Patent ID: 8339048

Claim:
A hybrid light source adapted to receive power from an AC power source and to produce a total light intensity, the total light intensity controlled throughout a dimming range from a low-end intensity and high-end intensity, the hybrid light source comprising: a continuous-spectrum light source circuit having a continuous-spectrum lamp for producing a percentage of the total light intensity; a discrete-spectrum light source circuit having a discrete-spectrum lamp for producing a percentage of the total light intensity; and a control circuit coupled to both the continuous-spectrum light source circuit and the discrete-spectrum light source circuit for individually controlling the amount of power delivered to each of the continuous-spectrum lamp and the discrete-spectrum lamp, such that the total light intensity of the hybrid light source ranges throughout the dimming range, the percentage of the total light intensity produced by the discrete-spectrum lamp being greater than the percentage of the total light intensity produced by the continuous-spectrum lamp when the total light intensity is near the high-end intensity; wherein the percentage of the total light intensity produced by the discrete-spectrum lamp decreases and the percentage of the total light intensity produced by the continuous-spectrum lamp increases as the total light intensity is decreased below the high-end intensity, the control circuit operable to control the discrete-spectrum lamp when the total light intensity is below a transition intensity, such that the percentage of the total light intensity produced by the continuous-spectrum lamp is greater than the percentage of the total light intensity produced by the discrete-spectrum lamp when the total light intensity is below the transition intensity.