Aggregate ignition method in high frequency metal halide lamps

1. A method of igniting a metal halide lamp driven by a high frequency ballast, said ballast including an oscillator for selectively providing power to the lamp, said method comprising:

providing an ignition pulse train to the lamp for a first period, wherein providing the ignition pulse train comprises:

enabling oscillations of the oscillator to provide power to the lamp for an ignition pulse period;

thereafter determining whether the lamp has ignited;

thereafter disabling the oscillator for an inter-pulse cooling period if the determining indicates that the lamp has not ignited;

repeating said enabling oscillations of the oscillator, said determining whether the lamp has ignited, and said disabling the oscillator a predetermined number of times;

thereafter determining whether the lamp has ignited;

thereafter disabling the oscillator for an additional cooling period if said determining indicates that the lamp has not ignited; and

repeating the above if the lamp has not ignited.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

upon conclusion of the additional cooling period, providing a second ignition pulse train to the lamp for a second period;

thereafter determining whether the lamp has ignited;

thereafter disabling the oscillator for a sleep period if said determining indicates that the lamp has not ignited.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the first period is equal to the second period,

the first and second periods are each about 2 seconds,

the additional cooling period is longer than the inter-pulse cooling period,

the ignition pulse period is about 250 microseconds,

the inter-pulse cooling period is about 8 milliseconds,

the predetermined number of times is 242,

the additional cooling period is about 5 seconds, and

the sleep period is 60seconds.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the lamp has ignited comprises:

monitoring a current of a power supply loop of the oscillator; and

determining whether the monitored current of the power supply loop is below a threshold, said threshold being indicative of ignition of the lamp.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the oscillator is a self resonating half bridge, the oscillator oscillates at a frequency greater than 2 MHz, and the ballast has a relatively low open circuit voltage capacity, said open circuit voltage capacity being less than 2 kV.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling oscillations of the oscillator to provide power to the lamp comprises at least one of the following:

tuning an inductor of the oscillator; and

completing a power supply loop of the oscillator.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein repeating said enabling oscillations of the oscillator comprises:

repeating said enabling oscillations of the oscillator, said determining whether the lamp has ignited, and said disabling the oscillator until the lamp has ignited.

8. A high frequency metal halide lamp ballast for providing power to a metal halide lamp from an alternating current (AC) power source, said ballast comprising:

a direct current (DC) converter for receiving AC power from the AC power source and providing DC power;

an oscillator connected to the converter for receiving the DC power and connected to the lamp for selectively providing high frequency AC power to the lamp;

a switch connected to the oscillator for selectively enabling oscillations of the oscillator to provide the high frequency AC power to the lamp; and

a controller connected to the switch for controlling the switch to selectively enable oscillations of the oscillator, wherein the controller controls the switch to:

provide an ignition pulse train to the lamp for a first period, wherein providing the ignition pulse train comprises:

enabling oscillations of the oscillator to provide power to the lamp for an ignition pulse period;

thereafter determining whether the lamp has ignited;

thereafter disabling the oscillator for an inter-pulse cooling period if the determining indicates that the lamp has not ignited;

repeating said enabling oscillations of the oscillator to provide power, determining whether the lamp has ignited, and disabling the oscillator a predetermined number of times;

thereafter determine whether the lamp has ignited;

thereafter disable the oscillator for an additional cooling period if said determining indicates that the lamp has not ignited; and

repeats the above until the controller determines that the lamp has ignited, and thereafter enables the oscillator to provide power to the lamp.

9. The ballast of claim 8 wherein the controller further controls the switch to:

upon conclusion of the additional cooling period, provide a second ignition pulse train to the lamp for a second period;

thereafter determine whether the lamp has ignited; and

thereafter disable the oscillator for a sleep period if said determining indicates that the lamp has not ignited.

10. The ballast of claim 9 wherein:

the first period is equal to the second period,

the first and second periods are each about 2 seconds,

the additional cooling period is longer than the inter-pulse cooling period,

the ignition pulse period is about 250 microseconds,

the inter-pulse cooling period is about 8 milliseconds,

the predetermined number of times is 242,

the additional cooling period is about 5 seconds, and

the sleep period is 60 seconds.

11. The ballast of claim 9 wherein the oscillator oscillates at a frequency greater than 2 MHz, the oscillator is a self resonating half bridge, and the ballast has a relatively low open circuit voltage capacity, said open circuit voltage capacity being less than 4 kV peak to peak.

12. The ballast of claim 9 wherein the controller monitors a current of a power supply loop of the oscillator and compares the monitored current to a threshold to determine whether the lamp has ignited.

13. The ballast of claim 9 wherein the switch enables the oscillator to provide power to the lamp by at least one of the following:

tuning an inductor of oscillator, said tuning comprising altering an inductance of the inductor; and

closing a power supply loop of the oscillator.

14. The ballast of claim 8 , wherein repeating said enabling oscillations of the oscillator to provide power comprises:

repeating said enabling oscillations of the oscillator to provide power, determining whether the lamp has ignited, and disabling the oscillator until the lamp has ignited.

15. A light source comprising:

a metal halide lamp for providing light in response to receiving power; and

a ballast for igniting the lamp and providing power to the lamp from an alternating current (AC) power source, said ballast comprising:

a direct current (DC) converter for receiving AC power from the AC power source and providing DC power;

an oscillator for receiving the DC power from the DC converter and selectively providing high frequency AC power to the lamp;

a switch for selectively enabling oscillations of the oscillator to provide power to the lamp; and

a controller for controlling the switch to selectively enable the oscillator, wherein the controller controls the switch to:

provide at least one ignition pulse train to the lamp for a first period, wherein providing the ignition pulse train comprises:

enabling oscillations of the oscillator to provide power to the lamp for an ignition pulse period;

thereafter determining whether the lamp has ignited;

thereafter disabling the oscillator for an inter-pulse cooling period if the determining indicates that the lamp has not ignited;

repeating said enabling oscillations of the oscillator to provide power, determining whether the lamp has ignited, and disabling the oscillator a predetermined number of times;

thereafter determine whether the lamp has ignited;

thereafter disable the oscillator for an additional cooling period if said determining indicates that the lamp has not ignited;

repeat the above until the controller determines that the lamp has ignited, and

thereafter enable the oscillator to provide power to the lamp.

16. The light source of claim 15 wherein the controller further controls the switch to:

upon conclusion of the additional cooling period, provide a second ignition pulse train to the lamp for a second period;

thereafter determine whether the lamp has ignited; and

thereafter disable the oscillator for a sleep period if said determining indicates that the lamp has not ignited.

17. The light source of claim 16 wherein the oscillator oscillates at a frequency greater than 2 MHz, the oscillator is a self resonating half bridge, the ballast has a relatively low open circuit voltage capacity, said open circuit voltage capacity being less than 2 kV, the ballast is integral with the metal halide lamp, and the integral ballast and lamp are operable within a parabolic aluminized reflector (PAR) 38 fixture.

18. The light source of claim 16 wherein the controller monitors a current of a power supply loop of the oscillator and compares the monitored current to a threshold to determine whether the lamp has ignited.

19. The light source of claim 16 wherein the switch enables the oscillator to provide power to the lamp by at least one of the following:

tuning an inductor of oscillator, said tuning comprising altering an inductance of the inductor; and

closing a power supply loop of the oscillator.

20. The light source of claim 15 , wherein repeating said enabling oscillations of the oscillator to provide power comprises:

repeating said enabling oscillations of the oscillator to provide power, determining whether the lamp has ignited, and disabling the oscillator until the lamp ignites.