Method for driving a gas discharge panel

A method for driving a gas discharge panel having a plurality of display electrode pairs, a plurality of select electrodes insulated from and arranged to intersect the display electrode pairs, one display electrode of each display electrode pair being connected in common with the corresponding one electrode of other display electrodes pairs to form at least one group, and the other display electrode of each display electrode pair being connected in common with the corresponding other display electrode of other display electrode pairs to form at least one group, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating discharges in display cells defined by a selected display electrode pair by applying a firing voltage across the selected display electrode pair;
• (b) erasing the discharge in non-selected display cells defined by the selected display electrode pair by applying a select voltage across the select electrodes defining select cells corresponding to the non-selected display cells and the other display electrode of the selected display electrode pair to generate a discharge in the select cells corresponding to the non-selected display cells;
• and
• (c) sustaining the discharging of the selected display cells by applying an AC sustaining voltage to the selected display electrode pair.

A method for driving a dischage panel having a plurality of parallel display electrode pairs and a purality of selection electrodes insulated from and arranged to intersect the display electrode pairs, the intersecitons of the select electrodes and one display electrode in each display electrode pair defining a plurality of select cells and each display electrode pair defining a plurality of display cells adjacent to corresponding ones of the select cells, one display electrode of each display electrode pair being connected in common with the corresponding one electrode of at least one other display electrode pair to form a group, and the other display electrode of each electrode in each group being operated individually, comprising the steps of:

• (a) generating discharges in all of the display cells defined by the display electrode pairs forming a group;
• (b) generating discharges in all of the select cells defined by the intersections of a selected select electrode and the display electrode pairs forming the group;
• (c) selectively applying a sustaining voltage to each display electrode pair in the group which defines a selected display cell adjacent to the select cell discharge in said step (b);
• and
• (d) repeating said steps (b) and (c) for each select electrode.

A method of driving a gas discharge panel having plural display electrode pairs and plural select electrodes insulated from and arranged to intersect the display electrode pairs, each display electrode pair including first and second display electrodes, the intersections of the select electrode and the second display electrode of each display electrode pair defining a plurality of select cells and each display electrode pair defining plural display cells at positions adjacent to respective ones of the select cells, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) applying sustaining voltage across a selected display electrode pair;
• (b) generating discharges in the display cells defined by said selected electrode pair;
• and
• (c) erasing the discharge in a non-selected one of the display cells defined by the selected display electrode pair by generating a discharge in the select cell corresponding to the non-selected display cell, so that discharges are generated in selected display cells by the sustaining voltage.