Plasma display device and method of driving the same

A method of driving a plasma display device comprising a plurality of first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes, and a plurality of discharge cells aligned with the first electrodes and the second electrodes, the method comprising:

• selecting first on cells from among the plurality of discharge cells in an address period of a first subfield of a first field, the first field comprising the first subfield and a plurality of second subfields after the first subfield;
• sustain-discharging the first on cells in a sustain period of the first subfield;
• selecting second on cells in an address period of each of the plurality of second subfields from among the plurality of discharge cells other than discharge cells selected as on cells in preceding subfields of the first field;
• and
• in a sustain period of each of the plurality of second subfields, sustain-discharging on cells from preceding subfields and the second on cells selected in the address period of the corresponding subfield,
• wherein the sustain-discharging comprises:
• applying a first high-level voltage to the second electrodes while applying a first low-level voltage to the first electrodes during a first period;
• and
• gradually increasing a voltage of the second electrodes from a first voltage to a second voltage higher than the first high-level voltage while applying the first low-level voltage to the first electrodes during a second period after the first period.

A plasma display device comprising:

• a plurality of first electrodes;
• a plurality of second electrodes;
• a plurality of discharge cells aligned with the first electrodes and the second electrodes;
• a controller for dividing one field into a plurality of subfields including a first subfield and a plurality of second subfields after the first subfield, and for selecting a first driving method or a second driving method according to a video signal;
• and
• at least one driver for driving the first electrodes and the second electrodes according to the selected driving method,
• wherein, when the first driving method is selected, the at least one driver is configured to select on cells from among the plurality of discharge cells after initializing the plurality of discharge cells as off cells in the first subfield, and to select on cells in each of the plurality of second subfields from among the plurality of discharge cells other than discharge cells selected as on cells in preceding subfields of the corresponding field, and
• wherein, when the second driving method is selected, the at least one driver is configured to select on cells from among the plurality of discharge cells after initializing the plurality of discharge cells as off cells in each of the plurality of subfields.