US 5,475,448 AGranted

Driving method for a gas-discharge display panel

AssigneePioneer Electronic Corporation

InventorNobuhiko Saegusa

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Abstract

Row electrodes of a display panel are divided into first row electrodes and second row electrodes. A field for the first row electrodes is divided into a plurality of sub-fields each of which has a time length different from other sub-fields to be allocated with a weight. A field for the second row electrodes is divided into a plurality of sub-fields which are the same as the sub-fields of the first row electrodes in time length. Scanning of the row electrodes starts at an exciting operation of a first row and ends at an erasing operation of a last row. Pixel data are extracted from an input signal, each of the pixel data includes luminance data which designates at least one corresponding sub-field. Scanning of the first row electrodes and the second row electrodes is performed in sequence in accordance with the arrangement of sub-fields of both the row groups.

Claims4

Dependent claims

A method for driving electrodes of a gas-discharge display panel having a plurality of data electrodes and a plurality of scanning row electrodes for displaying an image dependent on pixel data each of which comprises N bits, and each of digit positions of the bits represents a weight for a tone of an image, comprising steps of:

dividing each of the scanning row electrodes into at least two row groups comprising a first row electrode and a second row electrode;
dividing a time length of a field into N sub-fields corresponding to the number of the N bits of the pixel data, each of the sub-field having a time length different from other sub-fields to be allocated with a weight, and each weight corresponding to the weight of the corresponding digit of the pixel data;
arranging sub-fields for each of the first row electrodes and sub-fields for each of the second row electrodes in such a manner that an arranging order of the sub-field of the first row electrode is different from that of the second row electrode;
executing scanning of the first and second row electrodes in accordance with the arranging order of the sub-fields of both of the row electrodes;
and
driving the data electrode during each sub-field in accordance with the value of the digit of the pixel data, thereby providing a tone in an image on the display panel by modulating a time length of light emission.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/213,068Filed 15 Mar 1994
Priority: JP 5-06695525 Mar 1993
Granted: 12 Dec 1995
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

G09G 3/2037
Using sub-frames: with specific control of sub-frames corresponding to the least significant bits
G09G 3/2948
For lighting or sustain discharge: by increasing the total sustaining time with respect to other times in the frame
G09G 3/299
Using surface discharge panels: using alternate lighting of surface-type panels
H04N 3/125
By switched stationary formation of lamps, photocells or light relays: using gas discharges, e.g. plasma