Plasma display device and driving method thereof

• US 7,068,243 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2002
• Issued: 06/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Morimoto, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): WU, XIAO MIN
• Application Number:
  US10/270,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20030080926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 345 60- 68, 345690-698, 345/88, 345/89, 345/43, 345596-599
• US Class Current: 345/60
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2310/0205 Simultaneous scanning of several lines in flat panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/045 Protection against panel overheating
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2003 Display of colours specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2025 the sub-frames having all the same time duration
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2037 with specific control of sub-frames corresponding to the least significant bits
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2074 using sub-pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2077 by a combination of two or more gradation control methods
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/293 for address discharge
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2948 by increasing the total sustaining time with respect to other times in the frame
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2983 using non-standard pixel electrode arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 11/12 with main electrodes provided on both sides of the discharge space
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 11/26 Address electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 11/28 Auxiliary electrodes, e.g. priming electrodes or trigger electrodes

Abstract

The plasma display device has pixels each formed by a plurality of sub pixels of the same color provided in an address-electrode direction, and provides gray-scale display by controlling the number of sub pixels to be turned ON. A plurality of address electrodes are provided for each sub pixels. Each sub pixel is addressed by a conductive layer which is electrically connected to one of the plurality of address electrodes.

Claims

1. A plasma display device comprising:

pixels each formed by a plurality of sub pixels provided in an address-electrode direction, for providing gray-scale display by controlling the number of sub pixels to be turned ON,

wherein a difference in bright level is provided by two types of sub pixels having different electrode structures, in particular a sub pixel having a single X-electrode and a single Y-electrode and a sub pixel having two X-electrodes and a single Y-electrode.

2. The plasma display device according to claim 1, wherein the gray-scale display provided by controlling the number of sub pixels to be turned ON is provided by controlling the number of sub pixels of an X-electrode direction to be turned ON and the number of sub pixels of the address-electrode direction to be turned ON.

3. The plasma display device according to claim 1, wherein gray-scale display is performed according to input data in combination with the gray-scale display provided by controlling the number of sub pixels to be turned ON in each pixel formed by a plurality of sub pixels and gray-scale display based on a time dither method in which each filed is divided into a plurality of sub frames and each sub pixel is controlled to be or not to be turned ON in each sub frame.

4. A method for driving a plasma display device, wherein the plasma display device comprises picture elements each formed by first and second pixels provided adjacent to each other in an X-electrode direction, each of the first and second pixels is formed by sub pixels of R, G, B provided adjacent to each other in the X-electrode direction, the method comprising:

turning sub pixels of R, G, B ON/OFF by applying a gray-scale signal corresponding to a position of a first pixel of a picture element to each of sub pixels of R, G, B in the first pixel of the picture element, and applying to each of sub pixels of R, G, B in a second pixel of the picture element an average of a gray-scale signal which is applied to a corresponding one of the sub pixels of R, G, B in the first pixel of the picture element and a gray-scale signal which is applied to a corresponding one of sub pixels of R, G, B in a first pixel of an adjacent picture element, in particular a picture element located adjacent to the second pixel.

5. The method for driving a plasma display device according to claim 4, wherein gray-scale display is performed according to input data of the gray-scale display based on a time dither method in which each field is divided into a plurality of sub frames and each sub pixel is controlled to be or not to be turned ON in each sub frame.

6. A plasma display device comprising

a plurality of pixels provided to align in the row and column directions, wherein

each of the plurality of pixels has a plurality of sub pixels of the same color provided in the column direction, and a plurality of address electrodes extending in parallel to each other and along the plurality of sub pixels in the column direction,

each of the plurality of sub pixels has a conductive layer electrically connected to any one of the plurality of address electrodes, a Y-electrode generating address discharge with the conductive layer, and an X-electrode generating sustain discharge with the Y-electrode,

the plurality of sub pixels include at least two types of sub pixels addressed by a different address electrode of the plurality of address electrodes one another,

gray-scale display is provided by controlling the number of sub pixels to be turned ON in each pixel;

wherein the plurality of address electrodes are a pair of address electrodes,

each of the plurality of sub pixels is sandwiched between a pair of partition walls extending in the column direction,

one address electrode of the pair of address electrodes extends to the side surface of one partition wall and the other address electrode extends to the side surface of the other partition wall, and

the conductive layer is formed in a bridge-like shape to bridge the pair of partition walls and is electrically connected to an end of either one of the pair of extending address electrodes.