EP0325387A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Addressing structure using ionizable gaseous medium
Assignee: Tektronix Inc
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Filing: 1989-01-13
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2009-01-13
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus for and a method of addressing data storage elements (16) employs an ionizable gas to address the storage elements for storing data in and reading data out of them. The storage elements are defined by the overlapping areas of multiple column electrodes (18) extending in a common direction on a first substrate (48) and multiple channels (20) extending in a common direction on a second substrate (54). A layer of dielectric material (46) separates the first and the second substrates, which are positioned face-to-face and spaced-apart with the direction of the channels transverse to that of the column electrodes. Each of the channels is filled with an ionizable gas and includes a reference potential electrode and a row electrode electrically isolated from each other. The column electrodes receive data drive signals, and the row electrodes and reference potential electrodes receive data strobe signals. The addressing apparatus is configured so that for each storage element the ionizable gas functions as an electrical switch that changes between a conducting or plasma state and a nonconducting or de-ionized state in response to an applied data strobe signal. The ionizable gas functions to either store data in or read data out of the storage element. If the storage element includes a layer (44) of material having electro-optic properties and receives incident image-carrying light, the ionizable gas functions to select and store image data across the layer and thereby provide a display system having gray scale luminance.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas S. Buzak
- 👤 Paul C. Martin
- 👤 Wayne H. Olmstead
- 👤 John J. Horn
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 12:40
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02F; G02F1/00; G02F1/01; G02F1/13; G02F1/133; G02F1/1333; G02F1/13334; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/34; G09G3/36; G09G3/3611; G09G3/3648; G09G3/3662; G11; G11C; G11C11/00; G11C11/21; G11C11/22; G11C27/00; G11C27/02; G11C27/024
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
66 words
An addressing structure for a data element, comprising: an ionizable gaseous medium in communication with a data element and an electrical reference; ionizing means for selectively effecting ionization of the ionizable gaseous medium to provide an interruptible electrical connection between the data element and the electrical reference, thereby to selectively address the data element; and sensing means for sensing a datum stored by the data element.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
66 words
An addressing structure for a data element, comprising: an ionizable gaseous medium in communication with a data element and an electrical reference; ionizing means for selectively effecting ionization of the ionizable gaseous medium to provide an interruptible electrical connection between the data element and the electrical reference, thereby to selectively address the data element; and sensing means for sensing a datum stored by the data element.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
51 words
The addressing structure of claim 1 in which the data element comprises a data electrode for transmitting data signals and a layer of dielectric material having first and second major surfaces, the first major surface communicating with the data electrode and the second major surface communicating with the ionizable gaseous medium.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
125 words
The addressing structure of claim 1 in which the data element stores a data signal and in which the sensing means comprises an amplifier having an output operable to selectively deliver a first signal to the data electrode and an input operable to selectively receive a second signal from the data electrode, the amplifier cooperating with the ionizing means to deliver the first signal to the data electrode during a time when there is no electrical connection between the data element and the electrical reference and to receive the second signal from the data electrode during a time when an electrical connection is first made between the data element and the electrical reference, thereby to produce an output signal proportional to the stored data signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
125 words
The addressing structure of claim 1 in which the data element stores a data signal and in which the sensing means comprises an amplifier having an output operable to selectively deliver a first signal to the data element and an input operable to selectively receive a second signal from the data element, the amplifier cooperating with the ionizing means to deliver the first signal to the data element during a time when there is no electrical connection between the data element and the electrical reference and to receive the second signal from the data element during a time when an electrical connection is first made between the data element and the electrical reference, thereby to produce an output signal proportional to the stored data signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The addressing structure of claim 4 in which the electrical reference comprises a reference voltage and the second signal is of a voltage equal to the reference voltage.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
67 words
The addressing structure of claim 1 in which the data element comprises a storage element of the capacitive type that includes first and second electrodes separated by a layer of dielectric material with first and second major surfaces, and in which a data electrode cooperates with the first major surface of the layer to function as the first electrode for transmitting data signals to the storage element.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The addressing structure of claim 6 in which the ionizable gaseous medium cooperates with the second major surface of the layer to function as the second electrode with an interruptible electrical connection to the electrical reference.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
267 words
An addressable memory system having multiple data storage elements, comprising: a first substrate supporting on a major surface thereof plural nonoverlapping first electrodes that extend in a first direction; a second substrate having plural nonoverlapping channels that extend along a major surface thereof in a second direction, each of the channels containing an ionizable gas and having one of plural second electrodes extending along a substantial portion of the length of the channel, the first and second substrates being disposed face-to-face and spaced-apart with the first direction transverse to the second direction to define overlapping regions of the first electrodes and the channels; a layer of dielectric material positioned between the first and second substrates, the layer of dielectric material and the overlapping regions defining plural data storage elements; and first means for applying first electrical signals and reference electrical signals to the first electrodes and second means for applying second electrical signals to the second electrodes, the simultaneous application of the first and second electrical signals to selected ones of the first and second electrodes effecting ionization of the gas associated with a selected storage element defined by the selected ones of the first and second electrodes and developing across the dielectric material a data signal corresponding to the first electrical signal, and the concurrent application of the reference electrical signal to the selected storage element and the absence of the second electrical signal on the second electrodes, followed by the application of a second electrical signal to the second electrodes, developing on the first electrodes an output signal that is proportional to the data signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
267 words
An addressable memory system having multiple data storage elements, comprising: a first substrate supporting on a major surface thereof plural nonoverlapping first electrodes that extend in a first direction; a second substrate having plural nonoverlapping channels that extend along a major surface thereof in a second direction, each of the channels containing an ionizable gas and having one of plural second electrodes extending along a substantial portion of the length of the channel, the first and second substrates being disposed face-to-face and spaced-apart with the first direction transverse to the second direction to define overlapping regions of the first electrodes and the channels; a layer of dielectric material positioned between the first and second substrates, the layer of dielectric material and the overlapping regions defining plural data storage elements; and first means for applying first electrical signals and reference electrical signals to the first electrodes and second means for applying second electrical signals to the second electrodes, the simultaneous application of the first and second electrical signals to selected ones of the first and second electrodes effecting ionization of the gas associated with a selected storage element defined by the selected ones of the first and second electrodes and developing across the dielectric material a data signal corresponding to the first electrical signal, and the concurrent application of the reference electrical signal to the selected storage element and the absence of the second electrical signal on the second electrodes, followed by the application of a second electrical signal to the second electrodes, developing on the first electrodes an output signal that is proportional to the data signal.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
12 words
The system of claim 8 in which the ionizable gas includes helium.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
97 words
The system of claim 8 in which each of the channels defines a row of the storage elements and each of the first electrodes defines a column of the storage elements, and which further comprises means for coordinating the functions of the first and second means so that the second means applies the second electrical signal to the second electrode of a row of storage elements during the time when the first means applies the reference electrical signals to the columns of storage elements, thereby to develop the output signals for a row of the storage elements.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
60 words
The system of claim 8 in which the first and second means provide in each of successive first and second data fields the simultaneous application of the first and second electrical signals only once to each of the storage elements, the first electrical signals of the first data field being of opposite polarity to that of the second data field.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
302 words
An addressable electro-optic system having multiple light pattern data storage elements, comprising: a first substrate supporting on a major surface thereof plural nonoverlapping first electrodes that extend in a first direction; a second substrate having plural nonoverlapping channels that extend along a major surface thereof in a second direction, each of the channels containing an ionizable gas and having one of plural second electrodes extending along a substantial portion of the length of the channel, the first and second substrates being disposed face-to-face and spaced-apart with the first direction transverse to the second direction to define overlapping regions of the first electrodes and the channels; a layer of material having electro-optical properties positioned between the first and second substrates, the layer of electro-optic material and the overlapping regions defining plural light pattern data storage elements; and first means for applying first electrical signals to the first electrodes and second means for applying second electrical signals to the second electrodes, the first and second means providing in each of alternating image and erase fields the simultaneous application of respective first and second electrical signals only once to each of the storage elements to effect ionization of the gas associated with storage elements and change in response to the first electrical signal the electrooptical properties of the regions of the layer associated with the storage elements, the first electrical signals of the image field and the erase field being of the same polarity and the second electrical signals of the image field comprising a pulse of opposite polarity to that of the first electrical signal, and the second electrical signals of the erase field comprising first and second pulses in immediate succession, the first and second pulses being of, respectively, opposite polarity to and the same polarity as that of the first electrical signal.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
302 words
An addressable electro-optic system having multiple light pattern data storage elements, comprising: a first substrate supporting on a major surface thereof plural nonoverlapping first electrodes that extend in a first direction; a second substrate having plural nonoverlapping channels that extend along a major surface thereof in a second direction, each of the channels containing an ionizable gas and having one of plural second electrodes extending along a substantial portion of the length of the channel, the first and second substrates being disposed face-to-face and spaced-apart with the first direction transverse to the second direction to define overlapping regions of the first electrodes and the channels; a layer of material having electro-optical properties positioned between the first and second substrates, the layer of electro-optic material and the overlapping regions defining plural light pattern data storage elements; and first means for applying first electrical signals to the first electrodes and second means for applying second electrical signals to the second electrodes, the first and second means providing in each of alternating image and erase fields the simultaneous application of respective first and second electrical signals only once to each of the storage elements to effect ionization of the gas associated with storage elements and change in response to the first electrical signal the electrooptical properties of the regions of the layer associated with the storage elements, the first electrical signals of the image field and the erase field being of the same polarity and the second electrical signals of the image field comprising a pulse of opposite polarity to that of the first electrical signal, and the second electrical signals of the erase field comprising first and second pulses in immediate succession, the first and second pulses being of, respectively, opposite polarity to and the same polarity as that of the first electrical signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
51 words
The system of claim 12 in which the first electrical signal in the erase mode is of approximately zero voltage potential and in which the second electrical signals in the erase field comprise third pulses in immediate succession after the second pulses, the second and third pulses being of opposite polarity.
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