Display panel with raster scanning means

Claim 2

A display panel comprising an insulating plate including a plurality of anode electrodes and a plurality of cathode electrodes oriented with the anodes crossing the cathodes, with first gas-filled gLow cells defined by each crossing of a pair of anode and cathode electrodes, gas communication channels formed in said plate and interconnecting all of said glow cells in a series which defines a raster, and an auxiliary cell for facilitating the start of a scanning operation and associated with the first cell in the scanning series, said auxiliary cell and said first cell in the scanning series comprising a single enlarged cell.

Claim 3

The panel defined in claim 1 wherein said single enlarged cell made up of said auxiliary cell and said first cell in the scanning series has associated with it one of said anode electrodes and one of said cathode electrodes for operation thereof to start a scanning cycle, and an auxiliary anode associated with said single enlarged cell for operation with said one of said cathode electrodes to fire said single cell just before the beginning of a scanning cycle.

Claim 4

A display panel including a gas-filled envelope consisting of a first insulating base plate and a second insulating cover plate, means forming a plurality of gas-filled cells in said envelope, said cells being arrayed in rows and columns, an anode electrode and a glow cathode electrode associated with each cell and a gas communication path in said base plate connecting all of said cells in a series beginning with a first cell and ending with a last cell, said series forming a raster pattern, said rows of cells including a first row, intermediate rows and a last row, and said gas communication path extending from the first cell in the first row along said first row to the last cell therein and from said last cell in said first row to the adjacent last cell in the second row of cells and from there to the first cell in the second row and thence to the adjacent first cell in the third row of cells, etc., until it reaches the last cell in the last row of cells, and an auxiliary cell for facilitating the start of a scanning operation and associated with the first cell in the first row of said scanning series, said auxiliary cell and said first cell being connected by a gas communication channel and comprising a single enlarged cell.

Claim 5

A display panel including a gas-filled envelope consisting of a first insulating base plate and a second insulating cover plate, means forming a plurality of gas-filled cells in said envelope, said cells being arrayed in rows and columns, an anode electrode and a glow cathode electrode associated with each cell and a gas communication path in said base plate connecting all of said cells in a series beginning with a first cell and ending with a last cell, said series forming a raster pattern, said rows of cells including a first row, intermediate rows and a last row, and said gas communication path extending from the first cell in the first row along said first row to the last cell therein and from said last cell in said first row to the adjacent last cell in the second row of cells and from there to the first cell in the second row and thence to the adjacent first cell in the third row of cells, etc., until it reaches the last cell in the last row of cells, and an auxiliary cell for facilitating the start of a scanning operation and associated with the first cell in the first row of said scanning series, said auxiliary cell and said first cell being connected by a gas communication channel and comprising a single enlarged cell.

Claim 6

The panel defined in claim 3 wherein said single enlarged cell comprises said auxiliary cell and said first cell, said single enlarged cell having one of said anodes and one of said cathodes in operative relation therewith and an auxiliary anode for operation with said one of said cathodes.

Claim 7

A display panel including a first base plate having a top surface and a bottom surface and a top viewing plate sealed thereto in gas-tight engagement, said top plate having a top surface and a bottom surface, means defining a plurality of gas-filled cells arrayed in rows and columns, a gas communication path connecting all of said cells in a scanning series which defines a raster beginning with the first cell in the first row and terminating with the last cell in the last row, a first electrode aligned with each column of cells, a second electrode aligned with each row of cells, the first of said first electrodes being aligned with the first column of cells including said first cell in said first row which comprises the first cell in said scanning series, said first of said first electrodes including a first portion which is associated with said cell and a second portion associated with all of the other cells in said first column, the last of said first electrodes being aligned with the last column of cells including the last cell in said scanning series, said last of said first electrodes including a first portion aligned with the last cell in said last column and a second portion aligned with the remainder of the cells in said last column of cells.

Claim 8

A display panel including a first base plate having a top surface and a bottom surface and a top viewing plate sealed thereto in gas-tight engagement, said top plate having a top surface and a bottom surface, means defining a plurality of gas-filled cells arrayed in rows and columns, a gas communication path connecting all of said cells in a scanning series which defines a raster beginning with the first cell in the first row and terminating with the last cell in the last row, a first electrode aligned with each column of cells, a second electrode aligned with each row of cells, the first of said first electrodes being aligned with the first column of cells including said first cell in said first row which comprises the first cell in said scanning series, said first of said first electrodes including a first portion which is associated with said cell and a second portion associated with all of the other cells in said first column, the last of said first electrodes being aligned with the last column of cells including the last cell in said scanning series, said last of said first electrodes including a first portion aligned with the last cell in said last column and a second portion aligned with the remainder of the cells in said last column of cells.

Claim 9

The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said first cell in said scanning series includes an auxiliary portion adapted to operate before a scanning cycle begins and which is adapted to insure the proper starting of said scanning serIes at said first cell.

Claim 10

The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said first cell in said scanning series includes an auxiliary portion adapted to operate before a scanning cycle begins and which is adapted to insure the proper starting of said scanning series at said first cell and including auxiliary electrode means associated with said auxiliary portion of said first cell.

Claim 11

The panel defined in claim 5 wherein said first cell in said scanning series includes an auxiliary portion adapted to operate before a scanning cycle begins and which is adapted to insure the proper starting of said scanning series at said first cell and including an auxiliary electrode in operative relation with said auxiliary portion of said first cell and said first portion of said first of said first electrodes.

Claim 12

The panel defined in claim 1 and including a second gas-filled glow cell associated with each of said first cells and in gas communication therewith, said second cells including electrode means for transferring glow from a selected first cell to the associated second cell.

Claim 13

The panel defined in claim 5 and including a second gas-filled glow cell associated with each of said first cells and in gas communication therewith, said second cells including electrode means for transferring glow from a selected first cell to the associated second cell.

Claim 14

A display panel including a first base plate having a top surface and a bottom surface and a top viewing plate sealed thereto in gas-tight engagement, said top plate having a top surface and a bottom surface, means defining a plurality of gas-filled cells arrayed in rows and columns, there being a first column of cells, a last column of cells and intermediate columns of cells and there also being a first row of cells, a last row of cells and intermediate rows of cells, a gas communication path in said base plate connecting all of said cells in a scanning series which defines a raster beginning with the first cell in the first row and terminating with the last cell in the last row, said first cell in said first row of cells including an auxiliary portion which comprises a starter cell for said first cell, a cathode electrode aligned with each column of cells, the first cathode electrode aligned with the first column of cells including a first portion in operative relation with said first cell and said auxiliary portion and a second portion in operative relation with all of the other cells in said first column, the last cathode electrode aligned with the last column of cells including a first portion in operative relation with only the last cell in the scanning series and a second portion aligned with all of the other cells in the last column, an anode electrode aligned with each row of cells, and an auxiliary anode electrode associated with said first portion of said first cathode electrode and said auxiliary portion of said first cell.

Claim 15

A display panel including a first base plate having a top surface and a bottom surface and a top viewing plate sealed thereto in gas-tight engagement, said top plate having a top surface and a bottom surface, means defining a plurality of gas-filled cells arrayed in rows and columns, there being a first column of cells, a last column of cells and intermediate columns of cells and there also being a first row of cells, a last row of cells and intermediate rows of cells, a gas communication path in said base plate connecting all of said cells in a scanning series which defines a raster beginning with the first cell in the first row and terminating with the last cell in the last row, said first cell in said first row of cells including an auxiliary portion which comprises a starter cell for said first cell, a cathode electrode aligned with each column of cells, the first cathode electrode aligned with the first column of cells including a first portion in operative relation with said first cell and said auxiliary portion and a second portion in operative relation with all of the other cells in said first column, the last cathode electrode aligned with the last column of cells including a first portion in operative relation with only the last cell in the scanning series and a second portion aligned with all of the other cells in the last column, an anode electrode aligned with each row of cells, and an auxiliary anode electrode associated with said first portion of said first cathode electrode and said auxiliary portion of said first cell.

Claim 16

The panel defined in claim 11 and including an auxiliary gas-filled glow cell associated with each of said first cells and in gas communication therewith, said second cells including electrode means for transferring glow from a selected first cell to the associated second cell.

Claim 17

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including at least an insulating base plate and a cover plate and, associated therewith, a plurality of anode electrodes and a plurality of cathode electrodes oriented so that the anodes lie at an angle with respect to the cathodes and each anode crosses each cathode, with gas-filled glow cells defined by each such crossing and the volume of gas between the crossed electrodes, there being a plurality of rows and columns of said cells formed by said electrodes, there being a first row, a last row and intermediate rows, gas communication channels formed in said plate and interconnecting each row of cells to the row of cells adjacent to it with the last cell in the first row coupled to the last cell in the adjacent second row and the first cell in the adjacent second row coupled to the first cell in the third row, such end-to-end coupling of said rows of cells being made throughout said panel whereby all of the cells of the panel are coupled together in a continuous series beginning with the first cell in the first row and ending with the last cell in the last row whereby, when suitable electrical potentials are applied to said anode and cathode electrodes, glow can be transferred from one cell to the next in each row successively throughout said panel, and an auxiliary cell disposed close to said first cell in said first row and coupled thereto by a gas communication channel, whereby said auxiliary cell and said first cell comprise a single enlarged cell. said auxiliary cell having an anode electrode associated with it in operative relation with the cathode electrode associated with said first cell.

Claim 18

A display panel comprising a gas-filled envelope including at least an insulating base plate and a cover plate and, associated therewith, a plurality of anode electrodes and a plurality of cathode electrodes oriented so that the anodes lie at an angle with respect to the cathodes and each anode crosses each cathode, with gas-filled glow cells defined by each such crossing and the volume of gas between the crossed electrodes, there being a plurality of rows and columns of said cells formed by said electrodes, there being a first row, a last row and intermediate rows, gas communication channels formed in said plate and interconnecting each row of cells to the row of cells adjacent to it with the last cell in the first row coupled to the last cell in the adjacent second row and the first cell in the adjacent second row coupled to the first cell in the third row, such end-to-end coupling of said rows of cells being made throughout said panel whereby all of the cells of the panel are coupled together in a continuous series beginning with the first cell in the first row and ending with the last cell in the last row whereby, when suitable electrical potentials are applied to said anode and cathode electrodes, glow can be transferred from one cell to the next in each row successively throughout said panel, and an auxiliary cell disposed close to said first cell in said first row and coupled thereto by a gas communication channel, whereby said auxiliary cell and said first cell comprise a single enlarged cell. said auxiliary cell having an anode electrode associated with it in operative relation with the cathode electrode associated with said first cell.