Abstract: A color image display device has an auxiliary means for compensating brightness simply and inexpensively by using an electron gun of a cathode ray tube. Brightness uniformity is improved in the image display device having a flat-type color cathode ray tube with a glass panel having a high wedge ratio and a low transmissibility. The color image display includes a panel housing a screen on an inner face thereof, a funnel engaged with the panel; an electron gun engaged with a neck portion of the funnel for emitting electron beams toward the screen, a deflection device for displaying an image by deflecting the electron beams emitted from the electron gun in horizontal and vertical directions with respect to the screen, and a cathode ray tube including a shadow mask aligned from the screen at a predetermined distance.

Abstract: A waterproof Christmas light bulb includes a connection tube formed on top of the socket and having a diameter smaller than a diameter of the socket so that a step is formed at a joint between the socket and the connection tube. A bulb is partially received in the connection tube. Two wires are oppositely formed on a side of the bulb, and a dividing plate is integrally formed on a bottom of the bulb. An O ring rests on and is supported by the step. An enclosure is securely connected to the connection tube by a securing device so that the O ring is securely clamped between the enclosure and the step of the socket to complete a waterproof engagement between the enclosure and the socket. A plug is received in the socket to have a waterproof engagement with the cables and the inner periphery of the hollow socket.

Abstract: A plurality of lighting ballasts (12, 14, 16) draw power from a single DC bus signal. A power factor correction circuit (10) rectifies and smoothes AC power to produce the DC bus signal. In order to prevent damage to the ballast (12) when a lamp (18) dies or is removed, the ballast (12) includes an AC switch that senses damaging conditions and responds by changing a resonant frequency of the ballast (12). The AC switch operates in 2-3 second cycles. While it is operative, it shunts current away from inductors (38, 40) of the ballast (12) causing a resonant frequency of the ballast (12) to change. At the end of the cycle, the switch turns off, but if a load fault is still present in the ballast (12) it activates again. Preferably, the AC switch has a response time of approximately 500 &mgr;s.

Abstract: A plurality of lighting ballasts (12, 14, 16) draw power from a single DC bus signal. A power factor correction circuit (10) rectifies and smoothes AC power to produce the DC bus signal. In order to prevent damage to the ballast (12) when a lamp (18) dies or is removed, the ballast (12) includes an AC switch that senses damaging conditions and responds by changing a resonant frequency of the ballast (12). The AC switch operates in 2-3 second cycles. While it is operative, it shunts current away from inductors (38, 40) of the ballast (12) causing a resonant frequency of the ballast (12) to change. At the end of the cycle, the switch turns off, but if a load fault is still present in the ballast (12) it activates again. Preferably, the AC switch has a response time of approximately 500 &mgr;s.

Abstract: An LED illumination module for a flashlight has a housing, electronic control circuitry, and one or more LEDs connected in series and to the circuitry. The module is characterized in that the module is shaped to modularly replace an incandescent-bulb in an existing flashlight. In one aspect the control circuitry operates in a dual mode to extend life of the unit, and to warn when battery replacement is warranted.

Abstract: A PDP and a driving method thereof are disclosed in which luminous efficiency can be improved. The PDP includes a scan/sustain electrode formed at a peripheral portion of a discharge cell, a common sustain electrode formed to oppose the scan/sustain electrode at the peripheral portion of the discharge cell, a first trigger electrode formed to be adjacent to the scan/sustain electrode, and a second trigger electrode formed to be adjacent to the common sustain electrode.

Abstract: A high-pressure discharge lamp lighting apparatus, comprises an LC resonance circuit, a DC power source, an inverter circuit, an inverter circuit and an inverter control circuit. The resonance frequency of the LC resonance circuit is set in two to three times the oscillation frequency in the steady lighting operation of the high-pressure discharge lamp. Until the high-pressure discharge lamp is started and steadily lit up, the starting control circuit controls to operate the inverter circuit at a frequency lower than the resonance frequency and not causing acoustic resonance.

Abstract: A distributed emergency building lighting system senses the presence or absence of AC power at the input of a switch controlling lighting in a designated area or an input stimulus such as an alarm to provide low-level marking for visual delineation of the path of egress or lighting of a predetermined designated area by illuminating an EL panel in accordance with code requirements. Self-diagnostic testing verifies operational conditions of the battery and illumination circuit to ensure code compliance.

Abstract: A simple and less expensive high voltage pulse generating circuit including a low voltage direct current voltage source having one output terminal connected to another output terminal via a series circuit of a first switch with a low withstand voltage, an inductance storing inductive energy and a second switch with a high withstand voltage, and a branch circuit including a free-wheel diode connected between the other output terminal of the direct current voltage source and a common connection point between the first switch and the inductance. After storing inductive energy in the inductance by turning “on” the first and second switches, these first and second switches are turn “off” to commutate the energy stored in the inductance into a capacitive load connected across the second switch to charge the load abruptly and generate a high voltage pulse having a very narrow width without using a complicated and expensive magnetic compression circuit.

Abstract: Power saving is more realized when a partial display is executed in active matrix type EL display elements. When the partial display is executed, a scan driver 2 repeatedly scans all the scan lines as executed ordinarily. In contrast, when a scan shifts from a display region to a non-display region, black display data is captured by a shift resister 1a in a data driver 1 for one horizontal period and latched by a latch circuit 1b. Then, while the non-display region is being scanned, the drive of the data driver 1 is stopped. Accordingly, in the scan of the non-display region, a non-display state is achieved by the black display data latched by the latch circuit 1b. Low power consumption can be realized because the drive of the data driver 1 operating at a high speed is stopped while the non-display region is being scanned.

Abstract: An electronic circuit for operating a High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamp, in particular a Ultra High Pressure (UHP) lamp, such as those preferably used in image projectors. The circuit comprises a lamp ballast for offering a controlled lamp current for operating the HID lamp and a brightness sensor for generating and providing a sensor signal which represents the brightness of the light applied by the lamp to the image generator. The lamp ballast controls the lamp current such that the brightness of the light of the lamp remains constant. Brightness control is made possible throughout the entire operational life of the lamp, and the use of sensors of simple construction is made possible by an incorporation within the electric circuit of a filter that high-pass filters the sensor signal before it is supplied as a control signal to the lamp ballast.

Abstract: A ballast for at least one electric incandescent lamp, having at least two switching elements (T1, T2) that are coupled to one another with the formation of a first tie point (VP1), a drive circuit (10) with at least one output for driving the switching elements (T1, T2) with the aid of a drive signal that has a pulse duty factor (d) and an operating frequency (fs), and with an input for a dimming signal (Ud), and a power transformer (Ü) whose primary side (L1) is coupled to the first tie point (VP1), it being possible to connect the electric incandescent lamp (LA1; LA2) to the secondary side (L2) thereof, the drive circuit (10) being designed to vary the pulse duty factor (d) and the operating frequency (fs) of the drive signal as a function of the dimming signal (Ud).

Abstract: A vehicle light apparatus 1 includes a discharge lamp 7 as a dipped (low)-beam light source and a high-beam light source or a light source of an auxiliary light (incandescent lamp) 3 as a substitutional light source of the discharge lamp. If the apparatus detects an input voltage from a power supply becoming equal to or greater than a threshold value in a state that only the discharge lamp is lit, the incandescent lamp is automatically lit on. To use the high-beam light source in place of the discharge lamp, light extinction lighting is performed or the light application direction is directed downward from the horizontal direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device (C, C′) for controlling operating means (3, 3′) for at least one electric illuminating means (4, 4′). The inventive device comprises an input (8a, 8b, 8a′, 8b′) for receiving control signals from an external control device (7) and an evaluating means (9, 9′) that is suitable to detect analogous and digital control signals on the input (8a, 8b, 8a′, 8b′) for control signals and to evaluate said signals for controlling operating means (3, 3′) for the illuminating means (4, 4′). The invention also relates to a method for controlling the operating means (3, 3′) for electric illuminating means (4, 4′) by means of analogous or digital control signals. In an advantageous embodiment, the inventive device (C, C′) is a component of an operating device (B, B′) for electric illuminating means (4, 4′).

Abstract: A composite antenna apparatus includes a cylindrical member 4 formed by a flexible insulating film rolled into a cylindrical shape, a plurality of antenna patterns 3 formed in a helix pattern on a peripheral surface of the cylindrical member 4, a circuit board 2 fixed to one axial end of the cylindrical member 4 and having a circuit pattern 10 connected to the antenna patterns 3 by soldering, and a monopole antenna 1 disposed inside the cylindrical member 4 and standing up on one surface of the circuit board 2. The circuit board 2 is provided with a first metallic pattern 8 having a predetermined area and formed on the one surface of the circuit board 2 at a position inside the cylindrical member 4.

Abstract: A dielectric barrier discharge lamp has elongated electrodes (3) that are arranged on the inside of the wall of the discharge vessel (2) and are covered by a dielectric layer (4). Arranged on the outside of the wall of the discharge vessel (2) is an electrically conductive means (8) that is limited with reference to the longitudinal axis to a subregion (B) of the discharge vessel wall, for example a metal ring. The startability of the dielectric barrier discharge lamp when first being started or after long operational pauses is improved thereby.

Abstract: The cylindrical miniature-LED light-emitting device. The device is provided on a front end of a metal cylinder thereof having therein an LED assembly and a battery assembly with a socket to receive the LED. The LED assembly is constructed from the LED and a push switch is mounted in the metal cylinder. The LED protrudes from the socket to a section on the front end of the metal cylinder. By pressing the LED on the front end of the metal cylinder and then touching the push switch, turning on/off of the light of the LED can be effected. Particularly, the LED light-emitting device works through the action of directly touching the push switch by the LED without providing additional components for turning on/off by triggering.

Abstract: In a power-supply unit for a microwave tube, voltage between a helix power supply terminal and a cathode power supply terminal is divided into voltage slightly lower than the voltage of a collector power supply terminal. Uni-directional conductive means is provided between a voltage dividing point and the collector power supply terminal, and when the voltage of the collector power supply terminal is about to be lower than voltage at the voltage dividing point while the voltage approximates the voltage of the cathode power supply terminal, the uni-directional conductive means conducts and clamps the voltage of the collector power supply terminal so that the voltage is substantially equal to the voltage at the voltage dividing point.

Abstract: A microwave oven using DC power which can endure strong vibrations and eliminate noise according to noise standards. The microwave oven includes at least one second choke coil which is arranged outside a magnetron filter box and connected in series to at least one first choke coil installed in the magnetron filter box. Each choke coil and a feed-through condenser constitute a low pass filter. The size of each of the first choke coil is reduced and the size of each of the second choke coil is increased, so as to endure the strong vibrations and eliminate the noise generated by a driving of a magnetron.

Abstract: High voltage and low voltage switch mode circuits and methods serve to recover the charge stored on electro-luminescent lamp panels that would otherwise be dissipated during the discharge cycle of a drive circuit. The high voltage circuits and methods operate to transfer the charge to the high voltage rail, while the low voltage circuits and methods operate to transfer the charge to the source of low drive voltage.