Patent ID: 8461779

Claim:
A method comprising: (a) turning on a switch in a Fluorescent Lamp Starter Unit (FLSU), wherein the switch is a switch that if on completes an electrical connection between two terminals of the FLSU, and wherein the switch is a switch that if off breaks the electrical connection between the two terminals; (b) conducting current through the switch after the turning on of the switch in (a), wherein the current has a periodic wave shape; (c) putting the switch into a linear mode at a time when the periodic wave shape is approximately at a minimum; (d) turning the switch off; (e) turning the switch on; (f) conducting current through the switch after the turning on of the switch in (e), wherein the current has the periodic wave shape; (g) putting the switch into the linear mode at a time when the periodic wave shape is not at a minimum; and (h) turning the switch off, wherein the steps (a) through (d) are performed in the order (a), (b), (c) and (d), and wherein the steps (e) through (h) are performed in the order (e), (f), (g) and (h).