Patent ID: 8167676

Claim:
A method comprising the steps of: supplying a sealed enclosure for providing illumination; said enclosure containing a plurality of molecules of a gas; said enclosure having an interior surface; said interior surface being at least partially coated with a light emitting substance; said enclosure including a first and a second electrode; applying a first electrical signal across said first and said second electrodes to excite some of said plurality of molecules of a gas and to produce an ionized cloud within said enclosure; and applying a second electrical signal across said first and said second electrodes along with said first electrical signal to maintain said ionized cloud within a set of predetermined limits to optimize the production of visible light from said light emitting substance on said interior surface of said enclosure and said second electrical signal including a series of direct current pulses to maintain said ionized cloud which was initiated by said first electrical signal; said second electrical signal is provided by a low impedance source.