Plasma display panel, and apparatus and method for driving the same

An apparatus for driving a plasma display panel comprising a pair of a scan electrode and a sustain electrode alternately disposed and a panel capacitor formed between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode, said apparatus comprising:

• a sustain discharge unit comprising a first switch and a second switch serially connected between a first voltage and a second voltage and having a first contact connected to the one terminal of the panel capacitor, and a third switch and a fourth switch serially connected between the first voltage and the second voltage and having a second contact connected to the other terminal of the panel capacitor, said sustain discharge unit maintaining either terminal voltage of the panel capacitor at the first voltage or the second voltage;
• a first charge/discharge unit comprising a first capacitor and a first variable voltage serially connected between the first voltage and the second voltage, a fifth switch and a sixth switch respectively connected in parallel to a contact between the first capacitor and the first variable voltage, and a first inductor connected to a contact between the fifth switch and the sixth switch and to one terminal of the panel capacitor, said first charge/discharge unit charging the one terminal of the panel capacitor to the first voltage or discharging it to the second voltage;
• and
• a second charge/discharge unit comprising a second capacitor and a second variable voltage serially connected between the first voltage and the second voltage, a seventh switch and an eighth switch respectively connected in parallel to a contact between the second capacitor and the second variable voltage, and a second inductor connected to a contact between the seventh switch and the eighth switch and to the other terminal of the panel capacitor, said second charge/discharge unit charging another terminal of the panel capacitor to the first voltage or discharging it to the second voltage.

An apparatus for driving a plasma display panel comprising a pair of a scan electrode and a sustain electrode alternately disposed and a panel capacitor formed between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode, said apparatus comprising:

• a sustain discharge unit comprising a first switch and a second switch serially connected between a first voltage and a second voltage and having a first contact connected to one terminal of the panel capacitor, and a third switch and a fourth switch serially connected between the first voltage and the second voltage and having a second contact connected to another terminal of the panel capacitor, said sustain discharge unit maintaining either terminal voltage of the panel capacitor at the first voltage or the second voltage;
• and
• a charge/discharge unit comprising a first inductor and a second inductor electrically connected to the one terminal and the other terminal of the panel capacitor, respectively,
• wherein said charge/discharge unit boosts a current to store an energy in the first inductor and the second inductor while either terminal voltage of the panel capacitor is maintained at a sustain discharge voltage, and inverts the polarity of either terminal voltage of the panel capacitor using the energy stored in the first inductor and the second inductor.

A plasma display panel, comprising:

• a panel comprising a plurality of address electrodes, a plurality of a pair of a scan electrode and a sustain electrode alternately arranged, and a panel capacitor formed between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode;
• a controller for receiving an external image signal, and generating an address drive control signal and a sustain discharge signal;
• an address driver that receives the address drive control signal from the controller and applies a display data signal to the address electrode;
• and
• a scan/sustain driver that receives the sustain discharge signal from the controller and applies a sustain discharge voltage alternately to the scan electrodes and the sustain electrodes,
• wherein said scan/sustain driver comprises:
• a sustain discharge unit comprising a first switch and a second switch serially connected between a first voltage and a second voltage and having a first contact connected to the one terminal of the panel capacitor, and a third switch and a fourth switch serially connected between the first voltage and the second voltage and having a second contact connected to the other terminal of the panel capacitor, the sustain discharge unit maintaining either terminal voltage of the panel capacitor at the first voltage or the second voltage;
• and
• a charge/discharge unit comprising a first inductor and a second inductor electrically connected to the one terminal and the other terminal of the panel capacitor, respectively, the charge/discharge unit boosting a current to a predetermined level for a later sustain discharge to store an energy in the first inductor and the second inductor while either terminal voltage of the panel capacitor is maintained at the sustain discharge voltage, the charge/discharge unit inverting the polarity of either terminal voltage of the panel capacitor using the energy stored in the first inductor and the second inductor.

A method for driving a plasma display panel comprising a pair of a scan electrode and a sustain electrode alternately disposed and a panel capacitor formed between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode, said method comprising steps of:

• boosting a current flowing to a first inductor and a second inductor electrically connected to one terminal and another terminal of the panel capacitor, respectively, to store an energy in the first inductor and the second inductor, while both terminal voltage of the panel capacitor is maintained at a sustain discharge voltage having a first polarity;
• inverting the polarity of both terminal voltage of the panel capacitor using the energy stored in the first inductor and the second inductor;
• and
• maintaining both terminal voltage of the panel capacitor at the sustain discharge voltage having the second polarity.

A method for driving a plasma display panel having an apparatus for driving a plasma display panel comprising a pair of a scan electrode and a sustain electrode alternately disposed and a panel capacitor formed between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode, comprising:

• a sustain discharge unit comprising a first switch and a second switch serially connected between a first voltage and a second voltage and having a first contact connected to one terminal of the panel capacitor, and a third switch and a fourth switch serially connected between the first voltage and the second voltage and having a second contact connected to another terminal of the panel capacitor, said sustain discharge unit maintaining either terminal voltage of the panel capacitor at the first voltage or the second voltage;
• a first charge/discharge unit comprising a first capacitor and a second capacitor serially connected between the first voltage and the second voltage, a fifth switch and a sixth switch respectively connected in parallel to a contact between the first capacitor and the second capacitor, and a first inductor connected to a contact between the fifth switch and the sixth switch and to the one terminal of the panel capacitor, said first charge/discharge unit charging the one terminal of the panel capacitor to the first voltage or discharging it to the second voltage;
• and a second charge/discharge unit comprising a third capacitor and a fourth capacitor serially connected between the first voltage and the second voltage, a seventh switch and an eighth switch respectively connected in parallel to a contact between the third capacitor and the fourth capacitor, and a second inductor connected to a contact between the seventh switch and the eighth switch and to the other terminal of the panel capacitor, said second charge/discharge unit charging the other terminal of the panel capacitor to the first voltage or discharging it to the second voltage, said method comprising steps of:
• turning the second and third switches ON, and maintaining the one terminal voltage of the panel capacitor to the second voltage and the other terminal of the panel capacitor to the first voltage;
• turning the fifth and eighth switches ON while the second switch and the third switch are ON, and storing an energy in the first inductor and the second inductor;
• turning the second switch and the third switch OFF while the fifth switch and the eighth switch are ON, and inverting the polarity of both terminal voltage of the panel capacitor;
• turning the first switch and the fourth switch ON while the fifth switch and the eighth switch are ON, and recovering the energy stored in the first inductor and the second inductor;
• and
• turning the fifth switch and the eighth switch OFF while the first switch and the fourth switch are ON, and maintaining the one terminal voltage of the panel capacitor at the first voltage and the other terminal of the panel capacitor at the second voltages.

A method for driving a plasma display panel, having a panel capacitor with a terminal and at least one inductor electrically coupled to the terminal, comprising steps of:

• applying a current of a first polarity to the inductor while holding the terminal at a first voltage level in order to store first energy in the inductor;
• boosting the terminal voltage level to a second voltage level using the first energy stored in the inductor;
• applying a current of a second polarity opposite to the first polarity to the inductor while holding the terminal at the second voltage level in order to store second energy in the inductor;
• and
• discharging the capacitor terminal voltage from the second voltage level to the first voltage level using the second energy stored in the inductor.