JPH0318292B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a direct current type gas discharge display panel that mainly displays color images, and in particular, to a panel that has significantly improved luminous efficiency and brightness through a novel panel configuration.

Conventionally, in order to display color with a DC type gas discharge display panel, the ultraviolet radiation of the discharge requires 3
Most commonly, primary color phosphors were excited to produce visible light. Early color display panels used ultraviolet light from the negative glow generated near the cathode due to discharge, but the luminous efficiency was low, and when the screen was made larger, it consumed too much power to be used at home. It was predicted that it would be. Therefore, luminous efficiency has been considered the biggest problem for gas discharge display panels.

As a means for improving such luminous efficiency, the present inventors proposed a gas discharge display panel using ultraviolet rays from a positive column generated between an anode and a negative glow due to discharge, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 50-110766 and 1983, This method was proposed in publications such as No. 52-69556, and it was confirmed that the luminous efficiency could be improved by approximately twice. However, if the goal is to use it at home, it is necessary to further improve the luminous efficiency, such as a new composition of the filler gas that can obtain strong ultraviolet radiation, and a reduction in operating voltage by introducing an electron-emitting substance to the cathode. Initially, various attempts have been made, but so far no definitive means of improvement has been found that satisfies all aspects such as degree of improvement, lifespan, and stability.

On the other hand, another problem with gas discharge display panels is a lack of brightness. The most common driving method for matrix display panels is to drive one row at a time (line-
At-a-time) driving, all pixels in one row emit light at the same time, and scanning is performed only in the vertical direction to form a screen. In this driving method, the maximum duty ratio of eight lights is approximately equal to the reciprocal of the number of pixels in the vertical direction, so as the number of vertical pixels increases, the brightness inevitably decreases. In order to solve this problem, it has been proposed to provide a memory function to the discharge cells. That is, in the memory type display panel, since a large number of discharges can be simultaneously maintained between a pair of anode-cathode lines, the light emitting time of one cell can be increased, and the brightness can be significantly improved. To provide such a memory function, it is necessary to provide a current limiting function for each cell. Basically, this can be achieved by providing individual series resistance for all discharge cells, using a graphite cathode, or Three types have been considered: 1, which uses transient characteristics during glow discharge generation and an afterglow effect after arc extinguishment. However, these measures were often incompatible with improving luminous efficiency.

The present inventors have found that, as a means to improve both brightness and luminous efficiency, they form an elongated positive column spanning multiple discharge cells, and substantially reduce the power loss in the cathode drop section of glow discharge by reducing power loss across multiple discharge cells. This is a new discharge panel that improves luminous efficiency by dividing the two discharge paths into two discharge cells, and at the same time provides two discharge paths parallel to each other for each discharge cell, and displays halftones by switching between these two discharge paths. The configuration was proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 108874/1983. According to this configuration, the loss of the cathode dropper per cell is reduced, so that the luminous efficiency is significantly increased. However, in order to improve both brightness and luminous efficiency, the number of electrode lead lines required is at least several times that of a normal matrix type display panel, and the ignition voltage is increased. Hereinafter, a gas discharge display panel or cell having such a configuration will be referred to as a positive column switching type panel or cell.

The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the number of electrode lead wires and to reduce the number of electrode lead-out wires, as well as to reduce the number of main discharge points in order to eliminate the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks and to make it easier to realize the high brightness and high efficiency features of the positive column switching type cell. An object of the present invention is to provide a new gas discharge display panel that also reduces arc voltage.

That is, the gas discharge display panel of the present invention has unit discharge cells that form pixels for each row, each consisting of a display discharge path section and a specific display discharge path section that are parallel to each other, each having an auxiliary discharge electrode, and a main discharge electrode. A plurality of discharge paths are sequentially arranged in the row direction through non-light emitting connecting portions, each of which is connected in the column direction, and a voltage is applied between the main discharge electrodes provided in each column. The parts to which the DC discharge driving voltage is supplied are simultaneously stepped in the column direction in each column, and the parts to which the voltage is supplied to the main discharge electrode are sequentially stepped to the auxiliary discharge electrodes provided in each discharge path section of the discharge cell. By selectively applying a control voltage in relation to the progress, the display and non-display discharge path sections in the discharge cell are sequentially switched in the column direction according to the image signal to be displayed. By alternately increasing and decreasing the length of the discharge path in the column direction in the same direction by a predetermined number using the discharge cell length as a unit, which is determined by the number of discharge cells that are connected and discharge simultaneously, each pixel can be simultaneously discharged. The present invention is characterized in that the rows to be discharge-driven are repeatedly moved sequentially in the same direction in the column direction.

The gas discharge display panel of the present invention constitutes a discharge cell space in which columns are isolated and connected in series in the column direction, and a pair of row direction main electrode busbars in which a plurality of cells are separated in the column direction are driven. This is the same as the previous proposal in that high luminous efficiency is obtained by utilizing a long solar column spanning multiple cells. In other words, whereas the positions of the areas that emit light simultaneously on the panel were fixed, in the present invention, the areas that emit simultaneous light are sequentially moved one cell at a time for display. Assuming that the number of operating cells is N, in the case of an all-white signal, all cells in N rows emit light at the same time, and vertical scanning is performed by moving the position of this N row one cell at a time.
Configure the screen. This operation increases the light emission time of each cell by N times that in the case of normal simultaneous driving of one row, so that brightness can be increased by N times.

The above-mentioned movement of the light emitting region is performed by repeatedly decreasing and increasing the number of cells operating in series, that is, shortening and lengthening the discharge path length. Therefore,
In the present invention, the number of cells operating in series is not constant as proposed in the prior application, but changes instantaneously during operation. Hereinafter, N is the maximum number of cells that operate in series. In the proposal of the previous application, there was one main electrode bus bar for every N rows, which serves as an anode and a cathode in the main discharge used for display, but in the present invention, in order to make it possible to move one row at a time, Main electrode busbars are arranged in all rows. In this way, in close connection with the drive method that moves the positions of multiple rows that operate in series one by one, we have simultaneously achieved a reduction in ignition voltage and a significant reduction in the number of auxiliary electrode busbars required for brightness modulation. This is also different from the proposal of the earlier application of the present invention.

The invention will be explained in detail below by way of example embodiments with reference to the drawings.

First, an example of the basic principle structure of the gas discharge display panel of the present invention is shown in FIG. The illustrated configuration example is
This is a case where the number of pixels is 3 rows and 2 columns, and the main part is housed in a glass tube container G and viewed from above in the figure.

The minimum unit of the configuration is a double discharge path P in which discharge paths Pa and Pb are connected in parallel, and a connection part Q that connects the double discharge paths P in series. A unit of discharge cell is one connected one by one. The connecting portion Q includes at least one space therein for commonly connecting two adjacent double discharge paths. The cell number of such discharge cell is a 10-digit number indicating the row number and 1 indicating the column number.
It shall be expressed with two digits, and
The figure shows cell numbers 〓〓〓~〓〓 in the first column and cell numbers 〓〓〓~〓〓 in the second column. Note that the cell in the fourth row consists of only the connecting portion Q. All components are subscripted with cell numbers as necessary, such as Q ₁₁ , Pa ₁₁ , and additionally, for example, P ₀₁
, all P(P ₁₁ , P 11 ,
P ₂₁ , P ₃₁ ), and when simply written as P ₁ , it indicates all P (P ₁₁ , P ₁₂ ) in the first line.

As a result, glow discharge is generated inside the discharge paths P and Q to form a positive pillar. Multiple electrical circuits P
Among them, Pa is located on the viewing surface side, and a phosphor is coated on the inner wall, and when a positive column is formed, the ultraviolet rays emitted from the positive column excites the phosphor and 1
Allows pixels to emit light. in this way,
Since Pa performs direct display, it will be called a display cell. The other discharge path Pb of the double discharge path P is configured so that even if a positive column is formed inside it, the light emission cannot be seen from the viewing surface, and if necessary, for example, the inner wall surface Alternatively, the outer wall surface of the glass tube container G may be blackened, the glass tube container G may be vacuum-sealed, and an ionized gas may be filled inside. By appropriately arranging electrodes between each discharge path of such a configuration, a positive column is generated in a long and narrow section spanning a plurality of discharge cells. Therefore, since the highly efficient ultraviolet radiation of the positive column is used, and the cathode fall section of glow discharge is one place for each plurality of discharge cells, the power loss in the cathode fall section is reduced by the power loss of the cathode fall section of multiple discharge cells. Since the cells share the burden, extremely high luminous efficiency can be obtained, and since multiple rows are emitted at the same time, high-intensity luminescence can be obtained regardless of the specific display format. Furthermore, appropriate control is performed for each individual double discharge path P to change the positive column path to the discharge path Pa.
Or by determining either Pb,
Performs brightness modulation for each pixel.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned points are common to those described in the previously proposed Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 108874/1983 among the basic structure and operating principles of the gas discharge display panel of the present invention.

However, the difference between the display panel of the present invention and the one described in the above-mentioned publication is the configuration of the main discharge electrode, and a new display form is applied to the electrode configuration to achieve the required high brightness display. The point is that we have made it possible to achieve this.

Now, in the configuration shown in the first figure, E is a main electrode for display discharge, and is provided in the connecting part Q.
In the illustrated example, it is cylindrical. In addition, in the double discharge path P, as in the description of the direction above, the discharge path Pa
and Pb are provided with auxiliary electrodes La and Lb, respectively. These auxiliary electrodes La, Lb are connected to double discharge paths Pa,
Among Pb, it controls in which discharge path the positive column is formed, and is made, for example, into a cylindrical shape similar to the main electrode. As described above, in the display panel according to the first principle configuration of the present invention, even if a voltage is applied between the same main electrodes, the path in which the positive column is formed differs depending on the control. Below, when mainly considering the configuration of the discharge space,
The discharge space is called a "discharge path", and if the question is in which discharge path a positive column is actually formed, a specific path among the discharge paths will be called a "discharge path".

In addition to the main electrode E and auxiliary electrodes La and Lb, starting electrodes E ₀₁ and E ₀₂ are provided in the 0th row, and the distance between the electrodes E ₀ and E ₁ is set so that the discharge can easily start. To,
Keep it narrower than other main electrodes. Therefore, the drive voltage is switched to the main electrode E by a switch _SE representing the function of the drive circuit through a bus line LE commonly connected to one end of the series resistor R for current limiting and the resistor R in the same row. Apply. Further, as the switches SE, SE ₀ to _{SE 4} are provided for each row, and in the illustrated example, the switches are six-contact changeover switches. These switches SE ₀ to _{SE 4} operate in conjunction with each other, and each contact of each switch SE switches and supplies the power supply voltage VE through connections as shown.

Therefore, in Figure 1, each switch SE
is shown with all connected to contact 1,
The switching operation of each switch SE starts from contact 0.
In this switching position of contact 0, a negative voltage is applied to the starting electrodes E ₀₁ , E ₀₂ of the 0th row, a positive voltage is applied to the main electrodes E ₁₁ , E ₁₂ of the 1st row, and therefore:
If the power supply voltage VE is set higher than the ignition voltage of the discharge cell, the main electrode E ₁ becomes the anode, and the starting electrode E ₀
becomes the cathode, and between the electrodes E ₁₁ and E ₀₁ and between the electrodes E ₁₂ and E ₀₂
A discharge occurs between each. In that case, the discharge current is limited by two series resistors R ₀ , R ₁ . This starting discharge becomes a preliminary discharge for the next discharge in the first row, and the charged particles generated by this starting discharge enter the double discharge path P ₁ in the discharge cells in the first row.
diffuses within, exhibits a priming effect,
As is well known, the ignition voltage of the discharge space, the ignition delay time and its dispersion are all reduced. As far as the above operation is concerned, the starting electrode
E ₀ can also be called a reset electrode.

Next, when the switch SE is moved to contact 1,
In this connection state, the starting electrode E ₀ remains connected to the negative voltage supply, and the main electrode of the first row
E ₁ is disconnected from the power supply and a positive power supply voltage is applied to the main electrode E ₂ of the second row. Therefore, if the power supply voltage VE is set higher than the ignition voltage in that section, the main electrode _E2 in the second row is the anode, and the starting electrode
Discharge occurs in the first column and the second column, respectively, with E ₀ as the cathode.

At that time, a control pulse is applied to either one of the auxiliary electrodes La, Lb, and the double discharge paths Pa, Pb are
Among them, the discharge path corresponding to the auxiliary electrode is selected. For example, in the first row, the auxiliary electrode La ₁₁
When applying a control pulse to the auxiliary electrode Lb _{12 in the second column, and applying a control pulse to the auxiliary electrode Lb 12} in the second column,
Pa ₁₁ -Q ₁₁ becomes a discharge path and the discharge cell 〓 emits light, but in the second column, Pb ₁₂ -Q ₁₂ becomes a discharge path, so the discharge cell 〓 does not emit light. In such a state, only one row of light is emitted, and there is no particular advantage compared to conventional display pulses.

Next, when the switch SE is moved to contact point 2,
In its connected state, the anode is the main electrode of the second row.
While E ₂ remains, the main electrode E ₁ in the first row becomes the new cathode. However, in conventional discharge display panels with preliminary discharge, the main discharge space for display and the preliminary discharge space for priming are usually configured as separate discharge spaces adjacent to each other for each discharge cell. The priming effect was obtained by spatially connecting the two. On the other hand, in the display panel of the present invention, as described above, the discharge space Q ₁ in which the main electrode E ₁ serving as the cathode for the main discharge is provided has a part of the discharge path between E ₂ and E ₁ until just before. Therefore, there is already a sufficient amount of charged particles around the main electrode _E1 , which will become the new cathode, and therefore the essential cathode fall region is present for the generation of glow discharge. is formed quickly, and the main discharge itself exhibits a priming effect on the next main discharge, so it can be regarded as a novel priming method that has never existed before.

Then, when the switch SE is moved to the position of contact 3, in that connected state, the main electrode E ₁ in the first row remains the cathode, and the anode becomes the main electrode E ₂ in the second row.
to the main electrode E ₃ in the third row. At this time, as in the case of the first row, a control pulse is applied to the auxiliary electrode to direct the newly extended discharge path to either one of the double discharge paths P, or in the illustrated example, to both cases, a phosphor is applied. localize it to the discharge path Pa. In this state, the discharge cells in the first row and the second row operate in series. That is, in the first row, the discharge paths Pa ₂₁ and Pa ₁₁ are connected in series, and in the second row, the discharge paths Pa ₂₂ and Pb ₁₂ are connected in series, forming respective discharge paths. In this way, the advantage of high efficiency, which is the main focus of the device described in the above-mentioned publication, is exhibited only when display is performed by forming a long positive column through a plurality of discharge cells. By such control, the discharge cells 〓〓, 〓〓, 〓〓 emit light, and the discharge cell 〓 becomes in a state where it does not emit light. Naturally, which discharge cell is caused to emit light depends on the input data to be displayed. However, in a discharge cell that does not emit light, a positive column is formed in the discharge path Pb, and that amount of power is thought to be wasted.However, in conventional display panels, only a preliminary discharge is generated. There is a state in which no display discharge occurs, and the above-mentioned discharge path
The discharge in Pb corresponds to such a pre-discharge only state. In a conventional display panel, each discharge cell performs preliminary discharge individually and each preliminary discharge independently includes a cathode fall section, whereas in the display panel of the present invention, the positive column , and in the example shown above, only 1/2 of the cathode fall section.
The power loss in a discharge state in which no display is performed is lower in the display panels of the present invention, including those described in the above-mentioned publications.

Next, the switch SE is stepped sequentially to contacts 4 and 5 to repeat the same operation as described above. When connected to contact 4, the cathode moves to the second row, and discharge only in the second row. is now performed, and furthermore, when connected to contact 5,
The anode moves to the fourth row, and the second and third rows emit light at the same time.

This completes one cycle of operation in the display panel of the present invention based on the principle configuration shown in the first figure, so the changeover switch SE is returned to the contact point 0 position and the above-described process is repeated. To add some additional information, when transitioning from discharging only a single discharge cell to series operation of two discharge cells, the control pulse is applied only to the elongating discharge cell, and is applied to the discharge cell that is already discharging. There is no need to apply a control pulse again. That is, in the display panels of the present invention, including those described in the above-mentioned publications, once a positive column is formed in one of the double discharge paths,
The above-described continuation of the discharge is based on the memory function created by the spatial discharge cell structure, in which the discharge state is maintained unless otherwise controlled. Similarly, when extending a discharge path from a single discharge cell to a series connection of two discharge cells, the length of the discharge path doubles, but of the discharge path to be extended, half of the discharge path on the cathode side Since discharge has already occurred in the space, the ignition voltage when the discharge path is extended is not so high as compared to the degree of extension of the discharge path length.
As a result, the ignition voltage is significantly reduced compared to the case where two undischarged cells in series are ignited directly. Although the explanation here assumes that the number of cells operating in series is 2, if we consider the general case of expanding from (N-1) cell series operation to N cell series operation, this reduction in ignition voltage is an extremely large advantage. Become. In addition, regarding the discharge sustaining voltage after ignition, since only the positive column portion is extended, the voltage increase is slight, and this is why the positive column extension type discharge cell including the present invention achieves high efficiency. As already stated, this is the basic principle.

Note that since the resistance value of the series resistor is the same in single cell operation and two cell operation, the discharge current value will change if left as is. Although it is possible to keep the discharge current value constant by using a method such as using an auxiliary power source in addition to the voltage VE power source, this is not an essential problem, so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, a resistor R is used as the current limiting element, but the resistor R is not limited to a resistive element as long as it has a current limiting function. Conventionally, in order to improve the brightness of a discharge display panel, a memory display panel has been developed in which a memory function is provided to each discharge cell to extend the light emission time. In this type of memory display panel, it is necessary to provide a current limiting function to each discharge cell in order to simultaneously discharge discharge cells in a plurality of rows. In addition to providing a series resistor for each discharge cell, specific methods include using graphite as a cathode material that has a small secondary electron emission ratio γ due to ion bombardment and has little sputtering effect. Therefore, there is a method in which the abnormal glow discharge occurs with a small current, and the current limiting effect is performed by the voltage-current characteristics themselves without using a series resistor. Also in the display panel of the present invention,
The series resistor R can be omitted by covering the entire surface of the main electrode E in the configuration shown in the first figure, that is, the entire surface of the portion exposed to the discharge space with graphite or the like. Note that in the graphite cathode, since the secondary electron emission ratio γ due to ion bombardment is small, the voltage at the cathode fall section inevitably increases, and the discharge voltage becomes high. Therefore, in a memory display panel in which a graphite cathode is introduced into a conventional display panel, a tendency occurs that is incompatible with improvement in luminous efficiency. On the other hand, in the display panel of the present invention, since the voltage increase in the cathode drop section mentioned above is shared by a plurality of discharge cells operating in series, it is possible to improve the luminous efficiency even if a graphite cathode is introduced. can.

In addition to the above-described method, the third method described above is available as a current limiting means for each discharge cell, that is, a method that uses the transient characteristics and afterglow effect during glow discharge generation. In order to apply this method, in the configuration shown in the first diagram, the resistor R is removed and the DC power source is
Instead of V _E , a pulse power source having an appropriate width and cycle may be used to drive intermittently. In the following description, a method in which a series resistor is provided for each discharge cell will be mainly exemplified as the current limiting means for the discharge cells, but it is also possible to apply the other two types of current limiting means described above.

In addition, in the above operation explanation, the number of discharge cells that operate in series is set at two at most due to the principle structure of the display panel of the present invention, but it is possible to operate a larger number of discharge cells in series. From the viewpoint of luminous efficiency, the larger the maximum number N of discharge cells operated in series, the better. However, the degree of improvement in luminous efficiency due to elongation of the positive column decreases as the number of cells operating in series increases, so due to the balance between discharge stability and increase in discharge voltage,
An appropriate maximum number N of cells operating in series will be selected.

In the above-mentioned operating principle of the display panel of the present invention based on the principle configuration shown in FIG. This is the period of light emission, and in terms of the contact positions of the switch SE, the main display is performed when the contacts 3 and 5 are connected. Note that the position of contact 0, which corresponds to the starting period, and the state in which it is connected to other contacts except for contacts 3 and 5 mentioned above are intermediate states for switching and moving the operating electrode while continuing discharge. Therefore, it is preferable to make the above-mentioned period during which the main display is performed as long as possible, and to set the other periods as short as possible.

Among the above explanations, the mode of movement of the discharge path in the display panel of the present invention will be explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. The structure of the discharge cell is simplified and schematically shown, and the electrodes are also omitted. Note that the correspondence of each part with the configuration shown in the first figure is shown in FIG. Also,
It is shown that five discharge cells are arranged in one row, and although the cells below _P41 are not shown in FIG. 1, they can be easily understood as repetitions of the same structure. The discharge cell row shown on the left side of the figure is used as the display surface, and
.about.g sequentially show operations in the same column as time t elapses. As shown as D in the figure, the information to be displayed is "1, 0, 1, 1, 0" sequentially from the upper discharge cell, where "1" represents the display state in which the cell emits light, and "0'' represents a display state in which the cell does not emit light. In the figure, the shaded areas indicate areas where discharge is occurring, and the maximum number N of cells operating in series is three.

Thus, Figure a corresponds to the state in which the switch SE is connected to the contact point 2 in the configuration shown in the first figure, and the connection state before that is omitted. Figure a
In the state shown in _{FIG .}
In response to the input display information D="0" for _P2 , the discharge path _Pb21 is selected and the discharge path is extended by one cell. Furthermore, in the state shown in c in the same figure, since the input display information for the third pixel P ₃ is D="1", the discharge path Pa ₃₁ is selected, the discharge path is further extended, and three cells are discharged in series. let The state shown in FIG. 3C becomes the first main display period. Then, in the state shown in FIG. 4D, the cathode is moved to create an intermediate state of two-cell series discharge. Further, in the state shown in the figure e, the anode is moved to create a three-cell series operation state, which is moved by one cell from the state shown in the figure c, and is set as the second main display period. Thereafter, in the same manner, the positions of the series-operated display cells are moved while alternately repeating the states shown in FIG. In addition, when the number of arrays of discharge cells is large, the upper and lower ends 2 of the display panel
In the central part excluding the rows, light is emitted continuously during the periods c to g in the same figure, for example, like the discharge path Pa ₃₁ . Of these, the main display periods are c, e, and
Since it is in the state of g, pixels P ₁₁ , P ₂₁ , P ₃₁ ... and 1
This means that three times the brightness can be obtained compared to the usual one-row simultaneous light emitting method in which each row is sequentially emitted.

Assuming that the input display information D shown in the second diagram above represents the minimum bit of the PCM signal obtained by A-D converting the video signal, the display period of c to g in the same diagram is taken as one unit, and the input display information D shown in the second diagram is expressed as follows from the highest bit. After displaying,
It takes twice as much display time to display the second bit, then it takes twice as much display time to display the third bit, and so on to display the required number of bits. If this is done within one field or frame of a television video signal,
It is clear that television images including halftones can be displayed, and if the three primary color phosphors are painted separately for each column, row, or discharge cell, it is possible to display a color image. can be displayed.

In the above description of FIG. 2, it has been stated that by using periods c, e, g, . . . in the figure as the main display periods, three times the brightness of the one-row simultaneous light emission method can be obtained. However, if this continues, the brightness will be insufficient in the rows at the ends of the display panel. In other words, while there are three main display periods for the pixels after the third pixel _P3 in FIG.
In pixel P ₂ , only twice c and e in the same figure, and
In the first pixel _P1 , there is only one main display period as shown in c in the figure. In order to compensate for the lack of brightness at the ends, it is sufficient to allocate the same display time to the states a and b in the same figure as the main display period as in the states c, e, g, . . . in the same figure. As a result, the primary presentation period is
Uniform brightness can be reproduced with the first pixel being a, b, and c in the figure, and the second pixel being b, c, and e in the figure. If even more precise uniformity is required, display times including transient states such as d and f in the figure may be allocated to a and b in the figure.
Generally, even when the maximum number of cells operating in series is N,
Similarly, each state until the number of serially operated cells first reaches N may be operated as the main display state. Also, at the bottom of the display panel,
By including each state from the last N cell operation to the 1 cell operation in the last row in the main display period, uniform brightness can be obtained over the entire surface.

As a result of the above, in the rows at the ends of the display panel, the number of cells operating in series decreases, resulting in a decrease in luminous efficiency.
When the number of cells included in a column is large, the reduction effect is negligible.

Next, the auxiliary electrode La in the configuration shown in the first diagram,
The manner of driving Lb will be explained with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 3, the first row of the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is taken out, and its electrode group is shown in FIG. 3a. In addition, in FIG. 3, the main electrode E is shown as a flat plate electrode, and the auxiliary electrode L is shown as a flat plate electrode or a linear electrode in a simplified manner. In the one described in the above-mentioned publication, when multiple rows in the configuration shown in the first figure are made to emit light at the same time, the auxiliary electrodes in all the discharge cells within the range where they are made to emit light at the same time are
It was necessary to draw out La and Lb individually, and it was possible to draw out the auxiliary electrodes La and Lb belonging to the same row in common only when sequentially emitting light one column at a time.
In contrast, in the display panel of the present invention, multiple rows of all columns can be made to emit light at the same time, and control can be performed so that two lead lines for the auxiliary electrodes La and Lb are sufficient for each column. It's like this.
In addition, in the conventional normal display panel with pre-discharge, each column has two display anodes and a pre-discharge anode.
Since book lead lines are required, the number of electrode lead lines is the same between the display panel of the present invention and the conventional display panel of the conventional type.

Now, FIGS. 3 b to d show how the auxiliary electrodes are connected inside the display panel to localize the discharge path in the double discharge path to one discharge path using the auxiliary electrodes La and Lb shown in FIG. 3 a. Each is shown below.
That is, each of the auxiliary electrodes La and Lb is connected via a series resistor R as shown in b in the figure, a series capacitor C as shown in c in the figure, or a resistor R and Auxiliary electrodes on each side of the double discharge path through parallel circuits with capacitance C, respectively.
La or Lb is drawn out for each row as the auxiliary electrode bus line l _La or l _Lb. In this case, as shown in FIGS. b and d, the auxiliary electrodes that are in contact with the parts where the plasma potentials differ between the adjacent discharge cells that are currently discharging are connected via the resistor R. It is preferable to use a resistor R having a high resistance value within a controllable range without disturbing the main discharge. Note that it is preferable that the capacitance C shown in c and d of the figure is also as small as possible.

Therefore, in the connection mode shown in FIGS. 3b to 3d, the control pulses can be applied to the auxiliary electrodes La and Lb in all the discharge cells in the same column to perform the desired control using the same control pulse. This is because there is a difference in control characteristics between when applied to the auxiliary electrode of a discharge cell that is currently discharging and when it is applied to the auxiliary electrode of a discharge cell that is about to be ignited. In other words, in order to change the discharge path in a discharge cell that is currently discharging from one of the double discharge paths to the other, a discharge current value exceeding the discharge current value of the main discharge must be applied until the discharge is stably localized in the new discharge path. While current needs to flow through the auxiliary electrode, for a discharge cell that is about to ignite and extend its discharge path, it is necessary to make only a slight difference in the number of charged particles existing in the double discharge path. A main discharge can be generated in the discharge path. Therefore, the control of the main discharge path in the display panel of the present invention means that, before the main discharge to be extended is ignited, one of the required discharge paths in the double discharge path to be extended is provided with a larger number of discharges than the other discharge path. of charged particles will be formed.

In order to control the main discharge in the above-mentioned sense very reliably, it is necessary to generate an auxiliary discharge between the control electrode and the main electrode prior to the ignition of the main discharge to be extended; A target discharge can be generated by any of the connection configurations shown in FIGS. 3b-d.

As a second aspect of main discharge path control, it is possible to control the main discharge path by simply forming an electric field between the auxiliary electrode and the main electrode, but by keeping it in a state that does not lead to ignition. be. In this embodiment, the auxiliary electrode accelerates electrons or ions from the plasma formed in the discharge space of the discharge cell that is already discharging, thereby forming a space charge in one of the double discharge paths. Localize the discharge path to one of the multiple discharge paths. Such an aspect of main discharge path control reduces the width or amplitude of the control pulse applied in the connection states of FIGS. Do by doing.

In addition, in any aspect of the main discharge path control, it is understood that the polarity of the control pulse can be controlled by selecting either positive or negative from the meaning of the above-mentioned manual discharge path control.

As described above, the structure, function, and function of the display panel of the present invention,
Having given a general explanation of the principles of the display method, etc., we put this together and applied the connection mode of the auxiliary electrodes shown in Figure 3c to the display panel with the principle configuration shown in Figure 1. A method of driving the display panel of the present invention in this case will be explained with reference to FIG. Fourth
In the figure, the number of pixels in one column is 7, which is 3 in the display panel according to the principle configuration shown in the first diagram, and the maximum number N of cells operating in series is determined based on the principle configuration shown in the first diagram. Unlike 2 in , the second
It is shown as 3 as in the case shown in the figure. Further, FIG. 4 shows the driving waveforms of the main electrode busbar and the auxiliary electrode busbar and the light emission waveform of each cell.
Nine main electrode busbar drive waveforms are shown, and two auxiliary electrode busbars are shown for only the first column.
Names of busbars to which drive waveforms should be applied
They are indicated by _lE0 to _lE8 , _lLa1 , and _lLb1 . Here, l _La1 and l _Lb1 indicate the auxiliary electrode bus lines of the discharge cells in the first row, which are not shown in FIG. ₁₁ ~
Shown for Pa ₇₁ . Therefore, among the main electrode bus drive waveforms, when the bus is the positive of the power supply,
Shows the state connected to the negative terminal, respectively.
An intermediate level indicates that the busbar is disconnected from the power supply. In addition, the drive period is T _R , as shown in the figure.
It is divided into periods T _S and T _D , of which T _R
is a reset period, T _D is a main display period, and T _S is a period between these periods in which the discharge path is extended or shortened, and is hereinafter referred to as a scanning period. Further, the main display period _TD will be simply referred to as a display period. The display information assigned to each cell in the first column is exemplified as a value shown as D, but the first 5 bits are the same as that shown as D in FIG.

Therefore, the operation of the discharge cell can be understood by considering the main electrode drive waveform and control pulse in each period. That is, first,
During the reset period _TR , the main electrodes E ₀ (E ₀₁ ,
Starting is performed with E ₀₂ ,...) serving as the cathode and E ₁ (E ₁₁ , E ₁₂ ,...) serving as the anode. This corresponds to the state in which the switch S _E is in the contact position "0" in the configuration shown in the first figure. The first period following this reset period _TR
During the scanning period T _S1 , the cathode remains at E ₀ and the anode switches from E ₁ to E ₂ , extending the discharge path. This is the same state as when the switch S _E is in the contact position "1" in the configuration shown in the first figure. In this first scanning period T _S1 , the discharge path is extended to the double discharge path of the first column, so when transitioning from the reset period T _R to the first scanning period T _S1 , the auxiliary electrode busbar of all columns At the same time, independent control pulses are applied to each. In that case, according to the display information D of each pixel, if D = "1", the auxiliary electrode bus line
Control pulses are applied to l _La and, if D=“0”, to the auxiliary electrode bus line l _Lb. In the first example, a control pulse is applied to the auxiliary electrode bus line _lLa1 according to the first display information D="1". As a result, a positive column is formed in Pa ₁₁ of the double discharge paths Pa ₁₁ and Pb ₁₁ . Note that the length of the scanning period T _S is after switching the main electrode,
It is usually preferable to set it as short as possible within a range sufficient to ensure stable main discharge. In the example shown in Figure 4, after transitioning from the reset period _TR to the first scanning period T _S1 , the main discharge is established after a delay time Td, and then the next first display period is started with a slight margin of time. Move to T _D1 . As a result, the display cell Pa ₁₁ emits light during the above-mentioned margin time. The emission waveform is shown as a thin pulse following the delay time Td of display cell Pa ₁₁ . Below, when transitioning to a different period, the main electrodes are all switched, so both the scanning period T _S and the display period T _D have a delay time Td
are shown in the figure as occurring.

Therefore, the first display period T _D1 follows the first scanning period T _S1 , but the first display period
T _D1 is the double discharge path P ₁ (Pa ₁₁ , Pb ₁₁ , Pa ₁₂ ,
This is the period in which the display is performed only by Pb ₁₂ ,...), and the display state is the display cell Pa ₁ (Pa ₁₁ , Pa ₂₂ ,...)
This can be indicated by a luminescent or non-luminescent form. The second display period T _D12 following the first display period is a period in which the double discharge paths P ₁ and P ₂ operate in series to perform display, and the third display period T _D123 is
This is a period in which the double discharge paths P ₁ , P ₂ , and P ₃ operate in series to provide a display, and hereinafter T _D234 , T _D345 , and so on are also periods in which similar displays are performed. Now, the first display period
At T _D1 , the anode remains at E ₂ , but the cathode switches from E ₀ to E ₁ , so that discharge occurs only through the double discharge path P ₁ , and in the configuration shown in Figure 1, the changeover switch S This corresponds to the state where _E is at contact position "2". In this state, the display is performed for a predetermined period, and the display periods T _D12 and T _D123 are sequentially displayed.
During this time, display cell Pa ₁₁
continues to emit light. This is caused by the double discharge path in the first scanning period T _S1 due to the first control pulse.
This is because a positive column is formed in Pa ₁₁ among Pa ₁₁ and Pb ₁₁ , and this state is maintained.

Next, in the second display period T _D12 , the cathode remains at E ₁ , but the anode is switched to E ₃ ,
This corresponds to the state where the changeover switch S _E in the configuration shown in the first figure is in the contact position "3", and there are 2 cells in all rows.
P ₁ and P ₂ operate in series. However, the display period T _D1
When transitioning from T _D12 to T D12, the auxiliary electrode bus line l _La or
l Apply control pulse to _Lb. In the first column, a control pulse is applied to the auxiliary electrode bus line _lLb1 in accordance with the second display information D="0" shown in FIG. As a result, in the double discharge path P ₂₁ in the second row and first column,
A positive column is formed in Pb ₂₁ , and Pa ₂₁ does not emit light. Furthermore, the positive column of Pb ₂₁ is maintained until the display period T _D234 . Note that the operations in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 directly correspond up to the display period T _D12 , and since the maximum number of serially operated cells N is different between the two, the operations from the display period T _D123 onwards are different. In this case, different operations will be performed.

Next, in the third display period T _D123 , the cathode remains at E ₁ , but the anode moves to E ₄ , and a positive column is formed in series with the first three double discharge paths of all rows. Ru. In this case, when switching the anode, the third
In order to perform the brightness modulation of the row, a control pulse is applied to the auxiliary electrode busbar of each column according to the display information of each pixel. In the first column, the third display information D
Since is "1", a control pulse is applied to the auxiliary electrode bus line _lLa1 . As a result, in the first column,
A positive column passing through each of the discharge paths Pa ₁₁ , Pb ₂₁ , and Pa ₃₁ is formed, and the discharge paths Pa ₁₁ and Pa ₃₁ simultaneously emit light during the display period _TD123 . Further, if the second display information is _{also “1”, the discharge paths Pa 11 ,} Pa ₂₁ ,
Three cells of Pa ₃₁ will emit light at the same time.

Thereafter, in the scanning period T _S , the cathode is switched to shorten the discharge path length to 2 cells, and in the display period T _D , the anode is switched to extend the discharge path length to 3 cells, which is the display period. This operation is repeated to display one bit surface. In the case of image display, this operation is repeated for the required number of bits to display one image. In the display of one bit plane, the number of serial operating cells is reduced by one cell during the display period of the last N-1 row, and only the last row is displayed during the final display period. In FIG. 4, the anode remains at E ₈₀ during each display period T _D567 , T _D67 , and T _D7 , and the cathode is sequentially switched to E ₅₀ , E ₆₀ , and E ₇₀ until the final display period T At _D7 , only the discharge path Pa ₇₁ in the first row is emitting light. In addition, in Figure 4, the display period T _D123 to T _D567
3 cells are operated in series for 5 periods, but when displaying standard television images, 1
Assuming that the effective number of scanning lines of the field is 240, 236 rows excluding two rows at both the top and bottom ends can be displayed using 3-cell series operation, and efficiency is improved by reducing the number of cells operating in series at the edges of the screen. It turns out that the decrease is practically negligible. In addition, all the display periods T _D and all the scanning periods T _S in FIG. 4 are as follows:
In fact, each can be of the same length of time. However, the light emission waveform of the discharge cells at the ends such as the discharge path Pa ₁₁ is slightly different from the light emission waveform of the discharge cells at the center such as the discharge path Pa ₃₁ . This is because the display period _TD is continuous at the edge of the screen without intervening scanning period _TS , and strictly speaking, the brightness will decrease slightly at the edge. Normally, this reduction in brightness can be ignored, but if such a reduction in brightness becomes a problem, it can be easily corrected by making the length of the display period at the end a little longer than at other times.

Regarding the timing of applying the control pulse in the above explanation, it is preferable to apply the control pulse prior to switching the main electrode E, and to stabilize the main discharge as soon as possible after switching the main electrode.

According to the mode of connecting the auxiliary electrodes to the auxiliary electrode bus lines _lLa and _lLb through the series resistors R shown in FIG. 3b, the control speed is is delayed. On the other hand, according to the embodiment of the auxiliary electrodes in which the auxiliary electrodes La and Lb are connected to the auxiliary electrode bus lines LA and LB through the series capacitors C shown in FIG. If it is difficult to use a sufficiently large capacitance C, as shown in Figure d,
It is preferable to connect a resistor R to the capacitor C in parallel. Therefore, the resistance R and capacitance C can be formed by printing techniques that apply various pastes such as conductors, resistors, and fritted glass.For example, the resistance R and capacitance C shown in FIG. The capacitive parallel element can be formed in the form of a thick film as shown in FIG.

In the example of the thick film shown in Figure 5, G' is a substrate such as glass that forms part of the display panel's components, and _L is formed by printing and baking silver paste etc. on the substrate G'. This is an auxiliary electrode bus line corresponding to the auxiliary electrode bus lines l _La and l _Lb shown in the third figure, and R is a resistance layer formed of ruthenium oxide paste or the like, one end of which is connected to the auxiliary electrode bus line l _L , and the other A part of the dielectric layer (insulating layer) IS, most of which is formed by printing with glass paste or the like, is sandwiched between the parts and is opposed to the auxiliary electrode bus line L _L of the conductor, and there is a capacitance between the auxiliary electrode bus line L L and the auxiliary electrode bus line L _L. to form. On the upper surface of the other end of the resistance layer R, an auxiliary electrode L formed by printing a conductive paste is arranged, and an insulating layer IS is covered except for the lead line portion of the auxiliary electrode bus line _L and the auxiliary electrode L. . According to the thick film with such a configuration, the capacitance C in parallel with the resistance R _shown in FIG.
They can be considered approximately equivalent.

Note that the mode of auxiliary electrode connection shown in FIG. 3c can be realized by a simple configuration in which the resistance layer R and the auxiliary electrode L are removed in FIG.
Note that it is clear from the example of an AC discharge type display panel that instantaneous discharge can be caused between opposing electrodes via an insulating layer. Auxiliary electrode bus bar _L and insulation layer IS
In the configuration of the auxiliary electrode consisting only of , a part of the auxiliary electrode bus bar becomes the auxiliary electrode, and its position is opposite to the main electrode. Further, if it is desired to operate the auxiliary electrode bus bar other than the opposing position as an auxiliary electrode, this can be achieved by using a material with a high dielectric constant only at the desired position of the insulating layer.

Although the above description has been made regarding the case where the structure shown in FIG. 4 is realized by a thick film, it is clear that the structure can also be formed by a thin film formed by vapor deposition or sputtering of a conductor or an insulator.

In general, the size of the discharge cells in a gas discharge display panel is determined by the purpose of display, and the type of filled gas, composition ratio, pressure, or discharge current value are often determined from the viewpoints of brightness, luminous efficiency, etc. . Therefore, the characteristics related to the above-mentioned main discharge path control are also affected by these conditions, and it is necessary to experimentally find optimal values for the amplitude, width, timing, polarity, etc. of the control pulse.

In the above explanation, the main electrode bus bar is kept open from the power supply terminal except when the main electrode is operated as an anode or a cathode.
As described below, even the main electrode in contact with the positive column between the anode and the cathode can be held at a specific potential. That is, the third electrode is generally called a probe and is added so as to be in contact with the discharge space of a discharge element equipped with an anode and a cathode.
There is a point at which the current in the probe becomes 0 at the wall potential, and at lower potentials only a very small amount of current flows. This phenomenon is said to be because the probe is covered with ions and becomes shielded, so to speak, and it can be considered that the probe is the main electrode between the anode and cathode in the present invention. It is simplest to leave these main electrodes open individually, but as explained above, even if the open main electrode busbars are connected together via a resistor, points at the same plasma potential cannot be connected. Since it is connected, there is almost no effect, and furthermore, as described above, it can be connected to an appropriate potential that is below the wall potential and does not operate as a cathode.

Next, regarding an example of a specific structure of the gas discharge display panel of the present invention based on the principle structure shown in FIG. 1, its top surface is shown in FIG. b, and a cross-section along line X--X' is shown in FIG. 6c.

In the configuration example shown in Figure 6, there is a front glass G _F that also serves as a container, a back glass G _B and an intermediate sheet CS.
The display panel is made up of three layers, and although these three layers are shown separated from each other in the drawing, they are actually assembled in close contact with each other. Barrier rows RB are provided on the back side of the front glass _GF and the front side of the back glass _GB , respectively, which are formed by printing a fritted glass thick film multiple times. Therefore, after the three layers are brought into close contact with each other and subjected to firing treatment as described above, the upper end of each barrier row and the intermediate sheet are welded together, and from the viewing surface, that is, from the upper side of FIG. 6c, As seen, a large number of quadrangular column-shaped discharge spaces D _S are formed on the front side of the intermediate sheet CS, the front and back of which are separated by the surface glass _GF and the intermediate sheet CS. Similarly,
On the back side of the intermediate seat CS, there are intermediate seats on the front and back.
A large number of square column-shaped discharge spaces are formed, which are separated by CS and back glass G _B , and partitioned on the left and right by barrier rows RB.

As mentioned above, a set of two discharge spaces formed in front and behind the intermediate sheet CS is provided to be used as a double discharge path, and one set is the first discharge space.
This corresponds to one row of discharge spaces in the illustrated principle configuration. As shown in FIG. 6a, sections of double discharge paths P and connecting portions Q are alternately set in the longitudinal direction of the discharge space. The viewing surface side of the double discharge path P is the first
Since this will be the display cell Pa described above with reference to the figures but not shown in FIG. 6, the phosphor PHS is coated on its inner wall surface. Note that, in order to avoid complexity, FIG. 6 shows only the phosphor layer on the surface of the intermediate sheet CS.

On the other hand, in the portion of the discharge path that becomes the connecting portion Q, an opening A is provided in the intermediate sheet CS to connect the multiple discharge path spaces. Although the shape of the opening A is shown as a rectangle, it is not limited to this example.
Further, an example is shown in which the main electrode E is formed by metallizing the inner wall surface of the opening A. Further, on the back surface of the intermediate sheet CS, a main electrode bus line _lE is provided at a position separated from the main electrode E, and is connected to the main electrode E via the resistance layer R. At that time, the main electrode bus bar l _E
It is also possible to provide a branch-like branch line on the branch line and form a resistance layer on the branch line via an insulating layer, thereby obtaining a structure similar to that shown in FIG. The main electrode bus line L _E , the resistance layer R, and the like are conductors in contact with the discharge space, and the parts other than those on the inner wall surface of the opening A are covered with an insulating layer IS. Main electrode E formed on the inner wall surface of opening A
By applying an electron-emitting substance em to the surface of the main electrode E, it is possible to reduce the cathode drop voltage when the main electrode E operates as a cathode. In addition, the main electrode bus line L _E is extended to the end of the intermediate sheet CS, and the main electrode terminal TE is
It is as follows.

Therefore, in the configuration example shown in FIG. 6, the auxiliary electrode L is connected in the manner shown in FIG. 3c, and the connection manner shown in FIG. As is clear from a comparison with FIG. d, this can be obtained by removing the resistive layer R in the configuration shown in FIG. In that case, the auxiliary electrode L becomes a floating electrode, so the configuration in FIG. 6 is such that the auxiliary electrode L shown in FIG. 5 is also omitted. i.e. front glass G _F and back glass
A striped transparent conductor in the column direction is provided on one side of G _B , respectively, and the auxiliary electrode bus lines l _La and l _Lb are
shall be. These auxiliary electrode busbars _L are transparent insulating layers
In this _case , a portion with a high dielectric constant is provided for each pixel, and a light shielding layer BL is provided in the portion facing the main electrode E. With the auxiliary electrode L having such a configuration, an instantaneous discharge similar to an AC discharge pulse can be generated between the main electrode E and the auxiliary electrode bus line _L , but especially by providing the high dielectric constant part h, , a discharge occurs through this portion h, and the transparent conductor portion covered by the high dielectric constant portion h becomes auxiliary electrodes La and Lb. Note that the components related to the auxiliary electrode provided on the glass _GF and the back glass _GB can be the same, but the back glass _GB does not require the light shielding layer BL, and the auxiliary electrode The bus line _LL extends to the ends of the glass _GF and the back glass _GB to form auxiliary electrode terminals TL.

Furthermore, in the configuration example shown in FIG. 6, essential components of the discharge type display panel, such as a sealing part around the display panel, an exhaust hole, and an exhaust pipe, are not shown. Furthermore, for barrier row RB, the front glass
Although an example is shown in which _the barrier rows _RB are formed in advance on the front glass G It is also possible to separately provide them on the back surface of _F and the surface of intermediate sheet CS, and on the back surface of intermediate sheet CS and the surface of rear glass G _B , so that they can be integrated during firing. . In addition, in the configuration example shown in FIG. 6, the main electrode E is provided on the intermediate sheet CS, and the auxiliary electrode L is provided on the front glass G _F and the back glass G _B , respectively. However, if this is reversed,
Connect the main electrode E to the front and back glass G _F and G _B
It is also possible to provide the auxiliary electrode L on the intermediate sheet CS.

Although the example of the specific structure of the display panel of the present invention has been described above with respect to the case where the barrier rows RB are formed using a thick film, there are also other structures that are commonly used in manufacturing gas discharge display panels, for example, It is clear that a similar display panel can be manufactured using the layered structure shown in FIG. 6 or a slight modification thereof, even if the discharge space is formed by photoetching the glass substrate. In particular, Figure 10 and
It is easy to realize the display panel of the present invention in the same manner as described above based on the photoetching structure shown in FIG.

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, a positive column with high ultraviolet radiation efficiency is used for light emission display in a gas discharge display panel, and furthermore, the positive column is extended over a plurality of discharge cells. Therefore, for each discharge cell, the effect is equivalent to reducing the cathode drop voltage formed on the front surface of the cathode, that is, the power loss in the part that consumes the most power among the parts of the glow discharge, to a fraction. As a result, an extremely large improvement in luminous efficiency is achieved.

Furthermore, since the positive column extends through a plurality of discharge cells as described above, and moreover, multiple rows of discharge cells emit light at the same time, for each discharge cell,
The light emitting time can be several times longer than that of the conventional one-row simultaneous light emitting method, and as a result, the display brightness can be increased several times.

Further, when the display brightness obtained as described above exceeds the required brightness level, the discharge current density can be reduced to obtain further efficiency improvement.

As mentioned above, the greatest advantage of the display panel of the present invention is that both the brightness and luminous efficiency can be improved at the same time.

In addition, in a gas discharge display panel having a normal memory function, each discharge cell must bear the increased power consumption of the series resistor or the increased power consumption of the cathode descending section due to the use of graphite cathodes. Whereas improving brightness through memory function and improving luminous efficiency were mutually exclusive conditions, in the display panel of the present invention, the power consumption can be shared among a plurality of discharge cells for the reasons mentioned above. , high luminous efficiency can be obtained even by using a graphite cathode.

In addition, when extending the positive column as described above, the electrodes are driven in such a manner that they are extended one cell at a time, so the ignition voltage does not increase even though the discharge distance is long, and the power supply voltage is relatively low. It can be driven by Furthermore, when extending the positive column one cell at a time, a priming effect is obtained from the main discharge of the discharge cell before extension to the discharge cell space to be extended, so the ignition voltage does not increase despite the long discharge distance. First, a relatively low power supply voltage is sufficient.

In addition, when moving the positions of multiple rows that emit light simultaneously, all but one cell at the tip in the moving direction are discharge cells that were already discharging before the movement, so the main discharge itself for display is the next main discharge. This provides a priming effect on the discharge, and the ignition voltage can be significantly reduced compared to the case where a discharge section of several cells connected in series is ignited by a normal priming effect.

In addition, in the principle structure of the display panel of the present invention mentioned above, a discharge space is formed in which double discharge paths and connecting parts are alternately connected, and a control electrode that is exposed or covered with a dielectric material is provided in the double discharge path or at the boundary between the double discharge path and the connection part, and when a control pulse is applied to the control electrode, in the double discharge path where the main discharge for display is currently established, , a large control pulse amplitude is required to apply a control pulse to the discharge path on the side where no discharge is occurring and move the discharge path in the double discharge path from one side to the other. In an undischarged double discharge path adjacent to an established double discharge path, the main discharge can be localized to a predetermined discharge path among the double discharge paths by using a control pulse with a smaller amplitude. , when special effects are used or when a control pulse is applied to the auxiliary electrode, the double discharge path where the main discharge for display is currently established and the double discharge path where the main discharge is currently established. With respect to adjacent undischarged double discharge paths, by utilizing the effect that undischarged double discharge paths are much easier to control in terms of localizing the discharge to a required one of the double discharge paths, The control electrode lead wires can be combined into two, and it has the various features mentioned above by having the same number of electrode lead wires as a normal gas discharge display panel with preliminary discharge, or by significantly reducing the number of electrode lead wires. A gas discharge display panel capable of displaying color television using an elongated solar column can be realized.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the basic configuration of the gas discharge display panel of the present invention, FIGS. - d are diagrams showing examples of connection modes of the auxiliary electrodes, and FIG. 4 is a time chart showing examples of drive waveforms of busbars of the main electrodes and auxiliary electrodes and light emission waveforms of display cells.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a structure in which the CR element is formed in the form of a thick film, and FIGS. 6 a to 6 c are a top view and a longitudinal section showing examples of specific structures of the gas discharge display panel of the present invention, respectively. They are a top view and a cross-sectional view. A...Anode, BL...Light blocking layer, C...Capacitance,
CS...Center sheet, D...Binary luminance information, E,
E _i , E _ij ... Main electrode, E _a ... Viewing side main electrode, E _b
... Back side main electrode, em ... Electron emitting material layer, G
...Airtight container, G _B ... Rear glass plate, G _F ... Front glass plate, gr ... Graphite layer, G' ... Glass substrate, h ... Insulating layer with different dielectric constant, thickness, etc. , IS...Insulating layer, ISS...Transparent insulating layer, K...
Cathode, L, L _i , L _i,j ... Auxiliary electrode, La, La _i , La _i,j
... Viewing surface side auxiliary electrode, Lb, Lb _i , Lb _i,j ... Rear side auxiliary electrode, lE, lE _i ... Main electrode bus bar, N ... Maximum number of series operating cells, P, P _i , P _ij ...double discharge path (display cell), Pa, Pa _i , Pa _ij ...viewing side discharge path,
Pb, Pb _i , Pb _ij ... Back side discharge path, PHS ... Fluorescent layer, Q, Q _i , Q _ij ... Discharge cell connection part, R ...
Resistance, RB...Barrier row, RB _E ...Small barrier, SA,
SE, SD...changeover switch, T...1 display cycle, TD, TD _i , TD _i,i+1 , TD _i,i+1,i+2 ...display period, Td...ignition delay time, TE...Main electrode terminal,
TL...Auxiliary electrode terminal, TR...Reset period (starting period), TS, TS _i ...Scanning period, t...Time.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A unit discharge cell forming a pixel for each row, consisting of a display discharge path part and a non-display discharge path part parallel to each other, each having an auxiliary discharge electrode, through a non-light emitting connection part each having a main discharge electrode, A plurality of discharge paths are connected in the column direction and are sequentially arranged in the row direction. The columns are simultaneously stepped sequentially in the column direction, and a control voltage is selected for the auxiliary discharge electrode provided in each discharge path section of the discharge cell in relation to the sequential step of the voltage supply portion of the main discharge electrode. The number of discharge cells connected in the column direction and discharged simultaneously while sequentially switching each of the display and non-display discharge path portions in the discharge cell according to the image signal to be displayed by applying By alternately increasing and decreasing the discharge path length in the column direction by a predetermined number of units in the same direction based on the discharge cell length, each pixel is repeatedly driven for discharge at the same time. A gas discharge display panel characterized in that it is configured to be sequentially moved in the same direction.