Abstract: A lamp/lamp electronics unit 12 includes a lamp and a lamp electronics end cap configuration. The lamp electronics end cap configuration 36 includes a lamp electronics end cap 37 having an interior section and a set of pins 44,45 extending from a surface of the end cap 37. Lamp electronics 22 are configured to control operation of the integral lamp, and are located within the interior of the lamp electronics end cap 37. At least one electrical connection 50 exists between the lamp electronics end cap 37 and the lamp electronics 22.

Abstract: A ballast circuit operable with a triac based controller circuit, the ballast circuit (100) includes a rectifier (115) configured for operative connection with an associated triac based circuit (110) for converting AC current to DC current, a capacitor assembly (137) coupled to the rectifier (115), a first connection (150) between the rectifier and the capacitor assembly (137), a converter (153) coupled to the rectifier (115) for converting the DC current to AC current, a gate drive arrangement coupled to the converter for controlling the converter (153), a resistance-inductance circuit (163) coupled to the converter (153), and a second connection (165) between the capacitor assembly (137) and the resistance-inductance circuit (163). The converter (153) induces AC current in the resistance-inductance circuit (163).

Abstract: An electrical power conversion system for converting power from one voltage to another, especially for converting a higher-voltage, direct current electrical power system, such as a thirty-six volt to forty-two volt (36V-42V) direct current system for vehicles, into a voltage acceptable for powering lower voltage equipment, such as those using twelve volt to fourteen volt (12V-14V) DC vehicle electrical power systems is disclosed. The invention provides the ability to control the operating states of the loads by coupling a control signal to the vehicle's electrical power bus. The invention can take advantage of current or future DC-to-AC inverter or DC-to-DC converter technology and anticipated vehicle electrical systems to devise a electrical power conversion and control system meeting the needs of various vehicle loads.

Abstract: A d.c.-to-a.c. power converter for supplying low voltage a.c. current to a load circuit that incorporates a low voltage incandescent lamp in an automobile. The converter circuit includes first and second switches 16, 18 serially connected between a bus conductor 28 and a reference conductor 30; being connected together at a common node 42 through which the a.c. current flows and having a shared control node 38. A series circuit including capacitor 60, inductor 58 and inductor 56 is connected between common node 42 and control node 38. The voltage between the control node 38 and the common node 42 determines the conduction state of the associated switch. First and second resistors 70, 72 are serially connected between the bus and reference conductors, with their intermediate node connected to the control node. A third resistor 74 is connected between the common node and one of the bus conductor and the reference conductor. An autotransformer has one end connected to the common node.

Abstract: A power supply circuit (100) configured to control operation of a load (135) including a converter (105, 110) configured to convert a DC signal to an AC signal, a drive circuit connected to the converter (105, 110) to control operation of the converter (105, 110), and a shutdown circuit (160) connected to the drive circuit to turn off the converter (105, 110). The shutdown circuit (160) includes a diode (190) and a switch (185).

Abstract: A ballast, powered by a power source is used to control operation of a load such as a discharge lamp. The ballast includes a switching network configured to control a supply of power to the load, and a bridge converter network which is configured to receive an input signal from the power source and convert it into a form useable by the switching network. The bridge converter network is integrated into the switching network.

Abstract: A coil assembly includes a cylindrical ferrite core having a top end, a bottom end, an inner opening extending from the top and to the bottom end, a cylindrical outer surface, and a stepped portion formed at the bottom end, where the stepped portion extends past the outer surface of the cylindrical core. A first high dielectric material is located over at least a substantial portion of the surface of the cylindrical core by use of a coating process. A length of conductive wire is wound around the first high dielectric material located over the outer surface of the cylindrical ferrite core. The winding of the wire around the core forms a coil having a first end and a second end. A second high dielectric material is then located over the coil, not including the first end and second ends. A coil holder is formed including a base portion having a base opening formed substantially at a centered area of the coiled holder.

Abstract: A space efficient circuit arrangement for supplying power to an LED array, the power supply circuit (100) has a rectifier (105), a starting circuit coupled to the rectifier (105), a gate drive arrangement coupled to the starting circuit, and a resonant converter circuit (120, 125) coupled between the rectifier (105) and a resonant load circuit (135). The resonant load circuit includes a resonant inductance (150), a resonant capacitance (155) coupled to the resonant inductance (150), and a load connected in parallel to the resonant capacitance (155). A plurality of light emitting elements (170, 175) and a capacitor (160) define at least a portion of the load. All of the circuit components may be placed on the same circuit board as the light emitting elements (170, 175), thereby taking up less space in a traffic signal housing and making retrofitting a traditional incandescent lamp traffic signal easier.

Abstract: A power supply circuit (100) configured to control operation of a load (135) including a converter (105, 110) configured to convert a DC signal to an AC signal, a drive circuit connected to the converter (105, 110) to control operation of the converter (105, 110), and a shutdown circuit (160) connected to the drive circuit to turn off the converter (105, 110). The shutdown circuit (160) includes a diode (190) and a switch (185).

Abstract: An electronic ballast for igniting a discharge arc in a discharge tube of a ceramic metal halide lamp. The ballast includes ballast circuitry for periodically applying a voltage pulse having an amplitude of approximately 2-3 kilovolts to the discharge tube until ignition of the discharge arc is achieved. Each voltage pulse consists of a voltage pulse train having a frequency exceeding the acoustic resonance range of the discharge tube, preferably in a range of 2.5-3.0 megaHertz. A hot restart protection circuit of the ballast circuitry provides that the time period between voltage pulses is sufficient to permit cooling of the discharge tube during a time interval spanning application of a plurality of voltage pulses.

Abstract: A ballast circuit for an electrodeless lamp designed to use a phase dimmer signal to control output of the electrodeless lamp. Dimming ballast circuit includes a rectifier circuit for rectifying an input voltage from a phase dimmer source to generate a pulsed d.c. voltage on a d.c. bus. Ballast circuit further includes a converter control circuit coupled to the rectifier circuit for inducing an r.f. a.c. load current at approximately 2.5 MHz. The converter circuit includes first and second complementary converter switches serially connected between the bus and a reference node. The switches are connected together at a common node through which the a.c. load current flows. A driving inductor is connected at one end to the common node and operatively connected at the remaining end to the control node. A load circuit includes a resonant inductor connected at one end to the common node, with the resonant inductor mutually coupled to the driving inductor. An r.f.

Abstract: An interface circuit 10 for coupling a power supply 12 that includes a triac phase modulator 18 with a compact fluorescent lamp converter and lamp load 14. The circuit 10 rectifies the modulated power supply signal with a rectifier 24. A current flowing through a current limiting inductor 112 goes through either a reverse current blocking diode 114 to power the fluorescent lamp or through a transistor 116 to reset/discharge the triac phase modulator 18. Transistor 116 is controlled by an R-S flip-flop. The reset 120 of the R-S flip-flop is connected through a current threshold sensor formed by a pair of resistors 144, 146 and a transistor 142. A high duty cycle oscillator is connected to the set 124 of the R-S flip-flop. Large current variations in the triac phase modulator 18 are prevented by current flowing through transistor 116 when the current no longer flows through the diode 114.

Abstract: An electronic ballast is configured to receive the input from a power source in order to control operation of a lamp connected to the electronic ballast. The ballast includes a positive side bus voltage line and a ground reference line. An input section is connected to the power source, to the positive side bus voltage line and the ground reference line. A complementary pair of switches, connected to bus and to the resonant network, is controlled by a gate drive network. The gate drive network receives feedback signals that is coupled to transformer and controls operation of the set of switches using the received and further processed signals. A triac dimmer is connected between the power source and the input section for providing a dimming capability. A resonant network includes at least a first resonant capacitor connected to the resonant network and to at least one of the positive side bus voltage line and the ground reference line.

Abstract: Ballast circuit 10 for lamp 52 has a switching network consisting of a complimentary pair of switches 30, 32 which are driven by a low-power universally available controller IC 26. The controller IC 26 is configured with a floating ground arrangement 36. A current sensor 72 assists in generating a negative feedback signal 79 which is provided to an inverting input of operational amplifier 86 of controller IC 26. Prior to being supplied, the negative feedback signal 79 is summed at summing node 80 with a level shifted signal 92, generated by a level shifting circuit 22 which received an input dimming signal 16. The level shifting circuit 22 shifts the dimming signal 16 from a ground reference system to a floating ground design. The level shifted signal 92 and feedback signal 79 are designed to cancel each other whereby the input to operational amplifier 86 is maintained constant as the non-inverting input has a constant internally supplied voltage.

Abstract: A power converter circuit is powered by a power source thereby generating a power line voltage. A rectifier is configured to rectify the power line voltage and generate a pulsating d.c. voltage with a frequency which is twice a frequency of the power line voltage. A gate drive circuit is designed to receive the pulsating d.c. voltage. The gate drive circuit drives a pair of switches which are controlled to invert the pulsating d.c. voltage, without use of level shifting. The gate drive circuit further includes a driving inductor, a timing inductor and a timing capacitor serially connected to each other and connected to the switches to control operation of the switches. The transformer, including a first transformer winding and a second transformer winding, and a capacitor are designed to receive an output signal from the switches. A lamp is connected to receive the driving signals from the transformer winding through a tap, where the tap attenuates the signal developed across the transformer winding.

Abstract: A ballast 10 for an electrodeless gas discharge lamp 30, incorporates a dimming circuit 12. Ballast 10 includes a load circuit 20 having an r.f. inductor 32 for generating an r.f. field to power electrodeless lamp 30. A voltage of an inductor 56 in a d.c.-to-a.c. converter 13 of ballast 10 is sensed by dimming circuit 12. Dimming circuit 12, which uses frequency-shift keying (FSK), couples inductor 56 to the dimming circuit 12 via dimming inductor 80, which in turn is connected to serially arranged dimming switches 82, 84. A signal generator 86 activates dimming switches 82 and 84 to provide a frequency shift to ballast 10. This frequency shift lowers the output to r.f. inductor 32, thereby turning off electrodeless lamp 30. Repeated switching by dimming circuit 12 causes a visual dimming in electrodeless lamp 30.

Abstract: Provided is a lighting circuit (10, 100, 160) which includes a line voltage source 12 used to supply a full wave signal 72 to circuit 10. A ballast 14 is connected to the line voltage source 12, and a lamp 16. Further included in the circuit (10, 100, 160) is an electronic starter (18, 102, 159) which is connected across the lamp 16. Electronic starter (18, 102, 159) includes a pulse generating circuit ((60, 62, 64) (108, 110, 112, 152, 154)), a switch (30, 120) which is connected to provide a cathode current pulse 74 to first and second cathodes (22, 26) of the lamp 16, generated by the pulse generating circuit. The pulse generating circuit and switch operate in such a manner that the pulse generating circuit limits the duration of the cathode current pulse 74 which is delivered to cathodes 22 and 26. A feedback or pulse timeout circuit (116, 118, 120, 121, 128, 130) may also be used to sense a current delivered to cathodes 122, 126 by cathode current pulse 74.

Abstract: A fill wave electronic starter 10 includes an input circuit 12 which delivers a rectified voltage to charging capacitor 28. During a first state, voltage on charging capacitor 28 is used to turn on switching circuit 30, whereby current is delivered to cathodes 56 and 58. When voltage on capacitor 28 reaches a breakdown voltage of diode 46, latch circuit 50 is placed in an on state causing capacitor 28 to discharge, turning off transistor 32. This action delivers a high-voltage lamp ignition pulse 62 to lamp 60 causing it to start. Current flowing through input circuit 12 maintains conduction of latch circuit 50, rendering a low impedance state which maintains MOSFET transistor 32 off, and starter 10 in a disabled state after initial pulse 62.

Abstract: A ballast circuit for a gas discharge lamp with a tapless feedback circuit is disclosed. The ballast circuit comprises a d.c.-to-a.c. converter circuit with circuitry for coupling to a resonant load circuit, for inducing a.c. current therein. The converter circuit comprises a pair of switches serially connected between a bus conductor at a d.c. voltage and a reference conductor. The voltage between a reference node and a control node of each switch determines the conduction state of the associated switch. The respective reference nodes of the switches are connected together at a common node through which the a.c. current flows, and the respective control nodes of the switches are connected together. A gate drive arrangement regeneratively controls the first and second switches. It comprises a coupling circuit including an inductor for coupling to the control nodes a feedback signal representing current in the load circuit. It further comprises a tapless feedback circuit for providing the feedback signal.

Abstract: A ballast circuit with an electronic starter for a gas discharge lamp having a pair of cathodes is disclosed. The circuit comprises a main current path with a first leg connected to one cathode of the lamp and a second leg connected to the other cathode. The first leg includes an inductor. A starting current path is connected between the cathodes for enabling current build-up in the inductor during a lamp pre-start period. The starting current path includes a starter switch controllable by the voltage between a control node and a reference node of the switch. The starting current path allows cathode-to-cathode current flow when the starter switch is on. A control circuit is connected between the control node and the reference node of the switch for controlling the switch. The control circuit comprises a capacitor whose voltage is coupled between the control node and the reference node so as to control the switch, and a source of current for charging the capacitor.