Patent ID: 8593071

Claim:
A discharge lamp lighting device comprising: a voltage pulse applying section adapted to apply a voltage pulse between a first electrode and a second electrode of a discharge lamp, the voltage pulse causing dielectric breakdown between the first electrode and the second electrode; an alternating-current voltage applying section adapted to apply an alternating-current voltage to the discharge lamp, the alternating-current voltage including a first polarity period in which the first electrode acts as an anode and a second polarity period in which the second electrode acts as the anode; and a control section adapted to control the voltage pulse applying section and the alternating-current voltage applying section, wherein the control section performs a voltage pulse applying processing which causes the voltage pulse applying section to apply the voltage pulse between the first electrode and the second electrode, a first control processing which causes the alternating-current voltage applying section to apply the alternating-current voltage to the discharge lamp after the voltage pulse applying processing, the alternating-current voltage having a length of the first polarity period longer than a length of the second polarity period, and a second control processing which causes the alternating-current voltage applying section to apply the alternating-current voltage to the discharge lamp after the first control processing, the alternating-current voltage having the length of the second polarity period longer than the length of the first polarity period.