Abstract: A supplemental arc maintenance electrical supply for a high density discharge (HID) lamp (L) for applying a high frequency supplemental arc voltage to maintain the arc during a period of unstable or intermittent AC supply in addition to or in lieu of the voltage or current being supplied to the lamp by the HID ballast (12). AC supply instability is identified in less time than the unstable or intermittent power will cause the lamp to arc to extingish and energize a supplemental arc maintenance electrical supply to maintain the arc of the lamp during the period of instability or interruption, so long as its internal, rechargeable battery is operational. The monitoring system (18) also recognizes the re-establishment of a stable (as by being a persistently repeating cycle but not necessarily a sinusoidal AC supply) repeating electrical power supply which is also of sufficient energy level to maintain operation of the HID lamp.

Abstract: An emergency ballast for a compact fluorescent lamp including a heater disposed adjacent the battery for maintaining the battery at a safe and effective operating temperature during the time which the lamp is powered by the normal AC power supply. Additionally, the ballast includes a charging control circuit which precludes charging of the battery when normal AC power is supplied to the ballast charging circuit during the time when the battery is below a temperature for safe and effective charging. The output of the emergency ballast provides supplemental cathode heating to improve the operating performance of the compact lamp in severely low temperature emergency operation.

Abstract: An emergency ballast for a fluorescent lamp including a heater disposed adjacent the battery for maintaining the battery at a safe and effective operating temperature during the time which the lamp is powered by the normal AC power supply. Additionally, the ballast includes a charging control circuit which precludes charging of the battery when normal AC power is supplied to the ballast charging circuit during the time when the battery is below a temperature for safe and effective charging.

Abstract: A remote control system for testing the ready status of lighting fixtures such as emergency exit signs and for operating such fixtures as by controlling the off/on status and dimming of the illumination in a high infrared and EMI noise environment. The transmitted control signal is an infrared beam containing a selected pulse-time code which the receiving circuit can reliably receive, recognize and process in an environment of high infrared noise typically produced by fluorescent lighting. Upon recognition and verification of the selected pulse-time code, in the ready status testing, the microcontroller disenables the charging circuit to the battery for supplying power to the exit sign in the emergency mode to cause the emergency circuit to sense an AC power failure whereby the lamp illuminates in the emergency mode for the selected test period.

Abstract: A standby ballast for a fluorescent lamp in a lighting circuit powered normally by a main AC power supply, and in the event of main power supply failure, powered by an auxiliary standby generator, the standby ballast operable to provide AC power to the lamp for the interim between failure of main AC power supply and the supply of stabilized auxiliary AC power from the standby generator as it has started and reached normal operating condition.

Abstract: A method and circuit for operating two fluorescent lamps having a starter with power supplied by a battery by generating an alternating current from energy supplied by the battery, supplying the alternating current as a starting current to the lamps for a selected period of time, and at the end of the selected period of time, generating a direct current from the alternating current and supplying the direct current to the lamps in place of the alternating current.