Patent ID: 6995524

Claim:
A discharge lamp starter comprising: a discharge lamp which is lit at a luminance corresponding to a power supplied to the discharge lamp; a first switch which turns on and off a power supply circuit; a second switch which turns on and off the power supply circuit; and a discharge lamp start control unit which causes the discharge lamp to operate as a daytime running light if the discharge lamp start control unit receives a signal indicating an on state only from the first switch, by supplying a first power to the discharge lamp to start lighting of the discharge lamp operating as the daytime running light, followed by supplying a second power smaller than the first power to the discharge lamp to maintain lighting of the discharge lamp operating as the daytime running light; and which causes the discharge lamp to operate as a nighttime running light if the discharge lamp start control unit receives a signal indicating an on state from the second switch, by supplying a third power greater than the first power to the discharge lamp to start lighting of the discharge lamp operating as the nighttime running light, followed by supplying a fourth power smaller than the third power and greater than the second power to the discharge lamp to maintain lighting of the discharge lamp operating as the nighttime running light.