Method for driving a plasma display

A method for driving a matrix type of plasma display panel displaying an image, said plasma display panel including a plurality of row electrodes extending parallel to each other, two adjacent ones of said row electrodes being paired, and a plurality of column electrodes extending perpendicularly to the row electrodes at a given intervals wherein a region in which, one pair of row electrodes and one column electrode are crossed and spaced with a distance to each other at an intersection corresponding to one pixel, said method comprising the steps of:

• applying selectively a pixel data pulse to the column electrode while synchronously applying a scan pulse to every pair of row electrodes to write pixel data to the associated pixels for selecting a pixel cell to be lightened or darkened in accordance with pixel data pulses applied for an addressing period;
• and
• applying a series of discharge-sustaining pulses alternately to one of the paired row electrodes and the other thereof to maintain sustained discharge between the pair of row electrodes and the lightened or darkened pixel cell for a sustained discharge period wherein a width of a last pulse of the discharge-sustaining pulses applied in the sustained discharge period shorter than that of an immediately previous pulse in the sustained discharge period;
• applying an address-pulse to the column electrode at the same time the last discharge-sustaining pulse is applied to generate a discharge between the paired row electrodes and the column electrode.