# US 2013/0154499 A1 · Circuit arrangement and method for starting and operating a high-pressure discharge lamp > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0154499 A1 - Document ID: US20130154499A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/810,210 - Filed: 2011-08-30 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2010-09-09 - Assignees: OSRAM GmbH - Inventors: Joachim Muehlschlegel - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154499A1 ## CPC - H05B 41/04: Starting switches - H05B 41/2886: {comprising a controllable preconditioner, e.g. a booster} - Y02B 20/00: Energy efficient lighting technologies, e.g. halogen lamps or gas discharge lamps - H05B: ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL - Y02B: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS ## Abstract A circuit arrangement may include: a half-bridge arrangement with a half-bridge center point, connected to an intermediate circuit voltage with a reference potential and a feed voltage potential; a lamp inductor connected at one end to the half-bridge center point; a starting stage connected to the other end of the lamp inductor and to the intermediate circuit voltage; a first switch connected between the reference potential and the starting stage; a series circuit of a first and a second capacitor connected to the intermediate circuit voltage; terminals for connecting a high-pressure discharge lamp, a first terminal being connected to the starting stage and a second terminal being connected to a node between the first and second capacitors; a two-port network, a first port of said two-port network connected to the starting stage and a second port of said two-port network connected to the node between the first and second capacitors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A circuit arrangement for starting and operating a high-pressure discharge lamp, comprising: a half-bridge arrangement with a half-bridge center point, said half-bridge arrangement being connected to an intermediate circuit voltage with a reference potential and a feed voltage potential, a lamp inductor, which is connected at one end to the half-bridge center point, a starting stage, which is connected to the other end of the lamp inductor and to the intermediate circuit voltage, a first switch, which is connected between the reference potential of the intermediate circuit voltage and the starting stage, a series circuit of a first and a second capacitor, said series circuit being connected to the intermediate circuit voltage, terminals for connecting a high-pressure discharge lamp, wherein a first terminal is connected to the starting stage and a second terminal is connected to a node between the first and second capacitors, a two-port network, a first port of said two-port network being connected to the starting stage and a second port of said two-port network being connected to the node between the first and second capacitors, wherein the first switch can be activated in order to generate starting pulses for starting a high-pressure discharge lamp which is connected to the circuit arrangement and in order to discharge the second capacitor via the two-port network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two-port network is a series circuit of a resistor and a diode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the resistor is dimensioned such that a peak value of a current through the two-port network is at most 40% of a peak value of a current through the first switch. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit arrangement is configured to discharge the second capacitor to a predetermined voltage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein the predetermined voltage lies between 10 V and 200 V. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circuit arrangement is configured to activate the first switch in a clocked manner for a predetermined period for the purpose of discharging the second capacitor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 6, wherein the circuit arrangement is configured to activate the first switch with the aid of pulse-width modulation. ### Claim 8 A method for starting and operating a high-pressure discharge lamp with a circuit arrangement, the circuit arrangement comprising: a half-bridge arrangement with a half-bridge center point, said half-bridge arrangement being connected to an intermediate circuit voltage with a reference potential and a feed voltage potential, a lamp inductor, which is connected at one end to the half-bridge center point, a starting stage, which is connected to the other end of the lamp inductor and to the intermediate circuit voltage, a first switch, which is connected between the reference potential of the intermediate circuit voltage and the starting stage, a series circuit of a first and a second capacitor, said series circuit being connected to the intermediate circuit voltage, terminals for connecting a high-pressure discharge lamp, wherein a first terminal is connected to the starting stage and a second terminal is connected to a node between the first and second capacitors, a two-port network, a first port of said two-port network being connected to the starting stage and a second port of said two-port network being connected to the node between the first and second capacitors, wherein the first switch can be activated in order to generate starting pulses for starting a high-pressure discharge lamp which is connected to the circuit arrangement and in order to discharge the second capacitor via the two-port network, the method comprising: generating a starting voltage, discharging the second capacitor to a predetermined first voltage by means of clocked activation of the first switch with a first frequency and a first pulse duty factor for a first time period, generating a starting voltage, charging of the second capacitor to a predetermined second voltage by means of clocked activation of the first switch with a second frequency and a second pulse duty factor for a second time period, generating a square-wave AC voltage for operating the high-pressure discharge lamp, and opening the first switch permanently. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein an electrical breakdown is detected in the lamp and a length of the first time period is dependent on the detection of the electrical breakdown. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first time period from the detection of the electrical breakdown lasts for a further predetermined period. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the predetermined period from the detection of the electrical breakdown is 0.1 sec to 1 sec. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the predetermined period from the detection of the electrical breakdown is 0.2 sec to 0.6 sec. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first switch, while generating the square-wave AC voltage, is activated with the second frequency and the second pulse duty factor for a further predetermined third time period. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the third time period is 0.1 sec to 1 sec long. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the third time period is 0.2 sec to 0.6 sec long. ### Claim 16 (depends on 5) The circuit arrangement as claimed in claim 5, wherein the predetermined voltage lies between 20 V and 150 V.