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US3609746A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus for driving plasma panels

Assignee: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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Filing: 1968-10-08
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Granted: 1971-09-28
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Expires: 1988-10-08
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Abstract

Abstract Apparatus for driving a gaseous discharge display panel in order to display information at selected discrete points in the display panel defined by the intersection of corresponding column and row electrodes, including at least one transformer having multiple secondary coils each connected to a respective column electrode, and at least one other transformer having multiple secondary coils each connected to a respective row electrode, a pair of complementary signal sources each connected to a corresponding one of said transformers, means for addressing selected points in the display panel coupled to a primary coil of respective transformers for entering information into the panel, and the signal sources coupling sustaining signals through the respective secondary coils for maintaining the information in the panel, the signal sources and the addressing means being electrically isolated from the panel electrodes.

Inventors

  • 👤 Ray L Trogdon

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-25 08:36
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/22; G09G3/28; G09G3/288; G09G3/296; G09G3/297

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 162 words
In gaseous discharge display panel apparatus, including a gaseous medium in said panel, and display points defined by intersecting paired electrodes, wherein information to be displayed is entered into the panel at selected display points by coupling to the respective intersecting electrodes, (1) an addressing signal sufficient to discharge the gaseous medium and enter the display information at the selected display point, and (2) a sustaining signal sufficient to maintain the information at the display point, the improvement comprising: a pair of transformers each having primary and secondary windings and associated with at least one of said electrodes; addressing means for supplying said addressing signal to the selected display point, said addressing means coupled to the primary and secondary windings of each of the transformers; said secondary windings of each transforming interconnecting the associated electrode and the addressing means; and sustaining means coupled to the secondary windings of each transformer for supplying said sustaining signal to maintain the information in said panel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 162 words
In gaseous discharge display panel apparatus, including a gaseous medium in said panel, and display points defined by intersecting paired electrodes, wherein information to be displayed is entered into the panel at selected display points by coupling to the respective intersecting electrodes, (1) an addressing signal sufficient to discharge the gaseous medium and enter the display information at the selected display point, and (2) a sustaining signal sufficient to maintain the information at the display point, the improvement comprising: a pair of transformers each having primary and secondary windings and associated with at least one of said electrodes; addressing means for supplying said addressing signal to the selected display point, said addressing means coupled to the primary and secondary windings of each of the transformers; said secondary windings of each transforming interconnecting the associated electrode and the addressing means; and sustaining means coupled to the secondary windings of each transformer for supplying said sustaining signal to maintain the information in said panel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 48 words
Display panel apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said addressing means comprises a unipolar signal source providing a multilevel signal, including means for selecting the suitable level of said signal for each electrode so as to discharge the gaseous medium at one of said discrete display points.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 47 words
Display panel apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said addressing means includes a selection transformer having the secondary winding associated with the electrode to be addressed for increasing the potential difference between the addressed electrodes sufficient to discharge the gaseous medium at the associated display point.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 77 words
Display panel apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said selection means includes first drive means coupled to the primary winding of one of said selected transformers for increasing the voltage level of said unipolar signal at the output of the associated secondary windings, and second drive means coupled to the primary winding of the other of said selected transformers for decreasing the voltage level of said unipolar signal at the output of the associated secondary windings.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 25 words
Display panel apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of said signal levels corresponds to said sustaining signal applied to all of said electrodes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 35 words
Display panel apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including means coupled to each primary winding for effectively lowering the impedance of each secondary winding during the application of said sustaining signal to the panel electrodes.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

No citation records indexed.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1974-09-27 1975-03-29 1975-09-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1978-09-27 1979-03-29 1979-09-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1982-09-27 1983-03-29 1983-09-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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