Flat panel video display device

Claim 2

A flat panel video display device for reproducing images from video signals comprising: a plurality of sampling and storage circuits, each having a sampling junction, the sampling junctions being aligned in a row, with each comprising two electrodes located opposite one another in a pair of parallel planes, separated by an ionizable gas; video signal means for applying the video signal to said plurality of sampling and storage circuits; first glow discharge means synchronized with the video signal for enabling said sampling and storage circuits to sequentially sample the video signal applied via said video signal means and to individually develop a charge proportional to the video signal level at the time of sampling; a display matrix formed by a first plurality of conductors arranged in spaced parallel array in a first one of said parallel planes, each of said first plurality of conductors being connected to a different one of said sampling and storage circuits, and a second plurality of conductors arranged in spaced parallel array in the second one of said parallel planes wherein said first and second plurality of conductors all cross one another in traverse directions; conducting means separating said first and second plurality of conductors at their crosspoints which define display junctions for conducting current when a mininum preset voltage is applied thereto, and second glow discharge means synchornized with the video signal for sequentially enabling each of said second plurality of conductors to discharge said plurality of sampling and storage circuits via said first plurality of conductors after each sampling operation is completed, said discharge sequence always being initiated with a preselected one of said second plurality of conductors.

Claim 3

The flat panel video display device of claim 1 wherein said first glow discharge means includes means for applying to said sampling junctions an energizing potential for sequentially ionizing each sampling junction in the presence of free ions and electrons from the adjacent sampling junction previously ionized.

Claim 4

The flat panel video display device of claim 2 wherein said first glow discharge means includes a sampling starter junction located at the beginning of the row of sampling junctions comprising two electrodes located opposite one another in said first and second planes, separated by said ionizable gas, said sampling starter junction being continuously energized for maintaining the gas in contact with the electrodes thereof in a continuous state of ionization.

Claim 5

The flat panel video display device of claim 3 wherein each of said sampling and storage circuits includes a capacitor connected between a first of said two electrodes of its associated sampling junction and a first common lead connected to said video signal means so that said capacitor develops a charge proportional to the video signal level whenever its associated sampling junction is ionized.

Claim 6

The flat panel video display device of claim 4 wherein the second ones of said two electrodes of alternate sampling junctions are connected to a first lead and the second ones of said two electrodes of the remaining sampling junctions are connected to a second lead and said energizing potential is applied to said video signal means and alternately to said first and second leads to sequentially ionize each sampling junction to enable its associated capacitor to become charged to a voltage proportional to the video signal level at the time of sampling, the minimum voltage developed across the capacitor being such as to prevent the sampling junction from being ionized a second time before its associated capacitor is discharged.

Claim 7

The flat panel video display device of claim 1 wherein said second glow discharge means includes a plurality of line junctions aligned in a row, each comprising two electrodes located opposite one another in said first and second planes, separated by a second ionizable gas, each consecutive one of said line junctions having a first one of said two electrodes connected to a separate one of said second plurality of conductors in consecutive order.

Claim 8

The flat panel video display device of claim 6 wherein said second glow discharge means includes a plurality of line guide junctions, each being located just ahead of a different one of said line junctions and each comprising two electrodes located opposite one another in said first and second planes, separated by said second ionizable gas wherein first ones of said two electrodes of said line guide junctions are connected to a second common lead and the second ones of said two electrodes of alternate line guide junctions are connected to a third lead and the second ones of said two electrodes of the remaining line guide junctions are connected to a fourth lead.

Claim 9

The flat panel video display device of claim 7 wherein said second glow discharge means includes means for alternately applying an energizing potential between said second common lead and said third and fourth leads, said energizing potential being applied during each sampling operation.

Claim 10

The flat panel video display device of claim 8 wherein said second glow discharge means includes means for applying to said line junctions an energizing potential for ionizing each line junction sequentially in the presence of free ions and electrons from the adjacent line guide junction previously ionized.

Claim 11

The flat panel video display device of claim 9 wherein the second ones of said two electrodes of alternate line junctions are connected to a fifth lead and the second ones of said two electrodes of the remaining line junctions are connected to a sixth lead and said energizing potential is alternately applied between said first common lead and said fifth and sixth leads after the completion of each sampling operation.

Claim 12

The flat panel video display device of claim 10 wherein said second glow discharge means includes a display starter junction located just ahead of the first line guide junction in the row of line junctions comprising two electrodes located opposite one another in said first and second planes, separated by said second ionizable gas for receiving an energizing potential to initiate each discharge sequence with the preselected one of said second plurality of conductors.

Claim 13

The flat panel video display device of claim 10 including a third plurality of conductors interlaced between said second plurality of conductors, connected to a third glow discharge means comprising a second set of line junctions and line guide junctions and a second display starter junction arranged in similar fashion to that of said second glow discharge means whereby an energizing potential is applied to said display starter junction to initiate the sequential discharge of said storage capacitors through said second plurality of conductors and the energizing potential is then applied to said second display starter junction for sequentially discharging said storage capacitors through said third plurality of conductors and then repeating the same.

Claim 14

The flat panel video display device of claim 1 wherein said conducting means comprises a third ionizable gas.

Claim 15

The flat panel video display device of claim 13 wherein said third ionizable gas is enclosed in a plurality of sealed chambers, each of said sealed chambers being exposed to a group of display junctions along a different one of said second plurality of conductors.

Claim 16

The flat panel video display device of claim 13 wherein said third ionizable gas is enclosed in a plurality of sealed bubbles, each of said bubbles being exposed to a different one of said display junctions.

Claim 17

The flat panel video dispay device of claim 1 wherein said light emitting means consists of a plurality of phosphors, a separate one located at each of said dislay junctions between said first and second plurality of conductors.

Claim 18

A flat panel video display device for reproducing black and white displays from video signals comprising: an enclosure having two parallel planes; a plurality of sampling junctions aligned in a row, each having first and second electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said two parallel planes; a first ionizable gas separating the first and second electrodes of said sampling junctions; a first lead connected in common to the first electrode of alternate sampling junctions; a second lead connected in common to the first electrode of the remaining sampling junctions; a sampling starter junction located at the beginning of the row of sampling junctions comprising two electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said parallel planes separated by said first ionizable gas; third and fourth leads connected to the two electrodes of said sampling starter junction; a fifth lead; a plurality of capacitors, one for each of said sampling junctions connected between the second electrode of its associated sampling junction and said fifth lead; a first plurality of conductors arranged in spaced parallel array on the inner surface of one of said two parallel planes, each of said first plurality of conductors being connected through an individual resistor to the second electrode of a different sampling junction; a second plurality of conductors arranged in spaced parallEl array on the inner surface of the other of said two parallel planes so that each of said first and second plurality of conductors all cross one another in transverse directions; a second ionizable gas separating said first and second plurality of conductors; a plurality of line junctions aligned in a row, each comprising first and second electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said two parallel planes, the first electrode of each consecutive line junction being connected to a consecutive one of said second plurality of conductors; a third ionizable gas separating the first and second electrodes of said line junctions; a sixth lead connected in common to the second electrodes of alternate line junctions; a seventh lead connected in common to the second electrodes of the remaining line junctions; a plurality of line guide junctions, each located just ahead of a different one of said line junctions and each comprising first and second electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said two parallel planes separated by said third ionizable gas; an eighth lead connected in common to the first electrode of alternate line guide junctions; a ninth lead connected in common to the first electrode of the remaining line guide junctions; a tenth lead connected in common to the second electrodes of said line guide junctions; a display starter junction located next to the first line guide junction in the row of line junctions comprising two electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said two parallel planes separated by said third ionizable gas; eleventh and twelfth leads connected to the two electrodes of said display starter junction, and a plurality of phosphors, each being located between said first and second plurality of conductors at a different one of their crosspoints.

Claim 19

A flat panel video display device for reproducing black and white displays from video signals comprising: an enclosure having two parallel planes; a plurality of sampling junctions aligned in a row, each having first and second electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said two parallel planes; a first ionizable gas separating the first and second electrodes of said sampling junctions; a first lead connected in common to the first electrode of alternate sampling junctions; a second lead connected in common to the first electrode of the remaining sampling junctions; a sampling starter junction located at the beginning of the row of sampling junctions comprising two electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said parallel planes separated by said first ionizable gas; third and fourth leads connected to the two electrodes of said sampling starter junction; a fifth lead; a plurality of capacitors, one for each of said sampling junctions connected between the second electrode of its associated sampling junction and said fifth lead; a first plurality of conductors arranged in spaced parallel array on the inner surface of one of said two parallel planes, each of said first plurality of conductors being connected through an individual resistor to the second electrode of a different sampling junction; a second plurality of conductors arranged in spaced parallEl array on the inner surface of the other of said two parallel planes so that each of said first and second plurality of conductors all cross one another in transverse directions; a second ionizable gas separating said first and second plurality of conductors; a plurality of line junctions aligned in a row, each comprising first and second electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said two parallel planes, the first electrode of each consecutive line junction being connected to a consecutive one of said second plurality of conductors; a third ionizable gas separating the first and second electrodes of said line junctions; a sixth lead connected in common to the second electrodes of alternate line junctions; a seventh lead connected in common to the second electrodes of the remaining line junctions; a plurality of line guide junctions, each located just ahead of a different one of said line junctions and each comprising first and second electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said two parallel planes separated by said third ionizable gas; an eighth lead connected in common to the first electrode of alternate line guide junctions; a ninth lead connected in common to the first electrode of the remaining line guide junctions; a tenth lead connected in common to the second electrodes of said line guide junctions; a display starter junction located next to the first line guide junction in the row of line junctions comprising two electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said two parallel planes separated by said third ionizable gas; eleventh and twelfth leads connected to the two electrodes of said display starter junction, and a plurality of phosphors, each being located between said first and second plurality of conductors at a different one of their crosspoints.

Claim 20

A flat panel video display device for reproducing color displays from video signals comprising: an enclosure having two parallel planes; a plurality of sampling junctions aligned in a row, each having a first electrode located opposite a group of three electrodes on the inner surfaces of said parallel planes; a first ionizable gas between said two parallel planes separating the first electrode and group of three electrodes of said sampling junctions; a first lead connected in common to the first electrodes of alternate sampling junctions; a second lead connected in common to the first electrodes of the remaining sampling junctions; a sampling starter junction located at the beginning of the row of sampling junctions comprising two electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said parallel planes separated by said first ionizable gas; third and fourth leads connected to the electrodes of said sampling starter junction; fifth, sixth and seventh leads; a plurality of capacitors, there being three capacitors for each of said sampling junctions, each of said three capacitors being connected between a different one of said three electrodes of its associated sampling junction and a different one of said fifth, sixth and seventh leads; a first plurality of conductors arranged in spaced parallel array on the inner surface of one of said two parallel planes, there being three conductors for each of said sampling junctions, each of said three conductors being connected through an individual resistor to a different one of said three electrodes of its associated sampling junction; a second plurality of conductors arranged in spaced parallel array on the inner surface of the other of two parallel planes so that each of said first and second plurality of conductors all cross each other in transverse directions; a second ionizable gas separating said first and second plurality of conductors; a plurality of line junctions aligned in a row, each comprising first and second electrodes located opposite one another on thE inner surfaces of said parallel planes, the first electrode of each consecutive line junction being connected to a consecutive one of said second plurality of conductors; a third ionizable gas separating the first and second electrodes of said line junctions; an eighth lead connected in common to the second electrodes of alternate line junctions; a ninth lead connected in common to the second electrodes of the remaining line junctions; a plurality of line guide junctions, each located just ahead of a different one of said line junctions and each comprising first and second electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of two parallel planes separated by said third ionizable gas; a tenth lead connected in common to the first electrode of alternate line guide junctions; an eleventh lead connected in common to the first electrode of the remaining line guide junctions; a twelfth lead connected in common to the second electrodes of said line guide junctions; a display starter junction located next to the first line guide junction in the row of line junctions comprising two electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said two parallel planes separated by said third ionizable gas; thirteenth and fourteenth leads connected to the two electrodes of said display starter junction; and a plurality of color phosphors located between said first and second plurality of conductors, there being three different primary color phosphors, each located at one of the three crosspoints where each three of said first plurality of conductors connected to the same sampling junction cross each of said first plurality of conductors.

Claim 21

A flat panel video display device for reproducing color displays from video signals comprising: an enclosure having two parallel planes; a plurality of sampling junctions aligned in a row, each having a first electrode located opposite a group of three electrodes on the inner surfaces of said parallel planes; a first ionizable gas between said two parallel planes separating the first electrode and group of three electrodes of said sampling junctions; a first lead connected in common to the first electrodes of alternate sampling junctions; a second lead connected in common to the first electrodes of the remaining sampling junctions; a sampling starter junction located at the beginning of the row of sampling junctions comprising two electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said parallel planes separated by said first ionizable gas; third and fourth leads connected to the electrodes of said sampling starter junction; fifth, sixth and seventh leads; a plurality of capacitors, there being three capacitors for each of said sampling junctions, each of said three capacitors being connected between a different one of said three electrodes of its associated sampling junction and a different one of said fifth, sixth and seventh leads; a first plurality of conductors arranged in spaced parallel array on the inner surface of one of said two parallel planes, there being three conductors for each of said sampling junctions, each of said three conductors being connected through an individual resistor to a different one of said three electrodes of its associated sampling junction; a second plurality of conductors arranged in spaced parallel array on the inner surface of the other of two parallel planes so that each of said first and second plurality of conductors all cross each other in transverse directions; a second ionizable gas separating said first and second plurality of conductors; a plurality of line junctions aligned in a row, each comprising first and second electrodes located opposite one another on thE inner surfaces of said parallel planes, the first electrode of each consecutive line junction being connected to a consecutive one of said second plurality of conductors; a third ionizable gas separating the first and second electrodes of said line junctions; an eighth lead connected in common to the second electrodes of alternate line junctions; a ninth lead connected in common to the second electrodes of the remaining line junctions; a plurality of line guide junctions, each located just ahead of a different one of said line junctions and each comprising first and second electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of two parallel planes separated by said third ionizable gas; a tenth lead connected in common to the first electrode of alternate line guide junctions; an eleventh lead connected in common to the first electrode of the remaining line guide junctions; a twelfth lead connected in common to the second electrodes of said line guide junctions; a display starter junction located next to the first line guide junction in the row of line junctions comprising two electrodes located opposite one another on the inner surfaces of said two parallel planes separated by said third ionizable gas; thirteenth and fourteenth leads connected to the two electrodes of said display starter junction; and a plurality of color phosphors located between said first and second plurality of conductors, there being three different primary color phosphors, each located at one of the three crosspoints where each three of said first plurality of conductors connected to the same sampling junction cross each of said first plurality of conductors.