DC-AC converter having phase-modulated, double-ended, half-bridge topology for powering high voltage load such as cold cathode fluorescent lamp

1. An apparatus for supplying AC power to a high voltage load comprising first and second half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stages which are operative to drive opposite ends of said load with first and second sinusoidal voltages having the same frequency and amplitude, but having a modulated phase difference therebetween, which is effective to vary the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced across the opposite ends of said load, wherein a respective converter stage contains a pair of pulse generators which generate substantially phase-complementary pulse signals of the same amplitude and frequency, but opposite phase, and having an approximately 50% duty cycle, said phase-complementary pulse signals being used to control ON/OFF conduction of a pair of controlled switching devices, connected in series between first and second voltage terminals and wherein a common connection of said switching devices is coupled to a first end of a primary coil of a step-up transformer, a second end of said primary coil being coupled to a capacitor that is referenced to a prescribed voltage, said step-up transformer having a secondary coil thereof coupled to a resonant filter circuit that is operative to convert a generally rectangular wave output produced across the secondary winding of the step-up transformer into a generally sinusoidal waveform.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the phase of the sinusoidal waveform produced by the resonant filter circuit of one of said converter stages is modulated relative to the phase of the sinusoidal waveform produced by the resonant filter circuit of another converter stage, so as to modify the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced between said opposite ends of said load.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a voltage-controlled delay circuit which is operative to impart a controlled amount of delay to pulse trains produced by pulse generators of said one of said converter stages relative to the pulse trains produced by pulse generators of said another of said converter stages, said controlled amount of delay between the two pulse trains controlling the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced across said opposite ends of said load.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said load comprises a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL).

5. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said voltage-controlled delay circuit includes an error amplifier that is coupled to receive a voltage representative of the current through said CCFL and a brightness control voltage, the magnitude of which controls the brightness of said (CCFL).

6. A method of supplying AC power to a high voltage load comprising the steps of:

(a) driving a first end of said load with a first sinusoidal voltage having a prescribed frequency and amplitude as produced by a first half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stage;

(b) driving a second end of said load with a second sinusoidal voltage having said prescribed frequency and amplitude as produced by a second half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stage;

(c) modulating the phase difference between said first and second sinusoidal voltages so as to vary the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced across the opposite ends of said load, wherein a respective converter stage contains a pair of pulse generators which generate substantially phase-complementary pulse signals of the same amplitude and frequency, but opposite phase, and having an approximately 50% duty cycle, said phase-complementary pulse signals being used to control ON/OFF conduction of a pair of controlled switching devices, connected in series between first and second voltage terminals, and wherein a common connection of said switching devices is coupled to a first end of a primary coil of a step-up transformer, a second end of said primary coil being coupled to a capacitor that is referenced to a prescribed voltage, said step-up transformer having a secondary coil thereof coupled to a resonant filter circuit that is operative to convert a generally rectangular wave output produced across the secondary winding of the step-up transformer into a generally sinusoidal waveform.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the phase of the sinusoidal waveform produced by the resonant filter circuit of one of said converter stages is modulated relative to the phase of the sinusoidal waveform produced by the resonant filter circuit of another converter stage, so as to modify the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced between said opposite ends of said load.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein step (c) comprises imparting a controlled amount of delay to pulse trains produced by pulse generators of said one of said converter stages relative to the pulse trains produced by pulse generators of said another of said converter stages, said controlled amount of delay between the two pulse trains modulating the phase difference between said first and second sinusoidal voltages so as to vary the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced across the opposite ends of said load.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said load comprises a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL).

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein step (c) comprises driving a voltage-controlled delay circuit with the output of an error amplifier that is coupled to receive a voltage representative of the current through said CCFL and a brightness control voltage, the magnitude of which controls the brightness of said (CCFL).

11. An apparatus for supplying variable AC power to a load comprising:

a first half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stage, which is operative to drive a first end of said load with a first sinusoidal voltage having a prescribed frequency and amplitude;

a second half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stage, which is operative to drive a second end of said load with a second sinusoidal voltage having said prescribed frequency and amplitude; and

a phase modulation controller which is operative to modulate the relative phase between said first and second sinusoidal voltages and thereby vary the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced across opposite ends of said load, wherein each of said first and second converter stages comprises a pair of pulse generators which generate substantially phase-complementary pulse signals of the same amplitude and frequency, but opposite phase, and having an approximately 50% duty cycle, said phase-complementary pulse signals being used to control ON/OFF conduction of a pair of controlled switching devices, connected in series between first and second voltage terminals and wherein a common connection of said switching devices is coupled to a first end of a primary coil of a step-up transformer, a second end of said primary coil being coupled to a capacitor that is referenced to a prescribed voltage, said step-up transformer having a secondary coil thereof coupled to a resonant filter circuit that is operative to convert a generally rectangular wave output produced across the secondary winding of the step-up transformer into a generally sinusoidal waveform.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the phase of the sinusoidal waveform produced by the resonant filter circuit of said first converter stage is modulated by said phase modulation controller relative to the phase of the sinusoidal waveform produced by the resonant filter circuit of said second converter stage, so as to vary the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced between said opposite ends of said load.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said phase modulation controller includes a voltage-controlled delay circuit which is operative to impart a controlled amount of delay to pulse trains produced by pulse generators of said first converter stage relative to the pulse trains produced by pulse generators of said second converter stage, said controlled amount of delay between the two pulse trains controlling the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced across said opposite ends of said load.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein said load comprises a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL).

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein said voltage-controlled delay circuit includes an error amplifier that is coupled to receive a voltage representative of the current through said CCFL and a brightness control voltage, the magnitude of which controls the brightness of said (CCFL).

16. A method of supplying AC power to a high voltage load comprising the steps of:

(a) driving a first end of said load with a first sinusoidal voltage having a prescribed frequency and amplitude as produced by a first half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stage;

(b) driving a second end of said load with a second sinusoidal voltage having said prescribed frequency and amplitude as produced by a second half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stage;

(c) modulating the phase difference between said first and second sinusoidal voltages so as to vary the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced across the opposite ends of said load; and

wherein each converter stage contains a step-up transformer, each step-up transformer includes a primary coil having first and second ends, the second end of said primary coil being coupled to a capacitor that is referenced to a prescribed voltage, said step-up transformer having a secondary coil thereof coupled to a resonant filter circuit that is operative to convert a generally rectangular wave output produced across the secondary winding of the step-up transformer into a generally sinusoidal waveform.

17. An apparatus for supplying variable AC power to a load comprising:

a first half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stage, which is operative to drive a first end of said load with a first sinusoidal voltage having a prescribed frequency and amplitude;

a second half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stage, which is operative to drive a second end of said load with a second sinusoidal voltage having said prescribed frequency and amplitude;

a phase modulation controller which is operative to modulate the relative phase between said first and second sinusoidal voltages and thereby vary the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced across opposite ends of said load; and

wherein each of said first and second converter stages comprises a step-up transformer, an end of said primary coil being coupled to a capacitor that is referenced to a prescribed voltage, said step-up transformer having a secondary coil thereof coupled to a resonant filter circuit that is operative to convert a generally rectangular wave output produced across the secondary winding of the step-up transformer into a generally sinusoidal waveform.

18. An apparatus for supplying AC power to a high voltage load comprising first and second half-bridge topology-configured-DC-AC converter stages which are operative to drive opposite ends of said load with first and second sinusoidal voltages having the same frequency and amplitude, but having a modulated phase difference therebetween, which is effective to vary the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced across the opposite ends of said load.

19. A method of supplying AC power to a high voltage load comprising the steps of:

(a) driving a first end of said load with a first sinusoidal voltage having a prescribed frequency and amplitude as produced by a first half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stage;

(b) driving a second end of said load with a second sinusoidal voltage having said prescribed frequency and amplitude as produced by a second DC-AC converter stage;

(c) modulating the phase difference between said first and second sinusoidal voltages so as to vary the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced across the opposite ends of said load.

20. An apparatus for supplying variable AC power to a load comprising:

a first half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stage, which is operative to drive a first end of said load with a first sinusoidal voltage having a prescribed frequency and amplitude;

a second half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stage, which is operative to drive a second end of said load with a second sinusoidal voltage having said prescribed frequency and amplitude; and

a phase modulation controller which is operative to modulate the relative phase between said first and second sinusoidal voltages and thereby vary the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced across opposite ends of said load.

21. An apparatus for supplying AC power to a high voltage load comprising first and second half-bridge topology-configured DC-AC converter stages which are operative to drive opposite ends of said load with first and second sinusoidal voltages having the same frequency and amplitude, but having a modulated phase difference therebetween, which is effective to vary the amplitude of the composite AC voltage differential produced across the opposite ends of said load and wherein each converter stage contains circuitry that is operative to convert a generally rectangular wave into a generally sinusoidal waveform to be applied to said load.