Patent ID: RE44279

Claim:
In a method for color balancing a display generated by a frame sequential color display system including an arc lamp having a power rating and providing polychromatic light including different amounts of a first light color and a second light color, a color modulator receiving the different amounts of light colors and propagating the first and second light colors during respective first and second time periods, a display controller generating first and second image data during the respective first and second time periods, a light valve generating the display in response to receiving the first and second light colors and the first and second image data during the first and second time periods, a lamp ballast driving the arc lamp during the first time period at less than the arc lamp power rating and driving the arc lamp during the second time period at the arc lamp power rating such that the arc lamp operates at an average power level that is less than the arc lamp power rating to color balance the display by reducing an arc lamp brightness during the first time period, thereby reducing an average brightness of the display, an improvement comprising: driving the arc lamp during the first time period at a power level that is less than the arc lamp power rating; and driving the arc lamp during the second time period at a boosted power level that is greater than the arc lamp power rating, such that the arc lamp operates during the first and second time periods at an average power level that substantially equals the arc lamp power rating and the display is color balanced by boosting the arc lamp brightness during the second time period and reducing the arc lamp brightness during the first time period without reducing the display average brightness.