Display panel reset and safety timing circuit

Claim 1

A display system including a gas-filled display panel comprising an array of first scanning cells disposed in rows and columns and including a scan anode electrode aligned with each row of scanning cells and a cathode electrode aligned with each column of scanning cells, an array of display cells, each aligned with one of said scanning cells and adapted to receive glow transfer therefrom, a display anode aligned with each row of said display cells and operating with said cathode electrodes, a power supply coupled to said scan anodes for applying operating potential thereto, said scanning cathode electrodes being connected in groups with at least every other cathode being in a group, a separate cathode driver coupled to each of said groups of cathode electrodes for applying operating potential to each group of cathode electrodes separately, drive means coupled to said cathode drivers and adapted to turn on each cathode driver separately in turn whereby the cathode electrodes are energized separately and in turn whereby each column of scanning cells is energized separately and in turn, a character generator coupled to said display anodes and adapted to apply information signals thereto as each column of scanning cells is caused to glow whereby selected display cells in each associated column of display cells are caused to glow, and means coupled to each of said cathode drivers for disabling said cathode drivers if said drive means becomes inoperative while one of said cathode drivers is applying operating potential to a group of cathodes.