Method and system for driving a plasma-based light source
First Claim
1. A method of driving a plasma-based light source with an electronic ballast, comprising the steps of:
- applying a constant current square wave to plasma in the light source; and
maintaining a current level of the constant current square wave to obtain a temperature of the plasma that maximizes the release of light in the visible and UV light spectrums.
3 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A gas discharge lamp is driven with a constant current square wave from a current transformer where the number of volt-microseconds are designed such that at the start of each square wave, the voltage rises to the required ionization potential for the lamp, while the plasma has not yet started to conduct. As soon as the lamp ionizes the gas within the lamp and current flows, the voltage drops and current flows at the desired level. The current level is set to prevent the input of excessive power pulses into the lamp, to reduce the creation of infrared photons. In addition, the plasma is driven at this current level almost continuously (with reversing polarity), which does not allow the plasma time to cool down. Consequently, the lamp becomes a more efficient light emitter, thereby requiring less energy to achieve the same light output.
8 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of driving a plasma-based light source with an electronic ballast, comprising the steps of:
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applying a constant current square wave to plasma in the light source; and maintaining a current level of the constant current square wave to obtain a temperature of the plasma that maximizes the release of light in the visible and UV light spectrums. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An electronic ballast system for driving a plasma-based light source, comprising:
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a switching circuit that applies a constant current square wave to plasma in the light source; and a current source that maintains the current level of the constant current square wave at a level to obtain a temperature of the plasma that maximizes the release of light in the visible and UV light spectrums. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An electronic ballast system for driving a plasma-based light source, comprising:
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means for applying a constant current square wave to plasma in the plasma-based light source; means for providing the sufficient ignition voltage to ionize the plasma in the plasma-based light source; and means for maintaining a current level of the constant current square wave to obtain a temperature of the plasma that maximizes the release of light in the visible and UV light spectrums.
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Specification