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Method and circuit for driving a gas discharge lamp

  • US 7,990,069 B2
  • Filed: 12/06/2006
  • Issued: 08/02/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method of driving a gas discharge lamp, the method comprising the acts of:

  • igniting the gas discharge lamp using ignition pulses having an ignition frequency;

    after ignition of the gas discharge lamp, operating the gas discharge lamp at an operating voltage by supplying a current to the gas discharge lamp, thereby generating the operating voltage over the gas discharge lamp;

    after the ignition and removal of the ignition pulses, reversing a direction of the current supplied to the gas discharge lamp at an operating frequency which is lower than the ignition frequency to reverse the operating voltage at the operating frequency; and

    after the ignition and the removal of the ignition pulses, applying at the operating frequency a reversal voltage higher than the operating voltage to the gas discharge lamp substantially simultaneously with the reversing act.

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