# US 2008/0185970 A1 · System And Apparatus For Cathodoluminescent Lighting > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0185970 A1 - Document ID: US20080185970A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/969,840 - Filed: 2008-01-04 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-05 - Assignees: Vu1 Corporation - Inventors: Charles E. Hunt; Regan Andrew Zane; Richard N. Herring - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080185970A1 ## CPC - H01J 9/244: {specially adapted for cathode ray tubes (H01J9/241, H01J9/26 take precedence)} - H01J 61/56: One or more circuit elements structurally associated with the lamp - H01J 63/06: Lamps with luminescent screen excited by the ray or stream - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) ## Abstract A cathodolumineseent lighting system has a light emitting device having an envelope with a transparent face, a cathode for emitting electrons, an anode with a phosphor layer and a conductor layer. The phosphor layer emits light through the transparent face of the envelope. The system also has a power supply for providing at least five thousand volts of power to the light emitting device, and the electrons transiting from cathode to anode are essentially unfocused. Additional embodiments responsive to triac-type dimmers with intensity and color-changes in response to dimmer control. A power-factor-corrected embodiment is also disclosed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cathodoluminescent lighting system comprising: a cathodoluminescent light emitting device further comprising: an envelope having a transparent face, a cathode for emitting electrons, and an anode comprising a phosphor layer and a conductor layer, the phosphor layer disposed to emit light through the transparent face of the envelope; a power supply for providing power to the cathodoluminescent light emitting device; wherein the power supply is capable of providing at least a two thousand volt potential difference between the cathode and the anode of the cathodoluminescent light emitting device; and wherein the electrons are essentially unfocused. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cathodoluminescent lighting system of claim 1 wherein the cathode of the cathodoluminescent device is electrically heated. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The cathodoluminescent lighting system of claim 2 wherein the cathode of the cathodoluminescent light emitting device is electrically heated by a separate heater in the cathodoluminescent light emitting device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The cathodoluminescent lighting system of claim 3 wherein an extraction grid and a defocusing grid are disposed between the anode and cathode of the cathodoluminescent light emitting device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The cathodoluminescent lighting system of claim 4, wherein the power supply has power factor correction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The cathodoluminescent lighting system of claim 1 wherein the power supply further comprises apparatus for determining a duty cycle of any incoming AC power and of modulating light emitted by the cathodoluminescent light emitting device in response thereto. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The cathodoluminescent lighting system of claim 6 wherein the power supply modulates light emitted by the cathodoluminescent light emitting device by adjusting at least one grid voltage in the cathodoluminescent device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The cathodoluminescent lighting system of claim 7 wherein the power supply adjusts at least one grid voltage in the cathodoluminescent device between a current-on and a current-off level with a duty cycle determined by measurement of the duty cycle of the incoming AC power. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The cathodoluminescent lighting system of claim 7 wherein the power supply is capable of operating at input AC supply voltages from 110 to 250 volts for compatibility with European and United States power distribution systems. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The cathodoluminescent lighting system of claim 6 wherein a color of light emitted by the system changes in response to the duty cycle of the AC supply. ### Claim 11 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. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus for providing power of claim 11 wherein the power supply further comprises a secondary winding magnetically coupled to an inductor selected from the group consisting of the inductor of the resonant flyback inverter and an inductor of the apparatus for providing a potential difference between the cathode and a grid, the secondary winding coupled to power a heater of the cathode of the cathodoluminescent light emitting device. ### Claim 13 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. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising apparatus for providing power to a cathode heater of the cathodoluminescent light emitting device, and wherein the apparatus for dimming the cathodoluminescent light emitting device operates by adjusting the power provided to the heater. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus for dimming the cathodoluminescent device operates by pulse-width modulating a grid voltage of the cathodoluminescent device, such that when the duty cycle of the external AC supply is low, narrow pulses are applied to a grid of the cathodoluminescent device and that when the duty cycle of the external AC supply is high, wide pulses are applied to the grid of the cathodoluminescent device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus for dimming the cathodoluminescent device operates by adjusting a parameter selected from the group consisting of grid voltage of the cathodoluminescent device and accelerating potential of the cathodoluminescent device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the apparatus for converting the DC power to high frequency AC power further comprises: 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 high frequency AC power coupled from the inductor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the high frequency AC power is magnetically coupled from the inductor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a secondary winding coupled to the inductor of the resonant flyback inverter for providing power to a cathode heater of the cathodoluminescent lighting device. ### Claim 20 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. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the apparatus for dimming the cathodoluminescent lighting device is a grid modulator. ### Claim 22 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. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the apparatus for altering the color of light operates by altering an accelerating potential between the anode and the cathode of the cathodoluminescent light emitting device. ### Claim 24 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. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising apparatus for determining a duty cycle of the external AC supply and for adjusting light output of the cathodoluminescent light emitting device in response thereto.