Electronic lighting ballast

Abstract

An electronics enclosure has a mains input and a lamp output. A power factor correction circuit is installed in the enclosure, to provide a DC output voltage. An inverter is also installed in the enclosure. Control electronics is also installed in the enclosure to control the inverter, and to receive a selection of lamp load type made manually by a user via a user interface on an outside face of the enclosure. The same lamp output can thus alternatively drive, for example, a high pressure sodium lamp and a metal halide lamp, as indicated by the selection. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

1 . A method for lighting control, comprising: 
 deploying a plurality of high intensity discharge (HID) lamp ballasts in a lighting application, each of the ballasts integrates switching power supply circuitry and control electronics in a respective enclosure that implements a dimming function, an output on/off function, adjustable output power, ability to drive different types of HID lamps, and ability to drive HID lamps from different manufacturers; and    setting a dimmer level, output on/off, output power, and HID lamp type for each of the ballasts in accordance with the lighting application.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein each of the ballasts can drive no more than one high intensity discharge lamp at any one time.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein each of the ballasts are essentially replicates from a standpoint of hardware.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein setting one or more of the dimmer level, output on/off, output power, lamp type and lamp manufacturer output for each of the ballasts is performed via a respective user interface that is built into the enclosure.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein each of the ballasts integrates within the respective enclosure a scheduler function, the method further comprising setting timed operation for one of the ballasts via its respective user interface.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 3  wherein setting one or more of the dimmer level, output power, and lamp type for each of the ballasts is performed from a graphical user interface running in a central, remote machine to which the ballasts are communicatively coupled.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising setting an output on/off schedule for each of the ballasts via the graphical user interface.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising: 
 receiving at the central, remote machine from each of the ballasts a report indicating a failure or impending failure of a respective lamp.    
   
   
       9 . A lighting control element comprising: 
 an electronic high intensity discharge (HID) lamp ballast that integrates switching power supply circuitry and control electronics in its enclosure to implement adjustable input voltage, a lamp dimming function, a lamp on/off function, adjustable output power, ability to drive different types of HID lamps through the same output including high pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH), ability to drive HID lamps of different manufacturers through the same output, and ability to communicate with a remote central computer as part of a lighting network, wherein the ballast is to, in response to commands received from the remote central computer, set its dimmer level, lamp on/off, output power level, and HID lamp type to be driven.    
   
   
       10 . The lighting control element of  claim 9  wherein the ballast is to drive no more than one HID lamp at any one time.  
   
   
       11 . The lighting control element of  claim 9  wherein the ballast integrates in its enclosure a user interface to set its dimmer level, lamp on/off, output power level, and HID lamp type to be driven.  
   
   
       12 . The lighting control element of  claim 9  wherein the ballast integrates in its enclosure a scheduler function and a user interface to set its timed operation using the scheduler function.  
   
   
       13 . The lighting control element of  claim 9  wherein the ballast is to send a report indicating its failure or impending failure to the remote central computer.  
   
   
       14 . A lighting control network comprising: 
 a plurality of electronic high intensity discharge (HID) lamp ballasts, wherein each ballast integrates switching power supply circuitry and control electronics in its respective enclosure to implement adjustable input voltage, a lamp dimming function, a lamp on/off function, adjustable output power, ability to drive different types of HID lamps through the same output including high pressure sodium (HPS) and metal halide (MH), ability to drive HID lamps of different manufacturers through the same output, and ability to communicate with a remote central computer as part of a lighting network; and    a lighting control application program to run in the remote central computer, the program having a graphical user interface in which a dimmer level, lamp on/off, output power level, and HID lamp type to be driven by each of the ballasts is to be set by a user.    
   
   
       15 . The lighting control network of  claim 14  wherein each of the ballasts is to drive no more than one HID lamp at any one time.  
   
   
       16 . The lighting control network of  claim 14  wherein each of the ballasts integrates in its enclosure a user interface to set its dimmer level, lamp on/off, output power level, and HID lamp type to be driven.  
   
   
       17 . The lighting control network of  claim 14  wherein each of the ballasts integrates in its enclosure a scheduler function and a user interface to set its timed operation using the scheduler function.  
   
   
       18 . The lighting control network of  claim 14  wherein each of the ballasts is to send a report indicating its failure or impending failure to the lighting control application program.  
   
   
       19 . The lighting control network of  claim 14  wherein the ballasts are essentially replicates from a standpoint of hardware.  
   
   
       20 . The lighting control network of  claim 14  wherein each of the ballasts integrates in its enclosure a scheduler function, and wherein timed operation the ballast using the scheduler function is set in the graphical user interface.