Gas discharge panel self shift drive system and method of driving

A self shift drive system for a gas discharge panel having a first plurality of parallel, common electrodes having a common electrical connection thereto and a second plurality of parallel, shift electrodes disposed transversely to said common electrodes, each said plurality being covered by a dielectric layer and said layers being spaced to define a discharge space therebetween, the intersections of said first and second pluralities of electrodes defining respectively corresponding discharge cells, wherein a discharge in any given discharge cell establishes a wall charge on a corresponding portion of the dielectric layer associated with that discharge cell and produces a lowered firing voltage level for establishing a discharge in an adjacent cell, as defined by the next successive shift electrode and the same said common electrode, relatively to the firing voltage level thereof in the absence of any discharge in the said given discharge cell, comprising:

• a plurality of shift busses connected to respectively corresponding ones of said plurality of shift electrodes of said plurality of panels,
• a plurality of low speed transistors connected to respectively corresponding ones of said plurality of shift busses,
• means for selectively enabling conduction of said low speed transistors in succession, corresponding to a succession of shift voltage applying periods for shifting discharges, in succession, to successive ones of the respectively corresponding shift electrodes,
• high speed transistor means connected in common to said low speed transistors for selectively applying a shift voltage pulse of a second, low voltage level to said low speed transistors and for terminating the application of the shift voltage pulse thereto,
• a common bus connected to said common electrodes,
• high speed transistor means for selectively applying a voltage pulse of a first, high voltage level in common to said common electrodes, and said shift voltage pulse of said second level is lower in absolute voltage value and of opposite polarity relatively to said high level voltage pulse, and said second voltage level being selected so that when said second, low level voltage pulse is applied to a selected one of said shift electrodes, said second, low-level, voltage pulse combines with said first, high-level voltage pulse applied to said common electrodes to establish in the discharge cells corresponding to said selected shift electrode a voltage level exceeding the said lowered firing voltage, thereby to produce a discharge spot and a wall charge resulting therefrom in each said discharge cell defined by said selected shift electrode discharge cell for which a discharge spot exists in the respectively corresponding preceding discharge cell, and means for automatically erasing a discharge of a given discharge cell in which a discharge was occurring, upon shifting of the discharge spot to a next successive discharge cell, by terminating said low level voltage pulse of said second level applied to the shift electrode associated with said given cell and continuing to apply said high level voltage pulses of said first level, the high level voltage pulses of said first level cooperating with the wall voltage exhibited by said wall charge of said given cell to produce an erasing discharge and maintain thereby a wall voltage having a value such that the impression of a voltage exceeding the normal firing voltage of said discharge cell is cancelled by said high voltage pulse, whereby a discharge spot in a given discharge cell defined between a given shift electrode and a corresponding common electrode is shifted to the next successive discharge cell defined by the next successive, selected shift electrode and the same common electrode by selective application of the successive low level voltage pulse of said second level to the corresponding, next successive shift electrode and is automatically erased from said given discharge cell defined by the said given shift electrode and said same, common electrode by termination of the low level voltage pulse applied to the said given shift electrode.

A method of self-shift driving of a gas discharge panel including a first plurality of parallel, common electrodes having a common electrical connection thereto, and a second plurality of parallel, shift electrodes disposed transversely to said common electrodes, each said plurality being covered by a dielectric layer and said layers being spaced to define a discharge space therebetween, the intersections of said first and second pluralities of electrodes defining respectively corresponding discharge cells, wherein a discharge in any given discharge cell establishes a wall charge on a corresponding portion of the dielectric layer associated with that discharge and produces a lowered firing voltage level for establishing a discharge in an adjacent cell, as defined by the next successive shift electrode and the same said common electrode, relatively to the firing voltage level thereof in the absence of any discharge in the said given discharge cell, comprising:

• applying a voltage pulse of a first predetermined high voltage level to said common electrical connection for supplying corresponding high level voltage pulses in common to said plurality of electrodes,
• applying, in succession to said plurality of parallel shift electrodes, a corresponding succession of a low-level voltage pulses of a second, predetermined, low voltage level, said low-level voltage pulse being lower in absolute voltage value and of opposite polarity relatively to said high level voltage pulse, and said second voltage level being selected so that when said second low level voltage pulse is applied to a selected one of said shift electrodes, said second, low-level, voltage pulse combines with said first, high-level voltage pulse applied to said common electrodes to establish in the discharge cells corresponding to said selected shift electrode a voltage level exceeding the said lowered firing voltage, thereby to produce a discharge spot and a wall charge resulting therefrom in each said discharge cell defined by said selected shift electrode for which a discharge spot exists in the respectively corresponding preceding discharge cell, and
• automatically erasing a discharge of a given discharge cell in which a discharge was occurring, upon shifting of the discharge spot to a next successive discharge cell, by terminating said low level voltage pulse of said second level applied to the shift electrode associated with said given cell and continuing to apply said high voltage pulses of said first level, the high voltage pulses of said first level cooperating with the wall voltage exhibied by said wall charge of said given cell to produce an erasing discharge and maintain thereby a wall voltage having a value such that the impression of a voltage exceeding the normal firing voltage of said discharge cell is cancelled by said high voltage pulse, whereby a discharge spot in a given discharge cell defined between a given shift electrode and a corresponding common electrode is shifted to the next successive discharge cell defined by the next successive, selected shift electrode and the same said common electrode by selective application of the successive low level voltage pulse of said second level to the corresponding, next successive shift electrode and is automatically erased from said given discharge cell defined by the said given shift electrode and said same, common electrode by termination of the low level voltage pulse applied to the said given shift electrode.