Patent ID: 7129650

Claim:
A lighting apparatus of high intensity discharge lamp comprising: a DC power source; a series connection of a first switch and a second switch; a series connection of a first capacitor and a second capacitor which is connected in parallel with the series connection of the first switch and the second switch, each of the first capacitor and the second capacitor having two terminals, a voltage between both terminals of the first capacitor being selected to be different from a voltage between both terminals of the second capacitor so that the higher of the voltage between both terminals of the first capacitor and the voltage between both terminals of the second capacitor becomes at least equal to a voltage which is necessary for lighting the discharge lamp; a series connection including at least an inductor and a high intensity discharge lamp connected between a connection point of the first switch and the second switch and another connection point of the first capacitor and the second capacitor; a third capacitor connected in parallel with the high intensity discharge lamp; and a control circuit for switching on and off of the first switch and the second switch so as to supply electric power to the discharge lamp.