Digitally addressable gas discharge display apparatus

Claim 2

Gas discharge apparatus comprising: reservoir means for containing an ionizable gas, a plurality of gas discharge display memory cell means, and a plurality of addressing electrode means interposed between said reservoir means and said display memory cell means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of addressing electrode means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of gas conductive channels coupling said reservoir means to said display memory cell means respectively, said plurality of addressing electrode means being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential for selectively applying potentials to said addressing electrode means to selectively extend gas discharge columns in said channels from said reservoir means to said display memory cell means for igniting gas discharges in selected display memory cell means.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 in which said reservoir means includes means for ionizing said ionizable gas contained therein.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 1 in which each said display memory cell means includes first and second display memory electrode means spaced apart with respect to each other for maintaining gas discharge sustaining potentials thereacross.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 1 in which said plurality of addressing electrode means comprises a plurality of addressing plate means each comprising electrically conductive portions electrically isolated from each other, said apertures and portions being so arranged with respect to each other that with positive potentials applied to one said portion of each said plate means, gas dishcarge columns are extended from said reservoir means through selected channels thereby igniting gas discharges in said display memory cell means associated therewith.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 4 in which said portions and apertures are so arranged with respect to each other that with said positive potentials applied to one said portion of each said plate means at least one-half of the gas discharge columns incident upon each said plate means are inhibited from passage therethrough until one said gas discharge column passes through a selected aperture in the last plate in said superposed arrangement thereby igniting a gas discharge in said display memory cell means associated therewith.

Claim 7

Gas discharge display apparatus comprising cathode plate means, anode plate means having a plurality of apertures therethrough and spaced from said cathode plate means forming a reservoir for containing an ionizable gas, said cathode and anode plate means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of ionizing potential, a plurality of gas discharge display memory cell means, and a plurality of addressing plate means interposed between said reservoir and said display memory cell means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of addressing plate means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other and with respect to said anode plate means with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of gas conductive channels coupling said reservoir to said display memory cell means respectively, said plurality of addressing plate means being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential for selectively applying potentials to said addressing plate means to selectively extend gas discharge columns in said channels from said reservoir to said display memory cell means for igniting gas discharges in selected display memory cell means.

Claim 8

Gas discharge display apparatus comprising cathode plate means, anode plate means having a plurality of apertures therethrough and spaced from said cathode plate means forming a reservoir for containing an ionizable gas, said cathode and anode plate means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of ionizing potential, a plurality of gas discharge display memory cell means, and a plurality of addressing plate means interposed between said reservoir and said display memory cell means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of addressing plate means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other and with respect to said anode plate means with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of gas conductive channels coupling said reservoir to said display memory cell means respectively, said plurality of addressing plate means being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential for selectively applying potentials to said addressing plate means to selectively extend gas discharge columns in said channels from said reservoir to said display memory cell means for igniting gas discharges in selected display memory cell means.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 in which each said addressing plate means comprises electrically conductive portions electrically isolated from each other, said apertures and portions being so arranged with respect to each other that With positive potentials applied to one said portion of each said addressing plate means, gas discharge columns are extended from said reservoir through selected channels thereby igniting gas discharges in said display memory cell means associated therewith.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 7 in which each said display memory cell means comprises: first display memory electrode means having an aperture therethrough coupled with an associated one of said channels, and second display memory electrode means spaced from said first display memory electrode means, said first and second display memory electrode means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of gas discharge sustaining potential.

Claim 11

Gas discharge display apparatus comprising cathode means, a plurality of gas discharge display memory cell means, and a plurality of addressing anode means interposed between said cathode means and said display memory cell means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of addressing anode means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of channels for containing ionizable gas, said plurality of channels extending from said cathode means to said display memory cell means, respectively, said plurality of addressing anode means being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential with respect to said cathode means for selectively applying potentials to said addressing anode means to selectively form gas discharge columns in said channels for igniting gas discharges in selected display memory cell means.

Claim 12

Gas discharge display apparatus comprising cathode means, a plurality of gas discharge display memory cell means, and a plurality of addressing anode means interposed between said cathode means and said display memory cell means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of addressing anode means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of channels for containing ionizable gas, said plurality of channels extending from said cathode means to said display memory cell means, respectively, said plurality of addressing anode means being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential with respect to said cathode means for selectively applying potentials to said addressing anode means to selectively form gas discharge columns in said channels for igniting gas discharges in selected display memory cell means.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9 in which each said display memory cell means includes first and second display memory electrode means spaced apart with respect to each other for maintaining gas discharge sustaining potentials thereacross.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 9 in which said plurality of addressing anode means comprises a plurality of addressing plate means each comprising electrically conductive portions electrically isolated from each other, said apertures and portions being so arranged with respect to each other that with positive potentials applied with respect to said cathode means to one said portion of each said plate means, gas discharge columns are formed in selected channels thereby igniting gas discharges in said display memory cell means associated therewith.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 11 in which said portions and apertures are so arranged with respect to each other that with said positive potentials applied to one said portion of each said plate means at least one-half of the gas discharge columns incident upon each said plate means are inhibited from passage therethrough until one said gas discharge column passes through a selected aperture in the last plate in said superposed arrangement thereby igniting a gas discharge in said display memory cell means associated therewith.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 9 in which each said display memory cell means comprises: first display memory electrode means having an aperture therethrough coupled with an associated one of said channels, and second display memory electrode means spaced from said first display memory electrode means, said first and second display memory electrode means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of gas discharge sustaining potential.

Claim 17

Gas discharge display apparatus comprising: reservoir means for containing an ionizable gas, a plurality of memory means, and a plurality of addressing electrode means interposed between said reservoir means and said memory means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of addressing electrode means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of gas conductive channels coupling said reservoir means to said memory means respectively, said plurality of addressing electrode mEans being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential for selectively applying potentials to said addressing electrode means to selectively extend gas discharge columns in said channels from said reservoir means to said memory means for activating selected memory means corresponding thereto.

Claim 18

Gas discharge display apparatus comprising: reservoir means for containing an ionizable gas, a plurality of memory means, and a plurality of addressing electrode means interposed between said reservoir means and said memory means and each having a plurality of apertures therethrough, said plurality of addressing electrode means being in superposed arrangement with respect to each other with said apertures aligned to form a plurality of gas conductive channels coupling said reservoir means to said memory means respectively, said plurality of addressing electrode mEans being adapted for connection to sources of selectable electrical potential for selectively applying potentials to said addressing electrode means to selectively extend gas discharge columns in said channels from said reservoir means to said memory means for activating selected memory means corresponding thereto.

Claim 19

The apparatus of claim 14 in which said memory means comprises gas discharge display cell means.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 1 in which each said display memory cell means comprises: first display memory electrode means having an aperture therethrough coupled with an associated one of said channels, and second display memory electrode means spaced from said first display memory electrode means, said first and second display memory electrode means being adapted for connection therebetween of a source of gas discharge sustaining potential.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 1 in which each said addressing electrode means comprises anode means.