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US 3,944,875 AGranted
Gas discharge device having a function of shifting discharge spots
AssigneeFujitsu Limited
InventorsKenichi Owaki, Toshinori Urade, Tadatsugu Hirose
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Discharge spots on a display device can be shifted by using the primary current effect. For the purpose of shifting the discharge spots, electrodes with a right angle to a shift direction are connected periodically to a plurality of buss to which a series of sustaining signals are supplied in a predetermined time differences. This function of shifting the discharge spots can simplify the peripheral circuit of the display device and also increase a domain of the application of this kind of display device, such as a plasma display panel.
Claims11
A driving means for a display device utilizing gas discharge which includes a gap filled with ionizable gas, a plurality of electrodes arranged so as to provide elemental discharge areas in said gap, means for connecting said electrodes arranged at right angles to a shift direction of a discharge spot generated in said elemental discharge area to a plurality of buses periodically comprising:
- a high frequency generator which generates a series of high frequency signals;
- a group of first gate circuits, a first of the inputs of said first gate circuits being connected to the output of said high frequency generator and the outputs of said first gate circuits being connected respectively to said buses periodically;
- a group of second gate circuits, a first of the inputs of said second gate circuits being connected to the output of said high frequency generator and outputs of said second gate circuits being connected respectively to different write electrodes;
- a frequency divider which is connected to said high frequency generator;
- a third gate circuit, one input of which is connected to said frequency divider, means for applying a start signal to another input of said third gate circuit;
- a first ring counter the input of which is connected to said third gate circuit and the outputs of which are connected to a second of the inputs of said first gate circuits,
- a second ring counter which is scanned by a first stage output of said first ring counter,
- a diode matrix corresponding to one character, the vertical lines of which are respectively connected to the output of said second ring counter and the horizontal lines of which are respectively connected to a second of the inputs of said second gate circuits, and;
- an AND circuit, two inputs of which receive respectively reset signals from said first and second ring counters and supply a stop signal to said third gate circuit.
6 more elements
Gas discharge display apparatus comprising:
- a. a pair of base plates having a gap therebetween, said gap being filled with an ionizable gas;
- b. a first group of electrodes arranged on an inner side of one of said base plates;
- c. a second group of electrodes arranged on an inner side of another of said base plates directionally positioned to cross said first group of said electrodes so as to provide elemental discharge areas in said gap;
- d. a dielectric layer covering at least one of said first and second group of electrodes so as to insulate said group of electrodes from said ionizable gas;
- e. means for connecting electrodes belonging to said first group of electrodes periodically to a plurality of buses;
- f. means for supplying operation voltages sequentially to said elemental discharge areas arranged along said first group of electrodes via said buses connected to the first group of electrodes and to said second group of electrodes, said supplied operation voltages being lower than the firing voltage of said elemental discharge areas, said supplied operation voltages being sufficient for initiating a discharge in said elemental discharge areas adjacent to a direction of said second group of said electrodes upon any elemental discharge area in a discharging state, said operation voltages being selected so as to be summed with a wall voltage resulting from wall charges produced on the surface of said dielectric layer in a gas discharged state in a manner to exceed said firing voltage;
- g. control means connected to said operation voltages supplying means for controlling the exchange of said operation voltage so as to continuously supply said operation voltage via at least one of said buses, and;
- h. means for inputting an information signal to at least one of said second group of electrodes so as to discharge the elemental discharge areas corresponding to said one of said second group of electrodes;
- thereby
- 1. shifting the discharged spot produced in accordance with said information signal in said elemental discharge area which is coupled to said input means, in the direction of said second group of electrodes by exchanging said operation voltage applied via said bus, and;
- 2. obtaining a display in said elemental discharge area arranged on the electrode connected to said bus to which said operation voltage is continuously supplied when said exchange of said operation voltage is ceased by said control means.
8 more elements
Gas discharge display apparatus comprising:
- a. a pair of base plates having a plurality of grooves therebetween and filled with ionizable gas;
- b. a plurality of electrodes provided on one of said base plates and arranged in parallel so as to cross said grooves and arranged in elemental discharge areas between adjacent electrodes;
- c. a dielectric layer covering said electrodes so as to insulate said electrodes from said ionizable gas in said grooves;
- d. means for connecting each of said electrodes periodically to a plurality of buses;
- e. means for supplying an operation voltage periodically via said bus to adjacent electrodes, which operation voltage is lower than the firing voltage between adjacent electrodes though sufficient for initiating a discharge in said grooves between adjacent electrodes which is adjacent to a discharge spot in the same groove and is selected so that a sum with a wall voltage due to wall charges produced on the surface of said dielectric layer in a gas discharge state exceeds said firing voltage;
- f. control means connected to said operation voltages supplying means so as to cease an exchange of said operation voltage and to continuously supply said function voltage only between two adjacent electrodes;
- and
- g. write electrodes for an information signal facing the most outside electrode at one end of said grooves;
- thereby
- 1. shifting a discharge spot which is generated in accordance with said information signal applied to said write electrodes as a discharge spot between adjacent electrodes in each groove by exchanging an operation voltage, and;
- 2. obtaining a display between two adjacent electrodes of said each groove of said electrodes by said operation voltage which is continuously supplied between said adjacent electrodes, when said exchange of said operation voltage is ceased by said control means.
8 more elements
A method for shifting discharge spots which are displayed on a plasma display/memory panel, said panel comprising a pair of base plates having a gap therebetween, said gap being filled with an ionizable gas;
- a first set of electrodes arranged on an inner side of one of said base plates, a second set of electrodes arranged on an inner side of another of said base plates directionally positioned to cross said first set of electrodes so as to provide elemental discharge areas in said gap;
- a dielectric layer covering at least one of said first and second sets of electrodes so as to insulate said first set of electrodes from said ionizable gas;
- characterized in that:
- said method comprises
- a. generating discharge spots with a pattern in accordance with an input signal in a group of said elemental discharge areas which are arranged in a first group of electrodes,
- b. supplying a sustaining voltage at least to said elemental discharge areas which are arranged in said first group of electrodes to sustain said discharge spots having a pattern in accordance with an input signal,
- c. supplying to elemental discharge areas associated with a second group of electrodes, which are adjacent to said first group of electrodes, a shifting voltage which is lower than a usual firing voltage for elemental discharge areas and higher than a firing voltage which is decreased by the primary current effect due to the discharge spot of an adjacent elementary discharge area, and
- d. erasing said discharge spot in said elemental discharge area corresponding to said first group of electrodes, thereby shifting the information displayed by said discharge spot in said elemental discharge areas associated with said first group of electrodes to the other elemental discharge areas associated with said second group of electrodes with the same pattern.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.