Plasma display panel having dedicated priming electrodes outside display area and driving method for same panel

A driving method for a plasma display panel including plural pairs of first and second electrodes arranged to be adjacent to one another in correspondence to respective display lines on a first substrate and coated with an insulating layer facing a discharge space, third electrodes arranged orthogonally to said first and second electrodes and defining therewith a display area, the third electrodes being disposed on said first substrate or on a second substrate opposed to said first substrate with said discharge space therebetween, and priming electrodes, located outside a display area, forming priming cells in which priming discharges are carried out, said driving method comprising:

• a reset step of performing initialization in all the display cells;
• an addressing step of performing addressing discharges on display cells selected in accordance with address information by successively specifying voltages applied to said first, second, and third electrodes;
• and
• a sustaining discharge step of carrying out sustaining discharges for display on the basis of the address discharge by applying sustain voltages to said first and second electrodes,
• wherein, at said reset step, voltages are applied to said priming electrodes in order to carry out priming discharge in said priming cells;
• and discharges are then induced successively along all the display lines in said display area while potentials of said first, second and third electrodes are maintained at given constant values and initialization is carried out in all the display cells within the display area by said discharges.

A plasma display panel, comprising:

• a plurality of electrodes provided in a display area and forming display cells;
• and
• priming electrodes located outside said display area and forming priming cells,
• a discharge in said display cells being induced by a priming discharge generated in said priming cells while potentials of said plurality of electrodes are maintained at given constant values.

A plasma display panel, comprising:

• a plurality of electrodes provided in a display area and forming display cells;
• priming electrodes located outside the display area and forming priming cells;
• a priming electrode drive circuit generating priming discharges in said priming cells and establishing wall charges and inducing discharges in said display cells in an initialization stage while potentials of said plurality of electrodes are maintained at given constant values;
• and
• light-interceptive members, disposed relative to respective priming electrodes, intercepting light emitted by the priming discharges and avoiding illumination of the display area by such emitted light.

A method of driving a three-electrode type plasma display panel having a matrix of display cells defined by respective intersections, within a display area, of orthogonally related address electrodes and plural pairs of display electrodes and priming cells, defined by respective intersections of priming electrodes with the address electrodes, the priming electrodes being disposed adjacent to but outside the display area and extending transverse to the address electrodes and parallel to the display electrodes, comprising:

• producing a priming discharge in the priming cells while maintaining a voltage at each display cell at a constant level, less than a level required to initiate a discharge but sufficient for the priming discharge in the priming cells to induce priming discharges in all of the display cells;
• selectively intercepting light produced by the priming discharges in the priming cells;
• and
• maintaining the constant level voltage at each display cell for a sufficient time until the priming discharge in the priming cells has spread in succession to all display cells in the display area and, upon all display cells discharging, terminating the priming discharge in the priming cells.

A plasma display apparatus comprising:

• a three-electrode type plasma display panel having a matrix of display cells defined by respective intersections, within a display area, of orthogonally related address electrodes and plural pairs of display electrodes, and priming cells defined by respective intersections of priming electrodes with the address electrodes and disposed adjacent to but outside the display area, the priming electrodes extending transverse to the display electrodes and parallel to the display electrodes:
• a priming electrode drive circuit producing a priming discharge in the priming cells while maintaining a voltage at each display cell at a constant level, less than a level required to initiate a discharge but sufficient for the priming discharge in the priming cells to induce priming discharges in all of the display cells;
• light-interceptive members selectively intercepting light produced by the priming discharges in the priming cells and not intercepting light emitted by discharges in the display cells;
• and
• the priming electrode drive circuit maintaining the constant level voltage at each display cell for a sufficient time until the priming discharge in the priming cells has spread in succession to all display cells in the display area and, upon all display cells discharging, terminating the priming discharge in the priming cells.