Method of driving ac-discharge plasma display panel

Abstract

A method of driving an ac-discharge type PDP is provided, which expands the permissible range of the voltage applied across the scan and data electrodes at writing discharge and which ensures desired writing discharge generation even if the writing voltage has a comparatively small amplitude. First, (a) a wall-charge adjustment step of storing first wall-charge of a first polarity near the respective scan electrodes and second wall-charge of a second polarity near the respective sustain electrodes is performed, where the second polarity is opposite to the first polarity. The first wall-charge of the first polarity stored near the respective scan electrodes generates an associate electric-field in the cells. The step (a) is performed by common application of at least one of a first wall-charge adjustment voltage pulse to the scan electrodes and a second wall-charge adjustment voltage pulse to the sustain electrodes. Thereafter, (b) a writing discharge generating step of generating writing discharge in the desired cells is performed. The step (b) is performed applying successively a scan voltage pulse to the scan electrodes and applying a data voltage pulse to the data electrodes according to desired image data. The main electric-field generated by the scan and data voltage pulses cooperates with the associate electric-field, thereby generating a desired writing voltage in the cells.