US3665401A - Switching circuits and method for resistor elements in conductor selection matrices - Google Patents

Switching circuits and method for resistor elements in conductor selection matrices Download PDF

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Publication number
US3665401A
US3665401A US135023A US3665401DA US3665401A US 3665401 A US3665401 A US 3665401A US 135023 A US135023 A US 135023A US 3665401D A US3665401D A US 3665401DA US 3665401 A US3665401 A US 3665401A
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United States
Prior art keywords
conductor
transistor
matrix
transistors
selection
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US135023A
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English (en)
Inventor
Leonard M Budzynski
Donald D Leuck
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Techneglas LLC
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Owens Illinois Inc
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Assigned to OWENS-ILLINOIS TELEVISION PRODUCTS INC. reassignment OWENS-ILLINOIS TELEVISION PRODUCTS INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: OWENS-ILLINOIS, INC., A CORP. OF OHIO
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G3/00—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes
    • G09G3/20—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
    • G09G3/22—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters using controlled light sources
    • G09G3/28—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters using controlled light sources using luminous gas-discharge panels, e.g. plasma panels
    • G09G3/288—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters using controlled light sources using luminous gas-discharge panels, e.g. plasma panels using AC panels
    • G09G3/296—Driving circuits for producing the waveforms applied to the driving electrodes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G09—EDUCATION; CRYPTOGRAPHY; DISPLAY; ADVERTISING; SEALS
    • G09G—ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION
    • G09G3/00—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes
    • G09G3/20—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
    • G09G3/22—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters using controlled light sources
    • G09G3/28—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters using controlled light sources using luminous gas-discharge panels, e.g. plasma panels
    • G09G3/288—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters using controlled light sources using luminous gas-discharge panels, e.g. plasma panels using AC panels
    • G09G3/297—Control arrangements or circuits, of interest only in connection with visual indicators other than cathode-ray tubes for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters using controlled light sources using luminous gas-discharge panels, e.g. plasma panels using AC panels using opposed discharge type panels
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H03—ELECTRONIC CIRCUITRY
    • H03K—PULSE TECHNIQUE
    • H03K17/00—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking
    • H03K17/51—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the components used
    • H03K17/74—Electronic switching or gating, i.e. not by contact-making and –breaking characterised by the components used by the use, as active elements, of diodes
    • H03K17/76—Switching arrangements with several input- or output-terminals, e.g. multiplexers, distributors
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N3/00—Scanning details of television systems; Combination thereof with generation of supply voltages
    • H04N3/10—Scanning details of television systems; Combination thereof with generation of supply voltages by means not exclusively optical-mechanical
    • H04N3/12—Scanning details of television systems; Combination thereof with generation of supply voltages by means not exclusively optical-mechanical by switched stationary formation of lamps, photocells or light relays
    • H04N3/125—Scanning details of television systems; Combination thereof with generation of supply voltages by means not exclusively optical-mechanical by switched stationary formation of lamps, photocells or light relays using gas discharges, e.g. plasma

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A gas discharge display and memory panel having parallel row and parallel column conductor arrays wherein the conductors in the arrays are connected to selection and addressing resistor-diode matrix circuitry having non-inductive switch means for rendering nodal points in said matrix efl'ective to change a discharge condition at selected sites of the panel.
  • An NPN transistor switch is used to connect a high voltage source to the resistors in the matrices to thereby pulse the nodal points.
  • the circuits are reversible to accomodate negative and positive type pulses.
  • the present invention relates to improvement in resistor pulsing circuits for matrices used to address conductors, particularly in gas discharge display and memory panels of the type disclosed in Baker et al. U.S.,Pat. No. 3,499,167, issued March 3, 1970, and Bitzer et al. US. Pat. No. 3,559,199. In the Baker et a].
  • a gas discharge display/memory device in which a pair of rectangular glass plate members are joined in spaced apart relation, the gas plate members carrying dielectrically coated multiple conductor arrays, with the row and column conductor arrays in the active panel area being comprised of linear conductors extending parallel to the long direction in the plates, respectively.
  • the plates are joined by a spacer sealant with their long axes transverse to each other and with the conductor. ends extending beyond the point where the plates are spacedly joined towards both edges of the plates, respectively.
  • This invention is directed towards improvements in resistor pulsing systems and circuits used in a diode-resistor multiplexed addressing matrix as disclosed in application Ser. No. 60,402, of William E. Johnson, filed Aug. 5, 1970, and entitled “Selection and Addressing Circuitry for Matrix Type Gas Display Panel", and application Ser. No. 62,015 of Larry S. Schmersal, filed Aug. 7, 1970 and entitled Improvements in Gas Discharge Display Memory Panels and Selection and Ad dressing Circuits Therefor.
  • the resistors in such selection circuits are not driven by a transformer winding, for example.
  • An isolated, non-inductive switching circuit is provided in the form of an NPN transistor with a circuit for applying a small control signal to the base electrode of the transistor switch.
  • These non-inductive switches are, in effect, isolated current switching devices so that the repetition rates are much faster, the power dissipation rates are better than prior art transformer circuits or active solid state pulsing circuits used in such matrix selection systems.
  • the circuits are reversible to accommodate negative and positive type pulsers circuits.
  • This invention removes the need for high voltage level transformers in addressing matrices for gas discharge panels in particular and makes use of a low-power transformer, or other logic isolation device, to control an isolated transistor switch.
  • a transistor maybe used in a floating matrix (floating relative to the sustainer for discharge panels) rather than having to insert a high-power transformer. This reduces to easily managable proportions, the requirements of core material and overall size as well as capacitances.
  • the waveforms of the addressing pulses are free from problems of inductive kickback and transformer recovery.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates basic diode-resistor address/selection circuitry or matrix element for a conductor in either of row or column conductor arrays as disclosed in the aforementioned Johnson patent Application Ser. No. 60,402.
  • FIG. 2A illustrates a system configuration wherein the group select diodes and bit select resistors are positioned on the left hand edge extension of a panel plate member for the row conductors and the sustainer bypass diodes are positioned on the right band edge extension of the panel, and the column select diodes and the column select resistors are mounted on the upper plate edge extension along with the pulsing circuits, whereas the sustainer bypass diodes for the column conductors are on the lower plate extension as disclosed in the aforementioned Schmersal patent application Ser. No. 62,015; and FIG. 2B illustrates the selection matrix for a row or column conductor array or portions thereof, respectively;
  • FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B illustrate positive and negative SCR pulsers for the diodes in accordance with the invention
  • FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B illustrate the positive and negative transistor pulses for the diodes in accordance with the invention
  • FIG. 5A and 5B illustrate transistor pulser circuits for pulsing the matrix resistors in the selection matrices, respectively.
  • the panel P is a display panel constituted by a row and column conductor support plates RS and CS respectively carrying row conductors 50 and and column conductors 51, respectively.
  • the conductors are coated with a dielectric or insulating coating or layer52 and 53 respectively and the plates are joined in spaced relation by a spacer sealant 54 to form a thin gas chamber in which is placed a working or electroresponsive gas medium under pressure.
  • a gas as the working medium between the transverse conductor arrays 50 and 51
  • Selection signals are applied to the selection matrices as indicated by the input arrows 62 and 63 respectively, and may be from a computer, for example.
  • row selection circuit 60 One or more row conductors are selected by row selection circuit 60 and one or more column conductors are selected by column selection circuit 61 each of which floats on the sustainer voltages from sources 10R and 10C, which are connected to a common ground reference.- It will be appreciated that the illustrated positive and negative relationship may be reversed so that a positive sustainer source and selection matrix may be used for the column conductors and the opposite polarity sustainer and selection matrix used for the row conductors.
  • the basic matrix circuit element is the same circuit as is disclosed in Johnson application Ser. No. 60,402, filed Aug. 3, 1970, and entitled Selection and Addressing Circuitry for Matrix Type Gas Display Panel, and as shown, the entire selection and address system floats on the sustainer voltage wave form from sustainer voltage generator 10, which may be square wave, sinusoidal, trapezoidal, or any other periodic wave form.
  • the voltage from sustainer generator 10 may constitute one-half of the sustaining voltage necessaryto operate the panel, the remaining one-half at phase or opposite polarity may be supplied to the other conductors in the opposite array.
  • one-half the sustainer potential is applied to the row conductors and one-half the sustainer potential at 180 phase relationship, is applied to the column conductors for the panel.
  • Resistor R and diodes D1 and D2 constitute a matrix selection or multiplexing element having a nodal point N. There is one such element for each panel conductor line with the panel conductor lines being connected to their respective nodal points N (See FIG. 2B).
  • the end of resistor R opposite from the nodal point N is adopted to have applied thereto a voltage pulse of magnitude which, combined with the sustainer potential, is effective to manipulate the discharge conditions of a discharge site in the panel P as located by a selected row conductor and a selected column conductor.
  • a voltage is derived from a direct current voltage source VP which, in the embodiment shown in FIG.
  • Transistors T1 are normally non-conductive and are rendered conductive by a pulse from resistor selection transformer coupler 20, the voltage at the transformer secondary 205 is developed across resistor 21 and applied to the base-emiter electrode of transistor T1 to thereby render this transistor conductive. Conduction of transistor T1 thereby apply the full potential from source +VP to the end of resistor R1 and hence, in the absence of a low impedance at the nodal point, this potential appears or rises at nodal point N and is therefore applied to panel conductor X. As also illustrated, diode D1 is poled in such a direction that it presents a low impedance to the voltage from source VP.
  • a non-inductive switching device is provided in this path to present either a high impedanceor a very low impedance to thereby permit the addition of the voltage appearing at nodal point N to the sustainer potential which is applied at a common point a in the circuit.
  • the line is common to the anode electrodes of allot the diodes D2 for the purposes of accommodating the sustainer currents as disclosed more fully in the above mentioned Johnson patent application Ser. No. 60,402 and referenced in said Johnson application as a sustainer bypass diode.
  • a number of different types of circuits may be connected between bus lines B and common point a as is shown in FIGS. 3A, 38, 4A and 4B, the circuit shown in FIG. 33 being the circuit shown in FIG. 1.
  • a Silicon Controlled Rectifier (SCR) has its anode electrode connected to bus line B and its cathode electrode connected to the common point or line
  • a turn on network includes voltage divider constituted by ⁇ resistors RA and RB has its intermediate point I thereof connected to control the gate electrode G of the SCR.
  • a speed-up capacitor C is connected in shunt with resistor RA.
  • FIG. 3A is identical in all respects to the circuit shown in FIG. 38.
  • the diodes D1 and D2 have been reversed and in this instance, the anode electrode of the SCR is connected to the common point or bus whereas the cathode electrode thereof is connected to the anode of the diode D1.
  • Representative component values and types are shown in FIGS. 3A and 38; it being understood that this is by way of illustration and not limitation.
  • FIGS. 4A and 48 illustrate the preferred embodiment of the non-inductive isolated switching circuits.
  • FIG. 4A illustrates a negative pulse transistor pulser
  • FIG. 43 illustrates a positive pulse transistor pulser.
  • transistor switch has its emitter connected to the anode of diode D and its collector connected to common point or bus a.
  • a bias source 71 VBB) is required in order to normally bias this transistor on or conductive, such bias potential being applied via the secondary 258' of selection transformer 25 and a small current limiting resistor 72.
  • a pulse voltage induced in the secondary winding 255 is used to overcome the bias voltage 71 and render transistor switch 70 non-conductive and thereby present a high impedance at bus line B and all diodes D1 connected thereto, which in'tum permits the potential at any corresponding nodal point to be applied to the panel canductor line connected thereto.
  • the transistor circuits are likewise reversible, thus permitting the use of the NPN transistors.
  • both circuit types act as isolated switches.
  • the positive and negative resistor pulsing circuits shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B are substantially identical, it being noted that the transistors in both circuits are NPN types but can be PNP types as well as mixes in complementary circuit arrangements to make the negative and positive pulsers symmetrical.
  • the transformers have their secondaries wound or connected so as to supply or have induced therein proper polarity pulse signals for application to the base circuits of the transistors to render same conductive for the time intervals of said pulse signals.
  • each said selection matrix including a plurality of multiplexing elements, each multiplexing element having a common nodal point connected to a conductor in one of said arrays and at least three electrical paths to said nodalpoint, there being a resistive impedance element in one of said paths, and means for applying a pulse potential between the end of said impedance element remote from said nodal point and a common point, a undirectioned conducting device in each of the other paths of said multiplexing element, one of said undirectional conducting devices being connected directly between said nodal point and said common point, a non-inductive switching device between the end of said other unidirectional conducting device and said common point, and circuit means for applying a switching signal to said non-inductive switching device to cause same to exhibit a high impedance during the time of said switching signal, the improvement
  • each said means for selectively supplying a pulse voltage to the base of a transistor includes a low-power signalling transformer, having secondary windings connected between base and emitter electrodes of said transistors.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Control Of Indicators Other Than Cathode Ray Tubes (AREA)
  • Transforming Electric Information Into Light Information (AREA)
US135023A 1971-04-19 1971-04-19 Switching circuits and method for resistor elements in conductor selection matrices Expired - Lifetime US3665401A (en)

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US13502371A 1971-04-19 1971-04-19

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US (1) US3665401A (enExample)
JP (1) JPS5329972B1 (enExample)
CA (1) CA931638A (enExample)
DE (1) DE2218597C2 (enExample)
FR (1) FR2139242A5 (enExample)
GB (1) GB1385525A (enExample)
IT (1) IT957611B (enExample)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2188298A1 (enExample) * 1972-06-07 1974-01-18 Owens Illinois Inc

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1555180A (enExample) * 1967-02-28 1969-01-24
BE755591Q (fr) * 1967-11-24 1971-02-15 Owens Illinois Inc Dispositif de memorisation et de reproduction a decharges gazeuses et son mode de fonctionnement
US3573542A (en) * 1968-03-28 1971-04-06 Control Data Corp Gaseous display control

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2188298A1 (enExample) * 1972-06-07 1974-01-18 Owens Illinois Inc
JPS4963332A (enExample) * 1972-06-07 1974-06-19

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DE2218597A1 (de) 1972-11-02
JPS5329972B1 (enExample) 1978-08-24
FR2139242A5 (enExample) 1973-01-05
DE2218597C2 (de) 1982-09-02
IT957611B (it) 1973-10-20
CA931638A (en) 1973-08-07
GB1385525A (en) 1975-02-26

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Owner name: OWENS-ILLINOIS TELEVISION PRODUCTS INC.,OHIO

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:OWENS-ILLINOIS, INC., A CORP. OF OHIO;REEL/FRAME:004772/0648

Effective date: 19870323

Owner name: OWENS-ILLINOIS TELEVISION PRODUCTS INC., SEAGATE,

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:OWENS-ILLINOIS, INC., A CORP. OF OHIO;REEL/FRAME:004772/0648

Effective date: 19870323