Patent ID: 6900599

Claim:
An electronic ballast for powering a cold cathode fluorescent lamp of an electronic display device and incorporated in the housing of the electronic display device, comprising: a housing for the electronic display device, the electronic display device comprising a video display terminal; and an electronic ballast for powering a cold cathode fluorescent lamp, the cold cathode fluorescent lamp serving as an illumination device for the electronic display device; the ballast comprising: a rectifier coupled to a source of AC power for producing a rectified DC output voltage; a power factor correction circuit receiving the rectified DC output voltage and providing an increased voltage DC bus voltage, wherein said power factor correction circuit comprises a boost converter for providing said increased voltage DC voltage across said DC bus and power factor correction control circuit for controlling a switching operation of said boost converter; an electronic switching circuit comprising at least one electronic switch for switching the DC bus voltage to provide a switched voltage for driving a cold cathode fluorescent lamp, the switched voltage being provided to the lamp through an output stage comprising a resonant LC circuit; and an electronic ballast control circuit for controlling a switching operation of said electronic switching circuit, and wherein said electronic ballast is fully contained in the housing for the electronic display device.