Matrix-addressed gas-discharge display device for multi-colored data display

• US 4,112,332 A
• Filed: 04/01/1977
• Issued: 09/05/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Veith, Werner, Bechteler, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Alfred E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wise, Robert E.
• Application Number:
  US05/783,570
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 315/169 TV, 315/337, 315/350, 340/324 M, 313/195, 358/240, 358/241
• US Class Current: 345/72
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 17/497 for several colours
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 17/498 with a gas discharge space and a post acceleration space for electrons

Abstract

A gas-discharge display device for multi-colored data display in three basic colors, comprising a gas-filled, gas-tight enclosure, a board-like matrix control structure, dividing the enclosure into two chambers, which is in the form of an insulating plate having a plurality of apertures therethrough, arranged in an array of coordinate lines corresponding in number to a desired number of image points. A plasma electrode is disposed in one chamber and a luminescent screen electrode disposed in the other chamber. The control structure includes a plurality of anode conductors disposed on the side of said plate facing said plasma electrode, and a plurality of control conductors disposed on the side of said plate facing said luminescent screen electrode, with each of the conductors extending around the edges of the associated apertures. The plasma electrode is so disposed that, upon application of appropriate potentials, a gas discharge can burn in the discharge chamber, while the luminescent screen electrode is disposed sufficiently close to the adjacent conductors on the matrix member that even a few kV applied to such screen electrode cannot trigger any undesired gas discharge. The anode conductors each contain a corresponding line of apertures with each three successive apertures being allotted to the three basic colors, and each third aperture being allotted to the same basic color. Each control conductor interconnects each successive aperture along the line in which such conductor extends, and each of the latter may include apertures allotted to two of the three basic colors.

Claims

1. A gas discharge display device for multicolored data display in three basic colors, comprising a gas-filled, gastight enclosure, a board-like matrix control structure, dividing the enclosure into two chambers, which is in the form of an insulating plate having a plurality of apertures therethrough, arranged in an array of coordinate lines corresponding in number to a desired number of image points, a plasma electrode disposed in one chamber, and a luminescent screen electrode disposed in the other chamber, the control structure having a plurality of auxiliary anode conductors disposed on the side of said plate facing said plasma electrode, and a plurality of control conductors disposed on the side of said plate facing said luminescent screen electrode, with each of the conductors extending around the edges of the associated apertures, each of the conductors on one side being associated with a row of apertures, and each of the conductors on the other side being associated with a column of apertures, the plasma electrode being so disposed that upon application of appropriate potentials to the respective conductors and plasma electrode a gas discharge can burn in the discharge chamber and the luminescent screen electrode is disposed sufficiently close to the adjacent conductors on the matrix member, than under such conditions even a few kV applied to such screen electrode cannot trigger any undesired gas discharge, the auxiliary anode conductors each containing a corresponding line of apertures with each three successive apertures being allotted to the three basic colors, and each third aperture being allotted to the same basic color, each control conductor interconnecting each successive aperture along the line in which such conductor extends, with each two successive apertures being allotted to two of the three basic colors and each second aperture being allotted to the same basic color, the color allocation for even-numbered auxiliary anodes is shifted relative to the odd-numbered auxiliary anodes by one aperture in the direction in which the auxiliary anodes extend.

2. A gas-discharge display device according to claim 1 having row and column conductors, wherein the auxiliary anodes are formed by the row conductors and the control electrodes are formed by the column conductors.

3. A gas-discharge display device according to claim 2, wherein the apertures of the even-numbered auxiliary anodes are additionally offset in the direction in which the color allocation is shifted by an amount roughly corresponding to half the distance between successive apertures of one auxiliary anode.

4. A gas-discharge display device according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the centers of adjacent apertures of an auxiliary anode is less than the distance between the centers of the closest apertures of neighboring auxiliary anodes.

5. A gas-discharge display device according to claim 3, wherein the distance between the centers of adjacent apertures of an auxiliary anode is less than the distance between the centers of the closest apertures of neighboring auxiliary anodes.

6. A gas-discharge display device according to claim 1, wherein the apertures have an elongated configuration.

7. A gas-discharge display device according to claim 4, wherein the apertures have an elongated configuration.

8. A gas-discharge display device according to claim 6, wherein the narrow sides of the elongated apertures extend generally parallel to the auxiliary anodes extend.

9. A gas-discharge display device according to claim 1, wherein the ends of the conductor paths extend through the enclosure wall and are attached to an edge structure surrounding the enclosure, such edge structure carrying the components required for matrixaddressing, the conductor ends and the adjacent enclosure structure being enclosed in a synthetic resin casing.

10. A gas-discharge display device according to claim 9, wherein all of the actuating components are constructed as integrated circuits, preferably using bipolar technology.

11. A gas-discharge display device according to claim 1, wherein all of the actuating components are constructed as integrated circuits, preferably using bipolar technology.

12. A gas-discharge display device according to claim 1, wherein the actuating components are constructed as integrated circuits and are each disposed on a semiconductor substrate which on its face not carrying the integrated circuit is covered with an insulating coating and which coating is disposed soft-solderable pads which form contacts for operative connecting of the integrated circuit thereto and contacts for operative connection of external circuitry to the integrated circuit.

13. A gas-discharge display device according to claim 9, wherein the actuating components are constructed as integrated circuits and are each disposed on a semiconductor substrate which on its face not carrying the integrated circuit is covered with an insulating coating and which coating is disposed soft-solderable pads which form contacts for operative connecting of the integrated circuit thereto and contacts for operative connection of external circuitry to the integrated circuit.

14. A gas discharge display device according to claim 1, wherein the plasma electrode extends parallel with the matrix plate.

15. A method of operating a gas discharge display device for multicolored data display in three basic colors, comprising a gasfilled, gas-tight enclosure, a board-like matrix control structure dividing the housing into a discharge and a re-acceleration chamber, and comprising an insulating plate having a plurality of apertures therethrough, arranged in an array of coordinate lines corresponding in number to a desired number of image points, a plasma electrode disposed in one chamber and extending parallel with said matrix plate, and a luminescent screen electrode disposed in the other chamber, the control structure having a plurality of anode conductors disposed on the side of said plate facing said plasma elctrode, and a plurality of control conductors disposed on the side of said plate facing said luminescent screen electrode, each of the conductors extending around the edges of the associated apertures, each of the conductors in the discharge chamber being associated with a row of apertures, and each of the conductors in the re-acceleration chamber being associated with a column of apertures, the plasma electrode being so disposed that upon application of appropriate potentials to the respective conductors and plasma electrode a gas discharge can burn in the discharge chamber and the luminescent screen electrode is disposed sufficiently close to the adjacent conductors on the matrix member, under such conditions even a few kV applied to such screen electrode cannot trigger any undesired gas discharge in the re-acceleration chamber, the combination of the anode conductors each containing a corresponding line of apertures with each three successive apertures being alloted to the three basic colors, and each third aperture being alloted to the same basic color, with each control conductor interconnecting each successive aperture along the line in which such conductor extends and two different basic colors being alloted alternately to the apertures of each column conductor, the corresponding conductors of each successive three conductors being alloted to a different pair of basic colors, comprising the steps of activating odd-number anode conductors in succession during a first half-period, and the even-numbered anode conductors during a second half-period in accordance with the interlace technique.

16. A method according to claim 15, comprising in further combination, the steps of controlling the alternate activation of odd-numbered and even-numbered anode conductors by the video vertical synch pulses, independently storing the respective color component information of a video picture line, supplying each such color component to a respective one of each successive three column conductors during a half-period, in correspondence to the color associated with such conductors and the activated odd-numbered anode conductors, and during the next half-period, supplying to each such column conductors the color component associated with it and the activated even-numbered anode conductors.

17. A gas discharge display device for multicolored date display in three basic colors, comprising a gas-filled, gas-tight enclosure, a board-like matrix control structure, dividing the enclosure into two chambers, which is in the form of an insulating plate having a plurality of apertures therethrough, arranged in an array of coordinate lines corresponding in number to a desired number of image points, a plasma electrode disposed in one chamber, and a luminescent screen electrode disposed in the other chamber, the control structure having a plurality of anode conductors disposed on the side of said plate facing said plasma electrode, and a plurality of control conductors disposed on the side of said plate facing said luminescent screen electrode, with each of the conductors extending around the edges of the associated apertures, each of the conductors on one side being associated with a row of apertures, each each of the conductors on the other side being associated with a column of apertures, the plasma electrode being so disposed that upon application of appropriate potentials to the respective conductors and plasma electrode a gas discharge can burn in the discharge chamber and the luminescent screen electrode is disposed sufficiently close to the adjacent conductors on the matrix member, than under such conditions even a few kV applied to such screen electrode cannot trigger any undesired gas discharge, the anode conductors each containing a corresponding line of apertures with each three successive apertures being allotted to the three basic colors, and each third aperture being allotted to the same basic color, each control conductor interconnecting each successive aperture long the line in which such conductor extends, the ends of the conductor paths extending through the enclosure wall and attached to an edge structure surrounding the enclosure, such edge structure carrying the components required for matrixaddressing, the conductor ends and the adjacent enclosure structure being enclosed in a synthetic resin casing, and an assembly for each of the three basic colors, each assembly comprising a shift register, a switch and a storage and driver unit, which assemblies are each connected to every respective third control electrode and are located on the two edge faces running at right angles to the direction in which the control electrodes extend, one assembly being disposed on the face of one edge facing the acceleration anode, another assembly being disposed on the back face of the same edge and the third assembly being disposed on the front face of the other edge, off-numbered auxiliary anodes being connected to a first counter and driver unit and even-numbered auxiliary anodes being connected to a second counter and driver unit, which units are located on the back face of the edge running parallel with the control electrodes.

18. A gas discharge display device according to claim 17, wherein all of the actuating components are constructed as integrated circuits, preferably using bipolar technology.

19. A gas discharge device for multicolored data display in three basic colors, comprising a gas-filled, gas-tight enclosure, a board-like matrix control structure, dividing the enclosure into two chambers, which is in the form of an insulating plate having a plurality of apertures therethrough, arranged in an array of coordinate lines corresponding in number to a desired number of image points, a plasma electrode disposed in one chamber, and a luminescent screen electrode disposed in the other chamber, the control structure having a plurality of anode conductors disposed on the side of said plate facing said plasma electrode, and a plurality of control conductors disposed on the side of said plate facing said luminescent screen electrode, with each of the conductors extending around the edges of the associated apertures, each of the conductors on one side being associated with a row of apertures, and each of the conductors on the other side being associated with a column of apertures, the plasma electrode being so disposed that upon application of appropriate potentials to the respective conductors and plasma electrode a gas discharge can burn in the discharge chamber and the luminescent screen electrode is disposed sufficiently close to the adjacent conductors on the matrix member, than under such conditions even a few kV applied to such screen electrode cannot trigger any undesired gas discharge, the anode conductors each containing a corresponding line of apertures with each three successive apertures being allotted to the three basic colors, and each third aperture being allotted to the same basic color, each control conductor interconnecting each successive aperture long the line in which such conductor extends, the ends of the conductor paths extending through the enclosure wall and attached to an edge structure surrounding the enclosure, such edge structure carrying the components required for matrix-addressing, the conductor ends and the adjacent enclosure structure being enclosed in a synthetic resin casing, a number of neighboring control electrodes in each case being connected to a component which comprises a shift register, a switch, and a storage and driver unit, for each of the three basic colors, in which the components are interconnected and located on the face of one edge facing the acceleration anode, with a plurality of odd-numbered neighboring auxiliary anodes and a plurality of even-numbered neighboring auxiliary anodes being connected to a counter and driver sub-unit, the sub-units for the odd-numbered auxiliary anodes and the sub-units for the even-numbered auxiliary anodes each being interconnected and all being located on the back face of the edges running parallel with the control electrodes.

20. A gas discharge display device for multicolored data display in three basic colors, comprising a gas-filled, gas-tight enclosure, a board-like matrix control structure, dividing the enclosure into two chambers, which is in the form of an insulating plate having a plurality of apertures therethrough, arranged in an array of coordinate lines corresponding in number to a desired number of image points, a plasma electrode disposed in one chamber, and a luminescent screen electrode disposed in the other chamber, the control structure having a plurality of anode conductors disposed on the side of said plate facing said plasma electrode, and a plurality of control conductors disposed on the side of said plate facing said luminescent screen electrode, with each of the conductors extending around the edges of the associated apertures, each of the conductors on one side being associated with a row of apertures, and each of the conductors on the other side being associated with a column of apertures, the plasma electrode being so disposed that upon application of appropriate potentials to the respective conductors and plasma electrode a gas discharge can burn in the discharge chamber and the luminescent screen electrode is disposed sufficiently close to the adjacent conductors on the matrix member, than under such conditions even a few kV applied to such screen electrode cannot trigger any undesired gas discharge, the anode conductors each containing a corresponding line of apertures with each three successive apertures being allotted to the three basic colors, and each third aperture being allotted to the same basic color, each control conductor interconnecting each successive aperture long the line in which such conductor extends, a first counter and driver unit connected to all odd-numbered anode conductors for operatively activating such conductors in succession during a first half-period, and a second counter and driver unit for operatively actuating all even-numbered anode conductors in succession, and switching means for selectively alternately actuating said counters in response to vertical synch pulses of a video signal, a control means for each color component each such means comprising a shift register and a storage device, with each such means being operatively connected to a respective one of each three successive column conductors, for supplying thereto such color components in proper color sequence, and means for selectively connecting the respective color components to the shift register in dependence upon the color allotted to such column conductors and the cooperable anode conductor.