KR20060074602A - Driving method for plasma display panel - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of driving a plasma display panel that improves a driving pulse in accordance with the presence or absence of a data pulse applied in a reset period, and has an effect of increasing power efficiency by reducing power consumption.

In the method of driving the plasma display panel of the present invention, a predetermined number of frames are formed by a combination of at least one subfield in which a predetermined pulse is applied to the address electrode, the scan electrode, and the sustain electrode in the reset period, the address period, and the sustain period. A method of driving a plasma display panel which expresses an image formed thereon is characterized in that a predetermined positive voltage is applied to a scan electrode in a subfield in which no data pulse is applied to the address electrode in the address period in the subfield.

Plasma Display Panel, Data Pulse, Frame, Subfield, Reset Period, Setup Period, Set Down Period

Description

Driving method for plasma display panel {Driving Method for Plasma Display Panel}

1 is a diagram showing the structure of a typical plasma display panel.

2 is a diagram illustrating a method of implementing image gradation of a conventional plasma display panel.

3 is a view illustrating a driving waveform according to a driving method of a conventional plasma display panel.

4 is a view for explaining a driving waveform in one frame according to a conventional method for driving a plasma display panel.

5 is a view showing a first embodiment of a driving waveform according to the method for driving a plasma display panel of the present invention.

6 is a view showing a second embodiment of a driving waveform according to the method for driving a plasma display panel of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

100: front panel 101: front glass

102 scan electrode 103 sustain electrode

104: upper dielectric layer 105: protective layer                 

110: rear panel 111: rear glass

112: partition 113: address electrode

114 phosphor layer 115 lower dielectric layer

a: transparent electrode b: bus electrode

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plasma display panel, and more particularly, to a method of driving a plasma display panel which improves driving efficiency by improving driving pulses depending on the presence or absence of data pulses.

In general, a plasma display panel is a partition wall formed between a front panel and a rear panel to form a unit cell, and each cell includes neon (Ne), helium (He), or a mixture of neon and helium (Ne + He) and An inert gas containing the same main discharge gas and a small amount of xenon is filled. When discharged by a high frequency voltage, the inert gas generates vacuum ultraviolet rays and emits phosphors formed between the partition walls to realize an image. Such a plasma display panel has a spotlight as a next generation display device because of its thin and light configuration.

1 illustrates a structure of a general plasma display panel.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plasma display panel includes a front panel in which a plurality of sustain electrode pairs formed by pairing a scan electrode 102 and a sustain electrode 103 are arranged on a front glass 101 that is a display surface on which an image is displayed. The rear panel 110 on which the plurality of address electrodes 113 are arranged so as to intersect the plurality of sustain electrode pairs on the back glass 111 forming the back surface 100 and the rear surface is coupled in parallel with a predetermined distance therebetween. .

The front panel 100 is made of a scan electrode 102 and a sustain electrode 103, that is, a transparent electrode (a) formed of a transparent ITO material and a metal material to mutually discharge and maintain light emission of the cells in one discharge cell. The scan electrode 102 and the sustain electrode 103 provided as the bus electrode b are included in pairs. The scan electrode 102 and the sustain electrode 103 are covered by one or more upper dielectric layers 104 that limit the discharge current and insulate the electrode pairs, and to facilitate the discharge conditions on the upper dielectric layer 104 top surface. A protective layer 105 on which magnesium oxide (MgO) is deposited is formed.

The rear panel 110 is arranged such that a plurality of discharge spaces, that is, barrier ribs 112 of a stripe type (or well type) for forming discharge cells are maintained in parallel. In addition, a plurality of address electrodes 113 which perform address discharge to generate vacuum ultraviolet rays are arranged in parallel with the partition wall 112. On the upper side of the rear substrate 110, R, G, and B phosphors 114 which emit visible light for image display during address discharge are coated. A lower dielectric layer 115 is formed between the address electrode 113 and the phosphor 114 to protect the address electrode 113.

A method of implementing image gradation in such a plasma display panel is shown in FIG. 2.

2 is a diagram illustrating a method of implementing image grayscale of a conventional plasma display panel.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the conventional method of expressing a gray level of a plasma display panel, a frame is divided into several subfields having different number of emission times, and each subfield is a reset period (RPD) for initializing all cells again. ) Is divided into an address period APD for selecting a cell to be discharged and a sustain period SPD for implementing gradation according to the number of discharges. For example, when displaying an image with 256 gray levels, a frame period (16.67 ms) corresponding to 1/60 second is divided into eight subfields SF1 to SF8 as shown in FIG. 2, and eight subfields. Each of the SFs SF1 to SF8 is divided into a reset period, an address period, and a sustain period.

The reset period and the address period of each subfield are the same for each subfield. The address discharge for selecting the cell to be discharged is caused by the voltage difference between the address electrode and the transparent electrode which is the scan electrode. The sustain period is increased at a rate of 2 ⁿ ( ^where n = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) in each subfield. In this way, since the sustain period is different in each subfield, the gray scale of the image is expressed by adjusting the sustain period of each subfield, that is, the number of sustain discharges. The driving waveforms according to the driving method of the plasma display panel are shown in FIG. 3.

3 is a view illustrating a driving waveform according to a driving method of a conventional plasma display panel.

As shown in Fig. 3, the plasma display panel erases the reset period for initializing all the cells, the address period for selecting the cells to be discharged, the sustain period for maintaining the discharge of the selected cells, and the wall charges in the discharged cells. It is divided into an erase period for driving.

In the reset period, the rising ramp waveform Ramp-up is applied to all the scan electrodes at the same time in the setup period. This rising ramp waveform causes weak dark discharge within the full discharge cells. By this setup discharge, positive wall charges are accumulated on the address electrode and the sustain electrode, and negative wall charges are accumulated on the scan electrode.

During the set-down period, after the rising ramp waveform is supplied, the falling ramp waveform (Ramp-down) starts to fall from the positive voltage lower than the peak voltage of the rising ramp waveform and falls to a specific voltage level below the ground (GND) level voltage. By generating a weak erase discharge in the inside, the wall charges excessively formed in the scan electrode are sufficiently erased. By this set-down discharge, wall charges such that the address discharge can stably occur remain uniformly in the cells.

In the address period, the negative scan pulses are sequentially applied to the scan electrodes, and the positive data pulses are applied to the address electrodes in synchronization with the scan pulses. As the voltage difference between the scan pulse and the data pulse and the wall voltage generated in the reset period are added, address discharge is generated in the discharge cell to which the data pulse is applied. In the cells selected by the address discharge, wall charges are formed such that a discharge can occur when the sustain voltage Vs is applied. The sustain electrode is supplied with a positive polarity voltage Vz during the set down period and the address period so as to reduce the voltage difference with the scan electrode so as to prevent erroneous discharge from the scan electrode.

In the sustain period, a sustain pulse Su is applied to the scan electrode and the sustain electrodes alternately. In the cell selected by the address discharge, as the wall voltage and the sustain pulse in the cell are added, a sustain discharge, that is, a display discharge, occurs between the scan electrode and the sustain electrode every time the sustain pulse is applied.

After the sustain discharge is completed, in the erase period, a voltage of an erase ramp waveform Ramp-ers having a small pulse width and a low voltage level is supplied to the sustain electrode to erase the wall charge remaining in the cells of the full screen.

Conventionally, these driving waveforms are applied to each subfield to form one frame. That is, the driving waveforms shown in FIG. 3 are applied to all subfields of one frame. Referring to the driving waveform in one frame as shown in FIG.

4 is a view for explaining a driving waveform in one frame according to a conventional method of driving a plasma display panel.

As shown in FIG. 4, the driving waveforms of FIG. 3 are conventionally applied to all subfields in one frame. For example, even when the sustain discharge is generated only in the fourth subfield and the fifth subfield as shown in FIG. 4 (b), data pulses are excluded in other subfields, that is, the first, second, third, sixth, seventh and eighth subfields. Apply all other pulses.

In other words, when the data pulse is applied to the address electrode X only in the fourth subfield having the weight of 8 and the fifth subfield having the weight of 16 to implement the gray level of the weight 24, the above-described address electrode ( In the subfields to which data pulses are not applied to X), that is, pulses such as reset pulses, scan pulses, sustain pulses, etc., except for the data pulses in the first, second, third, six, seventh and eighth subfields. (Y) or sustain electrode (Z).

As a result, a predetermined driving pulse is supplied even in an unused subfield, that is, a subfield in which no data pulse is applied to the address electrode X, thereby reducing driving efficiency when the entire plasma display panel is driven.

In order to solve this problem, the driving method of the plasma display panel according to the present invention improves the driving efficiency of the plasma display panel by adjusting the driving pulse applied in the unused subfield, that is, the subfield not applying the data pulse to the address electrode. It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of driving a plasma display panel.

The method of driving the plasma display panel of the present invention for achieving the above object is a predetermined combination of at least one subfield in which a predetermined pulse is applied to the address electrode, the scan electrode, and the sustain electrode in the reset period, the address period, and the sustain period. A method of driving a plasma display panel which expresses an image composed of a number of frames, characterized in that a predetermined positive voltage is applied to a scan electrode in a subfield in which a data pulse is not applied to an address electrode in an address period among subfields. do.

In addition, the predetermined positive voltage applied to the scan electrode in the subfield in which the data pulse is not applied to the address electrode in the address period in the subfield is characterized in that the voltage of the ground level GND.

In addition, the driving method of the plasma display panel of the present invention for achieving the above object is a combination of at least one subfield in which a predetermined pulse is applied to the address electrode, the scan electrode and the sustain electrode in the reset period, the address period and the sustain period. A method of driving a plasma display panel which expresses an image composed of a predetermined number of frames, wherein a predetermined positive voltage is applied to a scan electrode and a sustain electrode in a subfield in which data pulses are not applied to the address electrode in an address period among the subfields. It is characterized in that it is applied.

Further, the predetermined positive voltage applied to the scan electrode and the predetermined positive voltage applied to the sustain electrode in the subfield in which the data pulse is not applied to the address electrode in the address period in the subfield are the same voltage.

Further, at least one of a predetermined positive voltage applied to the scan electrode or a predetermined positive voltage applied to the sustain electrode in the subfield in which the data pulse is not applied to the address electrode in the address period in the subfield is the ground level. It is characterized by the voltage of (GND).

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of a method of driving a plasma display panel of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<First Embodiment>

5 is a view showing a first embodiment of a driving waveform according to the driving method of the plasma display panel of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 5, the first embodiment of the driving waveform according to the driving method of the plasma display panel of the present invention includes the address electrode X, the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode in the reset period, the address period and the sustain period. In a plasma display panel which expresses an image made up of a predetermined number of frames by a combination of at least one subfield to which a predetermined pulse is applied to (Z), the address electrodes X in the address period of the subfields. The driving pulse applied to the scan electrode Y is adjusted in the subfield to which the data pulse is not applied. Here, in FIG. 5, the magnitudes of the scan pulses applied to the scan electrode Y and the data pulses applied to the address electrode X in the address period are shown to be larger than the sustain pulses applied in the sustain period. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited thereto and is arbitrarily written to facilitate the description of the invention.

Herein, the adjustment of the driving pulse is performed in FIG. 4 when the same driving waveform is applied to all of the subfields in one frame. However, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the driving waveform of FIG. In the subfield where no data pulse is applied to the address electrode X, a predetermined positive voltage is applied to the scan electrode Y as a driving pulse.                     

More preferably, the positive voltage applied to the scan electrode Y in the subfield to which the data pulse as described above is not applied is the voltage of the ground level GND. That is, in the subfield in which no data pulse is applied to the address electrode X in the address period in the subfield, a voltage of the ground level GND, which is a predetermined positive voltage, is applied and maintained to the scan electrode Y. In other words, in the subfield in which no data pulse is applied to the address electrode X in the address period in the subfield, the setup pulse of the ramp-up, the setdown pulse of the ramp-down and the ramp of the ramp-down in the reset period. The scan pulse in the period and the sustain pulse are not applied in the sustain period, but the drive pulse which maintains the voltage of the ground level GND is applied.

For example, when sustain discharge is generated only in the fourth subfield and the fifth subfield as shown in FIG. 5 (b), a scan is performed on another subfield, that is, the first, second, three, six, seven, eight subfields. The voltage of the ground level GND is applied to and maintained at the electrode Y.

In other words, the fourth and fifth subfields described above are applied by applying a data pulse to the address electrode X only in the fourth subfield having a weight of 8 and the fifth subfield having a weight of 16 in order to implement a gray level having a weight of 24. In the case where the sustain discharge is generated only in the sustain period of the subfield, the scan electrode Y is used in the subfields in which no data pulse is applied to the above-described address electrode X, that is, in the first, second, third, six, seventh and eighth subfields. ) Is applied to and maintains a voltage at ground level GND, which is a positive voltage. As described above, the driving pulse applied to the scan electrode Y in the subfield to which the data pulse is not applied is set to the voltage of the ground level GND.                     

In the fourth and fifth subfields of FIG. 5B, that is, a subfield to which a data pulse is applied in the address period, a normal reset pulse, a scan pulse, and a sustain pulse are scanned in the reset period, the address period, and the sustain period. The electrode Y is applied. In contrast, in the subfield in which the data pulse is not applied in the address period, the voltage of the ground level GND is applied to the scan electrode Y and maintained. The driving circuit maintains the voltage of the ground level GND. In terms of control of the control is relatively easy.

In addition, as described above, generating the pulses of the rising ramp in the fourth subfield and the fifth subfield is, for example, a voltage supply source different from the voltage supply source supplying the sustain voltage Vs. The control of the drive is further complicated because additional switching is required for the operation of switching the voltage source from one voltage source to another. However, as in the present invention, supplying and maintaining the voltage of the ground level GND in the subfield to which no data pulse is applied does not need to change the voltage source, and it is easier to control because no specific voltage source is connected. .

In addition, the first embodiment of the present invention omits the driving pulse applied to the scan electrode Y in the subfield where no data pulse is applied and no discharge occurs in the address period, thereby realizing an image of the plasma display panel. The drive does not affect the driving much.

In addition, by applying the ground level GND voltage to the scan electrode Y in the subfield to which no data pulse is applied, another subfield, that is, the subfield to which the data pulse is applied, is applied to the scan electrode Y. The overall power consumption of the plasma display panel is reduced by preventing power consumption due to the driving pulse. Accordingly, the driving efficiency of the plasma display panel is increased.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the driving pulse applied to the scan electrode in the subfield in which no data pulse is applied to the address electrode X in the address period in the subfield is set to the voltage of the ground level GND. The driving efficiency of the plasma display panel may be improved by adjusting the driving pulse applied to the sustain electrode Z. The driving waveforms will be described in the following second embodiment.

Second Embodiment

6 is a view showing a second embodiment of a driving waveform according to the driving method of the plasma display panel of the present invention.

As shown in Fig. 6, the second embodiment of the driving waveform according to the driving method of the plasma display panel of the present invention includes the address electrode X, the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode in the reset period, the address period and the sustain period. In a plasma display panel which expresses an image made up of a predetermined number of frames by a combination of at least one subfield to which a predetermined pulse is applied to (Z), the address electrodes X in the address period of the subfields. In the subfield to which the data pulse is not applied, the driving pulse applied to the scan electrode Y and the driving pulse applied to the sustain electrode Z are adjusted. Here, in FIG. 6, a sustain pulse in which the magnitudes of the scan pulse applied to the scan electrode Y and the data pulse applied to the address electrode X are applied in the sustain period as shown in FIGS. Although shown to a greater extent, it is to be understood that this is in no way limiting, as it is written arbitrarily to facilitate the description of the invention.

Herein, the adjustment of the driving pulse is performed in FIG. 4 when the same driving waveform is applied to all of the subfields in one frame. However, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the driving waveform of FIG. In the subfield where no data pulse is applied to the address electrode X, a predetermined positive voltage is applied to the scan electrode Y or the sustain electrode Z as a driving pulse.

Preferably, a predetermined positive voltage applied to the scan electrode Y and a predetermined positive voltage applied to the sustain electrode Z in the subfield where the data pulse is not applied to the address electrode X in the address period in the subfield. The polarity voltage is preferably the same voltage.

More preferably, the positive voltage applied to the scan electrode Y and the positive voltage applied to the sustain electrode Z in the subfield to which the data pulse as described above are applied are the voltage of the ground level GND. That is, in the subfield in which the data pulse is not applied to the address electrode X in the address period in the subfield, the voltage of the ground level GND, which is a predetermined positive voltage, is applied to the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z. Is maintained. In other words, in a subfield in which data pulses are not applied to the address electrode X in the address period in the subfield, the setup pulse of the ramp-up and the ramp-down ramp in the reset period are applied to the scan electrode Y in the reset period. The scan pulse and sustain pulse are not applied to the set-down pulse of Down) and the address period, but the driving pulse to maintain the voltage of the ground level GND is applied to the sustain electrode Z. Vz), the sustain pulse is not applied in the sustain period, but the voltage of the ground level (GND) is applied.

For example, when sustain discharge is generated only in the fourth subfield and the fifth subfield as shown in FIG. 6B, the other subfields, that is, the first, second, third, sixth, seventh and eighth subfields, are scanned. The voltage of the ground level GND is applied and maintained to the electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z.

In other words, the fourth and fifth subfields described above are applied by applying a data pulse to the address electrode X only in the fourth subfield having a weight of 8 and the fifth subfield having a weight of 16 in order to implement a gray level having a weight of 24. In the case where the sustain discharge is generated only in the sustain period of the subfield, the scan electrode Y is used in the subfields in which no data pulse is applied to the above-described address electrode X, that is, in the first, second, third, six, seventh and eighth subfields. ) And the sustain electrode Z by applying a voltage at ground level GND, which is a positive voltage. In this case, the positive voltage applied to the scan electrode Y and the positive voltage applied to the sustain electrode Z are set to the same voltage in the subfield in which no data pulse is applied to the address electrode X in the address period in the subfield. In addition, the positive voltage is set equal to the voltage of the ground level GND. Alternatively, the positive voltage applied to the scan electrode Y and the positive voltage applied to the sustain electrode Z are different from each other. Setting does not matter. For example, one of the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z is selected, and the voltage of the ground level GND is applied only to the selected electrode.

As described above, the driving pulse applied to the scan electrode Y or the sustain electrode Z in the subfield to which the data pulse is not applied is set as the voltage of the ground level GND.

In the fourth and fifth subfields of FIG. 6B, that is, a subfield to which a data pulse is applied in the address period, the normal reset pulse, the scan pulse, and the sustain pulse are scanned in the reset period, the address period, and the sustain period. The electrode Y is applied, and the normal bias voltage Vz and the sustain pulse are applied to the sustain electrode Z in the address period and the sustain period. In contrast, in the subfield in which the data pulse is not applied in the address period, the voltage of the ground level GND is applied and maintained to the scan electrode Y or the sustain electrode Z. Thus, the voltage of the ground level GND is maintained. Maintaining is relatively easy in terms of control of the driving circuit.

In addition, as described above, generating the pulses of the rising ramp in the fourth subfield and the fifth subfield is, for example, a voltage supply source different from the voltage supply source supplying the sustain voltage Vs. The control of the drive is further complicated because additional switching is required for the operation of switching the voltage source from one voltage source to another. However, as in the present invention, supplying and maintaining the voltages of the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z ground level GND in the subfield to which no data pulse is applied does not need to change the voltage source, and the specific voltage source It is easier to control because there is no need to connect.

In addition, the second embodiment of the present invention omits the driving pulse applied to the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z in the subfield in which no data pulse is applied and no discharge occurs in the address period. When driving to implement an image of the display panel, the driving does not affect much.

In addition, by applying a voltage of the ground level GND to the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z in the subfield to which the data pulse is not applied, the scan electrode (the subfield to which the data pulse is applied) is applied. Y) and the power consumption due to the driving pulse applied to the sustain electrode Z are prevented to reduce the overall power consumption of the plasma display panel. Accordingly, the driving efficiency of the plasma display panel is increased.

As described in detail above, the driving pulses applied to the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Z in the subfield in which no data pulse is applied to the address electrode X in the address period in the subfield are grounded as positive voltages. By setting the voltage at the level GND, the power consumption by the ramp-up of the relatively high voltage, the power consumption by the ramp-down, the power by the scan pulse and the bias voltage Vz The driving efficiency of the entire plasma display panel is improved by reducing power consumption by power consumption and sustain pulse.                     

As such, the technical configuration of the present invention described above can be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features of the present invention.

Therefore, the exemplary embodiments described above are to be understood as illustrative and not restrictive in all respects, and the scope of the present invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing detailed description, and the meaning and scope of the claims are as follows. And all changes or modifications derived from the equivalent concept should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

As described in detail above, the method of driving the plasma display panel of the present invention has an effect of improving the driving efficiency of the plasma display panel by reducing the power consumption by improving the driving pulse applied in the subfield to which the data pulse is not applied in the address period. have.

Claims (5)

A method of driving a plasma display panel which expresses an image made up of a predetermined number of frames by a combination of at least one subfield in which a predetermined pulse is applied to an address electrode, a scan electrode and a sustain electrode in a reset period, an address period and a sustain period. To And a predetermined positive voltage is applied to the scan electrode in the subfield in which the data pulse is not applied to the address electrode in the address period of the subfield. The method of claim 1, The predetermined polarity voltage applied to the scan electrode in the subfield in which no data pulse is applied to the address electrode in the address period in the subfield is the voltage of the ground level GND. Way. A method of driving a plasma display panel which expresses an image made up of a predetermined number of frames by a combination of at least one subfield in which a predetermined pulse is applied to an address electrode, a scan electrode and a sustain electrode in a reset period, an address period and a sustain period. To And a predetermined positive voltage is applied to the scan electrode and the sustain electrode in the subfield in which the data pulse is not applied to the address electrode in the address period of the subfield. The method of claim 3, wherein The predetermined positive voltage applied to the scan electrode and the predetermined positive voltage applied to the sustain electrode in the subfield in which the data pulse is not applied to the address electrode in the address period are the same voltage. A method of driving a plasma display panel. The method of claim 4, wherein At least one of a predetermined positive voltage applied to the scan electrode or a predetermined positive voltage applied to the sustain electrode in a subfield in which no data pulse is applied to the address electrode in the address period in the subfield. Is a voltage at ground level GND.

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