Method and apparatus for driving a flat panel display

An apparatus for driving a flat-panel display comprising:

• a sustaining electrode driving circuit connected to a sustaining electrode, said sustaining electrode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having a predetermined period and an amplitude obtained by subtracting a discharge sustaining bias voltage from a discharge sustaining voltage;
• an anode driving circuit connected to an anode which is arranged in the same direction as the sustaining electrode, said anode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a anode bias voltage from a anode voltage when the pulse waveform of the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage, said anode driving circuit maintaining the anode bias voltage while writing only;
• and
• a cathode driving circuit connected to a cathode, said cathode driving circuit sequentially generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a cathode bias voltage from a cathode voltage when said sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage;
• wherein a voltage for starting cell discharge has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode bias voltage from the anode voltage, which is greater than a discharge firing voltage;
• and
• a voltage which sustains discharge of a discharging cell continuously while maintaining non-discharging cells in a nondischarging state has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode voltage form the discharge sustaining voltage, which is greater than a minimum discharge voltage and smaller than the discharge firing voltage.

An apparatus for driving a flat-panel display comprising:

• a sustaining electrode driving circuit connected to a sustaining electrode, said sustaining electrode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having a predetermined period and an amplitude obtained by subtracting a discharge sustaining bias voltage from a discharge sustaining voltage;
• an anode driving circuit connected to an anode, said anode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a anode bias voltage from a anode voltage when the pulse waveform of the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage, said anode driving circuit maintaining the anode bias voltage while writing only;
• and
• a cathode driving circuit connected to a cathode which is arranged in the same direction as the sustaining electrode, said cathode driving circuit sequentially generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a cathode bias voltage from a cathode voltage when said sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage;
• wherein a voltage for starting cell discharge has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode bias voltage from the anode voltage, which is greater than a discharge firing voltage;
• and
• a voltage which sustains discharge of a discharging cell continuously while maintaining non-discharging cells in a non-discharging state has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode voltage from the discharge sustaining voltage, which is greater than a minimum discharge voltage and smaller than the discharge firing voltage.

An apparatus for driving a flat-panel display comprising:

• a sustaining electrode driving circuit connected to a sustaining electrode, said sustaining electrode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having a predetermined period and an amplitude obtained by subtracting a discharge sustaining bias voltage from a discharge sustaining voltage;
• an anode driving circuit connected to an anode, said anode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a anode bias voltage from a anode voltage when the pulse waveform of the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage, said anode driving circuit maintaining the anode bias voltage while writing only;
• and
• cathode driving circuit connected to a cathode, said cathode driving circuit sequentially generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a cathode bias voltage from a cathode voltage when said sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage;
• wherein a voltage for starting cell discharge has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode bias voltage form the anode voltage, which is greater than a discharge firing voltage;
• and
• a voltage which sustains discharge of a discharging cell continuously while maintaining non-discharging cells in a non-discharging state has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode voltage from the discharge sustaining voltage, which is greater than a minimum discharge voltage and smaller than the discharge firing voltage.