Method and apparatus for addressing micro-components in a plasma display panel
First Claim
1. A panel for use in a light-emitting display, the panel comprising:
- a first set of opposing edges;
a second set of opposing edges;
a front bordered by the first and second opposing edges and comprising a plurality of micro-components capable of emitting radiation when exposed to a triggering voltage;
a back opposite the front;
at least one triggering electrode electrically coupled to at least one of the micro-components, the triggering electrode passing through the panel to the back; and
at least one voltage source electrically coupled to the triggering electrode at the back between the first and second sets of edges.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved light-emitting display having a plurality of micro-components sandwiched between two substrates is disclosed. Each micro-component contains a gas or gas-mixture capable of ionization when a sufficiently large trigger voltage is supplied across the micro-component by up to two triggering electrodes and ionization can be maintain by a sustain voltage supplied by up to two sustain electrodes. The display is further divided into a plurality of panels that can be individually addressed in parallel, preferably directly through the back of the panels and can include voltage multiplying circuitry to decrease the power demands for addressing circuitry. Alternative methods of addressing the micro-components include the use of directed light and arrangements of electrodes to address multiple micro-components with a single electrode.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A panel for use in a light-emitting display, the panel comprising:
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a first set of opposing edges;
a second set of opposing edges;
a front bordered by the first and second opposing edges and comprising a plurality of micro-components capable of emitting radiation when exposed to a triggering voltage;
a back opposite the front;
at least one triggering electrode electrically coupled to at least one of the micro-components, the triggering electrode passing through the panel to the back; and
at least one voltage source electrically coupled to the triggering electrode at the back between the first and second sets of edges. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A light-emitting display comprising:
a plurality of panels electrically coupled to one another at a plurality of junctions, each panel comprising;
a plurality of micro-components capable of emitting radiation when exposed to a triggering voltage of sufficient strength, the micro-components arranged in a grid comprising a plurality of rows and plurality of columns perpendicular to the rows;
a plurality of sustain electrodes electrically coupled to each micro-component and capable of simultaneously subjecting all of the micro-components to a voltage less than the triggering voltage;
a plurality of triggering electrodes electrically coupled to each micro-component; and
a plurality of voltage sources electrically coupled to the triggering electrodes at the junctions.
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20. A light-emitting display comprising:
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a plurality of micro-components capable of emitting radiation when exposed to a triggering voltage;
a plurality of sustain electrodes electrically coupled to each micro-component and capable of simultaneously subjecting all of the micro-components to a sustain voltage less than the triggering voltage;
a light delivery device capable of simultaneously delivering an amount of light to one or more selected micro-components, the amount of light sufficient to create enough free charges in the selected micro-components to depress the required triggering voltage in the selected micro-components to a level less than the applied sustain voltage. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A light-emitting display comprising:
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a plurality of sustain electrodes arranged in a plurality of parallel rows;
a plurality of trigger electrodes perpendicularly intersecting the sustain electrodes to form a grid;
a plurality of micro-spheres capable of emitting radiation when exposed to a triggering voltage of sufficient strength, each micro-sphere electrically coupled to the trigger electrodes and disposed between and electrically coupled to two adjacent parallel rows of sustain electrodes so as to increase the fill factor between adjacent micro-spheres.
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27. A light-emitting display comprising:
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a panel comprising a plurality of micro-components capable of emitting radiation when exposed to a triggering voltage;
at least one triggering electrode electrically coupled to at least one of the micro-components;
at least one voltage source electrically coupled to the triggering electrode; and
a voltage multiplier electrically couple between the voltage source and the triggering electrode. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. A method for addressing one or more micro-components selected from a plurality of micro-components in a light emitting display by triggering a gas contained within the selected micro-components to emit radiation, the method comprising:
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selecting one or more gas containing micro-components to be energized;
addressing the selected micro-components using an addressing voltage less than the triggering voltage necessary to cause the gas to emit radiation;
increasing the addressing voltage to at least the triggering voltage; and
energizing the gas. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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37. A method for addressing one or more micro-components selected from a plurality of micro-components in a light emitting display by triggering a gas contained within the selected micro-components to emit radiation, the method comprising:
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dividing the display into a plurality of panels;
selecting one or more gas containing micro-components to be energized;
addressing the selected micro-components in each panel separately;
delivery a triggering voltage to the selected micro-components sufficient to cause the gas in the selected micro-components to emit radiation. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method for addressing one or more micro-components selected from a plurality of micro-components in a light emitting display by triggering a gas contained within the selected micro-components to emit radiation, the method comprising:
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simultaneously exposing all of the micro-components to a sustain voltage less than the triggering voltage necessary to cause the gas contained in the micro-components to emit radiation;
selecting one or more gas containing micro-components in to be energized;
delivering to each selected micro-component an amount of light sufficient to create enough free charges in the selected micro-components to depress the required triggering voltage in the selected micro-components to a level less than the applied sustain voltage. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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45. A method for addressing one or more micro-components selected from a plurality of micro-components in a light emitting display by triggering a gas contained within the selected micro-components to emit radiation, the method comprising:
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arranging the micro-components in a plurality of parallel rows;
providing a plurality of sustain electrodes arranged parallel to the micro-component rows, each sustain electrode disposed between adjacent rows of micro-components and electrically connected to the micro-components in those rows;
providing a plurality of address electrodes arranged perpendicular to the sustain electrodes and the rows of micro-components;
simultaneously delivering a triggering voltage to at least two micro-components disposed in adjacent rows using one address electrode and one sustain electrode disposed between the adjacent rows;
selecting a micro-component to be sustained; and
sustaining that micro-component by supplying a sustaining voltage to the micro-component through two sustain electrodes located on either side of the selected micro-component. - View Dependent Claims (46)
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Specification