Patent ID: 7453215

Claim:
An illumination system having cold cathode started, illumination controlled gas discharge lamps in series comprises: AC input terminals (P, Q); a DC positive output terminal (M) and a DC positive output terminal (N); a full-wave voltage-doubler power supply circuit having a positive half-wave voltage-doubler power supply circuit (D 1A , C 1A , D 2A , C 2A , D 1C , C 1C , D 2C , C 2C ) and a negative half-wave voltage-doubler power supply circuit (D 1B , C 1B , D 2B ,C 2B , D 1D ,C 1D ,D 2D , C 2D ) containing a plurality of voltage-doubler rectifier diodes and a plurality of voltage-doubler capacitors connected between the AC input terminals (P, Q), the DC positive output terminal (M) and the DC positive output terminal (N), wherein the positive half-wave voltage-doubler power supply circuit and the negative half-wave voltage-doubler power supply circuit are combined by a plurality of isolating diodes (D 3A ,D 3B ,D 3C , and D 3D ) to form the full-wave voltage-doubler power supply circuit; a full-wave rectifier power supply circuit having a full-wave bridge rectifier circuit (D 1A ′, D 1B ′, D 1C ′, D 1D ′) connected to the AC input terminals (P, Q); a filter capacitor (C 3 ′) connected between a positive voltage output terminal and a negative voltage output terminal; a positive potential switch diode (D M ′) having its anode connected to the positive voltage output terminal and its cathode connected to the DC positive output terminal (M); and a negative potential switch diode (D N ′) having its cathode connected to the negative voltage output terminal and its anode connected to the DC negative output terminal (N); and a plurality of gas discharge lamps and a serial inductor (L) connected in serial between the DC positive output terminal (M) and the DC negative output terminal (N); wherein said voltage-doubler capacitors (C 1A , C 2A , C 1B , C 2B , C 1C , C 2C , C 1D ,C 2D ) are alternately charged and discharged, such that an AC commercial voltage source is transformed into a limited current source with internal resistance to be supplied to said gas discharge lamps.