Luminaire starting aid device
First Claim
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1. A starting aid circuit for a luminaire comprising:
- a means for detecting a load drawn by or voltage across a lamp;
a microprocessor, responsive to the means for detecting, for controlling the start-up of the lamp and programmed to predict a condition of the lamp based on the load drawn or voltage across the lamp by comparing the voltage across the lamp with a tip voltage that is proportional to a line voltage;
a power supply for operating the microprocessor; and
a trigger circuit, responsive to the microprocessor for turning on the lamp.
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Abstract
A starting aid for a luminaires includes a trigger circuit for supplying a trigger voltage pulse to a lamp in response to the presence of a line voltage signal supplied by a photodetector, a feedback circuit for detecting the lamp voltage and means, responsive to the line voltage signal and the feedback circuit, for comparing the voltage on the lamp to a nominal voltage level for disabling the trigger circuit and terminating the trigger voltage pulse in the presence of a lamp cycling or lamp out condition.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A starting aid circuit for a luminaire comprising:
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a means for detecting a load drawn by or voltage across a lamp;
a microprocessor, responsive to the means for detecting, for controlling the start-up of the lamp and programmed to predict a condition of the lamp based on the load drawn or voltage across the lamp by comparing the voltage across the lamp with a tip voltage that is proportional to a line voltage;
a power supply for operating the microprocessor; and
a trigger circuit, responsive to the microprocessor for turning on the lamp. - 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, 35, 36, 37, 38)
a transistor that is driven on and off by the pulse train and produces an output voltage of approximately 5 volts;
a transformer connected to the output of the transistor that steps up the output voltage of the transistor to approximately 3500 volts.
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38. The starting aid of claim 37, wherein each pulse of the pulse train lasts for 1.5 microseconds.
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24. An automatic starting aid for a lamp comprising:
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a photocontroller for automatically turning the lamp on during periods of darkness and off during periods of daylight;
means for detecting a load drawn by or voltage across the lamp;
a microprocessor, responsive to the means for detecting and to the photocontroller, for controlling start-up of the lamp, wherein the microprocessor is programmed to detect a condition of the lamp in response to the load drawn or voltage across the lamp by comparing the voltage across the lamp with a trip voltage that is proportional to a line voltage of the lamp;
a power supply for operating the microprocessor; and
a trigger circuit, responsive to the microprocessor, for turning on the lamp. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 43)
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27. A starting aid comprising:
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a trigger circuit for supplying a tigger voltage pulse to a lamp in response to the presence of a line voltage signal supplied by a photodetector;
a feedback circuit for detecting the lamp voltage; and
means, responsive to the line voltage signal and the feedback circuit, for comparing the voltage on the lamp to a nominal voltage level for disabling the trigger circuit and terminating the trigger voltage pulse in the presence of a lamp cycling or lamp out condition, wherein the nominal voltage is proportional to the line voltage of the lamp, such that the starting aid may be used with lamps of varying voltage. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 39, 44)
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40. A diagnostic starting aid for a luminaire comprising:
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means for detecting a load drawn by or voltage across a lamp;
a microprocessor, responsive to the means for detecting a load drawn or voltage across the lamp, the microprocessor programmed to detect a condition of the luminaire in response to the load drawn by comparing the voltage across the lamp with a trip voltage that is proportional to a line voltage of the lamp, such that the starting aid may be used for lamps of varying power;
a photocontroller for controlling the start-up of the lamp;
a power supply for operating the microprocessor;
a trigger circuit, responsive to the microprocessor, for turning on the lamp; and
means, response to the microprocessor, for indicating the occurrence of the condition detected. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42)
a transistor that is driven on and off by the pulse train and produces an output voltage of approximately 5 volts;
a transformer connected to the output of the transistor that steps up the output voltage of the transistor to approximately 3500 volts.
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42. The starting aid of claim 40, wherein the trigger voltage is 0.75 times the line voltage so that the starting aid can be used in conjunction with a 55 volt lamp or a 100 volt lamp without modification.
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45. A starting aid circuit for a luminaire, comprising:
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a voltage divider circuit to detect a voltage across a lamp;
a microprocessor, responsive to an input from the voltage detection device, for controlling the start-up of the lamp and programmed to predict a condition of the lamp based on the voltage across the lamp by comprising the voltage across the lamp with a trip voltage that is proportional to a line voltage;
a trigger circuit, responsive to the microprocessor for turning on the lamp;
a communications device for transmitting a signal to a power supply for operating the voltage detection circuit, the microprocessor the trigger circuit and the communications device. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47)
a transistor that is driven on and off by the pulse train and produces an output voltage of approximately 5 volts;
a transformer connected to the output of the transistor that steps up the output voltage of the transistor to approximately 3500 volts.
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47. The starting aid circuit of claim 45 further comprising a shunting circuit to off the lamp in response to receiving a signal from the microprocessor.
Specification