Method and apparatus for generation of gray scale in gaseous discharge panel using multiple memory planes

Claim 1

A system for producing a gray scale in cross conductor gas discharge and display panel having a plurality of crossing areas which correspond to a plurality of display and storage areas comprising, means for scanning an image field and generating an image signal corresponding thereto, a plurality of separate storage means for storing signals corresponding to each of a pluraLity of gray level ranges from a brightest range to a dimmest range, each of said storage means having at least as many discrete storage positions as said panel has crossing areas, said positions in each of said storage means being in geometrical correspondence with the positions of said crossing areas in said panel, means for routing signals derived from said image signal to different ones of said storage means dependent on the amplitude of said image signal in synchronism with the scanning of said field so that said signals derived from image signals within each amplitude range which corresponds to a different gray level are stored in the storage means corresponding to that gray level at positions which correspond to their position in said scanning field, means for sequentially exciting said panel with signals corresponding to the signals stored in each of said storage means beginning with signals from said storage means corresponding to said brightest range and ending with signals from said storage means corresponding to said dimmest range so that the crossing areas corresponding to the storage positions which stored signals therein are excited, said means for sequentially exciting including means for exciting the panel with signals corresponding to all stored signals in a storage means before the panel is excited with signals from the storage means corresponding to the next dimmest gray level and also including delay means of arbitrary delay time controlling the delay between excitation of the panel with signals from one storage means and with signals from the next storage means, and means for extinguishing the entire panel at the same time, said panel remaining in the excited state until extinguished, whereby said signals corresponding to each gray level range cause said panel to be excited for a longer period of time than the signals from each dimmer gray level range, thereby producing said gray scale.

Claim 2

A system for producing a gray scale in cross conductor gas discharge and display panel having a plurality of crossing areas which correspond to a plurality of display and storage areas comprising, means for scanning an image field and generating an image signal corresponding thereto, a plurality of separate storage means for storing signals corresponding to each of a pluraLity of gray level ranges from a brightest range to a dimmest range, each of said storage means having at least as many discrete storage positions as said panel has crossing areas, said positions in each of said storage means being in geometrical correspondence with the positions of said crossing areas in said panel, means for routing signals derived from said image signal to different ones of said storage means dependent on the amplitude of said image signal in synchronism with the scanning of said field so that said signals derived from image signals within each amplitude range which corresponds to a different gray level are stored in the storage means corresponding to that gray level at positions which correspond to their position in said scanning field, means for sequentially exciting said panel with signals corresponding to the signals stored in each of said storage means beginning with signals from said storage means corresponding to said brightest range and ending with signals from said storage means corresponding to said dimmest range so that the crossing areas corresponding to the storage positions which stored signals therein are excited, said means for sequentially exciting including means for exciting the panel with signals corresponding to all stored signals in a storage means before the panel is excited with signals from the storage means corresponding to the next dimmest gray level and also including delay means of arbitrary delay time controlling the delay between excitation of the panel with signals from one storage means and with signals from the next storage means, and means for extinguishing the entire panel at the same time, said panel remaining in the excited state until extinguished, whereby said signals corresponding to each gray level range cause said panel to be excited for a longer period of time than the signals from each dimmer gray level range, thereby producing said gray scale.

Claim 5

A method for producing a gray scale in a cross conductor gas discharge and display panel having a plurality of crossing areas which correspond to a plurality of display and storage areas comprising, scanning an image field and generating an immage signal corresponding thereto, providing a plurality of separate storage means for storing signals corresponding to each of a plurality of gray level ranges from a brightest range to a dimmest range, each of said storage means having at least as many discrete storage positions as said panel has crossing areas, said positions in each of said storage means being in geometrical correspondence with the positions of said crossing areas in said panel, routing signals derived from said image signal to different ones of said storage means dependent on the amplitude of said image signal in synchronism with the scanning of said field so that said signals derived from image signals within each amplitude range which corresponds to a different gray level are stored in the storage means corresponding to that gray level at positions which correspond to their position in said scanning field, sequentially exciting said panel with signals corresponding to the signals stored in each of said storage means beginning with signals from said storage means corresponding to said brightest range and ending with signals from said storage means corresponding to said dimmest range so that the crossing areas corresponding to the storage positions which stored signals therein are excited, the delay time between exciting said panel with signals from one storage mEans and signals from the next storage means being predetermined but arbitrary, and extinguishing the entire panel at the same time, said panel remaining in the excited state until extinguished whereby said signals corresponding to each gray level range cause said panel to be excited for a longer period of time than the signals from each dimmer gray level range, thereby producing said gray scale.

Claim 6

A method for producing a gray scale in a cross conductor gas discharge and display panel having a plurality of crossing areas which correspond to a plurality of display and storage areas comprising, scanning an image field and generating an immage signal corresponding thereto, providing a plurality of separate storage means for storing signals corresponding to each of a plurality of gray level ranges from a brightest range to a dimmest range, each of said storage means having at least as many discrete storage positions as said panel has crossing areas, said positions in each of said storage means being in geometrical correspondence with the positions of said crossing areas in said panel, routing signals derived from said image signal to different ones of said storage means dependent on the amplitude of said image signal in synchronism with the scanning of said field so that said signals derived from image signals within each amplitude range which corresponds to a different gray level are stored in the storage means corresponding to that gray level at positions which correspond to their position in said scanning field, sequentially exciting said panel with signals corresponding to the signals stored in each of said storage means beginning with signals from said storage means corresponding to said brightest range and ending with signals from said storage means corresponding to said dimmest range so that the crossing areas corresponding to the storage positions which stored signals therein are excited, the delay time between exciting said panel with signals from one storage mEans and signals from the next storage means being predetermined but arbitrary, and extinguishing the entire panel at the same time, said panel remaining in the excited state until extinguished whereby said signals corresponding to each gray level range cause said panel to be excited for a longer period of time than the signals from each dimmer gray level range, thereby producing said gray scale.