Patent ID: 8319447

Claim:
A high pressure discharge lamp ballast comprising: a DC power source; an inverter effective to convert an output voltage of the DC power source into electric power required to power a high-pressure discharge lamp; a starting circuit effective to generate a high voltage to ignite the high-pressure discharge lamp; a controller effective to control the inverter from startup to steady-state operation of the high-pressure discharge lamp; and a lamp output detection circuit effective to provide a signal indicative of a lamp output for the high-pressure discharge lamp, wherein the controller controls the inverter in association with one or more of a first phase in which the starting circuit generates the high voltage for causing dielectric breakdown between electrodes of the high-pressure discharge lamp, a second phase in which an operation of heating the electrodes of the high-pressure discharge lamp is performed after dielectric breakdown and a third phase in which steady-state operation of the high-pressure discharge lamp is performed; wherein a lamp output determination is performed at a predetermined time before shifting to the third phase, and upon determining that the lamp is ignited the second phase is inserted; and wherein upon determining that the lamp has not ignited based on the detected lamp output, the first phase shifts to a phase other than the second phase.