US3781600A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Plasma charge transfer device
Assignee: NCR Voyix Corp
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Filing: 1972-05-22
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Granted: 1973-12-25
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Expires: 1992-05-22
Abstract
Abstract A plasma charge transfer device utilizable as a shift register memory and/or display utilizing ionizable gas contained in an enclosure with a plurality of individual transfer electrodes covered with a dielectric material aligned parallel on opposite internal walls of the enclosure, but offset one another, throughout its length. This plasma charge transfer device utilizes: an ionizable gas; an input electrode which can be either directly or capacitively coupled to the gas; capacitively coupling to the gas of oppositely offset transfer electrodes; and the wall voltage which results when charge is transferred as the result of a gaseous discharge occurring between two oppositely offset transfer electrodes -- the additive effect of this wall voltage to an applied voltage such that a gaseous discharge occurs between two transfer electrodes if charge was transferred to one of the electrodes during a previous discharge whereas a gaseous discharge will not occur with this same applied voltage between any two oppositely offset electrodes which do not have the proper charge trapped on the wall of at least one of the electrode pairs. Upon the proper application of command signals, a gaseous discharge can be successively transferred between subsequent oppositely offset transfer electrode pair, one electrode position at a time, or continuously shifted throughout the entire length of the plasma charge transfer device, or may be held stationary at any oppositely offset transfer electrode pair position within the device. When the plasma charge transfer device is used as a shift register memory, information to be retrieved at the register output may be optically or electronically recognized and erased.
Inventors
- 👤 W Coleman
- 👤 W Kessler
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 03:18
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J11/00; G; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/22; G09G3/28; G09G3/288; G09G3/29; G11; G11C; G11C19/00; G11C19/20; G11C19/205
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
214 words
A plasma charge transfer device comprising: means including at least one envelope defining an elongated channel containing an ionizable medium; input electrode means within said channel; a plurality of transfer electrode means arranged in alternating sequence and offset one from another on opposite sides of the inside walls of said channel and capacitively coupled to said medium; means for applying at controlled times a potential of sufficient magnitude to said input electrode means to cause an ionization of said ionizable medium in proximity of said input electrode means; and means for applying sequentially to said transfer electrode means a sustaining potential of a magnitude no greater than that required to maintain ionization if ionization of the ionizable medium were taking place in proximity to said transfer electrode means, said sustaining potential being applied after the ionization of said ionizable medium has ceased but before the charge stored at the transfer electrodes by the capacitor coupling to said medium, when added to said sustaining potential, reduces to a level below the level required to cause ionization such that the sequential application of said sustaining potential will cause an ionization of the ionizable medium between certain of said transfer electrode meanS and a shifting of the occurrence of plasma discharges along the length of said channel.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
214 words
A plasma charge transfer device comprising: means including at least one envelope defining an elongated channel containing an ionizable medium; input electrode means within said channel; a plurality of transfer electrode means arranged in alternating sequence and offset one from another on opposite sides of the inside walls of said channel and capacitively coupled to said medium; means for applying at controlled times a potential of sufficient magnitude to said input electrode means to cause an ionization of said ionizable medium in proximity of said input electrode means; and means for applying sequentially to said transfer electrode means a sustaining potential of a magnitude no greater than that required to maintain ionization if ionization of the ionizable medium were taking place in proximity to said transfer electrode means, said sustaining potential being applied after the ionization of said ionizable medium has ceased but before the charge stored at the transfer electrodes by the capacitor coupling to said medium, when added to said sustaining potential, reduces to a level below the level required to cause ionization such that the sequential application of said sustaining potential will cause an ionization of the ionizable medium between certain of said transfer electrode meanS and a shifting of the occurrence of plasma discharges along the length of said channel.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 1 further including output means for identifying the plasma discharges transferred along said channel.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
The plasma charge transfer device is claimed in claim 2 wherein said output means is a light sensitive means responsive to the light emitted by a plasma discharge in the last pair of transfer electrode means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
The plasma discharge transfer device as claimed in claim 2 wherein said output means comprises an electrode means within said channel and coupled to inductive means for measuring the transfer of energy from the last of said transfer electrode means as said plasma discharges at the end of said channel.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said input electrode means is capacitively coupled to said ionizable medium.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
37 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said transfer electrode means are coated with a dielectric material which material forms the dielectric for the capacitive coupling of the electrode means to the medium.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 6 wherein said dielectric material has a high gamma so as to efficiently emit secondary electrons upon bombardment of photons during plasma discharge.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 1 further including keep-alive electrodes within said channel energizable by electrical energy to maintain ionized particles in said ionizable medium and located in close proximity to said input electrode means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 8 wherein said keep-alive electrode is capacitively coupled to said medium.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ratio of the capacitance Cc between the electrodes and the boundary of the ionizable medium to the capacitance Cg of the ionizable medium itself between the electrodes is about 100 to 1.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
30 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 1 wherein every other transfer electrode means on each of the opposing side walls of said channel are commonly connected together.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
39 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 1 further including multiple channels containing an ionizable medium with input electrode means located within each channel; and wherein said transfer electrode means are common to all of said channels.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
37 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 12 wherein every other transfer electrode means on each of the opposing side walls of each channel are commonly connected together and are common to all said channels.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
37 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 13 where said input electrode means are connected to a character generator and cooperable with said transfer electrode means to provide a matrix capable of displaying alphanumeric characters.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
55 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 14 wherein said multiple channels are grouped to form lines capable of displaying lines of alphanumeric characters, the transfer electrode means in each of the opposing side walls of each group of channels are commonly connected together and are common to the channels in the group.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
256 words
A plasma charge light emitting display device comprising: a plurality of envelopes defining elongated channels containing an ionizable medium; input electrode means within said channels; a plurality of transfer electrode means arranged in alternating sequence and offset one from another on opposite sides of the inside walls of said channels and capacitively coupled to said medium, said transfer means being arranged such that every other transfer means on each of the opposing side walls are commonly connected together and are common to all channels; and means for applying at controlled times a potential of sufficient magnitude to said input electrodE means to cause an ionization of said ionizable medium in proximity of said input electrode means; and means for applying sequentially to said transfer electrode means a sustaining potential of a magnitude no greater than that required to maintain ionization if ionization of the ionizable medium were taking place in proximity to said transfer electrode means, said sustaining potential being applied after the ionization of said ionizable medium has ceased but before the charge stored at the transfer electrodes by the capacitor coupling to said medium, when added to said sustaining potential reduces to a level below the level required to cause ionization such that the sequential application of said sustaining potential will cause an ionization of the ionizable medium between certain of said transfer electrode means and a shifting of the occurrence of plasma discharges along the length of said channel to define matrices capable of displaying alphanumeric characters formed by light emitting plasma discharges.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
256 words
A plasma charge light emitting display device comprising: a plurality of envelopes defining elongated channels containing an ionizable medium; input electrode means within said channels; a plurality of transfer electrode means arranged in alternating sequence and offset one from another on opposite sides of the inside walls of said channels and capacitively coupled to said medium, said transfer means being arranged such that every other transfer means on each of the opposing side walls are commonly connected together and are common to all channels; and means for applying at controlled times a potential of sufficient magnitude to said input electrodE means to cause an ionization of said ionizable medium in proximity of said input electrode means; and means for applying sequentially to said transfer electrode means a sustaining potential of a magnitude no greater than that required to maintain ionization if ionization of the ionizable medium were taking place in proximity to said transfer electrode means, said sustaining potential being applied after the ionization of said ionizable medium has ceased but before the charge stored at the transfer electrodes by the capacitor coupling to said medium, when added to said sustaining potential reduces to a level below the level required to cause ionization such that the sequential application of said sustaining potential will cause an ionization of the ionizable medium between certain of said transfer electrode means and a shifting of the occurrence of plasma discharges along the length of said channel to define matrices capable of displaying alphanumeric characters formed by light emitting plasma discharges.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
55 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 16 wherein said multiple channels are grouped to form lines capable of displaying lines of alphanumeric characters, the transfer electrode means in each of the opposing side walls of each group of channels are commonly connected together and are common to the channels in the group.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The plasma charge transfer device as claimed in claim 16 wherein said electrode means are transparent.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
238 words
A plasma charge transfer device comprising: means including at least one envelope defining an elongated channel containing an ionizable medium; input electrode means within said channel; a plurality of coated transfer electrode means arranged in alternating sequence and offset one from another on opposite sides of the inside walls of said channel and capacitively coupled to said medium to define plasma discharge cells therebetween, said input electrode means and the nearest transfer electrode means forming the first cell; means for applying at controlled times a potential of sufficient magnitude to said input electrode means to cause an ionization of said ionizable medium in proximity of said input electrode means; and means for applying sequentially to said transfer electrode means a sustaining potential of a magnitude no greater than that required to maintain ionization if ionization of the ionizable medium were taking place in proximity to said transfer electrode means, said sustaining potential being applied after the ionization of said ionizable medium has ceased but before the charge stored at the transfer electrodes by the capacitor coupling to said medium, when added to said sustaining potential reduces to a level below the level required to cause ionization such that the sequential application of said sustaining potential will cause an ionization of the ionizable medium in the cells between certain of said transfer electrode means and a shifting of the occurrence of plasma discharges along the length of said channel.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
238 words
A plasma charge transfer device comprising: means including at least one envelope defining an elongated channel containing an ionizable medium; input electrode means within said channel; a plurality of coated transfer electrode means arranged in alternating sequence and offset one from another on opposite sides of the inside walls of said channel and capacitively coupled to said medium to define plasma discharge cells therebetween, said input electrode means and the nearest transfer electrode means forming the first cell; means for applying at controlled times a potential of sufficient magnitude to said input electrode means to cause an ionization of said ionizable medium in proximity of said input electrode means; and means for applying sequentially to said transfer electrode means a sustaining potential of a magnitude no greater than that required to maintain ionization if ionization of the ionizable medium were taking place in proximity to said transfer electrode means, said sustaining potential being applied after the ionization of said ionizable medium has ceased but before the charge stored at the transfer electrodes by the capacitor coupling to said medium, when added to said sustaining potential reduces to a level below the level required to cause ionization such that the sequential application of said sustaining potential will cause an ionization of the ionizable medium in the cells between certain of said transfer electrode means and a shifting of the occurrence of plasma discharges along the length of said channel.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
41 words
The device claimed in claim 19 wherein said plasma discharge causes positive or negative charges to form on the coating of said electrode means which are sequentially transferred by the shifting of the plasma discharge along the length of the channel.
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) | 1976-12-24 | 1977-06-25 | 1977-12-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-12-24 | 1981-06-25 | 1981-12-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-12-24 | 1985-06-25 | 1985-12-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |