Driving method for gas discharge display apparatus and apparatus therefor

A gas discharge display apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of light emitting tubes, a discharge gas and a fluorescent material disposed inside the light emitting tube;
• a rear substrate having a plurality of address electrodes, the plurality of address electrodes being formed on one surface of the rear substrate and extending in a longitudinal direction of the light emitting tubes, the rear substrate being secured to the plurality of light emitting tubes;
• a front substrate having a plurality of pairs of display electrodes, the plurality of pairs of the display electrodes extending in an orthogonal direction to the address electrodes, the front substrate being secured to the plurality of the light emitting tubes and opposing to the rear substrate via the plurality of the light emitting tubes;
• and
• a driving unit for supplying first and second pulses to one of the selected pair of the display electrodes and the address electrode, and third pulses to the pair of display electrode, the first pulses generating a first discharge for selecting a cell, the first discharge performed between one of the selected pair of the display electrodes and the selected address electrode, the cell being a part of the light emitting tube at a portion of the light emitting tube and being defined as a cross portion of the selected pair of the display electrodes and the selected address electrode, the second pulses generating a second discharge for emitting a light from the fluorescent material in the cell, the second discharge being generated between one of the selected pair of the display electrodes and the selected address electrode in association with the cell during a period for light emitting from the cell caused by a third discharge generated by the third pulses, the third discharge performed between the selected pair of the display electrodes.

A gas discharge display apparatus capable of displaying an image in a plurality of subfields composing one field, comprising:

• a plurality of light emitting tubes, a discharge gas and a fluorescent material disposed inside the light emitting tubes;
• a rear substrate having a plurality of address electrodes, the plurality of address electrodes being formed on one surface of the rear substrate and extending in a longitudinal direction of the light emitting tubes, the rear substrate being secured to the plurality of light emitting tubes;
• a front substrate having a plurality of pairs of display electrodes, the plurality of the pairs of the display electrodes extending in a orthogonal direction to the address electrodes, the front substrate being secured to the plurality of the light emitting tubes and opposing to the rear substrate via the plurality of the light emitting tubes;
• and
• a driving unit for supplying first and second pulses to selected one of the pair of the display electrodes and selected one of address electrodes, and third pulses to the selected pair of the display electrodes, the first pulses generating a first discharge for selecting a cell, the first discharge performed between one of the selected pair of the display electrodes and the selected address electrode, the cell being a part of the light emitting tube and being defined as a cross portion of the selected pair of display electrodes and the selected address electrode, the second pulses generating a second discharge for emitting a light from the fluorescent material in the cell, the second discharge being generated between one of the selected pair of display electrodes and the selected address electrode in association with the cell during a period for light emitting from the cell caused by a third discharge generated by the third pulses, the third discharge performed between the selected pair of the display electrodes during a period of the subfield.