Computer Lighting Control
AssigneeWaterloo Semiconductor LLC
InventorMichael Thomas Mueller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method and system that provides independent control over lighting within a computer case. Each inverter module is provided with its own switch to facilitate independent control of illumination. Preferably, the switches are located in a bus that fits within a drive bay and the inverter is directly mounted onto the housing that contains the switch. In another embodiment, the inverter is integrated in a printed circuit board that is inserted into the card slots (e.g. ISA, VESA, PCI, and PCI-Express card slot) on the mother board of the computer. Therefore, the on and off of CCFL inverter can be controlled by software application through the ISA, VESA, PCI, or PCI-Express bus.
Claims10
A method of independently controlling cold cathode florescent lamp (CCFL) lighting within a computer case comprising:
- a. providing at least one CCFL inverter and switch, each said individual CCFL inverter has its own switch;
- b. placing at least one electrical terminal of said switch on a printed circuit board forming a switch controller circuit board;
- c. placing at least one actuating means of said switch on an outer face of a housing, said actuating means being in electrical connection with the corresponding electrical terminal of said switch controller circuit board;
- d. mounting said switch controller circuit board on the interior of said housing;
- e. placing at least one CCFL inverters onto a printed circuit board forming a CCFL inverter circuit board, said CCFL inverter circuit board is mounted on interior of said housing containing the switch controller circuit board whereby each said CCFL inverter making electrical contact with its dedicated switch through a connector;
- f. placing said housing within a drive bay;
- and
- g. connecting each CCFL to the output of said corresponding CCFL inverter.
A method of independently controlling cold cathode florescent lamp (CCFL) lighting within a computer case comprising:
- a. providing at least one CCFL inverter and switch, each said individual CCFL inverter has its own switch;
- b. placing at least one electrical terminal of said switch on a printed circuit board forming a switch controller circuit board;
- c. placing at least one actuating means of said switch on an outer face of a housing, said actuating means being in electrical connection with the corresponding electrical terminal of said switch controller circuit board;
- d. embedding at least one CCFL inverter onto the switch controller printed circuit board, the CCFL inverter circuit making electrical contact with the switch, forming an inverter embedded switch controller circuit board;
- e. mounting said inverter embedded switch controller circuit board on the interior of said housing;
- f. placing said housing within a drive bay;
- and
- g. connecting each CCFL to the output of said corresponding CCFL inverter.
A method of independently controlling cold cathode florescent lamp (CCFL) lighting within a computer case comprising:
- a. mounting at least one CCFL inverter onto a printed circuit board that has at least one electrically-actuated switch whereby each said CCFL inverter can be independently controlled by said corresponding switch;
- b. inserting said printed circuit board into a card slot on a computer board, once said printed circuit board is inserted, each of said electrically-actuated switch that offers independent control over said corresponding CCFL inverter module will be in electrical contact with the card slot/bus on the motherboard through the printed circuit board edge connector;
- and
- c. connecting each CCFL to the output of said corresponding CCFL inverter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.