JPH05119740A - Driving method of gas discharge type display device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify and reduce the power consumption a driving circuit without spoiling high-brightness characteristics. CONSTITUTION:The gas discharge display device consists of display electrode groups A1, A2... made of linear electrodes and scanning electrode groups K1, K2... which are made of linear electrodes and so installed as to form a lattice with the display electrode groups A1, A2... while discharging gas is charged between both the kinds of electrode groups. Display information write pulses are applied to the display electrode groups A1, A2 and scanning pulses are applied to the scanning electrodes K1 K2... to start display discharge; and a maintaining pulse train is applied to the scanning electrodes K1, K2... for a constant successive period to maintain the discharge. Consequently, high brightness is obtained and the display anode driving circuit is simplified; and the application of the maintaining pulses to the scanning electrodes K1, K2... is limited to only a display period, so the power consumption is reducible by circuit constituent components.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of driving a gas discharge type display device having a memory function for continuously maintaining a discharge once started in a display discharge cell by applying a sustaining pulse train.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, color C has been used as a television display device.
Although the RT is widely used, a gas discharge display device (PDP) for color display having a memory function has been demanded as an alternative to the RT, which can be significantly thinned. There are different types of gas discharge type display devices having this kind of memory function, AC type and DC type, but here, the pulse memory type which is a typical example of the DC type which is promising in terms of practicality (for example, Murakami et al. The Institute of Electrical Communication J73-C-11)
Will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 2, a DC PDP is generally
There are two kinds of display matrix electrode groups, that is, a scanning electrode group 1 composed of cathodes K ₁ , K ₂ , K ₃ ... And a display electrode group 2 composed of anodes A ₁ , A ₂ , A ₃ ... The intersections form individual display discharge cells. A discharge gas is enclosed between the display electrode group and the scan electrode group, and discharge is performed in the discharge cell at the intersection of the display electrode and the scan electrode to which a voltage is applied according to the display information.
Light is emitted and recognized as visual information. In the case of color display, a phosphor is installed in each discharge cell, and a discharge gas such as helium-xenon, which emits ultraviolet rays during discharge, is enclosed.

The PDP having the above-mentioned structure is used as a pulse memory.
About the method of driving by Lee method, using Fig. 3
explain. As shown in FIG. 3, the display electrode group A₁, A₂, A
₃... sustaining voltage pulse V on each anode_AIs always applied
Scanning electrode group K₁, K ₂, K₃... for each cathode
Scan pulse voltage V of negative potential sequentially_KIs applied.

A method of writing display information in the discharge cell 3 corresponding to the intersection of the anode A ₂ and the cathode K ₂ in such an applied voltage waveform and maintaining discharge will be described. Figure 3
As shown in, when the write pulse V _W is applied to the anode A ₂ while the scan pulse is applied to the cathode K ₂ , the anode A ₂
Pulse discharge occurs in the discharge cell 3 at the intersection of ₂ and the cathode K ₂ , and the discharge start voltage of the cell is lowered. The discharge cell 3 once written in this way discharges and emits light each time the sustain pulse _VA is applied until the erase pulse _VE is applied to the cathode. The voltage of the erase pulse V _E is set so that the voltage between the cathode and the display anode is set to the discharge start voltage or less, so that the subsequent discharge is stopped.

When the write pulse is not applied and after the erase pulse is applied and the discharge is temporarily stopped, the discharge start voltage of the display discharge cell 3 is maintained at a high state. Does not happen.

As described above, in the memory driving method typified by the pulse memory method, since pulsed light emission repeated during the period from the write pulse to the erase pulse can be used for display, high brightness can be obtained, and practical use of about 100 cd / m ² is achieved. Sufficient maximum display brightness has been reported.

[0008]

[SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION] However, in such a conventional art, as shown in FIG. 3, as a display electrode driving circuit, the circuit for generating the sustain pulse V _A and the write pulse V _W, the scanning electrode driving circuit As a means, scanning pulse K _K
Since a circuit for generating the erasing pulse V _E and a circuit for generating the erasing pulse V _E are respectively required, there is a problem that the driving circuit becomes complicated on the display electrode group side and the scanning electrode group side. Further, since the sustain pulse train is constantly applied to the display electrodes, when the period from the application of the pulse V _K to the scan electrodes to the application of the erase pulse V _E is set as the display period, no discharge occurs and no non-display is performed. During the period, the power required for charging / discharging the capacity of the discharge cell formed by the intersections of the display electrodes and the scan electrodes and the power during operation of the sustain pulse generation circuit itself are consumed, and there is a problem of increasing power consumption. there were.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and an object of the present invention is to provide a driving system which can realize simplification of a driving circuit and low power consumption while maintaining the high luminance characteristic of the memory driving system.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention encloses a discharge gas between a display electrode group consisting of a plurality of linear electrodes and the display electrode group, In a gas discharge type display device composed of a scanning electrode group consisting of a plurality of linear electrodes arranged so as to form a grid together with the group, a display information writing pulse is selectively applied to each electrode of the display electrode group. At the same time, a scan pulse is sequentially applied to each electrode of the scan electrode group to start the display discharge, and then a sustain pulse train is applied to the scan electrode for a certain period of time to sustain the discharge. ..

[0011]

According to the present invention, with the above-described structure, the sustaining pulse train is applied to the scan electrodes to sustain the discharge, so that not only the high brightness characteristics can be maintained but also the display electrode drive circuit can be compared with the conventional device. Therefore, the circuit necessary for generating the sustain pulse can be omitted, so that the display electrode drive circuit can be simplified. Further, since the sustain pulse train is not applied during the non-display period in which no discharge occurs, unnecessary power of the sustain pulse generation circuit itself and unnecessary power due to charging / discharging the capacity of the discharge cell can be suppressed, and low power consumption can be achieved. ..

[0012]

EXAMPLE A DC type PDP which is an example of the present invention will be described below.
A case where the driving method of 1 is applied to the PDP configured as shown in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, display electrode groups A ₁ , A ₂ ,
A write pulse V _W is applied to each of the anodes A ₃ ... In accordance with display information. Scanning electrode groups K ₁ , K ₂ , K ₃ ...
Scanning pulses of negative potential are sequentially applied to each of the cathodes from the cathode K _1.
V _K is applied, and then a sustaining pulse train −V _S having a negative potential is applied for a certain period of time. The anode reference voltage V _BA and the cathode reference voltage V _BK may be added as a bias voltage to each drive pulse in order to lower the drive pulse voltage for writing, scanning, and sustaining.

In such an applied voltage waveform, even if
Anode A₂And cathode K₂Displayed on the discharge cell 3 corresponding to the intersection of
A method of writing information will be described. As shown in FIG.
Pole K ₂While applying the scanning pulse to the anode A₂Write to
Only pulse V_WIs applied, the anode A₂And cathode K₂At the intersection of
A pulse discharge occurs in a certain discharge cell 3 and the discharge of that cell
Decrease the power start voltage. In this way, write once
The discharge cell 3 included in the discharge cell 3 has a cathode for sustain pulse train -V._SApply
Sustain pulse -V_SDischarge every time
It emits light. Anode reference voltage V_BA, Cathode reference voltage V_BKIs running
In the state where neither the inspection pulse nor the sustain pulse is applied, the cathode
Set the voltage between the anode and the anode to be below the discharge start voltage.
The discharge after the sustain pulse train is applied to the cathode is
Stop.

As described above, according to this embodiment, similarly to the conventional memory driving method, since the light emission by the write pulse and the pulse light emission repeated by the sustain pulse train can be used for the display, not only high brightness but also high brightness can be obtained. A method of driving a gas discharge display device that simplifies a display electrode driving circuit by eliminating the need for a display electrode sustaining pulse generation circuit and reduces power consumption by eliminating the need for a sustaining pulse train in the non-display period. You can do it.

Furthermore, if the voltage values of the scan pulse and the sustain pulse applied to the scan electrode are the same, the scan electrode drive circuit can be simplified.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, by applying the sustain pulse to the scan electrodes only during the display period, the driving circuit can be simplified and the power consumption can be reduced without impairing the high luminance characteristic. Can be achieved together.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a waveform diagram for explaining a driving method of a gas discharge type display device having a memory function of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of electrodes forming a main part of a gas discharge display device.

FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram for explaining a driving method of a conventional pulse discharge type gas discharge display device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Scanning electrode group 2 Display electrode group 3 Discharge cell

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Makoto Takei 1006 Kadoma, Kadoma City, Osaka Prefecture Matsushita Electronics Industrial Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A display electrode group composed of a plurality of linear electrodes, and a plurality of linear electrodes installed so as to form a grid together with the display electrode group by enclosing a discharge gas between the display electrode group. In a gas discharge type display device comprising a scan electrode group consisting of, a display information writing pulse is applied to the display electrode group, and a scan pulse is applied to the scan electrode to start a display discharge, and then a constant value is maintained. A method of driving a gas discharge type display device, wherein a sustain pulse train is applied to the scan electrode for a period of time to sustain discharge. 2. A method of driving a gas discharge type display device according to claim 1, wherein the display electrode group is an anode group and the scanning electrode group is a cathode group. 3. The method for driving a gas discharge display device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage values of the scan pulse and the sustain pulse are the same.