Patent ID: 7619370

Claim:
In an apparatus comprising at least one first light source to generate first radiation having a first spectrum, at least one second light source to generate second radiation having a second spectrum different from the first spectrum, at least one controller configured to allocate operating power for the at least one first light source and the at least one second light source, and at least one structure coupled to the at least one first light source and the at least one second light source, the at least one structure having a maximum power handling capability, a method comprising acts of: A) storing in at least one memory a maximum available operating power for the at least one first light source equal to the maximum power handling capability of the at least one structure and a maximum available operating power for the at least one second light source equal to the maximum power handling capability of the at least one structure; B) receiving by the controller at least one lighting command including at least a first channel command representing a prescribed first operating power for the at least one first light source and a second channel command representing a prescribed second operating power for the at least one second light source; C) modifying by the controller the at least one lighting command, if necessary, to optimize the first and second operating powers without exceeding the maximum power handling capability of the at least one structure, wherein the act of modifying the at least one lighting command comprises: determining one of at least the first channel command and the second channel command having a maximum value; multiplying each of at least the first channel command and the second channel command by the maximum value; and dividing each of at least the first channel command and the second channel command by a sum of at least the first channel command and the second channel command.