Plasma display device and a method of driving the same

A method of driving a plasma display device including a plasma display panel having a plurality of discharge cells,

• each of said plurality of discharge cells being provided with a pair of discharge-sustaining electrodes, an address electrode disposed to intersect said pair of discharge-sustaining electrodes, and a dielectric substance covering said pair of discharge-sustaining electrodes;
• said method including at least
• address-discharge period for addressing said plurality of discharge cells and thereby inducing address-discharge therein;
• and
• light-emission period for applying repetitive discharge-sustaining pulse voltages to at least one of said first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes such that said addressed ones of said plurality of discharge cells start and sustain main discharge depending upon the presence of said address-discharge to generate light for formation of a display,
• wherein
• second repetitive pulse voltages are applied to said plurality of address electrodes to generate pre-discharge,
• said pre-discharge occurs at least during a portion of at least one of intervals of time,
• said pre-discharge initially occurring between said address electrodes of said addressed ones of said plurality of discharge cells and one of said first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes of said addressed ones, and thereafter occurring between said first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes of said addressed ones,
• where
• t1≦said interval of time≦t2,
• V3 is a maximum of an absolute value of a voltage difference between said first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes during said light-emission period,
• S1 periods are each defined as periods which straddle respective valleys of a waveform of said absolute value of said voltage difference, and during which said absolute value of said voltage difference is less than or equal to 0.9×V3,
• t1 is a time at which each of said S1 periods starts,
• S2 periods are each defined as periods during which said absolute value of said voltage difference is less than or equal to 0.5×V3 within a respective one of said S1 periods, and
• t2 is a time at which each of said S2 periods ends.

A method of driving a plasma display device including a plasma display panel having a plurality of discharge cells,

• each of said plurality of discharge cells being provided with a pair of discharge-sustaining electrodes, an address electrode disposed to intersect said pair of discharge-sustaining electrodes, and a dielectric substance covering said pair of discharge-sustaining electrodes;
• said method including at least
• address-discharge period for addressing said plurality of discharge cells and thereby inducing address-discharge therein;
• and
• light-emission period for applying repetitive discharge-sustaining pulse voltages to at least one of said first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes such that said addressed ones of said plurality of discharge cells start and sustain main discharge depending upon the presence of said address-discharge to generate light for formation of a display,
• wherein
• second repetitive pulse voltages are applied to said plurality of address electrodes to generate pre-discharge,
• said pre-discharge occurs during intervals of time,
• said pre-discharge initially occurring between said address electrodes of said addressed ones of said plurality of discharge cells and one of said first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes of said addressed ones, and thereafter occurring between said first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes of said addressed ones,
• where
• t1≦said interval of time≦t2,
• V3 is a maximum of an absolute value of a voltage difference between said first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes during said light-emission period,
• S1 periods are each defined as periods which straddle respective valleys of a waveform of said absolute value of said voltage difference, and during which said absolute value of said voltage difference is less than or equal to 0.9×V3,
• t1 is a time at which each of said S1 periods starts,
• S2 periods are each defined as periods during which said absolute value of said voltage difference is less than or equal to 0.5×V3 within a respective one of said S1 periods, and
• t2 is a time at which each of said S2 periods ends.

A method of driving a plasma display device including a plasma display panel having a plurality of discharge cells,

• each of said plurality of discharge cells being provided with a pair of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes, an address electrode disposed to intersect said pair of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes, and a dielectric substance covering said pair of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes;
• said method including at least
• address-discharge period for addressing said plurality of discharge cells and thereby inducing address-discharge therein;
• and
• light-emission period for applying repetitive discharge-sustaining pulse voltages to at least one of said pair of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes such that said addressed ones of said plurality of discharge cells start and sustain main discharge depending upon the presence of said address-discharge to generate light for formation of a display,
• wherein
• an address voltage comprised of second repetitive pulse voltages is applied to said plurality of address electrodes to generate pre-discharge,
• said second repetitive pulse voltages changing in a positive direction during at least a portion of an interval of time,
• said pre-discharge initially occurring between said address electrodes of said addressed ones of said plurality of discharge cells and one of first and second said discharge-sustaining electrodes of said addressed ones, and thereafter occurring between said pair of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes of said addressed ones,
• where
• t1≦said interval of time≦t2,
• V3 is a maximum of an absolute value of a voltage difference between said first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes during said light-emission period,
• S1 periods are each defined as periods which straddle respective valleys of a waveform of said absolute value of said voltage difference, and during which said absolute value of said voltage difference is less than or equal to 0.9×V3,
• t1 is a time at which each of said S1 periods starts,
• S2 periods are each defined as periods during which said absolute value of said voltage difference is less than or equal to 0.5×V3 within a respective one of said S1 periods, and
• t2 is a time at which each of said S2 periods ends.

A plasma display device comprising:

• a plasma display panel including
• a plurality of pairs of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes,
• a plurality of address electrodes arranged to intersect said plurality of pairs of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes,
• a dielectric substance covering said plurality of pairs of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes,
• a plurality of discharge cells defined by said plurality of pairs of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes and said plurality of address electrodes;
• a pulse generating circuit having a voltage input terminal and a plurality of output terminals corresponding to said plurality of pairs of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes and supplying pulses to said plurality of pairs of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes for generating sustaining-discharge between said first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes,
• a driving circuit for selectively applying address-pulse voltages to said plurality of address electrodes of said plurality of discharge cells intended for formation of a display, and
• a control circuit for controlling pre-discharge pulse voltages such that said pre-discharge pulse voltages are applied to said plurality of address electrodes to generate pre-discharge for triggering said sustaining-discharge, said pre-discharge initially occurring between said address electrodes of said addressed ones of said plurality of discharge cells and one of said first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes of said addressed ones, and thereafter occurring between said first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes of said addressed ones, and
• said pre-discharge pulse voltages rise in portions of said light-emission period during which an absolute value of a voltage difference between said pair of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes does not exceed 0.9×a maximum of an absolute value of a voltage difference between said pair of first and second discharge-sustaining electrodes during said light-emission period.