Plasma display apparatus

• US 6,667,727 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2000
• Issued: 12/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Corporation
• Inventors: Iwaoka, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): Chow, Dennis-Doon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anyaso, Uchendu O.
• Application Number:
  US09/697,737
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 345/60, 345/68, 345/63, 345/64, 345/66, 315/169.4
• US Class Current: 345/60
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/021 Power management, e.g. power saving
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/293 for address discharge
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2965 using inductors for energy recovery

Abstract

A plasma display apparatus which is capable of reducing power consumption and achieving a high definition display. A plasma display panel has a plurality of first row electrodes and second row electrodes extending in a horizontal direction and formed in alternation, a discharge space filled with a discharge gas, and a plurality of column electrodes formed opposite to and extending in a direction perpendicular to the first row electrodes and the second row electrodes through the discharge space. The plasma display panel also has discharge cells corresponding to pixels, formed at respective intersections of the first row electrodes and second row electrodes with the column electrodes, and a spacing between each of the first row electrodes and each of the second row electrode is conformed to a display line on the screen. A reset discharge is caused to occur for forming wall charges in all of the discharge cells; a selective erasure discharge for selectively erasing the wall charges formed in the respective discharge cells in accordance with an input video signal; and a sustaining discharge for forcing only those discharge cells formed with the wall charges to repeatedly emit light. According to a second aspect of the present invention, a plasma display apparatus comprises a capacitor, a first switching current path for selectively discharging a charge accumulated on the capacitor to supply the charge to a power supply line, a second switching current path for selectively applying a power supply potential to the power supply line, a third switching current path for selectively charging the capacitor with charges accumulated on column electrodes through the power supply line, and a pixel data pulse generator circuit for connecting the power supply line to the column electrodes for a predetermined period of time in response to the input video signal to generate pixel data pulses corresponding to the input video signal and applying the pixel data pulses onto the column electrodes.

Claims

1. A plasma display apparatus for displaying an image corresponding to an input video signal, comprising:

a plasma display panel including a plurality of first row electrodes and second row electrodes extending in a horizontal direction and formed in alternation, a discharge space filled with a discharge gas, and a plurality of column electrodes formed opposite to and extending in a direction perpendicular to said first row electrodes and said second row electrodes through said discharge space, said plasma display panel also including discharge cells corresponding to pixels, formed at respective intersections of said first row electrodes and second row electrodes with said column electrodes, a spacing between each of said first row electrodes and each of said second row electrodes being conformed to a display line on the screen;

a power supply circuit including a capacitor, a first switching current path for selectively discharging a charge accumulated on said capacitor to supply said charge to a power supply line, a second switching current path for selectively applying a power supply potential to said power supply line, and a third switching current path for selectively charging said capacitor with charges accumulated on said column electrodes through said power supply line; and

a pixel data pulse generator circuit for connecting said power supply line to said column electrodes for a predetermined period of time in response to said input video signal to generate pixel data pulses corresponding to said input video signal and applying said pixel data pulses onto said column electrodes,

wherein said first switching current path includes a first coil having one end connected to one end of said capacitor, and a first switching element for applying said power supply line with a potential generated at the other end of said first coil; and

said second switching current path includes a second coil having one end connected to said power supply line, and a second switching element for grounding the other end of said second coil.

2. A plasma display apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

reset driving means for causing a reset discharge to occur for forming wall charges in all of said discharge cells;

write driving means for causing a selective erasure discharge to occur for selectively erasing said wall charges formed in said discharge cells in accordance with said input video signal; and

light emission sustain driving means for causing a sustaining discharge to occur for forcing only discharge cells formed with said wall charges therein out of said discharge cells to repeatedly emit light.

3. A plasma display apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said light emission sustain driving means includes:

first light emission sustain driving means for causing said sustaining discharge to occur for forcing discharge cells formed with said wall charges therein to repeatedly emit light, within said discharge cells belonging to each of odd-numbered display lines of said display lines; and

second light emission sustain driving means for occurring said sustaining discharge to occur for forcing discharge cells formed with said wall charges therein to repeatedly emit light, within said discharge cells belonging to each of even-numbered display lines of said display lines.

4. A plasma display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

said first light emission sustain driving means repeatedly applies a sustain pulse for causing said sustaining discharge to occur to each of odd-numbered row electrodes of said first row electrodes and each of even-numbered row electrodes of said second row electrodes at a first timing, and repeatedly applies said sustain pulse to each of even-numbered row electrodes of said first row electrodes and each of odd-numbered row electrodes of said second row electrodes at a second timing with a phase opposite to that of said first timing; and

said second light emission sustain driving means repeatedly applies said sustain pulse to each of even-numbered row electrodes of said first row electrodes and each of odd-numbered row electrodes of said second row electrodes at a first timing, and repeatedly applies said sustain pulse to each of odd-numbered row electrodes of said first row electrodes and each of even-numbered row electrodes of said second row electrodes at said second timing.

5. A plasma display apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said first light emission sustain driving means and said second light emission sustain driving means alternately perform respective driving operations thereof every unit display period in said input video signal.