US3750159A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Bulk erase system for gas discharge display panels
Assignee: OI Glass Inc
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Filing: 1971-12-23
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Granted: 1973-07-31
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Expires: 1991-12-23
Abstract
Abstract In gaseous discharge display panels of the crossed conductor matrix type wherein the conductors are non-conductively coupled to the gas border discharge sites are normally maintained on for information or data display site conditioning purposes. According to the invention, rather than maintaining the border sites on while bulk erasing the entire panel, in the process of this invention, the border sites as well as the panel display areas are erased and then the border is rewritten. Circuitry is provided for inserting in the border conductors locating the border sites a voltage with the sustainer signal voltage following a bulk erase of all the signals due to sustainer control.
Inventors
- 👤 D Wojcik
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 00:24
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/22; G09G3/28; G09G3/288; G09G3/296; G09G3/291; G09G3/292; G09G3/2922; G09G3/297; G09G2310/00; G09G2310/02; G09G2310/0232
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
200 words
A method of operating a gas discharge data display panel of the type having a dielectrically coated row-conductor array on a first support plate, a dielectrically coated column conductor array on a second support plate, means joining said plates in spaced apart relation with a gaseous discharge medium between said dielectrically coated conductor arrays, a selected number of conductors in each said array locating border discharge sites which are used as non-data display areas, and wherein the operating potentials to said conductor arrays includes a periodic voltage for sustaining discharges once initiated, said periodic sustainer voltage being of a magnitude insufficient to initiate a discharge at any site but of sufficient magnitude to maintain discharges once initiated at any site, and a data entering discharge initiating signal voltage for algebraic addition to said sustainer voltage potential, said method including the step of bulk erasing data displayed on said panel by modifying sustainer voltages from conductors of at least one of said arrays, the improvement comprising, simultaneously with the bulk erasing of data from the entire panel, erasing said border sites and then rewriting said border sites by application of said sustainer voltage thereto along with a border write signal voltage.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
200 words
A method of operating a gas discharge data display panel of the type having a dielectrically coated row-conductor array on a first support plate, a dielectrically coated column conductor array on a second support plate, means joining said plates in spaced apart relation with a gaseous discharge medium between said dielectrically coated conductor arrays, a selected number of conductors in each said array locating border discharge sites which are used as non-data display areas, and wherein the operating potentials to said conductor arrays includes a periodic voltage for sustaining discharges once initiated, said periodic sustainer voltage being of a magnitude insufficient to initiate a discharge at any site but of sufficient magnitude to maintain discharges once initiated at any site, and a data entering discharge initiating signal voltage for algebraic addition to said sustainer voltage potential, said method including the step of bulk erasing data displayed on said panel by modifying sustainer voltages from conductors of at least one of said arrays, the improvement comprising, simultaneously with the bulk erasing of data from the entire panel, erasing said border sites and then rewriting said border sites by application of said sustainer voltage thereto along with a border write signal voltage.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said border write signal voltage for said border conductors is applied to at least one of said conductor arrays and, when algebraically added to said sustainer potential on said border conductor, is of sufficient magnitude to initiate discharges at said border sites.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The invention defined in claim 2 wherein said border write signal voltage is applied to all said border conductors in each array so that the corner border sites are turned on by a voltage comprised of the algebraic sum of said sustainer voltage and twice the magnitude of said border write signal voltage.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
120 words
In a gaseous discharge display panel having row-column conductor arrays, non-conductively coupled to a gas discharge medium in the chamber space between said row and said column conductor array and a border conductor array cooperating with the ends of the conductors in the row-column conductor arrays which, for the purpose of photon conditioning of information display sites in the panel, are on during the entry of information to be displayed on said panel, the improvement in the bulk erasing of said panel which comprises, means for modifying the sustainer voltage on at least one of said arrays for at least one period thereof, and means for turning said border sites on prior to the entry of information to said panel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
120 words
In a gaseous discharge display panel having row-column conductor arrays, non-conductively coupled to a gas discharge medium in the chamber space between said row and said column conductor array and a border conductor array cooperating with the ends of the conductors in the row-column conductor arrays which, for the purpose of photon conditioning of information display sites in the panel, are on during the entry of information to be displayed on said panel, the improvement in the bulk erasing of said panel which comprises, means for modifying the sustainer voltage on at least one of said arrays for at least one period thereof, and means for turning said border sites on prior to the entry of information to said panel.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
81 words
The invention defined in claim 4 wherein said means for turning on said border sites prior to entry of new information to said panel includes a source of border pulse potential selectively connectable only to at least one of said border conductors which, border pulse potential algebraically added to the sustainer voltage to said at least one border conductor is sufficient to cause a discharge at any border site only on the panel located by said at least one border conductor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
The invention defined in claim 4 wherein the border conductors in each array are supplied with said border pulse potential so that the corner border sites have applied thereto said sustainer potential and algebraically added thereto twice the magnitude of said border pulse potential.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-07-30 | 1977-01-29 | 1977-07-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-07-30 | 1981-01-29 | 1981-07-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-07-30 | 1985-01-29 | 1985-07-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |