METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DIMMABLE FLUORESCENT LIGHTING
First Claim
1. A system for operating a fluorescent light, the system comprising:
- a fluorescent lamp comprising at least one electrode, the at least one electrode comprising at least one corresponding filament;
a filament signal power supply connected to output a filament signal and to create a corresponding filament current through the at least one filament, the filament current having a filament frequency; and
a plasma signal power supply connected to output a plasma signal and to create a corresponding plasma current flowing between the at least one electrode and a gas contained in the lamp, the plasma current having a plasma frequency;
wherein the plasma frequency is greater than the filament frequency.
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Abstract
A system for operating a fluorescent light is provided. The system comprises: a fluorescent lamp with at least one electrode having at least one corresponding heating filament; a filament signal power supply for providing a filament current signal having a filament current frequency, the filament signal power supply connected to create a filament current through the at least one filament; and a plasma signal power supply for providing a plasma power signal having a plasma power frequency, the plasma signal power supply connected to create a plasma current between the at least one electrode and a gas contained in the fluorescent lamp. The plasma power frequency is greater than the filament current frequency.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A system for operating a fluorescent light, the system comprising:
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a fluorescent lamp comprising at least one electrode, the at least one electrode comprising at least one corresponding filament; a filament signal power supply connected to output a filament signal and to create a corresponding filament current through the at least one filament, the filament current having a filament frequency; and a plasma signal power supply connected to output a plasma signal and to create a corresponding plasma current flowing between the at least one electrode and a gas contained in the lamp, the plasma current having a plasma frequency; wherein the plasma frequency is greater than the filament frequency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
wherein lengths of the first and second confinement regions are less than a distance between the first and second electrodes.
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22. A system according to claim 21 wherein the lengths of the first and second confinement regions are less than 25% of the distance between the first and second electrodes.
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23. A system according to claim 21 wherein the plasma signal power supply is configurable to control the power of the first and second plasma currents to a first power range, such that for first and second plasma currents in the first power range, photons are emitted from a first light-emission region extending from the first electrode toward a center of the lamp and from a second light-emission regions extending from the second electrode toward the center of the lamp, the first and second light-emission regions spaced apart from one another by a central non-light-emission region from which photons are not emitted.
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24. A system according to claim 23 wherein a length of the first light-emission region and a length of the second light-emission region are less than 25% of the distance between the first and second electrodes.
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25. A system according to claim 23 wherein the plasma signal power supply is configured to control the power of the first and second plasma current in response to a dimming input.
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26. A system according to claim 23 wherein the plasma signal power supply is configurable to control the power of the first and second plasma currents to a second power range, such that for first and second plasma currents in the second power range, photons are emitted from substantially the entire distance between the first and second electrodes.
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27. A system according to claim 26 wherein a ratio of a maximum power of the first plasma current in the second power range to a minimum power of the first plasma current in the first power range is configurable to be 1000:
- 1 or more.
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28. A method for operating a fluorescent light, the method comprising:
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providing a fluorescent lamp comprising at least one electrode, the at least one electrode having a corresponding filament; generating a filament signal which creates a filament current through the at least one filament, the filament current having a filament frequency; generating a plasma signal which creates a plasma current flowing between the at least one electrode and a gas contained in the fluorescent lamp, the plasma current having a plasma frequency; wherein the plasma frequency is greater than the filament frequency. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
wherein lengths of the first and second confinement regions are less than a distance between the first and second electrodes.
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33. A method according to claim 32 comprising controlling the power of the first and second plasma currents to a first power range, such that for first and second plasma currents in the first power range, photons are emitted from a first light-emission region extending from the first electrode toward a center of the lamp and from a second light-emission regions extending from the second electrode toward the center of the lamp, the first and second light-emission regions spaced apart from one another by a central non-light-emission region from which photons are not emitted.
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34. A method according to claim 33 comprising controlling the power of the first and second plasma currents to a second power range, such that for first and second plasma currents in the second power range, photons are emitted from substantially the entire distance between the first and second electrodes.
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35. A system for operating a fluorescent light, the system comprising:
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a fluorescent lamp comprising at least one electrode, the at least one electrode comprising at least one corresponding filament; a filament signal power supply connected to output a filament signal and to create a corresponding filament current through the at least one filament, the filament current having a filament frequency; and a plasma signal power supply connected to output a plasma signal and to create a corresponding plasma current flowing between the at least one electrode and a gas contained in the lamp, the plasma current having a plasma frequency; wherein the filament signal power supply is configured to commence outputting the filament signal in response to an ON/OFF signal and wherein the plasma signal power supply is configured to commence outputting the plasma signal after a preheat period Δ
, the preheat period Δ
commencing in response to the ON/OFF signal.- View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. A method for operating a fluorescent light, the method comprising:
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providing a fluorescent lamp comprising at least one electrode, the at least one electrode comprising at least one corresponding filament; generating a filament signal which creates a filament current through the at least one filament, the filament current having a filament frequency; generating a plasma signal which creates a plasma current flowing between the at least one electrode and a gas contained in the fluorescent lamp, the plasma current having a plasma frequency; wherein generating the filament signal comprises commencing outputting the filament signal in response to an ON/OFF signal and wherein generating the plasma signal comprises commencing outputting the plasma signal after a preheat period Δ
, the preheat period Δ
commencing in response to the ON/OFF signal.- View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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Specification