System And Apparatus For Cathodoluminescent Lighting

An apparatus for providing power to a cathodoluminescent light emitting device, the power to a cathodoluminescent lighting device including power for a potential difference between an anode and a cathode, comprising:

• a rectifier for converting input AC to a DC power;
• a resonant flyback inverter for converting the DC power to internal AC comprising an inductor coupled in series with a blocking diode and a switching transistor, the inductor, blocking diode, and transistor together coupled across the DC power, the internal AC coupled from the inductor;
• apparatus for providing a potential difference between the cathode and a grid of the cathodoluminescent device;
• and
• a voltage-multiplying rectifier for receiving the internal AC and for providing the potential difference between the cathode and the anode of the cathodoluminescent light emitting device.

An apparatus for providing power to a cathodoluminescent light emitting device comprising:

• a rectifier for connection to an external AC supply;
• apparatus for determining a duty cycle of the external AC supply;
• a capacitor for filtering an output of the rectifier and providing DC power;
• apparatus for converting the DC power to high frequency AC power;
• voltage multiplying and rectifying apparatus for providing high voltage DC power from the high frequency AC power, the high voltage DC power for supplying the cathodoluminescent light emitting device;
• and
• apparatus for dimming the cathodoluminescent light emitting device according to the duty cycle of the external AC supply.

An apparatus for providing light comprising:

• a cathodoluminescent light emitting device having an anode and a cathode;
• a rectifier for connection to an external AC supply;
• apparatus for determining a duty cycle of the external AC supply;
• a capacitor for filtering an output of the rectifier and providing DC power;
• apparatus for converting the DC power to high frequency AC power;
• voltage multiplying and rectifying apparatus for providing high voltage DC power from the high frequency AC power, the high voltage DC power for supplying a voltage difference between the anode and cathode of the cathodoluminescent light emitting device;
• and
• apparatus for dimming the cathodoluminescent light emitting device according to the duty cycle of the external AC supply.

An apparatus for providing light comprising:

• a cathodoluminescent light emitting device having an anode and a cathode;
• a rectifier for connection to an external AC supply;
• apparatus for determining a duty cycle of the external AC supply;
• a capacitor for filtering an output of the rectifier and providing DC power;
• apparatus for converting the DC power to high frequency AC power;
• voltage multiplying and rectifying apparatus for providing high voltage DC power from the high frequency AC power, the high voltage DC power for supplying a voltage difference between the anode and cathode of the cathodoluminescent light emitting device;
• and
• apparatus for altering the color of light emitted by the cathodoluminescent light emitting device according to the duty cycle of the external AC supply.

An apparatus for providing light comprising:

• a cathodoluminescent light emitting device having an anode and a cathode, the anode further comprising a phosphor layer for emitting light;
• a rectifier for connection to an external AC supply;
• apparatus for determining a phase of the external AC supply;
• a small capacitor for filtering an output of the rectifier and providing DC power with considerable ripple;
• apparatus for converting the DC power to high frequency AC power, the apparatus for converting the DC power to high frequency AC power comprising at least one inductor and apparatus for applying the DC power to the inductor;
• and
• voltage multiplying and rectifying apparatus for providing high voltage DC power from the high frequency AC power, the high voltage DC power for supplying a voltage difference between the anode and cathode of the cathodoluminescent light emitting device;
• wherein the apparatus for applying the DC power to the inductor is operable at a wider pulsewidth during shoulder regions of a sinusoidal waveform of external AC power than during peak regions, and a slower pulse rate during shoulder regions of a sinusoidal waveform of external AC power than during peak regions.