Patent 7940015 was granted and assigned to LUTRON ELECTRONICS CO., INC. on May, 2011 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The output current of a ballast is dynamically limited when an over-temperature condition is detected in the ballast according to one of (i) a step function or (ii) a combination of step and continuous functions, so as to reduce the temperature of the ballast while continuing to operate it.