Method of addressing a plasma display panel

A method of addressing an AC plasma display panel containing plural discharge sites (cells) arranged in rows and columns, with each row containing at least one pair of sustain electrodes, that are a scan (Y) sustain electrode and a bulk (X) sustain electrode, wherein the scan (Y) sustain electrode is used for selecting a row during addressing, and each column containing at least one data electrode for providing a column selection, and further containing circuit means for applying drive signals to all said electrodes during setup, address and display (sustain) periods, wherein the method utilizes discharges during address period in all cells both selected (ON) and not selected (OFF) for emitting light during the display period, and comprises the steps of

• a) equalizing wall charge conditions in all cells, prior to addressing, using a ramp set up and locking these conditions to prevent any discharge activity in the panel by applying voltage Vlock to all scan electrodes at the end of the reset period,
• b) applying a voltage VOFF smaller than the Vlock between all data and sustained electrodes of both X and Y, to initiate AY discharges in OFF cells when the scan pulse unlocks the selected row for addressing, and
• c) unlocking for addressing every line one line at a time by applying a scan pulse to a selected scan electrode and thereafter applying an additional address voltage Vaddr to selected data electrodes for initiating ON discharges in selected cells,
• wherein the change of the voltage VOFF between all data electrodes and all sustain electrodes is made by
• a) increasing potentials of all data electrodes by positive VOFF for a duration of the address period, or
• b) lowering potentials of all sustain electrodes by VOFF for the duration of the address period, or
• c) any combination of a) and b) when potentials of all data electrodes are increased by a part of the positive voltage VOFF and potentials of all sustain electrodes decreased by the rest of it.

An AC gas discharge plasma display panel, comprising plural discharge sites (cells), arranged in rows and columns, with each row containing at least one pair of electrodes separated from the discharge site by a dielectric layer and each column containing at least one electrode separated from the discharge site by layers of dielectric and possibly phosphor, said plasma panel further comprises circuit means for applying drive signals to a plurality of said electrodes during setup (reset), address and display (sustain) periods;

• said drive signals initiate discharges in both ON and OFF cells during selective addressing, where first mode OFF discharges are being initiated between data and scan electrodes of the selected row by applying a voltage difference VOFF (or potential difference) between the data electrodes and the sustain electrodes and second mode ON discharges are initiated by applying an additional address voltage Vaddr to selected data electrodes;
• wherein the first mode discharges between data and scan electrodes in selected for addressing line are initiated by
• a) additional positive voltage VOFF applied to all data electrodes for a duration of the address period, or
• b) additional negative voltage VOFF applied to all sustain electrodes for the duration of the address period, or
• c) any combination of a) and b) wherein the potentials of data electrodes is increased by a part of the voltage VOFF and the rest of it, having the opposite sign is added to the potentials of all sustain electrodes.

A method of addressing an AC plasma display panel containing plural discharge sites (cells) arranged in rows and columns, with each row containing at least one pair of sustain electrodes, that are a scan (Y) sustain electrode and a bulk (X) sustain electrode, wherein the scan (Y) sustain electrode is used for selecting a row during addressing, and each column containing at least one data electrode for providing a column selection, and further containing circuit means for applying drive signals to all said electrodes during setup, address and display (sustain) periods, wherein the method utilizes discharges during address period in all cells both selected (ON) and not selected (OFF) for emitting light during the display period, and comprises the steps of:

• a) equalizing wall charge conditions and locking these conditions in the panel prior to addressing,
• b) unlocking for addressing every line one line at a time by applying a scan pulse to a selected scan electrode and initiating first mode discharges between scan (Y) and data (A) electrodes in OFF cells and second mode discharges involving all electrodes in ON cells of the corresponding line, wherein discharges in OFF cells are being initiated by changing the voltages of all data electrodes with respect to all sustain electrodes by VOFF and discharges in ON cells by applying an additional address voltage Vaddr on top of VOFF to selected data electrodes;
• wherein a scan pulse once applied to a row selected for addressing, continues to be applied to it when another scan pulse unlocks the next row selected for addressing, thus realizing the sequence of actions:
• 1) “unlock the row”, 2) “address both ON and OFF cells”, and 3) “go to the next row” without locking the addressed row back prior to addressing the next one to be addressed;
• the row may stay unlocked by the scan pulse up to the end of the address period.