Patent ID: 6900600

Claim:
Apparatus for driving a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), comprising: (a) a network of a plurality of switches for generating an AC signal from a DC signal coupled to the network of the plurality of switches, the AC signal being generated by a portion of the network of the plurality of switches periodically opening and closing opposite to the periodic opening and closing of another portion of the network of the plurality of switches; (b) means for filtering being coupled between the network of the plurality of switches and the lamp, the means for filtering acting to filter the AC signal delivered to the lamp; and (c) a controller for periodically opening and closing portions of the network of the plurality of switches based on a resonant frequency of the means for filtering, so that the optimal amount of electrical power is provided for driving the lamp under a range of voltages provided by the DC signal, said controller also operative to provide a higher energy pulse during striking of the lamp, wherein the plurality of switches are MOSFET's arranged in an H-bridge network.