IP Library Granted Patent US 7,688,003
Granted Patent B2
US 7,688,003 · App. 12/091,167 · Granted Mar 30, 2010

Method of lighting high pressure mercury lamp, lighting device for the same, lamp system and projection display unit

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,688,003
App. No.
12/091,167
Granted
Mar 30, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a lighting method and the like that can prevent a lamp temperature of each individual high-pressure mercury lamp from being beyond a proper temperature range of a halogen cycle. The lighting method maintains a discharge of the high-pressure mercury lamp that has a function of the halogen cycle. The control is performed as follows. From when the high-pressure mercury lamp is lighted up to when a lamp voltage Vla reaches a first voltage value V 1 , a constant current control is performed. When the lamp voltage Vla reaches the first voltage value V 1 , the constant current control is switched to a constant power control which is performed at a first power value W 1 . While the discharge of the lamp is maintained, when the lamp voltage Vla reaches a voltage value (second voltage value V 2 ) at which a state of the halogen cycle deviates from a proper state, the constant power control is performed by reducing the first power value W 1 to a second power value W 2.

Claims (43)

1. A lighting method for operating a high-pressure mercury lamp that has a function of a halogen cycle, by performing a constant power control when a lamp voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined voltage value, to maintain a discharge of the high-pressure mercury lamp, wherein

when the lamp voltage increases resulting from a state change of the halogen cycle, a step of shifting a target power value of the constant power control from an immediately previous power value to a smaller power value is performed at least one time, and a subsequent constant power control is performed at the smaller power value as the target power value.

2. The lighting method of claim 1 , wherein

a range in which the lamp voltage is expected to be varied is divided into a plurality of voltage ranges, and a plurality of power values are set as the target power value in one-to-one correspondence with the voltage ranges, and

when the lamp voltage reaches an n-th voltage range resulting from the state change of the halogen cycle, the target power value is shifted to an n-th power value corresponding to the n-th voltage range, where n is a natural number, and as n is larger, the voltage range is higher.

3. The lighting method of claim 2 , wherein

when the lamp voltage reaches the n-th voltage range resulting from the state change of the halogen cycle, a temperature in a position of the high-pressure mercury lamp is beyond a predetermined proper temperature range of the halogen cycle, the position being a top in a surface of a discharge vessel of the high-pressure mercury lamp operated with a longitudinal direction thereof situated substantially horizontally.

4. The lighting method of claim 2 , wherein

the high-pressure mercury lamp includes a pair of electrodes, and

when the lamp voltage reaches the n-th voltage range resulting from the state change of the halogen cycle, a distance between the pair of electrodes is beyond a predetermined proper distance range.

5. The lighting method of claim 2 , wherein

the n-th power value is in a range of 80% to 95% of an (n−1)-th power value.

6. The lighting method of claim 4 , wherein

the n-th power value is in a range of 80% to 95% of an (n−1)-th power value.

7. The lighting method of claim 2 , wherein

the target power value is shifted stepwise from an (n−1)-th power value to the n-th power value.

8. The lighting method of claim 6 , wherein

the target power value is shifted stepwise from the (n−1)-th power value to the n-th power value.

9. A lighting apparatus for maintaining a discharge of a high-pressure mercury lamp that has a function of a halogen cycle, the lighting apparatus comprising:

a lighting unit operable to, when a lamp voltage is equal to or higher than a predetermined voltage value, perform a constant power control at a predetermined power value as a target power value to maintain the discharge of the high-pressure mercury lamp; and

a target power value switching unit operable to shift the target power value of the constant power control from an immediately previous power value to a smaller power value, when the lamp voltage increases resulting from a state change of the halogen cycle, wherein

the lighting unit performs a subsequent constant power control at the smaller power value as the target power value.

10. The lighting apparatus of claim 9 , wherein

a range in which the lamp voltage is expected to be varied is divided into a plurality of voltage ranges, and a plurality of power values are set as the target power value in one-to-one correspondence with the voltage ranges, and

when the lamp voltage reaches an n-th voltage range resulting from the state change of the halogen cycle, the target power value is shifted to an n-th power value corresponding to the n-th voltage range, where n is a natural number, and as n is larger, the voltage range is higher.

11. A lamp system comprising:

a high-pressure mercury lamp that has a function of a halogen cycle to reduce electrode consumption; and

a lighting apparatus for lighting up the high-pressure mercury lamp, wherein

the lighting apparatus is the lighting apparatus of claim 9 .

12. A lamp system comprising:

a high-pressure mercury lamp that has a function of a halogen cycle to reduce electrode consumption; and

a lighting apparatus for lighting up the high-pressure mercury lamp, wherein

the lighting apparatus is the lighting apparatus of claim 10 .

13. A projection type display apparatus comprising:

a high-pressure mercury lamp for a light source; and

a lighting apparatus for lighting up the high-pressure mercury lamp, wherein

the high-pressure mercury lamp has a function of a halogen cycle to reduce electrode consumption, and

the lighting apparatus is the lighting apparatus of claim 9 .

14. A projection type display apparatus comprising:

a high-pressure mercury lamp for a light source; and

a lighting apparatus for lighting up the high-pressure mercury lamp, wherein

the high-pressure mercury lamp has a function of a halogen cycle to reduce electrode consumption, and

the lighting apparatus is the lighting apparatus of claim 10 .

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 11, 2008
From: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
To: PANASONIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 021818/0725 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 25, 2008
From: YAMADA, GO; ONO, SYUNSUKE; ICHIBAKASE, TSUYOSHI
To: MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 021435/0086 →