Patent ID: 7042161

Claim:
A ballast for powering at least one gas discharge lamp, the ballast comprising: an inverter; an output circuit coupled to the inverter, the output circuit comprising output connections adapted for coupling to a lamp load comprising at least one gas discharge lamp; an arc protection circuit coupled to the inverter, wherein the arc protection circuit is operable: (a) to monitor an electrical signal within at least one of the inverter and the output circuit, wherein a disturbance in the electrical signal is deemed to have occurred when at least a portion of the electrical signal exhibits a time-rate-of-change that exceeds a predetermined threshold value; (b) to provide a timed starting period wherein the inverter is enabled and allowed to attempt to start the lamp independent of any disturbance in the electrical signal; (c) in response to occurrence of a disturbance in the electrical signal after completion of the timed starting period: (i) to disable the inverter and to keep the inverter disabled for a timed shutdown period; and (ii) after completion of the timed shutdown period, to again provide the timed starting period wherein the inverter is enabled and allowed to attempt to start the lamp independent of any disturbance in the electrical signal.