Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems – With automatic shunt and/or cutout
Patent
1992-03-11
1993-08-24
Mis, David
Electric lamp and discharge devices: systems
With automatic shunt and/or cutout
315120, 315129, 315243, 315DIG7, H05B 4124, H05B 4136
Patent
active
052392341
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus and a method of igniting a gas-discharge lamp. Patent Application P 38 37 422.6-33 discloses a method of igniting a gas-discharge lamp, in which a voltage surge in a resonant circuit assigned to the gas-discharge lamp is used for the purpose of lamp ignition. The frequency of the output voltage of a operating circuit means for operating the gas-discharge lamp is fixed after switching on at a starting value which generally does not correspond to the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit. The frequency is subsequently varied in the direction of the expected resonant frequency. The known adaptive ignition frequency determination requires a certain time until the ignition frequency or the resonant frequency is found.
The book "Identifikation dynamischer Systeme" ("Identification of Dynamic Systems"), Rolf Isermann, Vol. 1, Springer-Verlag 1988, pages 23-27 describes different identification methods of processes to be controlled which use the application of test signals to the process to be investigated. Pulse signals or stepfunction signals, for example, are used as test signals. The identification of the process to be controlled is carried out at the start of the technical control task, in order to be able to set controller parameters suitably.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the invention to ignite as quickly as possible a gas-discharge lamp to which an ignition resonant circuit is connected. A further object is to enhance the operational safety.
The method of the invention finds application in an inventive gas-discharge lamp apparatus including a gas-discharge lamp, an ignition resonant circuit connected to the gas-discharge lamp, an operating circuit means for the gas-discharge lamp connected to the ignition resonant circuit, the operating circuit means including an AC voltage generator connected to the ignition resonant circuit for operating the ignition resonant circuit, and a signal processing circuit means connected to the ignition resonant circuit for determining a resonant frequency of the ignition resonant circuit and also connected to the AC voltage generator for setting the AC voltage generator to oscillate at the resonant frequency.
According to the invention, the method of igniting a gas-discharge lamp comprises the steps of:
a. generating an exciting signal T in the operating circuit means on receipt of a lamp switch-on signal E by the operating circuit means;
b. exciting the ignition resonant circuit with the exciting signal T to produce a decaying oscillating process in the ignition resonant circuit;
c. providing a signal processing circuit means connected to the ignition resonant circuit for determining a resonant frequency of the ignition resonant circuit and also connected to the AC voltage generator;
d. determining a resonant frequency of the ignition resonant circuit from the decaying oscillating process with the signal processing circuit means; and
e. operating the AC voltage generator at the resonant frequency determined in step d) by controlling the AC voltage generator with the signal processing circuit means.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention a signal is generated on overshooting at least one predetermined parameter of the decaying oscillating voltage. This signal can be used to shut off the operating circuit means or trigger a warning message.
The method according to the invention has the advantage that a short time after the occurrence of a lamp switch-on signal, the ignition resonant circuit, which is assigned to the gas-discharge lamp for generating an ignition voltage, is immediately operated at its resonant frequency by the circuit means for operating the gas-discharge lamp. Component tolerances and drift with ageing exert no more than a minor influence on the ignition process of the gas-discharge lamp.
In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the signal-processing circuit means, which detects the decay process of the oscillations of the ignition resonant circuit excited by the e
REFERENCES:
patent: 4053813 (1977-10-01), Kornrumpf et al.
patent: 4060752 (1977-11-01), Walker
Isermann, Rolf; "Identifikation dynamischer Systeme" vol. 1; Springer-Verlag; 1988; pp. 23-27.
Gscheidle Wolfgang
Pischke Jurgen
Mis David
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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