US 6,184,849 B2 · AC plasma display gray scale drive system and method

Abstract

An AC color plasma display system comprises an AC plasma display panel having transversely oriented first and second insulated electrode arrays defining a matrix of display pixels. Linear ribs are in substantially parallel alignment with one of the linear electrode arrays to form gas channels, respectively, aligned electrodes in one of the arrays. A plurality of phosphor layers are on the ribs, and a UV rich gas discharge medium is sealed in the channels. An interface circuit for receiving video signals from one of a selected plurality of video sources produces, in digital form, pixel data, pixel clock, and horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals from a gray scale drive system is connected between said interface circuit and AC plasma display panel. The gray scale drive system include blue, green and red color channels and pixel-by-pixel gray scale control of each color channel. The gray scale drive system includes circuits for supplying write, erase, and sustaining potentials to said electrode to arrays and perform the following operations: 1) supply said write potential to all said electrodes to cause all pixels to be in an “on” state, 2) supply said erase potential to selected ones of said electrodes to erase selected pixels and cause the selected pixels to be in an “off” state, and 3) supply a burst of sustaining potentials to the electrode arrays for predetermined number of cycles to cause the pixels in the “on” state to emit light for each sustainer cycle, and repeating operations 1, 2 and 3 a predetermined number of times.

Claims31

Dependent claims

An AC color plasma display system comprising, in combination,

an AC plasma display panel having first and second dielectrically insulated linear electrode arrays, said linear arrays being carried, respectively, on first and second substrates, and in transverse relation to each other, to define a matrix of display pixels in a display region, a plurality of linear ribs carried on the first substrate and in substantially parallel alignment with the first linear electrode array forming gas channels each aligned with a respective electrode in said first array, and providing an optical barrier in directions transverse to the direction of orientation of said linear ribs, a plurality of blue, green and red phosphor layers, respectively, phosphor layers on said ribs, said blue phosphor layer being on said ribs in every third one of said channels, respectively, said blue phosphor layer being on said ribs in every next third of said channels, respectively, and a blue phosphor layer on ribs in every next third of said channels, respectively, gas discharge medium in said channels and at a pressure, said gas on discharge being rich in UV, and seal means retaining said gas discharge medium in said channels,
an interface circuit for receiving video signals from one of a selected plurality of video sources and producing, in digital form, pixel data, pixel clock, and horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals, and
a gray scale drive system connected between said interface circuit and said AC plasma display panel, said gray scale drive system including blue, green, and red color channels and pixel-by-pixel gray scale control means within each color channel.

A process for the manufacture of AC color plasma display devices including

a) applying an array of electrodes to a first substrate and an array of electrodes to a second substrate;
b) applying at least one layer of a dielectric material over said array of electrodes on said first substrate and at least one layer of a dielectric material over said array of electrodes on said second substrate;
c) forming in said dielectric layer of said first substrate, a multiplicity of ribs or barriers forming grooves, channels, or troughs, aligned with one of said electrode arrays;
d) applying at least one layer of a protective undercoat over said at least one layer of dielectric materials including said first groove, channels, or troughs of said first substrate;
e) applying phosphor within said grooves, channels, or troughs of said first substrate such that the phosphors in said channels emit a light of a different color then immediately adjacent left vertical or right vertical flanking channels so that the blue phosphor in every third channel is flanked by red and green channels, and said red channels in every third channel are flanked by blue and green channels, and said green channels in every third channel are flanked by red and blue channels;
f) applying at least one layer of a protective overcoat over said dielectric, said protective undercoat, and said phosphor of said first substrate;
g) positioning the dielectric face of said second substrate over said dielectric grooves, channels, or troughs of said first substrate, the array of electrodes on said second substrate being appropriately oriented relative to the array of electrodes on said first substrate so as to define a plurality of discrete cell sites;
h) sealing said first substrate and said second substrate together;
and
i) filling said grooves, channels, or troughs, with an ionizable gas.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

AC plasma display gray scale drive system and method

Life of this patent

AC plasma display gray scale drive system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31