Method and apparatus for driving a flat panel display

Claim 1

A method for driving a flat-panel display which includes an anode driving circuit, a cathode driving circuit, and a sustaining electrode driving circuit comprising the steps of: generating a pulse waveform from the sustaining electrode driving circuit having a predetermined period and an amplitude obtained by subtracting a second voltage from a first voltage; generating a pulse waveform from the anode driving circuit having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a fourth voltage from a third voltage when the pulse waveform of the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the second voltage, and maintaining the fourth voltage while writing only; generating a pulse waveform form the cathode driving circuit sequentially with an amplitude obtained by subtracting a sixth voltage from a fifth voltage when the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the second voltage; selecting a voltage for starting cell discharge having a value obtained by subtracting the sixth voltage from the third voltage, the voltage being greater than a discharge firing voltage; and selecting a voltage which sustains discharge of a discharging cell continuously while maintaining non-discharging cells in a non-discharging state, the voltage having a value obtained by subtracting the fifth voltage from the first voltage, the voltage being greater than a minimum discharge and smaller than the discharge firing voltage.

Claim 2

A method for driving a flat-panel display which includes an anode driving circuit, a cathode driving circuit, and a sustaining electrode driving circuit comprising the steps of: generating a pulse waveform from the sustaining electrode driving circuit having a predetermined period and an amplitude obtained by subtracting a second voltage from a first voltage; generating a pulse waveform from the anode driving circuit having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a fourth voltage from a third voltage when the pulse waveform of the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the second voltage, and maintaining the fourth voltage while writing only; generating a pulse waveform form the cathode driving circuit sequentially with an amplitude obtained by subtracting a sixth voltage from a fifth voltage when the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the second voltage; selecting a voltage for starting cell discharge having a value obtained by subtracting the sixth voltage from the third voltage, the voltage being greater than a discharge firing voltage; and selecting a voltage which sustains discharge of a discharging cell continuously while maintaining non-discharging cells in a non-discharging state, the voltage having a value obtained by subtracting the fifth voltage from the first voltage, the voltage being greater than a minimum discharge and smaller than the discharge firing voltage.

Claim 9

An apparatus for driving a flat-panel display comprising: a sustaining electrode driving circuit connected to a sustaining electrode, said sustaining electrode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having a predetermined period and an amplitude obtained by subtracting a discharge sustaining bias voltage from a discharge sustaining voltage; an anode driving circuit connected to an anode which is arranged in the same direction as the sustaining electrode, said anode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a anode bias voltage from a anode voltage when the pulse waveform of the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage, said anode driving circuit maintaining the anode bias voltage while writing only; and a cathode driving circuit connected to a cathode, said cathode driving circuit sequentially generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a cathode bias voltage from a cathode voltage when said sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage; wherein a voltage for starting cell discharge has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode bias voltage from the anode voltage, which is greater than a discharge firing voltage; and a voltage which sustains discharge of a discharging cell continuously while maintaining non-discharging cells in a nondischarging state has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode voltage form the discharge sustaining voltage, which is greater than a minimum discharge voltage and smaller than the discharge firing voltage.

Claim 10

An apparatus for driving a flat-panel display comprising: a sustaining electrode driving circuit connected to a sustaining electrode, said sustaining electrode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having a predetermined period and an amplitude obtained by subtracting a discharge sustaining bias voltage from a discharge sustaining voltage; an anode driving circuit connected to an anode which is arranged in the same direction as the sustaining electrode, said anode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a anode bias voltage from a anode voltage when the pulse waveform of the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage, said anode driving circuit maintaining the anode bias voltage while writing only; and a cathode driving circuit connected to a cathode, said cathode driving circuit sequentially generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a cathode bias voltage from a cathode voltage when said sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage; wherein a voltage for starting cell discharge has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode bias voltage from the anode voltage, which is greater than a discharge firing voltage; and a voltage which sustains discharge of a discharging cell continuously while maintaining non-discharging cells in a nondischarging state has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode voltage form the discharge sustaining voltage, which is greater than a minimum discharge voltage and smaller than the discharge firing voltage.

Claim 12

An apparatus for driving a flat-panel display comprising: a sustaining electrode driving circuit connected to a sustaining electrode, said sustaining electrode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having a predetermined period and an amplitude obtained by subtracting a discharge sustaining bias voltage from a discharge sustaining voltage; an anode driving circuit connected to an anode, said anode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a anode bias voltage from a anode voltage when the pulse waveform of the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage, said anode driving circuit maintaining the anode bias voltage while writing only; and a cathode driving circuit connected to a cathode which is arranged in the same direction as the sustaining electrode, said cathode driving circuit sequentially generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a cathode bias voltage from a cathode voltage when said sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage; wherein a voltage for starting cell discharge has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode bias voltage from the anode voltage, which is greater than a discharge firing voltage; and a voltage which sustains discharge of a discharging cell continuously while maintaining non-discharging cells in a non-discharging state has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode voltage from the discharge sustaining voltage, which is greater than a minimum discharge voltage and smaller than the discharge firing voltage.

Claim 13

An apparatus for driving a flat-panel display comprising: a sustaining electrode driving circuit connected to a sustaining electrode, said sustaining electrode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having a predetermined period and an amplitude obtained by subtracting a discharge sustaining bias voltage from a discharge sustaining voltage; an anode driving circuit connected to an anode, said anode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a anode bias voltage from a anode voltage when the pulse waveform of the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage, said anode driving circuit maintaining the anode bias voltage while writing only; and a cathode driving circuit connected to a cathode which is arranged in the same direction as the sustaining electrode, said cathode driving circuit sequentially generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a cathode bias voltage from a cathode voltage when said sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage; wherein a voltage for starting cell discharge has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode bias voltage from the anode voltage, which is greater than a discharge firing voltage; and a voltage which sustains discharge of a discharging cell continuously while maintaining non-discharging cells in a non-discharging state has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode voltage from the discharge sustaining voltage, which is greater than a minimum discharge voltage and smaller than the discharge firing voltage.

Claim 15

An apparatus for driving a flat-panel display comprising: a sustaining electrode driving circuit connected to a sustaining electrode, said sustaining electrode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having a predetermined period and an amplitude obtained by subtracting a discharge sustaining bias voltage from a discharge sustaining voltage; an anode driving circuit connected to an anode, said anode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a anode bias voltage from a anode voltage when the pulse waveform of the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage, said anode driving circuit maintaining the anode bias voltage while writing only; and cathode driving circuit connected to a cathode, said cathode driving circuit sequentially generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a cathode bias voltage from a cathode voltage when said sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage; wherein a voltage for starting cell discharge has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode bias voltage form the anode voltage, which is greater than a discharge firing voltage; and a voltage which sustains discharge of a discharging cell continuously while maintaining non-discharging cells in a non-discharging state has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode voltage from the discharge sustaining voltage, which is greater than a minimum discharge voltage and smaller than the discharge firing voltage.

Claim 16

An apparatus for driving a flat-panel display comprising: a sustaining electrode driving circuit connected to a sustaining electrode, said sustaining electrode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having a predetermined period and an amplitude obtained by subtracting a discharge sustaining bias voltage from a discharge sustaining voltage; an anode driving circuit connected to an anode, said anode driving circuit generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a anode bias voltage from a anode voltage when the pulse waveform of the sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage, said anode driving circuit maintaining the anode bias voltage while writing only; and cathode driving circuit connected to a cathode, said cathode driving circuit sequentially generating a pulse waveform having an amplitude obtained by subtracting a cathode bias voltage from a cathode voltage when said sustaining electrode driving circuit represents the discharge sustaining bias voltage; wherein a voltage for starting cell discharge has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode bias voltage form the anode voltage, which is greater than a discharge firing voltage; and a voltage which sustains discharge of a discharging cell continuously while maintaining non-discharging cells in a non-discharging state has a value, obtained by subtracting the cathode voltage from the discharge sustaining voltage, which is greater than a minimum discharge voltage and smaller than the discharge firing voltage.