JPS5856221B2 - Self-shifting gas discharge panel - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement in an AC discharge type self-shifting gas discharge panel that prevents erroneous discharge from occurring in discharge cells defining picture elements at the end of the shift. It is.

As is already well known, in a self-shifting gas discharge panel, a shift channel consisting of a periodic array of multiple groups of shift discharge cells is defined by an electrode array regularly connected to multiple bus bars, and a write discharge is generated at one end of the shift channel. The structure includes write electrodes for defining cells.

Then, when a write voltage is applied to the write electrode in accordance with the character information to be written, a first discharge spot is generated, and thereafter, by applying a shift voltage to the bus bar in a predetermined order, the first discharge spot is successively adjacent to the first discharge spot. Driving is performed to shift the discharge cells.

Therefore, the written information in the form of a discharge spot is sent from the write side end of the shift channel to the other end in such a manner that one pixel corresponds to one cycle of the shift discharge cell array, and during that time Stopping the shift operation on a group of cells will provide a fixed display.

By the way, when performing the above-mentioned shift operation, in conventional self-shifting gas discharge panels, erroneous discharge tends to occur in the picture element at the farthest end in the shift direction (hereinafter referred to as the "most picture element"). This phenomenon has the disadvantage that the operating margin is significantly limited.

In addition, this false discharge in the farthest picture element, especially in the case of a horizontal shift type panel, appears in the form of erroneously displaying the number "1" at the end of the shift, creating a problem that cannot be tolerated as a display device.

The inventors of the present invention considered the cause of such erroneous discharge and came to the conclusion that it is due to insufficient erasing operation of the outermost picture element.

In other words, in a self-shifting gas discharge panel, since the coupling between adjacent cells is strong, there is a phenomenon in which the wall charges and space charges spreading from the discharging cell neutralize and eliminate the wall charges of the surrounding cells. In this cell, the problem of insufficient erasing after the discharge spot shift does not occur.

However, since there are no adjacent cells behind the cell at the extreme end, the neutralization and extinction effect on the wall charge described above is halved, and due to the shift operation, 11 discharge spots with no transfer destination are generated one after another. is sent to the cell, so more wall charges will accumulate and remain than in the intermediate cells.

Therefore, after the cell group of the phase to which the endmost cell belongs is energized by the shift voltage, when an erase pulse is subsequently applied to the cell group, a fairly strong erase discharge occurs in the endmost cell, and this occurs at that timing. This gives an unnecessary pilot effect to the adjacent cells of other phases in the endmost picture element that are energized at the same time, causing erroneous discharge.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages, and more specifically, to prevent the occurrence of erroneous discharge at the edgemost picture element in a torque shift type gas discharge panel, and to improve display quality. The aim is to improve performance and operational margins.

Briefly stated, the present invention features a configuration of a self-shifting gas discharge panel in which the electrodes defining at least the most extreme cells of the shift channel are separated from the bus bar for independent erase operation. be.

According to the present invention, the electrodes separated from the discharge cell rows constituting a series of shift channels may be only the electrodes defining the outermost cells, or may be electrodes belonging to the outermost picture elements including the outermost cells. , or furthermore, may be an electrode belonging to a picture element for one character including the endmost picture element.

In short, the basic feature of the present invention is that the endmost cell is effectively separated from the shift channel of the display section so that it can be operated independently.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is an electrode arrangement diagram showing a first embodiment of a self-shifting gas discharge panel to which the present invention is applied, and two shift channels configured with an under-pole arrangement are representatively shown.

Such a self-shifting gas discharge panel with a meandering electrode arrangement consists of two groups on the electrodes X, i, x2i and two groups of electrodes y1j, y2j on the Y side (however, ia and j are both 1, 2,
3...) are regularly arranged along each shift line, and the electrodes of the same group are placed on the bus line X1. It has a configuration in which it is connected in common to X2, Yl, and Y2, and is arranged facing each other with its surface covered with a dielectric layer.

Thus, in each of the above-mentioned four groups of electrode facing gaps, A-D four-phase shift discharge cell groups aky are arranged according to the combination of these electrodes.
bk, ck> and dk (k is 1, 2...
) has a periodically defined shape, and the shift channel is configured by the cell arrangement.

Also, at the right end of each shift channel is a Y-side first electrode y11.
A write electrode W is provided opposite to, and constitutes a write discharge cell W adjacent to the first shift discharge cell a1.

The configuration in 1 is the same as the already known configuration, but in the present invention, the X
The side final electrode x24 is separated from the bus line X2 to which it belongs and is independently led out to the terminal xe.

With the above configuration, the problem of erroneous discharge as described at the beginning does not occur in 1, in which the discharge spot corresponding to the information written first at the start of driving reaches the endmost cell d4.

However, once the discharge spot reaches this endmost cell d4, as long as this cell d4 is driven by 1 in common with other D-phase cells, adjacent cells that are simultaneously energized at the erase timing Other A.

It is difficult to avoid the influence of erroneous discharge on B-phase cells.

However, in the present invention, as mentioned above, only the electrode x24 common to the cell d4 at the end and the cell c4 adjacent thereto is made independent, so erasure tying for the cells under the electrode can be done arbitrarily. You can choose to.

Therefore, the endmost cell d4. During the period in which the D> and C phase cell groups belonging to the same group as c4 are energized, the endmost cell d
4. By performing an erasing operation only on cell c4, it is possible to erase the discharge spot of the extreme cell without affecting neighboring cells.

Such an independent erasing operation may be performed each time information is shifted by one pixel, or it may be performed at the endmost pixel in conjunction with the previous writing and shifting of information when transitioning to a fixed display operation. The erroneous discharge that has already occurred in the "1" pattern may be shifted once to the cell 1 at the end, and then erased independently.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a drive waveform for explaining the opening operation in the latter case, and is a diagram showing an example of a drive waveform.

VXI, VY2. VX2:b and VXe are bus lines Y1, Xi, Y2. X2 and the extreme cell configuration electrode terminal X
This corresponds to the shift voltage waveform applied to e.

Also, VDD and Vd are the D-phase cell dk and the endmost cell d4.
The resultant voltage waveform applied to is representatively shown.

During the shift period, four types of pulse trains ■ to ■ are distributed to the old bus bar in a sequential rotating relationship, and as a result, the pulse train and the pulse train ■ or ■ having an opposite phase relationship to the pulse train are applied to two adjacent electrodes. An alternating pulse P8 is applied to the cell, and D
, A, AB, B/C, CD, and DA phases are repeatedly energized in sequence.

During this time, the terminal Xe is driven in common with the bus line X2, and the two adjacent cells to which the pulse train ■ or the pulse train ■ whose phase is delayed by the time r corresponding to the erasing pulse width with respect to the pulse train ■ are applied have the phase difference. Erasing pulses Pe are sequentially effectively applied in accordance with the erasing pulses Pe, and an erasing operation is performed on the shifted cells.

With the repetition of such a shift operation, the A of the endmost picture element,
B phase cell a4. Erroneous discharge begins to occur in b4, but
Prior to the transition to a fixed display in the D-A phase, an extra period is provided during which the cells of the C-D phase are energized and the discharge is stabilized, and during this period, the pulses of the pulse train ■ are applied to the terminal Xe. If added, the endmost cell d4. The discharge of c4 can be completely erased including the spot caused by the above-mentioned erroneous discharge, and at this time, the adjacent A-B phase cell a4b4 is in a non-energized state to which the erase pulse has been applied, so the erase discharge can be completely erased. No effect at all.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In this second embodiment, a plurality of cells constituting picture elements of one character or less are separated at the extreme end so that they can be driven independently, and the discharge spots in the separated areas are erased all at once. , the main idea is to send discharge spots that correspond to new information.

Figure 3 schematically shows the electrode arrangement of a self-shifting gas discharge panel constructed according to such a concept.The two groups of electrodes on the Y side are provided in common across all shift channels, and are connected to the bus line Y1Y2. However, one of the two groups of electrodes on the X side is separated from the bus line X1 of the other character display area DP by the character display area EP at the end, and is led out to the terminal XIe. .

The other electrode group on the X side may be separated across the end region EP like the one electrode group described above, but in this embodiment, it is commonly connected to the bus line X2 for all channels.

Although the specific electrode configuration is omitted in Figure 3, a meandering electrode arrangement similar to that shown in Figure 1 provides a 2x2 phase periodic cell arrangement, with the outermost cell being in the C phase. It shall be in the ranking.

In the above configuration, during the shift operation, the XIe terminal is also driven in common with the X-side bus line X1 of the display area, and the discharge spots sequentially written from the right side of the shift channel have a character pattern according to the written information. are sequentially shifted to the left.

When the first character "NA" is sent to the picture element of the endmost character display area EP, character writing for one line is completed, and a fixed display is given, for example, in the adjacent D-A phase cell group. In this case, since the discharge spot has not reached the farthest cell 1, the effect of the erase discharge of the farthest cell does not appear.

However, if a shift operation is performed subsequently, the effect of erroneous discharge will appear after the leading discharge spot reaches the endmost cell, so in the present invention, the leading discharge spot is shifted before writing and shifting the next new character. After shifting all the discharge spots to cells A-B under the xi electrode to which the separated electrode belongs without cutting, without reaching the endmost cell, an erasing pulse is applied from the terminal XIe to erase the endmost character. Delete only the first characters rAJ that are hidden in the display area EP. After deleting the first characters in this way, write the next new character.
The next character can be sent to the outermost character display area without causing any effect of erasing discharge at the outermost edge.

Figures 4a, bc and d schematically illustrate the sequence of such operations.

In the second embodiment, a configuration has been described in which one group of electrodes xli on the X side are drawn separately and independently in the outermost character display area EP, but a group of electrodes on the Y side are One or both of the electrodes may be separated, or all four groups of electrodes may be separated.

Here, the X side Y that constitutes the picture element of the endmost character display area EP
If the electrodes of any two groups or all four groups on the side are separated, instead of using the batch elimination method as described above, that area is used as a sweep area for the discharge spot, and the area is separated from the preceding character display area DP. The leading display character at the extreme end can be swept out by an independent shift operation.

While such a sweep shift is performed in the sweep section, the discharge spot in the character display area DP is in a fixed display state when all the electrodes are separated, and when only two groups of electrodes are separated, the discharge spot is in a fixed display state. It is held in a predetermined position in a sway shift state as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 52-57210.
<It is possible to write and shift the next character after the sweep is completed.

In this case, there is a possibility that an erroneous discharge will occur in the farthest picture element of the farthest character display area used as a sweeping part, but unless this part is used for fixed display, the swept character display area DPIC,%- The effect of erroneous discharge can be completely resolved by keeping the sweeping section in a non-energized state while a fixed display is being made, or by optically masking it.

As is clear from the above description, the present invention provides an independent method by separating the electrode constituting at least one discharge cell of the endmost picture element in a self-shifting gas discharge N panel from the busbar to which it belongs. It is characterized by a configuration derived from the above, and the erroneous discharge caused by an excessively strong erase discharge in the endmost cell can be erased in the cell corresponding to the independent electrode, improving display quality and effectively reducing the operating margin. Very useful for improvement.

The concept of the present invention is not limited to self-shifting gas discharge panels with a meander electrode arrangement as described in the above embodiments, but can also be applied to panels with other crossed electrode arrangements or parallel electrode arrangements. It is possible to be effective.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an electrode arrangement diagram showing a first embodiment of a self-shifting gas discharge panel to which the present invention is applied, and Fig. 2 shows an example of one driving voltage waveform applied to each electrode shown in Fig. 1. Figure 3 is a diagram schematically showing a self-shifting gas discharge panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 4a-d are for explaining the operation of the embodiment of Figure 3. FIG. Xl> and X2...X side shift electrode bus line, Yl: b and Y2: Y side shift electrode bus line, Xe: independent electrode terminal,
EP: Endmost character display area, XIe: Independent electrode busbar.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A shift channel consisting of a periodic arrangement of a plurality of groups of shifting discharge cells defined by an electrode arrangement regularly connected to a plurality of bus bars, and one period of the discharge cell arrangement is defined as one picture. In a self-shifting gas discharge panel having a configuration corresponding to the bus bar, at least one electrode constituting a discharge cell at least at the final end of the shift channel is separated from the bus bar and led out independently. A self-shifting gas discharge panel with special features. 2. The electrodes of the discharge cells belonging to at least one group among the discharge cells constituting a picture element of one character level including the discharge cells at the final end of the shift channel are separated from the bus line and derived independently. A self-shifting gas discharge panel according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3 Separate the electrodes of cells belonging to at least one picture element at the final end of the shift channel and the picture elements preceding it so that they can be driven independently of each other by 1 in each region. The self-shifting gas discharge panel according to claim 1, wherein the self-shifting gas discharge panel is independently derived as follows.