JPS5935030B2 - Device that supplies operating voltage to gas discharge display panels - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an apparatus for supplying an operating voltage to a crossed conductor matrix of a gas discharge display panel.

[Prior Art] Such gas discharge display panels are disclosed in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,167 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,199. It consists of a pair of glass plate members spaced apart and joined by a sealing member, each glass plate member adapted to carry a dielectric coated multi-conductor array.

The conductors of this conductor matrix array are typically orthogonal, and the intersections of the conductors can be addressed by applying operating voltages to orthogonal row and column conductors. This operating voltage is usually composed of an address pulse voltage and a sustain voltage; in a typical gas discharge display panel, one-half of the sustain voltage is applied to the row conductors, and the other half is applied to the column conductors. I'm starting to add more. Further, regarding the address pulse voltage of the write pulse and the erase pulse, one-half of the voltage is applied to the row conductor, and the remaining one-half is applied to the column conductor. Therefore, conventionally, a sustain voltage source and a pulse voltage source were required for each of the row conductor and column conductor. The cost of these voltage sources occupies a large portion of the overall cost of the gas discharge display panel, and conventionally, the gas discharge display panel has become expensive because many voltage sources are required. [Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost gas discharge display panel.

[Summary of the invention]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a two-level signal to at least one of the row conductor and column conductor,
The control of this two-level signal is made to coincide with the application of write voltage pulses and erase voltage pulses to the electrode array on the non-mowing side of the panel.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

Referring first to FIG. 1A, a gas discharge display panel 10 (
(preferably of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,167) has a pair of support plates 11, 12 each carrying a separate conductor gamma , 14.

Here, the conductor γ rays 13 are referred to as Y electrodes or column conductor arrays, and the conductor γ rays 14 are referred to as X electrodes or row conductor arrays. The X-electrode array 14 is adapted to be driven by a resistor-diode selection matrix 16, which is conventional in nature and receives its input information signals from a data and control circuit 20.

Note that the matrix 16 is electrically floating due to the X electrode sustaining voltage source 21, and the X electrode sustaining voltage source 21 is also controlled by data and signals from the control circuit 20. As shown in FIG. 1B, the X electrode γ-ray 14 is applied with a write pulse voltage and an erase pulse voltage superimposed on the sustain voltage. The Y electrode array 13 has its discharge state controlled by the diode-resistance selection matrix 17, and receives a sustaining voltage therefrom. Here, the details of the configuration of this diode-resistance selection matrix 17 are shown in FIG. The sustain voltage from the sustain voltage source 22 for the Y-conductor gamma ray 13 is modified according to the invention by a diode-resistor selection matrix 17 as shown in FIG. 1C. In FIG. 1A, the sustaining voltage source V, 22 and the diode-resistance selection matrix 17 are shown separately, but this is only for illustration purposes. As mentioned above, the X electrode signal with write and erase pulses acts similarly to a normal address operation, with the write pulse shown in FIG. 1B being a pulse voltage added algebraically to a square wave sustain voltage It is.

Further, the erase pulse is a narrow pulse voltage that is algebraically applied to the sustain voltage of the X electrode device, and the erase pulse is applied between the falling and rising edges of the sustain voltage applied to the X electrode. The waveform of the voltage applied to the X electrode shown in FIG. 1B and the voltage waveform of the X sustaining voltage source shown in FIG.
shown on the same time axis. A sustaining voltage to the Y electrode γ-ray 13 is applied via a diode-resistance matrix 17 shown in FIG.

FIG. 4A shows a circuit that controls whether to apply a rising sustaining voltage, that is, a high level sustaining voltage, or a falling sustaining voltage, that is, a low level sustaining voltage, to the Y electrode array 13. , FIG. 4B. Note that in the present invention, the diode drive signal and resistor 1 drive signal used for addressing are also used to provide the normal sustain voltage signal. The diode matrix driven by the transistors shown in FIG. 4A is
It controls the diode-resistance matrix 17 shown in FIG. 4B.

Each vertical selection transistor VQ and each horizontal selection transistor HQ receives an on-off control signal according to code conversion, and controls gate diodes D3 and D4 respectively connected to the intersection of each diode matrix. Figure 4A
The intersection of each such diode matrix is connected to the horizontal selection line of the diode-resistor matrix 17 shown in FIG. 4B, thereby biasing each diode D2 at a selected time and rising during a selected time interval. A sustain voltage input, ie, a high level sustain voltage is provided. A falling sustain voltage input or low level sustain voltage is provided by transistor RP. That is, the resistor R in the diode-resistor matrix 17 is pulsed by a transistor RP that provides a falling sustain voltage input, ie, a low level sustain voltage. When a falling sustain voltage, that is, a low-level sustain voltage is applied to the vertical selection line of the diode-resistance matrix 17 by the transistor RP, the diodes D, D2 are forward biased and the diodes Dl, D2 are forward biased.
The second path becomes low impedance.

This forms a distribution path for panel discharge current and panel charging current. Since the anode of the diode D is grounded, the voltage of the Y electrode connected to the node between the diode D2 and the resistor R is clamped to approximately zero voltage.
Further, when a rising sustaining voltage, that is, a high-level sustaining voltage is applied to the horizontal selection line of the diode-resistance matrix 17 in FIG. 4B by the transistor VQl transistor HQ in FIG. 4A, the diode D2 is forward biased. The path of diode D2 becomes an impedance.

This forms a distribution path for panel discharge current or panel charging current. The sustaining voltage waveforms according to the bias method according to the present invention are shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, and this control is realized by the circuits shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.

This bias method will be explained in detail. The output signal to the panel electrode is connected to the resistor R and diode D corresponding to each γ dress point.
It is applied from the node between 2 and 2. Diode D1 is forward'
When biased, a current path is formed between the sustain voltage source and ground through this diode D1. By the circuits shown in FIGS. 2 and 4A and 4B, the sustaining voltage applied to the Y electrode of the panel is kept at a low level during the addressing period for the X electrode, as shown in FIG. 1C. controlled. This allows writing and erasing to cells located at intersecting positions. The waveform diagram shown in FIG. 1B shows the voltage applied to the X electrode, and is drawn on the same time axis as FIG. 1C. When the voltage signals shown in FIG. 1B and the voltage signals shown in FIG. 1C are applied to the X electrodes of the panel, the voltage applied to the panel is the difference between these voltage signals.

Therefore, even if a write pulse exists in the X electrode signal in FIG. do not have. If the Y electrode signal is at a low level (dotted line section labeled Selected Write Pulse in FIG. 1C), a write voltage level is applied to the panel, initiating a gas discharge. The same applies to the erasing pulse; even if the X electrode signal has an erasing pulse as shown in Figure 1B, if the Y electrode signal is at a high level, the voltage that affects the panel is O volts. A gas discharge will not erase it. Y electrode signal is low level (
(the dotted line section labeled "Selected Erase Pulse" in Figure 1C), the erase voltage level is applied to the pulse;
Gas discharge ends. If it is desired to write to a selected intersection of the panel, for example to the Y electrode 44, conductor 45 is not driven by a rising sustain voltage input, ie, a high level sustain voltage.

Therefore, the falling sustaining voltage input of conductor 46, ie, the voltage at the node where the low level sustaining voltage is applied to Y electrode 44 through resistor 44 and connected to the panel, is the first
This becomes the dotted line section labeled "Selected Write Pulse" in Figure C. If it is not desired to write to the intersection of Y conductor 44 and any ) will not occur. The bias current required to maintain the desired low impedance state dissipates power in the resistor.

However, the bias current flows only when the sustain voltage changes (when the sustain voltage changes between a high level sustain voltage and a low level sustain voltage).
Therefore, as shown by the signal level shown in Figure 3, this power can be used to flow a bias current for a short period of time (
This can be reduced by signal part b) in FIG. However, as shown in FIG. 3, it is necessary that the sustain bias γ shift level b of the Y electrode sustain voltage source straddles the sustain voltage change section St. [Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a pulse voltage source is not required for either the row conductor or the column conductor, and the cost of the entire gas discharge display panel can be reduced, and the size and weight can be reduced. It is possible.

[Mode of implementation]

Although this invention has been described in detail above, the main embodiments of this invention will be listed below.

1. Claims claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a diode matrix constituted by a plurality of diode gate pairs, the midpoints between the diode matrix pairs being connected to provide the elevated sustaining voltage signal. The device described.

2. The second device includes a plurality of individually controllable transistor switch devices, the transistor switch devices being connected to the at least one selection matrix to provide the falling sustain voltage control signal. Equipment described in the scope.

3. The control device includes a diode matrix having a horizontal selection conductor and a vertical selection conductor, a pair of diodes forming a gate at each intersection of these conductors, and providing switched signals to the horizontal selection conductor and the vertical selection conductor. a device connected to the selection conductor for controlling the conducting and non-conducting states of the diode pair; and a device connecting the midpoint of each of the diodes to the at least one selection matrix to control the selection matrix. An apparatus as claimed in the claims.

4. 5. The device of claim 1, wherein each gate element comprises one resistor and one diode for each panel electrode.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axis of one electrode has a sustain voltage bias surrounding the change in sustain voltage relative to the other electrode axis.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1A is a schematic diagram showing a gas discharge display panel and the apparatus of the invention for supplying operating voltage thereto; Figures 1B and C;
is a waveform diagram of the voltage applied to the X electrode and the Y electrode, respectively,
FIG. 2 is a schematic circuit diagram showing a diode-resistance γ-ray for supplying the operating voltage shown in FIG. figure,
4A and 4B are schematic circuit diagrams of a diode-resistance matrix in which the driving input sides of the diode group and the resistor group are constructed according to the present invention. 10... Display panel, 11, 12...
Support plate, 13, 14... Conductor array, 16, 1
7...Diode-resistance matrix 20...
...Data and control circuit, 21, 22...
- Maintenance voltage source, 44...Y conductor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An operating voltage consisting of a pulsed voltage and a square wave sustaining voltage selectively applied to the discharge location in a gas discharge display panel having an array of row and column conductors isolated from the gaseous medium by a dielectric charge storage surface. wherein the conductor array includes a first selection matrix for selecting row conductors and a second selection matrix for selecting column conductors;
Each of these selection matrices includes a plurality of multiplexed gate elements having a common node connected to an individual conductor of said conductor array at which said operating voltage is In the apparatus for providing said operating voltage applied to an individual conductor array, at least one of said selection matrices is controllable to supply said square wave sustaining voltage to said conductor array, and the other selection matrix is a controller for controlling the sustain voltage in conjunction with a discharge state operating voltage applied to the opposing array of conductors connected to the conductor array; a first device connected to said at least one selection matrix for applying a falling sustain voltage control signal to said at least one selection matrix; and a second device connected to said at least one selection matrix for applying a falling sustain voltage control signal to said at least one selection matrix. An apparatus for supplying operating voltage to a gas discharge display panel, characterized in that it includes: