Plasma display apparatus

A plasma display apparatus having a discharge space, comprising:

• plural first and second electrodes that are arranged adjacently and extend in a first direction;
• plural third electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
• and
• plural fourth electrodes that extend in the first direction and are exposed to the discharge space, wherein:
• when a first pulse of an alternating current is applied in a sustain action, a pulse is applied to said fourth electrode, provided between said first and second electrodes where said sustain action is carried out, in order to make the initiation of a discharge easier.

A plasma display apparatus having a discharge space, comprising:

• plural first and second electrodes that are arranged adjacently and extend in a first direction;
• plural third electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
• and
• plural fourth electrodes that extend in the first direction and are exposed to the discharge space, wherein:
• when a sustain action is carried out, a voltage, which is applied to said fourth electrode provided between said first and the second electrodes where said sustain action is carried out, differs, when said first pulse of an alternating current is applied in said sustain action, from that thereafter.

A plasma display apparatus having a discharge space, comprising:

• plural first and second electrodes that are arranged adjacently and extend in a first direction;
• plural third electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction;
• and
• plural fourth electrodes that extend in the first direction and are exposed to the discharge space, wherein:
• a first display line is formed between one side of said second electrode and said first electrode contiguous thereto, and a second display line is formed between the other side of said second electrode and said first electrode contiguous thereto;
• display of a frame is performed by an odd-numbered field that is established by said first display line and an even-numbered field that is established by said second display line;
• said plural fourth electrodes are provided between both sides of said second electrodes and said first electrode, and classified into a first group, a second group, a third group, and a fourth group, in that order;
• four fourth electrode drive circuits that drive said fourth electrodes in each group independently are provided;
• and
• when a sustain action in said odd-numbered field is carried out, a voltage is applied to said fourth electrodes in said first and third groups, and when said sustain action in said even-numbered field is carried out, said voltage is applied to said fourth electrodes in said second and fourth groups.

A plasma display apparatus having a discharge space, comprising:

• plural first and second electrodes that are arranged adjacently and extend in a first direction, plural third electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and plural fourth electrodes that extend in the first direction and are exposed to the discharge space, wherein:
• said plural fourth electrodes are provided in a space between said first and second electrodes and also outside of first and/or second outermost electrodes;
• said plural fourth electrodes are classified into two groups in the order of arrangement by turns;
• and
• two fourth electrode drive circuits that drive said fourth electrodes in each group are independently provided.

A plasma display apparatus, comprising:

• plural first and second electrodes that are arranged adjacently and extend in a first direction, plural third electrodes extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and plural fourth electrodes that extend in the first direction and are exposed to the discharge space wherein:
• a sustain action is carried out between one side of said second electrode and said first electrode;
• said plural fourth electrodes are provided between another side of said second electrode and said first electrode, where said sustain action is not carried out, and are connected commonly;
• and
• a voltage is applied by a drive circuit to drive said plural fourth electrodes and to prevent a discharge from occurring between said another side of the second electrode and said first electrode in said sustain action.

A plasma display apparatus having a discharge space, comprising:

• plural first and second electrodes arranged adjacently and extending in a first direction on a first substrate and covered by a first dielectric layer, a sustaining discharge occurring between adjacent said first and second electrodes in response to respective first and second sustain voltages being applied thereto;
• plural third electrodes formed on a second substrate, the second substrate being spaced from the first substrate and defining a discharge gap therebetween, and the plural third electrodes extending in a second direction, perpendicular to the first direction, and being covered by a second dielectric layer, and
• plural fourth electrodes formed on the first dielectric layer, extending in the first direction and exposed to the discharge space, each fourth electrode being disposed between a pair of corresponding first and second electrodes, wherein:
• when a sustain action is carried out, a voltage, of a level between respective voltage levels of the first and second sustain voltages, is applied to each said fourth electrode disposed between said corresponding pair of first and second electrodes to facilitate initiating a sustain discharge therebetween.