JPH0612026A - Method for driving plasma display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely perform a display operation by surely generating write discharge without generating erroneous discharge and write maintaining discharge generated immediately after the write discharge in the driving of a memory type AC plasma display panel. CONSTITUTION:A subscanning pulse 6 is applied to a maintenance electrode in a scanning period so as to set potential difference between a scan electrode applying a scanning pulse 3 and the maintenance electrode at a range where the write maintaining discharge can be generated without generating the erroneous discharge. Thereby, the write discharge and the write maintaining discharge can be surely generated by the subscanning pulse 3, and global write probability on data can be heightened, and display grade can be improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a so-called dot matrix type memory type AC plasma display panel for use in personal computers, office workstations, wall-mounted televisions, etc., which are expected to grow in recent years. It relates to a driving method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional AC type plasma display panel has a structure shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, (A) is a plan view and (B) is a sectional view taken along line xx ′ in (A). This plasma display panel includes a first insulating substrate 11 made of glass, a second insulating substrate 12 also made of glass, a row electrode 13, a column electrode 14, a discharge gas space 15 filled with discharge gas such as He and Xe, a discharge A partition wall 16 that secures a gas space and divides pixels, a phosphor 17 that converts ultraviolet light generated by discharge of a discharge gas into visible light,
Insulating layer 18a covering the row electrodes, insulating layer 18 covering the column electrodes
b, a protective layer 19 made of MgO or the like for protecting the insulator from discharge. Note that in FIG. 5A, reference numeral 20 indicates a pixel. A plasma display capable of color display can be obtained by separately applying the phosphor 17 to each pixel in three colors.

Next, FIG. 6 shows a diagram focusing only on the electrodes of the plasma display panel. In FIG. 6, 21 is a plasma display panel, 22 is the first insulating substrate 11.
The second insulating substrate 12 and the second insulating substrate 12 are adhered to each other, and a discharge part is sealed inside to seal airtightly, S ₁ , S ₃ , ...
S _{m -2} , S _m are sustain electrodes, S ₂ , S ₄ , ..., S
_{m - 3,} S _{m - 1} is the scanning electrode, S ₁ These combined,
S _2, ···, S _{m -} a _1, S _m row electrodes. Also,
D ₁ , D ₂ , ..., D _{n -1} , D _n indicate column electrodes.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of drive voltage waveforms and light emission waveforms of the plasma display panel shown in FIGS. Waveform (A) shows sustain electrodes S ₁ , S ₃ , ...
··, S _{m - 2,} the voltage waveform applied to S _m, waveform (B)
Is a voltage waveform applied to the scan electrode S ₂ , and the waveform (C) is
The voltage waveform applied to the scan electrode S ₄ and the waveform (D) are voltage waveforms applied to the scan electrode S ₆ , and the waveform (E) is the column electrode D.
_The voltage waveform applied to _j , waveform (F), shows the light emission waveform of pixel a _{2 j} . Sustain electrodes S ₁ , S ₃ , ...,
S _{m - 2,} the S _m, the sustain pulse is applied A, 31.
Further, the scan electrodes S ₂ , S ₄ , ..., S _{m -3} , S
_m-1 has sustain pulses B and 3 common to these electrodes.
In addition to 2, the scan pulse 33 and the erase pulse 34 are line-sequentially applied to each scan electrode at independent timings. If there is light emission data in each column electrode Dj, a data pulse 3
5 is applied in synchronization with the scanning pulse 33.

In the plasma display panel having the structure shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the scan pulse and the data pulse are applied between the scan electrode and the column electrode at the same timing to perform the write discharge, the adjacent discharge is maintained thereafter. A sustain discharge is sustained between the electrodes and the scan electrodes by sustain pulses A and 31 and sustain pulses B and 32. Such a function is called a memory function. Further, the sustain discharge can be stopped by applying a low voltage pulse having a narrow pulse width called an erase pulse to the scan electrodes.

Further, FIGS. 8 to 10 show examples of different plasma display panels. Each pixel has two row electrodes. Therefore, as can be seen from FIG. 10, the number of sustain electrodes is one less than that in the case of FIG. 6, and S ₁ , S ₃ ,.
.., S _m -2, and so on. For driving this panel, the same drive waveform as in FIG. 7 can be used except that the number of sustain electrodes is one less than that in the case of FIG.

[0007]

However, when the drive waveform as shown in FIG. 7 is used, if an attempt is made to increase the scan pulse voltage in order to ensure the write discharge of the display data, an erroneous discharge occurs and a normal discharge occurs. There is a problem that the writing operation cannot be performed. This erroneous discharge occurred between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode where the voltage became too high. This is often the case when the gap between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode is narrower than the gap between the scan electrode and the column electrode.

Contrary to the above case, when the gap between the scan electrodes and the sustain electrodes is wider than the gap between the scan electrodes and the column electrodes, the scan pulse voltage is as low as the scan side sustain pulse voltage. There was a case where a writing discharge occurred. In this case, although the write discharge is surely generated, the transition from the write discharge to the sustain discharge may not be successful.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems in a plasma display panel driving device and to realize a more reliable writing operation without erroneous discharge.

[0010]

According to the present invention, in a method for driving a dot matrix type plasma display panel having a memory function, which uses a drive for applying a scanning pulse in a line-sequential manner, at least during a scanning pulse application period. Alternatively, in part, the potential difference between the scan electrode to which the scan pulse voltage is applied and the sustain electrode is equal to or higher than the minimum value of the discharge sustain voltage between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode in the write sustain discharge, and A method of driving a plasma display panel is characterized in that a sub-scanning pulse is applied to the sustain electrodes within a range not higher than the discharge start voltage between the scan electrodes and the sustain electrodes in the write sustain discharge.

[0011]

The present invention has solved the problems of the prior art by adopting the above-mentioned configuration. That is, in order to reliably shift the write discharge to the sustain discharge without erroneous discharge, the write discharge generated by the scan pulse and the data pulse is used as a pilot fire, and the discharge is generated between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode immediately after the write discharge. (Hereinafter referred to as write sustain discharge)
Was newly found to be important. In order to reliably generate the addressing sustain discharge, the potential difference between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode needs to satisfy the following two conditions at the time when the address discharge occurs. First, the write sustain discharge does not occur unless the potential difference is at least the minimum value of the discharge voltage between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode in the write sustain discharge. The minimum value of the write sustaining discharge here does not always match the discharge sustaining voltage generally measured by increasing the AC pulse voltage. That is, the writing discharge is generated between the scan electrodes and the column electrodes, a considerable number of active particles are present, and the wall charges are started to be accumulated on the scan electrodes. It is often higher than the sustain voltage. The other is that this potential difference is set to a voltage equal to or lower than the voltage (discharge starting voltage) at which the discharge starts by itself only by this potential difference. That is, the write sustain discharge should not occur between the scan electrode to which the scan pulse voltage is applied and the sustain electrode, although there is no write discharge. The discharge start voltage here is
The voltage becomes higher than the discharge start voltage due to only the sustain pulse. This is because the scan pulse cycle is much longer than the sustain pulse cycle.

Therefore, at least during the scan period in which the scan pulse voltage is applied to the scan electrodes, the potential difference between the scan electrodes to which the scan pulse voltage is applied and the sustain electrodes is maintained at the scan electrodes in the sustaining write discharge. The sub-scanning pulse is applied to the sustain electrodes so that the voltage is in the range of the minimum value of the discharge sustain voltage between the electrodes and the discharge start voltage between the scan electrodes and the sustain electrodes in the write sustain discharge. Decided to apply. As a result, (1) since the scan pulse voltage can be set to the optimum value for the write discharge without erroneous discharge, the write discharge can be reliably generated. (2) The write sustain discharge that occurs immediately after the write discharge is now reliably generated without erroneous discharge. (3) When the write sustain discharge is surely generated, the sustain discharge thereafter is also surely generated. For these reasons, the overall reliability of the writing discharge is greatly improved, and the display quality is remarkably improved. A detailed description will be given below with reference to examples.

[0013]

EXAMPLE As the plasma display panel for carrying out the present invention, the one shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 was used. The scanning electrodes S ₂ , S ₄ , ..., S _{m −3} , S _{m −1} are 120,
The sustain electrodes S ₁ , S ₃ , ..., S _m -2, S _m are 121
, Column electrodes D ₁ , D ₂ , ..., D _{n -1} , D _n are 4
It is 80. The pitch of each pixel is 0.6 in the column electrode direction.
mm, and the row electrode direction is 0.8 mm. The distance between the row electrodes is 0.1 mm, and the distance between the row electrodes and the column electrodes is 0.
It is 2 mm. In FIG. 5, 11 is a first insulating substrate made of soda glass having a thickness of 2 mm, and 12 is also 2 m.
A second insulating substrate made of m-thick soda glass, 13 is a row electrode made of a silver thick film electrode, 14 is a column electrode made of a silver thick film electrode, and 15 is a total pressure of 200 Torr and 2.5% Xe. A discharge gas space filled with a discharge gas composed of mixed He, 16 is sandwiched between the first insulating substrate 11 and the second insulating substrate 12, and is a partition formed by a thick film process for separating each pixel 20, and 17 is a discharge A phosphor made of Zn ₂ SiO ₄ : Mn or the like that converts ultraviolet light generated by gas discharge into visible light, 18a is an insulating layer made of a thick transparent glaze covering the row electrodes 13, and 18b is a column electrode 14 as well. An insulating layer made of transparent glaze, which is also a thick film, and 19 is a protective layer made of MgO having a thickness of 2 μm for protecting the insulating layer 18a from gas discharge.

FIG. 1 shows drive waveforms according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the waveform (A) is the sustain electrode S ₁ ,
S ₃ , ..., S _m -2, the voltage waveform applied to S _m , waveform (B) is the voltage waveform applied to the first scan electrode S ₂ ,
The waveform (C) is a voltage waveform applied to the next scan electrode S ₄ ,
Waveform (D) is a voltage waveform applied to the column electrode D _j . The sustain electrodes S ₁ , S ₃ , ..., S _m -2, S _m have sustain pulses A, 1 (pulse width 2 μsec, period 16 μm).
Second, voltage −160 V) is applied. Further, the scan electrodes S ₂ , S ₄ , ..., S _{m −3} , S _{m −1} have sustain pulses B, 2 (pulse width, period,
In addition to the sustain pulses A and 1, the voltage is a scan pulse 3 (pulse width 4 μm) at each scan electrode at an independent timing.
Second, voltage −200 V) is applied line-sequentially. As the erase pulse 4, a so-called narrow erase pulse having a narrow pulse width (0.5 μsec) and a low voltage (−130 V) was used. Of course, instead of such an erasing pulse, a wide erasing pulse, an erasing pulse having a blunted waveform, or a composite pulse of these may be used. A data pulse (having the same pulse width as the scan pulse 3 and a voltage of 80 V) is applied to the column electrode Dj according to the presence or absence of data. 8 to make the pixel emit light
0 when applying 0V data pulse and not emitting light
Leave as V. 6 is a sub-scanning pulse of the present invention,
The pulse voltage is −20 V and the pulse width is the same as that of the scan pulse 3. The rising position of the pulse is the same as that of each scanning pulse 3. Without this sub-scanning pulse 6, an erroneous discharge occurred between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode at the time when the scanning pulse voltage of -200V was applied. The scan pulse voltage could be increased to -200V without discharge. As a result, a reliable write discharge can be generated, and a write sustain discharge immediately after that can be generated without erroneous discharge. Therefore, the discharge is surely shifted from the sustaining discharge for writing to the sustaining discharge at the next sustaining pulse A or 1. After all, by using the sub-scanning pulse 6, the writing discharge can be surely performed without erroneous discharge,
Also, the transition of the discharge from the write discharge to the sustain discharge has become very reliable.

If the voltage of the sub-scanning pulse 6 is made too large, the potential difference between the scan electrode to which the scan pulse voltage is applied and the sustain electrode becomes too small,
Write sustaining discharge cannot be generated. Therefore, the voltage of the sub-scanning pulse 6 needs to be set such that the potential difference between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode is equal to or higher than the voltage at which the write sustain discharge can be generated.

On the contrary to the above case, when the gap between the scan electrodes and the sustain electrodes is wider than the gap between the scan electrodes and the column electrodes, the sub-scanning pulse is used for scanning due to the reason described in the section of the operation. It was effective to apply a pulse having a polarity opposite to the pulse voltage to the sustain electrode. That is, as shown in the voltage waveform diagram of FIG. 2 ((A) to (D) are the same as FIG. 1), the scan pulse 3 is applied at least during the period in which the scan pulse 3 is applied to the scan electrodes one after another. A sub-scanning pulse 6 having a polarity opposite to that of the scan pulse 3 was applied to the sustain electrodes so that the potential difference between the scan electrodes and the sustain electrodes generated can generate the write sustain discharge. That is, as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, the voltage between the scan electrode to which the scan pulse 3 is applied and the sustain electrode is kept within the range of the discharge sustain voltage. As a result, the transition from the write discharge to the write sustain discharge can be reliably performed.

In the present invention, the phenomenon is described as the size of the gap between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode and the gap between the column electrodes for the sake of simplicity as described above. There is a magnitude relationship between the characteristic voltages such as the discharge start voltage and the discharge sustain voltage defined by these gaps. It should be noted that the characteristic voltage does not necessarily correspond to the size of the gap 1: 1 because the characteristic voltage is also affected by factors such as the structure and the discharge gas.

In FIG. 2, the rising edge of the sub-scanning pulse 6 is at the same time as the scanning pulse 3, but the falling edge is longer than the scanning pulse 3 and is the same as the falling edges of the sustain pulses A and 1. In this way, the sub-scanning pulse 6 may be extended outside the period in which the scanning pulse 3 is applied.

As is apparent from the above embodiments, by using the sub-scanning pulse of the present invention, the scan electrode is irrespective of the values of the gap between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode and the gap between the scan electrode and the data electrode. It becomes possible to set the scanning pulse voltage to be applied to the optimum value for writing discharge.
Therefore, the gap between the sustain electrodes and the scan electrodes and the gap between the scan electrodes and the column electrodes can be freely selected when designing the panel, which greatly increases the degree of freedom in design, which is very important in the production of plasma display panels. It is for

Further, FIG. 3 shows another example of the sub-scanning pulse. In FIG. 3, (A), (B), and (C) are voltage waveforms of the sub-scanning pulse applied to the sustain electrodes, and (D) is a scanning pulse voltage waveform applied to the scan electrodes. As shown in FIG. 3, the sub-scanning pulse 6 may be narrower in width than the scanning pulse 3. In the case of FIG. 3A, the case where a sub-scanning pulse having a polarity opposite to that of the scan pulse is applied is shown.
The sub-scanning pulse 6 may be set to have a pulse width such that the write sustaining discharge is sufficiently generated during the application of. This value is the voltage of the scanning pulse, the repetition period, or the pressure of the gas used for the plasma display panel,
It changes depending on the type. The time difference Ta is the time until the writing discharge starts, and is generally 1 μsec or less. Since the writing discharge may occur after Ta, while the scan pulse and the data pulse are being applied,
Generally, the time difference Tb is almost zero. However, when the writing discharge is converged very quickly, the sub-scanning pulse 6 is set to 0 voltage and the time difference Tb is set after that.
May be a finite value.

In the case of FIG. 3B, the time differences Ta, T
b may be set to a value such that erroneous discharge does not occur between the sustain electrode and the scan electrode. This value also depends on the specifications of the plasma display panel as in the case of (A), but is generally 1 μsec or less. Further, FIG. 3C shows a case where the pulse edge of the sub-scanning pulse 6 has become blunt.
In this case, the pulse width may be considered at the time when the pulse voltage reaches the peak voltage.

Needless to say, the drive waveforms of the present invention described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 can be applied to the plasma display panel having the electrode structure shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

Next, FIG. 4 shows an example in which a sub-scanning pulse is independently applied to each sustain electrode using the plasma display panel having the electrode structure shown in FIGS. In FIG. 4, waveform (A) is a voltage waveform applied to scan electrode S ₂ , waveform (B) is a voltage waveform applied to scan electrode S ₄ , and waveform (C) is a voltage applied to sustain electrode S _1. Waveforms and waveforms (D) show voltage waveforms applied to the sustain electrodes S ₃ , and waveforms (E) show voltage waveforms applied to the column electrodes D _j . As can be seen from FIG. 4, the sustain electrodes S ₁ , S ₃ ,
.., S _m -2, the sustain pulses A and 1 are commonly applied, and the sub-scanning pulse 6 is line-sequentially applied independently to each sustain electrode. Also, the scan electrodes S ₂ , S ₄ , ...
_{··, S m -3, S m} - To _1, in addition to the common sustain pulses B, 2 to these electrodes (not shown) erase pulse 4 and the scan pulse 3 at independent timing to each scanning electrode Are applied line-sequentially.

In the above embodiments, the case where the AC surface discharge type memory panel shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 6 or FIGS. 8 to 10 is driven has been described, but the present invention is not limited to these. It goes without saying that it can be applied to any type of AC memory type plasma display panel.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, by applying the sub-scanning pulse to the sustain electrode during the scanning period, the scanning pulse voltage can be freely set within the range where the reliable writing discharge occurs. Like Further, the sub-scanning pulse ensures that the write sustaining discharge is generated almost at the same time as the write discharge.

Therefore, the writing discharge is generated without fail, and the transition from the writing discharge to the writing sustaining discharge and then to the sustaining discharge is ensured, so that the overall data writing probability is increased and the display quality is improved.

Further, by using the present invention, the gap between the sustain electrodes and the scan electrodes and the gap between the scan electrodes and the column electrodes can be freely selected when designing the panel, so that the degree of freedom in design is very high. It becomes large and is very useful in the production of plasma display panels.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a driving method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the driving method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a sub-scanning pulse that can be used in the driving method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the driving method of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a plan view and a sectional view of a plasma display panel.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of a plasma display panel focusing on the electrode arrangement.

FIG. 7 is a driving voltage waveform of a plasma display panel,
It is a figure which shows and a light emission waveform.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of another example of the plasma display panel.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the plasma display panel.

10 is a configuration diagram focusing on the electrode arrangement of the plasma display panel of FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 31 Sustain pulse A 2, 32 Sustain pulse B 3, 33 Scan pulse 4, 34 Erase pulse 5, 35 Data pulse 6 Sub-scan pulse 11 First insulating substrate 12 Second insulating substrate 13 Row electrode 14 Column electrode 15 Discharge gas space 16 partition 17 phosphor 18a, 18b insulating layer 19 protective layer 20 pixel 21 plasma display panel 22 seal portion _{D 1, D 2, ···,} D n - 1, D n column electrodes S _1, S _2, ·· ., S _{m -1} , S _m row electrodes S ₁ , S ₃ , ..., S _{m -2} , S _m sustain electrodes S ₂ , S ₄ , ..., S _{m -3} , S _{m -1} scanning electrode

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A method of driving a dot matrix type plasma display panel having a memory function, which uses a drive for applying a scanning pulse in a line-sequential manner, wherein at least all or part of the scanning pulse application period is
The potential difference between the scan electrode to which the scan pulse voltage is applied and the sustain electrode is equal to or higher than the minimum value of the discharge sustain voltage between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode in the write sustain discharge,
A method of driving a plasma display panel, which comprises applying a sub-scanning pulse to the sustain electrodes within a range not higher than the discharge start voltage between the scan electrodes and the sustain electrodes in the write sustain discharge.