Patent ID: 7863835

Claim:
A display comprising: a display panel comprising pixels; and a backlight module configured to provide backlight for the display panel, the backlight module comprising an inverter to provide power, and elongated fluorescent lamps, each having a first end and a second end, that comprise at least a first fluorescent lamp and a second fluorescent lamp that are electrically connected in series, in which the first ends of the first fluorescent lamp and the second fluorescent lamp are electrically coupled to the inverter, the second end of the first fluorescent lamp is electrically coupled to the second end of the second fluorescent lamp, and the first and second fluorescent lamps are spaced apart with at least a third fluorescent lamp positioned between the first and second fluorescent lamps, the first end of the third fluorescent lamp being connected to the inverter and the second end of the third fluorescent lamp being connected to the second end of a fourth fluorescent lamp spaced apart from the third fluorescent lamp such that the second fluorescent lamp is between the third and fourth fluorescent lamps, wherein the first end of the fourth fluorescent lamp is electrically coupled to the inverter; wherein each lamp comprises a straight tube with connectors at both ends of the straight tube, all signal lines for connecting, without any intervening power source, two lamps in every pair-wise combination of the lamps are located on a first side of the backlight module, all signal lines for connecting each lamp and the inverter are located on a second side of the backlight module, and the first and second sides are different.