US3720919A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Photonically partitioned continuous gas envelope and transiently energized pilot discharge areas used in address selection of display firing coordinates
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1971-12-30
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Granted: 1973-03-13
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Expires: 1991-12-30
Abstract
Abstract Plural pilot cells in a gas panel envelope are energized selectively and transiently to effect partial control of firing coordinate selection. The pilot cells remain unenergized during normal sustaining periods and firing potentials are chosen to preclude sustaining discharge of pre-ignited unselected points so that pilot bias is produced exclusively by the pilot cell operations. The pilot cells and associated display coordinates receiving pilot bias therefrom are photonically isolated from each other by suitably spaced glass spacing rods. Since the pilot cells are only transiently energized less power is consumed and the pilot light emissions do not interfere with the apparently continuous light at the sustained display coordinates. Hence the pilot emissions need not be masked from view. Since the pilot lights have dual usage as a coordinate factor of firing selection other parameters of firing coordinate selection (i.e. voltages directly applied to the coordinates) and associated selection circuits may be simplified and reduced in size to effect cost and power economies.
Inventors
- 👤 W Lamoureux
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 01:00
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J17/00; H01J17/38; H01J17/48; H01J17/49; H01J17/492; G; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/22; G09G3/28; G09G3/288; G09G3/291; G09G3/292; G09G3/2927; G09G3/293; G09G3/296; G09G3/297; G09G2320/00; G09G2320/02; G09G2320/0228; G09G3/298; G09G3/2983; G09G3/2986
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
In a gas panel display system including a gas confining envelope which encompasses discrete display and pilot ignition areas, said display area including multiple selectively ignitable and jointly sustainable display cells electrically coupled in multiple to associated coordinate selection conductors, and said pilot area having at least one discrete pilot electrode conductor electrically coupled thereto, the improvement comprising: first means for supplying partial ignition controlling pulse excitation on a transient basis coordinately to said pilot conductor and to select coordinate selection conductors to effect ignition at select display cells, the pulses applied to the coordinate selection conductors having predetermined polarity incapable of producing sustaining illumination discharges at previously fired but presently unselected display cells; and second means for supplying unselective sustaining excitation on a regular repetitive basis to all coordinate selection conductors sufficient to maintain virtually continuous illumination at all previously ignited display points independently of the energization state of said pilot area.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
153 words
In a gas panel display system including a gas confining envelope which encompasses discrete display and pilot ignition areas, said display area including multiple selectively ignitable and jointly sustainable display cells electrically coupled in multiple to associated coordinate selection conductors, and said pilot area having at least one discrete pilot electrode conductor electrically coupled thereto, the improvement comprising: first means for supplying partial ignition controlling pulse excitation on a transient basis coordinately to said pilot conductor and to select coordinate selection conductors to effect ignition at select display cells, the pulses applied to the coordinate selection conductors having predetermined polarity incapable of producing sustaining illumination discharges at previously fired but presently unselected display cells; and second means for supplying unselective sustaining excitation on a regular repetitive basis to all coordinate selection conductors sufficient to maintain virtually continuous illumination at all previously ignited display points independently of the energization state of said pilot area.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
153 words
In a gas panel display system including a gas confining envelope which encompasses discrete display and pilot ignition areas, said display area including multiple selectively ignitable and jointly sustainable display cells electrically coupled in multiple to associated coordinate selection conductors, and said pilot area having at least one discrete pilot electrode conductor electrically coupled thereto, the improvement comprising: first means for supplying partial ignition controlling pulse excitation on a transient basis coordinately to said pilot conductor and to select coordinate selection conductors to effect ignition at select display cells, the pulses applied to the coordinate selection conductors having predetermined polarity incapable of producing sustaining illumination discharges at previously fired but presently unselected display cells; and second means for supplying unselective sustaining excitation on a regular repetitive basis to all coordinate selection conductors sufficient to maintain virtually continuous illumination at all previously ignited display points independently of the energization state of said pilot area.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
153 words
In a gas panel display system including a gas confining envelope which encompasses discrete display and pilot ignition areas, said display area including multiple selectively ignitable and jointly sustainable display cells electrically coupled in multiple to associated coordinate selection conductors, and said pilot area having at least one discrete pilot electrode conductor electrically coupled thereto, the improvement comprising: first means for supplying partial ignition controlling pulse excitation on a transient basis coordinately to said pilot conductor and to select coordinate selection conductors to effect ignition at select display cells, the pulses applied to the coordinate selection conductors having predetermined polarity incapable of producing sustaining illumination discharges at previously fired but presently unselected display cells; and second means for supplying unselective sustaining excitation on a regular repetitive basis to all coordinate selection conductors sufficient to maintain virtually continuous illumination at all previously ignited display points independently of the energization state of said pilot area.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
41 words
In a gas panel system according to claim 1: third means operative jointly with said first means on said transient basis for supplying predetermined de-select (cancelling) pulse excitation on said transient basis to coordinate selection conductors associated with non-selected display cells.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
In a gas panel system according to claim 1: means partitioning said envelope into plural photonically isolated compartments having respective pilot areas and pilot conductors, and respective subsets of display cells coupled in multiple to said coordinate selection conductors; said first means including means to energize said pilot conductors selectively to direct selective ignition of select display cells in the subsets of the respective compartments.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
113 words
In a gas panel display including an envelope containing an ionizable gas and encompassing discrete pilot and display areas for producing pilot bias discharges and sustained display illumination point area discharges, the improvement comprising: means subdividing said envelope into plural photonically isolated compartments and having individual pilot and display cell sub-areas; means for coordinately energizing selected said pilot sub-areas and selected display cell coordinates in plural said display cell sub-areas including the display sub-area in the compartment containing the energized pilot sub-area with energy timed suitably for producing ignition only at the select display cell coordinates in the pilot energized compartment and unsuited for producing illumination by sustaining discharge of previously ignited coordinates.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
113 words
In a gas panel display including an envelope containing an ionizable gas and encompassing discrete pilot and display areas for producing pilot bias discharges and sustained display illumination point area discharges, the improvement comprising: means subdividing said envelope into plural photonically isolated compartments and having individual pilot and display cell sub-areas; means for coordinately energizing selected said pilot sub-areas and selected display cell coordinates in plural said display cell sub-areas including the display sub-area in the compartment containing the energized pilot sub-area with energy timed suitably for producing ignition only at the select display cell coordinates in the pilot energized compartment and unsuited for producing illumination by sustaining discharge of previously ignited coordinates.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
145 words
In a gas panel display system including an envelope which contains an ionizable gas and encompasses relatively discrete pilot and display areas reserved for pilot bias conditioning and display indication and having means for coupling alternating current electrical energy simultaneously to multiple discrete display point areas within said display area sufficient in repetition frequency duration and amplitude to produce illumination sustaining discharges of alternating polarity at and only at previously ignited said display point areas, the improvement comprising: first means for producing electrical ignition conditioning selection pulse signals having predetermined timing and amplitude in relation to said sustaining energy for effecting partial firing conditioning of select coordinate points during intervals between sustaining discharges; and second means for producing bias photonic conditioning of said gas concurrent with operation of said first means as a selection controlling parameter to effect firing of particular said partially conditioned points.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
145 words
In a gas panel display system including an envelope which contains an ionizable gas and encompasses relatively discrete pilot and display areas reserved for pilot bias conditioning and display indication and having means for coupling alternating current electrical energy simultaneously to multiple discrete display point areas within said display area sufficient in repetition frequency duration and amplitude to produce illumination sustaining discharges of alternating polarity at and only at previously ignited said display point areas, the improvement comprising: first means for producing electrical ignition conditioning selection pulse signals having predetermined timing and amplitude in relation to said sustaining energy for effecting partial firing conditioning of select coordinate points during intervals between sustaining discharges; and second means for producing bias photonic conditioning of said gas concurrent with operation of said first means as a selection controlling parameter to effect firing of particular said partially conditioned points.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
108 words
In a gas panel display, in combination: a continuous gas envelope partitioned into plural connected but photonically isolated compartments; plural pilot conductors associated with respective said compartments for selectively establishing bias photonic conditions confined exclusively within bounds of respective compartments on a transient pulse basis; and plural grids of orthogonal firing conductors intersecting in firing coordinate sub-matrices in plural said compartments for establishing sustaining, erasing and partial firing conditions at respective intersection coordinates in said compartments in multiple, whereby said coordinates are fired only when the respective compartments are in said bias photonic condition by operation of said pilot conductors coincident with establishment of said partial firing condition.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
108 words
In a gas panel display, in combination: a continuous gas envelope partitioned into plural connected but photonically isolated compartments; plural pilot conductors associated with respective said compartments for selectively establishing bias photonic conditions confined exclusively within bounds of respective compartments on a transient pulse basis; and plural grids of orthogonal firing conductors intersecting in firing coordinate sub-matrices in plural said compartments for establishing sustaining, erasing and partial firing conditions at respective intersection coordinates in said compartments in multiple, whereby said coordinates are fired only when the respective compartments are in said bias photonic condition by operation of said pilot conductors coincident with establishment of said partial firing condition.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
93 words
In a gas panel display, in combination: means forming a continuous gas envelope partitioned into plural connected but photonically isolated compartments; plural orthogonal sub-grids of conductors intersecting at sub-matrices of firing coordinates contained within bounds of respective said compartments; plural pilot conductors associated exclusively with respective said compartments and positioned apart from the said firing coordinates of said compartmentS; and means for selectively energizing said pilot conductors transiently and said coordinate conductors regularly in order to establish persistent point discharge firing conditions at firing coordinates in selected compartments associated with the pilot conductors.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
93 words
In a gas panel display, in combination: means forming a continuous gas envelope partitioned into plural connected but photonically isolated compartments; plural orthogonal sub-grids of conductors intersecting at sub-matrices of firing coordinates contained within bounds of respective said compartments; plural pilot conductors associated exclusively with respective said compartments and positioned apart from the said firing coordinates of said compartmentS; and means for selectively energizing said pilot conductors transiently and said coordinate conductors regularly in order to establish persistent point discharge firing conditions at firing coordinates in selected compartments associated with the pilot conductors.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3609658A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-03-12 | 1976-09-11 | 1977-03-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-03-12 | 1980-09-11 | 1981-03-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-03-12 | 1984-09-11 | 1985-03-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |