The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 26, 1991
Filed:
Nov. 19, 1990
Brent W Brown, Logan, UT (US);
Integrated Systems Engineering, Inc., Logan, UT (US);
Abstract
Novel systems, circuits, and methods for initiating ionization, maintaining constant illumination current, and extinguishing illumination in a gas discharge tube and in gas discharge tube arrays. Input controls for current regulating circuits for gas discharge tubes comprise directly connected semiconductor logic circuits. In the currently preferred embodiment, each gas discharge tube is maintained in consistently bright illumination by a constant current or extinguished by inhibition of the constant current, as controlled by a surprisingly simple circuit comprising a single PNP transistor and three resistors. A parallel coupled input which provides an impedance connection for a gas discharge tube ionizing high voltage pulse comprises a single resistor and a serially interposed isolating diode which protects the transistor from the high voltage ionizing pulse and imposes the ionizing pulse primarily upon the gas discharge tube. The constant illumination maintaining current provides a controlled illumination brilliance from each emitting gas discharge tube which is particularly useful in large display arrays such as programmable signs, scoreboards and the like.