Thomson Licensing

Pioneer Plasma Display Corporation

Gérard Rilly

Gérard Morizot

Jean-Raphaël Bezal

Ana Lacoste

Philippe Zorzan

Dominique Gagnot

The present invention relates to a device for driving a plasma display panel having a plurality of cells arranged in rows and columns, said device comprising row address means for selectively addressing the display cell rows and creating, where required, in cooperation with means for selectively applying data voltages to the display columns, an electrical discharge inside the cell disposed at the intersection of the row and column selected during an address phase, and sustain means (I, I, I, I) for sustaining the electrical discharges inside said cell during a sustain phase immediately following the address phase. According to the invention, the row address means and/or the sustain means are capable of allowing a bi-directional current to flow in the display cells during the address and/or sustain phases. The capacitive and light-emission currents appearing during these phases can thus flow freely and do not create electromagnetic interference.

Device for driving a plasma display panel

The method of the invention generates an address signal for addressing columns or rows of a PDP. In the case of addressing a column, for example, the method comprises the following steps. For a phase T, a DC voltage Vis applied across the terminals of a solenoid L, so that the latter stores energy, and applies a voltage A across the terminals of a selected column. During a phase T, some of the energy stored in the solenoid L is discharged into the column until the voltage across the terminals of the column becomes about zero. During a phase T, an approximately zero voltage is maintained across the terminals of the column. According to one embodiment the selection of the column(s) during this phase is modifiable. During a phase T, the solenoid L is charged with current stored in a capacitor until the voltage across the terminals of the column is zero.

Method of generating an address signal in a plasma panel and device for implementing said method

Provided is a device for supplying an array of electrodes of a plasma display panel, the device including, for each electrode, a driver having a series of switches and a series of diodes, the common points of which are connected to the electrode. The upper terminal of the series of diodes is connected directly to the output of a sustain generator and the lower terminal is connected to the sustain generator via a power switch. One of the terminals of the series of switches is connected to the output of a negative voltage generator. In periods during which the negative voltage generator applies a negative voltage to the electrodes, the power switch is open in order to avoid a short-circuit via the diode of the sustain generator.

Supply device for electrodes of a plasma display panel

The invention relates to a device comprising a metallic support plate, the front face of which supports a plasma discharge panel which is equipped with a network of pairs of adjacent electrodes and the rear face of which is equipped with a power supply. According to the invention, the connection ends of the electrodes of one electrode pair are located on opposite edges of the panel and the power circuit of each pair of adjacent electrodes forms a current loop that does not surround the metallic plate. In this way, electric losses are restricted in said plate and the cells of the panel operate identically along the entire length of the electrodes.

Method of connecting a plasma panel to the electrical power supply therefor in an image display device

An image display device is disclosed including a metallic support plate carrying, on its front face, a plasma discharge display with an array of adjacent pairs of electrodes and, on its back face, a power supply. The power supply circuit of each pair of adjacent electrodes forms a current loop starting from the power supply and passing through the electrode then the electrode of the pair, the connection end of the electrode being linked to the power supply by means of a transverse electrical conductor placed on the front side of said metallic plate. According to the invention, the transverse conductor linked to the electrode forms a non-zero angle with said pair of electrodes. The differences in inductance between the various current loops of the display are thus reduced such that the differences in luminance between the various discharge regions of the plasma display are reduced.

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St Etienne Crossey, France

Gérard Rilly