Apparatus for controlling CCFL and method for operating the same

• US 7,315,298 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Issued: 01/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gigabyte Technology Company Limited (Giga-Byte Technology Co.)
• Original Assignee: Gigabyte Technology Company Limited (Giga-Byte Technology Co.)
• Inventors: Lee, Chun-Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen; Shih-Chao
• Assistant Examiner(s): A, MINH D
• Application Number:
  US10/855,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20050264241A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 315/169.3, 315/169.4, 315/169.1, 315/169.2, 315/200.A, 345/176, 345/156
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 41/34 to provide a sequence of flashes
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 47/12 by detecting audible sound
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 20/40 Control techniques providing energy savings, e.g. smart controller or presence detection

Abstract

A flashing apparatus controlled by an audio signal on a motherboard and a method for the same is proposed. The flashing apparatus has at least one cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL), a motherboard and a controller. The CCFL is connected to a high voltage cable and receives a high voltage power to emit light of at least one color. The motherboard executes a sound effect software to send a lighting pulse signal to the controller. The controller is electrically connected to the high voltage power for the CCFL. The controller receives the lighting pulse signal and converts it into the high voltage power to make the CCFL flash.

Claims

1. A method controlling a flashing of a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) by fetching an audio signal on a motherboard, comprising steps of:

supplying a power from the motherboard and boosting the power to a high voltage power for lighting the CCFL;

fetching a digital audio signal from the motherboard and converting the digital audio signal into a lighting pulse signal, pulsing of the lighting pulsing signal being based on an audio frequency or an audio volume; and

controlling on and off of the high voltage power according to the lighting pulse signal, thus driving the CCFL in a flashing manner.

2. The method controlling a flashing of a CCFL as in claim 1, wherein in the step of supplying a power from the motherboard, the motherboard supplies the power from a connection port thereof.

3. The method controlling a flashing of a CCFL as in claim 2, wherein the connection port is a USB port, a parallel port or a serial port.

4. The method controlling a flashing of a CCFL as in claim 1, wherein the step of fetching a digital audio signal is executed by a sound effect software.

5. The method controlling a flashing of a CCFL as in claim 4, wherein the sound effect software has an audio volume option to control the lighting pulse signal according to the audio volume.

6. The method controlling a flashing of a CCFL as in claim 4, wherein the sound effect software has an audio frequency option to control the lighting pulse signal according to the audio frequency.

7. The method controlling a flashing of a CCFL as in claim 4, wherein the sound effect software has at least one of an audio frequency option and an audio volume option to control the lighting pulse signal according to the audio frequency or the audio volume.

8. A flashing apparatus controlled by an audio signal on a motherboard, comprising:

at least one cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) connected to a high voltage cable and received a high voltage power to emit light of at least one color;

a motherboard arranged in a computer chassis and generating a lighting pulse signal, pulsing of the lighting pulsing signal being controlled by a sound effect software; and

a controller arranged on the motherboard and electrically connected to the high voltage power for the CCFL, the controller receiving the lighting pulse signal and converting the lighting pulse signal into the high voltage power to make the CCFL flash.

9. The flashing apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the sound effect software has at least one of an audio frequency option and an audio volume option to control the lighting pulse signal according to the audio frequency or the audio volume.

10. The flashing apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the sound effect software has an audio volume option to control the lighting pulse signal according to the audio volume.

11. The flashing apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the sound effect software has an audio frequency option to control the lighting pulse signal according to the audio frequency.

12. The flashing apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the controller comprises

at least one switch to turn on/off the power according to a control of the lighting pulse signal;

a voltage booster connected to the switch and used to convert the power into the high voltage power and supply the high voltage power to CCFL; and

at least one energy-storing element connected to the high voltage power for saving energy for the high voltage power.

13. A flashing apparatus controlled by an audio signal on a motherboard, comprising:

at least one cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) connected to a high voltage cable and receiving a high voltage power to emit light of at least one color;

a motherboard arranged in a computer chassis and generating a lighting pulse signal to a computer connection port, pulsing of the lighting pulsing signal being controlled by a sound effect software; and

a controller electrically connected to the computer connection port and the high voltage power for the CCFL, the controller receiving the lighting pulse signal and converting the lighting pulse signal into the high voltage power to make the CCFL flash.

14. The flashing apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the connection port is a USB port, a parallel port or a serial port.

15. The flashing apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the sound effect software has an audio volume option to control the lighting pulse signal according to the audio volume.

16. The flashing apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the sound effect software has an audio frequency option to control the lighting pulse signal according to the audio frequency.

17. The flashing apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the sound effect software has at least one of an audio frequency option and an audio volume option to control the lighting pulse signal according to the audio frequency or the audio volume.

18. The flashing apparatus as in claim 13, wherein the controller comprises

at least one switch connected to the connection port and receiving a power from the connection port, the switch being used to turn on/off the power according to a control of the lighting pulse signal;

a voltage booster connected to the switch and used to convert the power into the high voltage power and supply the high voltage power to the CCFL; and

at least one energy-storing element connected to the high voltage power for saving energy for the high voltage power.