Baker clamped sustainer voltage generator for pulsing discharge display panel

Claim 2

In a system for supplying square wave sustaining potentials to transversely related conductor arrays in a capacitive load type gas discharge display panel wherein the crossing points of said conductor arrays locates a discharge site in the panel, a high voltage direct current voltage source having a pair of output terminals, a first pair of alternatively conductive transistor means connected in series across said high voltage source and Having a point intermediate said pair of transistor means connected to one of said conductor arrays, a second pair of alternatively conductive transistor means connected in series across said high voltage source and a point intermediate said second pair of transistor means being connected to the other one of said conductor arrays, a control means for controlling the alternative conduction and non-conduction conditions of said transistor means at selected times such that square wave sustaining potentials are connected to said conductor arrays respectively, to supply charging current thereto and secondly to said point of reference potential common to said sources to discharge said conductor arrays, said control means including a separate control circuit for each transistor to control the time duration of each square wave potential respectively, and means connecting each said control circuit to receive a low level logic voltage from a source thereof, the improvement comprising: each of said alternately conductive transistor means being constituted by at least one modified Baker clamped transistor circuit including diode clamp means between the collector and base electrodes to provide a base current drive to the transistor to maintain same out of deep saturation at times other than peak currents to supply displacement currents to said capacitive load type gas discharge panel and discharge currents to said panel when a plurality of sites in said panel are discharging.

Claim 3

A square wave sustainer voltage supply system for a gas discharge display panel having row-column conductor arrays, the matrix cross-points of which are non-conductively coupled to a gas discharge medium in the panel comprising a pair of square wave sustainer voltage generator means, one for the row conductor array and one for the column conductive array, respectively, each said sustainer generator means including a pair of series connected, alternately conductive and non-conductive, respectively, transistor amplifiers, means connecting an intermediate point between said transistor amplifiers to the conductors in an array, diode circuit means, one for each said transistor amplifier and connected between the base and collector circuits of said transistor amplifiers to provide base current device to keep said transistor amplifiers out of deep saturation, unless required for peak or displacement and discharging currents, and control means connected to the input circuits of said transistor amplifier for alternately controlling the conduction conditions thereof.

Claim 4

A square wave sustainer voltage supply system for a gas discharge display panel having row-column conductor arrays, the matrix cross-points of which are non-conductively coupled to a gas discharge medium in the panel comprising a pair of square wave sustainer voltage generator means, one for the row conductor array and one for the column conductive array, respectively, each said sustainer generator means including a pair of series connected, alternately conductive and non-conductive, respectively, transistor amplifiers, means connecting an intermediate point between said transistor amplifiers to the conductors in an array, diode circuit means, one for each said transistor amplifier and connected between the base and collector circuits of said transistor amplifiers to provide base current device to keep said transistor amplifiers out of deep saturation, unless required for peak or displacement and discharging currents, and control means connected to the input circuits of said transistor amplifier for alternately controlling the conduction conditions thereof.

Claim 5

The invention defined in claim 2, each said diode circuit includes a diode means in circuit between the collector and base of the transistor amplifiers for carrying peak displacement or discharging current to said panel.

Claim 6

The invention in claim 3 wherein said diode means is constituted by a pair of back connected diodes having an intermediate point therebetween with the base of said transistor amplifier being connected to one end of one of said diodes and to receive one of said control signals and other end of said one diode is connected to receive the other control signal.

Claim 7

The invention defined in claim 1 wherein the control means for one of the transistor of a pair includes a pair of input transistors for receiving logic pulses, a pair of transformers having primary windings connected to said input transistors, respectively, and secondary windings, and a common output for supplying a control signal to said transistor amplifier, and diode means in circuit with said secondary windings to constitute a blocking impedance to one of said secondary windings.

Claim 8

In a system for supplying square wave sustaining potentials to transversely related conductor arrays in a capacitive load type gas discharge panel wherein the crossing points of said conductor arrays locates a plurality of discharge sites in the panel, a high voltage direct current voltage source having a pair of output terminals, a first pAir of alternately controllable impedance means connected in series across said high voltage source and having a point intermediate said first controllable impedance means connected to one of said conductor arrays, a second pair of controllable impedance means connected in series across said high voltage source in a polarity direction opposite said first pair of controllable impedance means and a point intermediate said second pair of controllable impedance means being connected to the other one of said conductor arrays, an impedance control means for alternately controlling rapid impedance lowering and rapid impedance raising of said controllable impedance means at selected times such that said high voltage source is first connected to said conductor arrays respectively, to supply charging current thereto and secondly to said point of reference potential common to said sources to discharge said conductor arrays, each of said controllable impedances being constituted by at least one transistor amplifier circuit, said impedance control means including a separate control circuit for each transistor amplifier to control the time duration of each square wave potential, means connecting each said control circuit to receive a low level logic voltage from a source thereof; the improvement comprising a diode clamp circuit between the collector and base of each transistor amplifier to provide base current drive to each said transistor and maintain same out of deep saturation at times other than peak currents and supply displacement currents to said capacitive load gas discharge panel and discharge currents to said panel when a plurality of sites in said panel are in the ON state.

Claim 9

In a system for supplying square wave sustaining potentials to transversely related conductor arrays in a capacitive load type gas discharge panel wherein the crossing points of said conductor arrays locates a plurality of discharge sites in the panel, a high voltage direct current voltage source having a pair of output terminals, a first pAir of alternately controllable impedance means connected in series across said high voltage source and having a point intermediate said first controllable impedance means connected to one of said conductor arrays, a second pair of controllable impedance means connected in series across said high voltage source in a polarity direction opposite said first pair of controllable impedance means and a point intermediate said second pair of controllable impedance means being connected to the other one of said conductor arrays, an impedance control means for alternately controlling rapid impedance lowering and rapid impedance raising of said controllable impedance means at selected times such that said high voltage source is first connected to said conductor arrays respectively, to supply charging current thereto and secondly to said point of reference potential common to said sources to discharge said conductor arrays, each of said controllable impedances being constituted by at least one transistor amplifier circuit, said impedance control means including a separate control circuit for each transistor amplifier to control the time duration of each square wave potential, means connecting each said control circuit to receive a low level logic voltage from a source thereof; the improvement comprising a diode clamp circuit between the collector and base of each transistor amplifier to provide base current drive to each said transistor and maintain same out of deep saturation at times other than peak currents and supply displacement currents to said capacitive load gas discharge panel and discharge currents to said panel when a plurality of sites in said panel are in the ON state.