The harness  15   a  is covered by a ceramic tube  18  to prevent production of photoelectrons from the surface of the harness. Conductive sealing members  26   a  and  26   b  supporting electrodes  33   a  and  33   b  ( FIG. 2 ), respectively, are attached to the harness  15   a  and the lead-in wire  14 , respectively, to provide power to the lamp and also to provide support. Sealing members  26   a  and  26   b  are disposed within and hermetically sealed to tubes  21   a  and  21   b , respectively. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , arc discharge tube  20  includes a cylindrical main tube  25  having tapered ends. The main tube  25  may be made of a translucent ceramic material in which alumina is a main component. One end of tube  21   a  is sealed to one end of main tube  25  by shrinkage fitting. In a similar manner, one end of tube  21   b  is sealed to a second end of main tube  25  by shrinkage fitting. 
     Sealing member  26   a , a first lead-through-wire  29   a  and a first main electrode shaft  31   a  are integrated and inserted in tube  21   a . Specifically, one end of lead-through-wire  29   a  is connected with one end of sealing member  26   a  by welding, and the other end of lead-through-wire  29   a  is connected with one end of main electrode shaft  31   a  by welding. Then, sealing member  26   a  is fixed to the inner surface of tube  21   a  by a frit  27   a  such that tube  21   a  is sealed airtight. When sealing member  26   a , first lead-through-wire  29   a  and first main electrode shaft  31   a  are disposed in the tube  21   a , an end of sealing member  26   a  is positioned outside tube  21   a.    
     An electrode coil  32   a  is integrated and mounted to the tip portion of main electrode shaft  31   a  by welding, so that main electrode  33   a  includes main electrode shaft  31   a  and electrode coil  32   a . The lead-through-wire  29   a  serves as a lead-through-for positioning the main electrode  33   a  at a predetermined position in main tube  25 . The sealing member  26   a  may be formed by a metal wire of niobium. For example, the diameter of sealing member  26   a  may be 0.9 mm, and the diameter of first main electrode shaft  31   a  may be 0.5 mm. 
     Similarly, conductive sealing member  26   b , a second lead-through-wire  29   b  and a second main electrode shaft  31   b  are integrated and inserted in tube  21   b . Specifically, one end of lead-through-wire  29   b  is connected with one end of sealing member  26   b  by welding, and the other end of lead-through-wire  29   b  is connected with one end of main electrode shaft  31   b  by welding. Then, sealing member  26   b  is fixed to the inner surface of tube  21   b  by a frit  27   b  such that tube  21   b  is sealed airtight. When the sealing member  26   b , lead-through-wire  29   b  and main electrode shaft  31   b  are disposed in tube  21   b , an end of sealing member  26   b  is positioned outside tube  21   b.    
     An electrode coil  32   b  is integrated and mounted to the tip portion of the other end of main electrode shaft  31   b  by welding. Main electrode  33   b  includes main electrode shaft  31   b  and electrode coil  32   b . The lead-through-wire  29   b  serves as a lead through part for positioning the main electrode  33   b  at a predetermined position in main tube  25 . The sealing member  26   b  may be formed by a metal wire of niobium. For example, the diameter of sealing member  26   b  may be 0.9 mm, and the diameter of main electrode shaft  31   b  may be 0.5 mm. 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an electronic ballast circuit having a power level control and duty cycle control. Depending on a specific application, different sensors can be connected to the control unit of the ballast circuit. For example, a motion sensor can be used for occupancy detection, a light level sensor can be used for daylight coupling applications and/or a lamp life timer can be used for a constant light output application. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , electronic ballast circuit  40  includes a power factor correction and electromagnetic interference circuitry  41 , a buck voltage regulator  42 , an output bridge converter  43 , a power level control  45 , a duty cycle control  46  and an igniter  44  connected to a discharge lamp  47 . The power level control  45  adjusts voltage regulator  42  to control the current supplied to lamp  47  for lamp dimming. The power level control  45  may receive inputs from a motion sensor  50 , a light level sensor  52  and/or a lamp life timer  54 . In further embodiments, power level control  45  may be manually controlled. Electronic ballast circuit  40  supplies to discharge lamp  47  an alternating current having variable power level for dimming and variable duty cycle as described below. 
     Duty cycle control  46  varies the duty cycle of the pulsed lamp power to achieve a desired performance as described below. In general, the duty cycle may be varied from 0% to 100%. However in practice, the duty cycle may be varied from about 10% to about 90% depending on power level. As described below, a duty cycle may be associated with each power level over the dimming range. Power level control  45  and duty cycle control  46  may include a microprocessor for performing the required power level and duty cycle control functions. 
       FIG. 3A  is a schematic for a ballast used to provide a variable duty cycle operation. 120V AC input power is fed into an EMI filtering and power correction circuit, then into a DC buck converter which performs the ballasting function. The output of the buck converter is then fed back into a full bridge switching circuit. A variable duty cycle waveform generator produces two variable duty cycle wave outputs A and B whose duty cycle is set between 10% and 90% by the potentiometer VR. Outputs A and B are fed into the hi-side driver circuits U 1  and U 2 . The hi-side drivers alternately switch their respective upper and lower transistors in step with their inputs such that Q 1  and Q 4  are switched on for one half cycle and Q 2  and Q 3  are switched on for the other half cycle. Both hi-side driver circuits and the variable duty cycle waveform generator incorporate a small amount of dead time (both circuits low) in order to eliminate cross conduction of the transistors. 
       FIG. 4  shows lamp current waveforms at different duty cycles. The frequency of the lamp current is typically in a range of 100 to 400 Hz. Waveform  60  illustrates a standard 50% duty cycle. Waveform  62  illustrates a 90% duty cycle for the top electrode of the discharge lamp, thus establishing anode up operation since the top electrode is energized 90% of the time. At 90% duty cycle for the top electrode, the time the top electrode functions as anode is longer compared to the time it serves as cathode. Waveform  64  illustrates a 10% duty cycle for the top electrode, thus establishing anode down operation since the bottom electrode is energized 90% of the time. Waveform  66  illustrates a 100% duty cycle for the top electrode, which corresponds to DC operation. In DC operation the top electrode is the anode 100% of the time. 
       FIG. 5  shows the CCT as a function of duty cycle for different power levels. Curve  70  represents a 150 W metal halide discharge lamp operated at the rated power of 150 W. Curve  72  represents the 150 W lamp operated at 100W, curve  74  represents the 150 W lamp operated at 70 W, and curve  76  represents the 150 W lamp operated at 45 W. The prior art dimming operation without duty cycle control is illustrated by line  80  in  FIG. 5 . Specifically, the duty cycle of the applied current is maintained at 50%, and the power is decreased from 150 W to 45 W. As illustrated, the CCT exhibits a significant increase. 
     According to an aspect of the invention, duty cycle is controlled to provide a substantially constant CCT during dimming, as illustrated by line  84  in  FIG. 5 . The intersections of line  84  with curves  70 ,  72 ,  74  and  76  establish the duty cycles needed to operate along line  84 . Thus, operation at 150 W (curve  70 ) requires a duty cycle of about 90%, operation at 100 W (curve  72 ) requires a duty cycle of about 75%, operation at 70 W (curve  74 ) requires a duty cycle of about 65% and operation at 45 W requires a duty cycle of about 10%. By controlling the duty cycle as a function of power level as described above, operation along line  84  is established and CCT is held substantially constant. It will be understood that the duty cycles and corresponding power levels given above apply to one discharge lamp type and that other duty cycles and corresponding power levels may be utilized for different discharge lamps and different applications. 
       FIGS. 6–9  show comparison results of a lamp operating according to an embodiment of the invention with duty cycle control and a prior art dimming operation with 50% duty cycle. The lamp was operated with a variable duty cycle electronic ballast and was measured in a two meter integrating sphere under IES accepted conditions. The data was acquired with a CCD based computerized data acquisition system. All data shown in  FIGS. 5–9  were obtained with the operating position of the lamp being vertical base-up. The experiments for which the data is presented in FIGS.  5 – 9  were conducted using a 150 W ceramic metal halide discharge lamp manufactured by Matsushita Electric Industries, Japan. 
       FIG. 6  shows the change in CCT when a metal halide discharge lamp is dimmed. Curve  90  represents the lamp dimmed according to the present invention with duty cycle control, and curve  92  represents the lamp dimmed according to the prior art dimming operation with constant 50% duty cycle. The CCT of the lamp operated according to the present invention had a very small change (ΔT=46 K) when the lamp was dimmed from rated power to 30% of its rated power. With the same lamp in a standard dimming operation without duty cycle change, the CCT change was significant (ΔT=1048 K) when the lamp was dimmed to 30% of its rated power. 
       FIG. 7  shows the change in CRI (Color Rendering Index) when the discharge lamp is dimmed to 30% of its rated power. Curve  100  represents the lamp dimmed according to the present invention with duty cycle control, and curve  102  represents the lamp dimmed according to the prior art dimming operation with constant 50% duty cycle. The CRI of the lamp dimmed according to the present invention had a very similar change compared to the same lamp dimmed under the prior art dimming operation without duty cycle change. 
       FIG. 8  shows the changes of hue (Duv) when the discharge lamp is dimmed to 30% of its rated power. Curve  110  represents the lamp dimmed according to the present invention with duty cycle control, and curve  112  represents the lamp dimmed according to the prior art dimming operation with constant 50% duty cycle. When dimmed to 30% of the rated lamp power, the lamp operated according to the present invention had a much smaller hue change (ΔDuv=9.8) compared to the hue change (ΔDuv=17.1) of the same lamp dimmed according to the prior art dimming operation without duty cycle change. 
       FIG. 9  shows the change in lamp efficacy in lumens per watt (LPW) when the discharge lamp is dimmed to 30% of its rated power. Curve  120  represents the lamp dimmed according to the present invention with duty cycle control, and curve  122  represents the lamp dimmed according to the prior art dimming process with constant 50% duty cycle. The LPW of the lamp operated according to the present invention exhibited a very similar change compared to the same lamp dimmed according to the prior art dimming operation without duty cycle control when dimmed to 30% of its rated power. 
     According to an aspect of the invention, a metal halide discharge lamp system is provided in which superior color performance is achieved at rated lamp power and at reduced power, such as 30% of rated power. A method and a system for modifying the CCT of lamps during dimming are provided. An electronic ballast circuit that can have its duty cycle changed simultaneously with lamp dimming is used in the lighting system. The ballast circuit imposes an alternating current waveform on the electrodes of the lamp, whereby the electrodes change from positive (anode) to negative (cathode) on each cycle of operation. By changing the duty cycle, the waveform is modified to energize one electrode as positive (anode) or negative (cathode) for a longer time than the other electrode, thereby altering the temperature distribution within the arc discharge chamber. This change compensates for the reduction of heating in the coldest spot area due to dimming, thereby resulting in a substantially constant coldest spot temperature and CCT. 
     According to aspects of the invention, ceramic metal halide lamps with superior dimming characteristics function in a nitrogen-filled outer jacket which makes the lamps much less susceptible to catastrophic failure during their life. The dimming range is expanded from about 50% of the rated lamp power to 30% of the rated lamp power for increased energy saving. 
     The coldest spot temperature in the arc discharge chamber is critical to the characteristics of the discharge between the lamp electrodes. The vapor pressure of the metal halide salts and therefore the density of the radiating atoms in the gas phase are primarily determined by the coldest spot temperature. Since the metal halide lamps contain a variety of metal halide salts, the salt composition and the coldest spot temperature essentially determine the color that is emitted by the lamp. 
     As compared with the lamp system of the present invention, the prior art lamp system without duty cycle variation has a much larger CCT change and deviates substantially from the black body locus when dimmed to 30% of the rated lamp power. When the lamp system with duty cycle variation according to the present invention is dimmed to about 30% of the rated lamp power, the light emitted from the system remains substantially on the black body locus and has a much smaller CCT increase. 
     Arc discharge chamber temperature measurement was conducted to examine the effect of lamp power duty cycle control on the arc discharge chamber wall temperatures under rated power and dimmed conditions. Temperature measurement data of one ceramic arc discharge chamber at different powers and duty cycles is summarized in Table 1 below. The arc discharge chamber operated vertically during the measurement. The maximum wall temperatures are near the center of the arc discharge chamber at different locations depending on the duty cycle and lamp power. Under AC conditions, the maximum temperature is a short distance above the center of the arc discharge chamber. Under DC conditions, the maximum wall temperature is below the center of the arc discharge chamber when the bottom electrode is the anode, and the maximum wall temperature is much above the center of the arc discharge chamber when the top electrode is the anode. The coldest spot was always at the bottom of the arc discharge chamber. When the bottom electrode serves more time as anode, the temperature of the electrode is higher as compared to 50% duty cycle. When an electrode serves as a cathode, it emits electrons that consume energy and make the electrode cooler. When an electrode serves as an anode, incoming energetic electrons heat the electrode and increase its temperature. The higher electrode temperature at the bottom of the arc discharge chamber, which is also the coldest spot of the arc discharge chamber, increases the coldest spot temperature of the arc discharge chamber. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 150 W 
                 100 W 
                 70 W 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 Max. Temp.-(50% duty anode up, AC), ° C. 
                 1113 
                 1001 
                 927 
               
               
                 Max. Temp.-(90% duty anode up), ° C. 
                 1127 
                 1019 
                 931 
               
               
                 Max. Temp.-(10% duty anode up), ° C. 
                 1114 
                 1006 
                 930 
               
               
                 Min. Temp.-(50% duty anode up, AC), ° C. 
                  920 
                  871 
                 809 
               
               
                 Min. Temp.-(90% duty, anode up), ° C. 
                  908 
                  860 
                 801 
               
               
                 Min. Temp.-(10% duty, anode up), ° C. 
                 1011 
                  929 
                 846 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Based on the measurement data, the duty cycle adjustment described herein is effective in raising the cold spot temperature of the arc discharge chamber and is particularly effective to minimize the coldest spot temperature decrease during a dimming operation. 
     The lamp and ballast system described herein includes a variable duty cycle electronic ballast. By controlling the duty cycle, the electrode in the arc discharge chamber can be operated at a desired polarity for coldest spot temperature control. The coldest spot temperature change can be reduced during a dimming operation by increasing the power consumption at the electrode near the coldest spot by operating the electrode near the coldest spot a longer time as an anode. By reducing the coldest spot temperature change during dimming, the changes of CCT and Duv can be reduced. At the lowest dimming condition, higher lamp efficacy can be obtained as compared with the prior art ballast without duty cycle variation, as shown in  FIG. 9 . The lamp system of the present invention provides much smaller CCT change during dimming to 30% of rated lamp power, as shown in  FIG. 6 . Furthermore, the lamp system of the present invention provides much smaller Duv change during dimming, as shown in  FIG. 8 . 
     The lamp system of the present invention performs comparably to a prior art lamp system at rated lamp power, including lamp efficacy, CCT, CRI and Duv. When the prior art lamp is dimmed to 30% of rated lamp power without duty cycle change, the performance deteriorates substantially. What is most disturbing from the user&#39;s point of view is the change in CCT and Duv. When the same lamp is dimmed using the variable duty cycle dimming of the present invention, the CCT and Duv change are significantly smaller. 
     The lighting system of the present invention may have a variety of applications, including but not limited to the following. The system can provide a daylight coupling lighting system with light level sensors to achieve constant light level at any time and in any weather. The system increases and decreases lamp power according to the light level by combining the light from the sun and the electric lighting fixtures. The lighting system of the invention may operate as an occupancy sensor lighting system in low traffic areas, such as bathrooms, corridors, stairwells and parking lots, where instant light is needed when a person steps into the area. With the lamp dimmed, the lamp can reach its full light output in much shorter time when it is switched to full power. It takes much longer for the lamp to reach full light output when switched from the off mode. The lighting system of the invention can be used in an installation where continuous lighting is needed but at different levels at different times of the day to save electric energy. The lighting system of the invention can be used in an installation where a constant light output is desired during lamp life without CCT change. The lamps start their life at reduced power level and gradually increase lamp power level during lamp life to compensate for lamp efficacy deterioration, so the light level is constant without CCT changes at different lamp power levels. 
     Having described several embodiments and an example of the invention in detail, various modifications and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such modifications and improvements are intended to be within the spirit and the scope of the invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art would readily appreciate that all parameters listed herein are meant to be exemplary and that actual parameters will depend upon the specific application for which the system of the present invention is used. Accordingly, the foregoing description is by way of example only and is not intended as limiting. The invention is limited only as defined by the following claims and their equivalents.