Display and display panel driving method

A driving method for driving a display panel according to pixel data of every pixel based on an input image signal, the display panel having:

• a front substrate and a rear substrate arranged at opposite positions for interposing a discharge space therebetween;
• a plurality of pairs of row electrodes provided on an inner surface of the front substrate;
• a plurality of column electrodes arranged on an inner surface of the rear substrate in a way of intersecting with the pairs of row electrodes;
• and light-emission areas formed at each intersection of the row electrode pairs and the column electrodes, each of the light-emission areas consisting of a first discharge cell including a portion where the respective row electrodes in pair are opposed to each other with a first discharge gap in the discharge space and a second discharge cell including a portion where a light absorptive layer is provided on the front substrate's side and one row electrode of the row electrode pair and the other row electrode of the row electrode pair adjacent to the above row electrode pair are opposed to each other with a second discharge gap, the method comprising:
• an address stage for producing an address discharge within the second discharge cell selectively by applying a pixel data pulse based on the pixel data, to the respective column electrodes, while applying a scanning pulse to a row electrode having the longer distance to the first discharge cell, of the respective row electrodes within the second discharge cell, thereby setting the second discharge cell at a light-on state or a light-off state;
• a priming expansion stage for expanding a discharge toward the first discharge cell to set the first discharge cell at a light-on state, by applying a priming pulse alternately to the respective row electrodes within the second discharge cell to cause a priming discharge only in the second discharge cell that is in the light-on state;
• and
• a sustain stage for repeatedly applying a sustain pulse alternately to the respective row electrodes within the first discharge cell to cause a sustain discharge only in the first discharge cell that is in the light-on state.