Patent ID: 6498442
Filing Date: 2002-12-24
Classification: H05B

Abstract:
A self-heating type cold-cathode discharge tube control apparatus comprising:temperature detection means for detecting a surrounding temperature of a self-heating type cold-cathode discharge tube actuated upon application of an alternating current voltage; boosting time determination means for determining boosting time to boost a current, that flows through the cold-cathode discharge tube in accordance with actuation of the tube, in correspondence with the temperature detected by the temperature detection means upon actuation of the cold-cathode discharge tube, based on characteristic data previously determined such that the boosting time becomes shorter with a rise of the temperature and becomes longer with a fall of the temperature; temperature range determination means for determining whether the temperature is within a predetermined low temperature range that is a cause of luminance shortage of the cold-cathode discharge tube; voltage determination means for determining the alternating current voltage so as to properly maintain light emission luminance of the cold-cathode discharge tube in accordance with a determination by the temperature range determination means that the temperature is within the low temperature range; and control means for controlling the actuation of the cold-cathode discharge tube based on the alternating current voltage determined by the voltage determination means during the boosting time determined by the boosting time determination means.