| 摘要 |
<p>A compact auxiliary circuit (300) modifies the operation of a low-voltage control circuit (42) associated with an electronic dimming gas discharge lamp ballast (2). The auxiliary circuit (300) modifies the output of the control circuit (42) to reduce the brightness of the lamps (26) when excess ambient light is available, and increases the brightness of the lamps (26) as available ambient light is reduced. The auxiliary circuit is located in a small housing (312) which mounts in a knockout plug of a fluorescent ceiling fixture (501). In a preferred embodiment, the auxiliary circuit (300) includes a photocell (308) that obtains information on ambient light levels through an ambient light gathering prism (302) mounted through a ceiling tile (508) near the fixture (501), and connected to the circuit housing (312) by a flexible fiber optic cable (306). A single auxiliary circuit (300) according to the invention can be connected to vary the brightness of a large number of lamps.</p> |
