US3863090A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Low voltage gas discharge display structures for improved addressing
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1973-06-25
•
Granted: 1975-01-28
•
Expires: 1993-06-25
Abstract
Abstract A low voltage gas discharge display device wherein individual cells are addressed by three level and four level addressing techniques. In the ''''off'''' or standby state, low glow discharge occurs between an anode and a cathode, either or both of which are segmented so that the respective segments are common to groups of cells. In this state, with no pulses present control electrode lines, associated with rows of cells, are quiescently biased negatively to create a current impeding ion sheath across the respective cell holes therethrough to the positively biased collector electrode lines, associated with columns of cells. In a three level address scheme where only the cathode is segmented, the cathode segment containing a particular cell to be addressed is selectively driven negatively by a relatively short, partialselect pulse. During this negative pulse interval, partial-select positive pulses are also simultaneously applied to intersecting control and collector electrode lines including the lines which intersect at the cell to be addressed. In a four level address scheme, the anode is also segmented with the anode segments also being selectively pulse driven. Segmenting of the anode and cathode allows a reduction in the total number of drivers typically required in two level addressing of a given array of cells.
Inventors
- 👤 Jr William Boone Pennebaker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 15:51
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01J; H01J17/00; H01J17/38; H01J17/48; H01J17/49
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
332 words
In a gas discharge display device including an N X M array of cells therein having at least one cathode area electrode means common to both rows and columns of cells of said array of cells and having N area electrode means respectively common to the N rows of cells of said array of cells for addressing rows of cells and having M area electrode means respectively common to the M columns of cells of said array of cells for addressing columns of cells, the improvement comprising: the said at least one cathode area electrode means including at least two electrode segment means arranged so that each of said electrode segment means is common to more than one cell within said electrode segment means with each of said electrode segment means being electrically insulated from one another and separately addressable with the number Nz of said at least two electrode segment means being the product of the numbers Nzx and Nzy given approximately by the relationships Nzx (Nx2/Ny) 1/3 Nzy (Ny2/Nx) 1/3 where Nzx is the number of electrode segment means in the X direction, Nzy is the number of electrode segment means in the Y direction and Nx and Ny are the respective numbers of columns and rows of cells in said N X M array of cells; and corresponding ones of said N area electrode means within respective ones of the said at least two electrode segment means being electrically coupled to one another so as to form Nx'' address terminals in the X direction and corresponding ones of said M area electrode means within respective ones of the said at least two electrode segment means being electrically coupled to one another so as to form Ny'' address terminals in the Y direction such that Nx + Ny is less than N + M, whereby at least three level addressing of the cells of said array of cells is provided to thereby reduce the number of drive circuits required therefor.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
332 words
In a gas discharge display device including an N X M array of cells therein having at least one cathode area electrode means common to both rows and columns of cells of said array of cells and having N area electrode means respectively common to the N rows of cells of said array of cells for addressing rows of cells and having M area electrode means respectively common to the M columns of cells of said array of cells for addressing columns of cells, the improvement comprising: the said at least one cathode area electrode means including at least two electrode segment means arranged so that each of said electrode segment means is common to more than one cell within said electrode segment means with each of said electrode segment means being electrically insulated from one another and separately addressable with the number Nz of said at least two electrode segment means being the product of the numbers Nzx and Nzy given approximately by the relationships Nzx (Nx2/Ny) 1/3 Nzy (Ny2/Nx) 1/3 where Nzx is the number of electrode segment means in the X direction, Nzy is the number of electrode segment means in the Y direction and Nx and Ny are the respective numbers of columns and rows of cells in said N X M array of cells; and corresponding ones of said N area electrode means within respective ones of the said at least two electrode segment means being electrically coupled to one another so as to form Nx'' address terminals in the X direction and corresponding ones of said M area electrode means within respective ones of the said at least two electrode segment means being electrically coupled to one another so as to form Ny'' address terminals in the Y direction such that Nx + Ny is less than N + M, whereby at least three level addressing of the cells of said array of cells is provided to thereby reduce the number of drive circuits required therefor.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the value of Nx'' is equal or approximately equal to Nx divided by Nzx and wherein the value of Ny'' is equal or approximately equal to Ny divided by Nzy.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
The device as set forth in claim 2 wherein the said cathode electrode means comprises Nz segments for three level addressing of the said N X M array of cells whereby the total number of drive circuits required therefor is the sum of Nz + Nx'' + Ny''.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
327 words
In a low voltage gas discharge display device having an array of cells with each cell having anode and cathode electrode means for quiescentlY establishing a low glow background discharge in each cell, with said low glow background discharge being switchable to a positive column glow discharge between said cathode electrode means and collector electrode means in response to application of select pulses to both said collector electrode means and a control electrode means interposed between said collector electrode means and said anode electrode means, the improvement comprising; segmenting at least one of said anode and cathode electrode means into at least two electrode segments so that each of said electrode segments is common to more than one cell within said segment and electrically insulated from one another, with each of said electrode segments being separately selectively addressable with the number Nz of said segments being the product of the numbers Nzx and Nzy given approximately by the relationships Nzx (Nx2/Ny) 1/3 Nzy (Ny2/Nx) 1/3 where Nzx is the number of electrode segments in the X direction, Nzy is the number of electrode segments in the Y direction and Nx and Ny are the respective numbers of columns and rows of cells in said array of cells; and arranging said collector electrode means including collector electrode lines so that respective ones of said collector electrode lines are arranged along the respective columns of cells of said array of cells with corresponding collector electrode lines within each of the respective segments being electrically coupled to one another so as to form Ny'' address terminals in the Y direction and arranging said control electrode means including control electrode lines so that respective ones of said control electrode lines are arranged along the respective rows of cells of said array of cells with corresponding control electrode lines within each of the respective segments being electrically coupled to one another so as to form Nx'' address terminals in the X direction.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
327 words
In a low voltage gas discharge display device having an array of cells with each cell having anode and cathode electrode means for quiescentlY establishing a low glow background discharge in each cell, with said low glow background discharge being switchable to a positive column glow discharge between said cathode electrode means and collector electrode means in response to application of select pulses to both said collector electrode means and a control electrode means interposed between said collector electrode means and said anode electrode means, the improvement comprising; segmenting at least one of said anode and cathode electrode means into at least two electrode segments so that each of said electrode segments is common to more than one cell within said segment and electrically insulated from one another, with each of said electrode segments being separately selectively addressable with the number Nz of said segments being the product of the numbers Nzx and Nzy given approximately by the relationships Nzx (Nx2/Ny) 1/3 Nzy (Ny2/Nx) 1/3 where Nzx is the number of electrode segments in the X direction, Nzy is the number of electrode segments in the Y direction and Nx and Ny are the respective numbers of columns and rows of cells in said array of cells; and arranging said collector electrode means including collector electrode lines so that respective ones of said collector electrode lines are arranged along the respective columns of cells of said array of cells with corresponding collector electrode lines within each of the respective segments being electrically coupled to one another so as to form Ny'' address terminals in the Y direction and arranging said control electrode means including control electrode lines so that respective ones of said control electrode lines are arranged along the respective rows of cells of said array of cells with corresponding control electrode lines within each of the respective segments being electrically coupled to one another so as to form Nx'' address terminals in the X direction.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The device as set forth in claim 4 wherein the value of Ny'' is at least approximately equal to Ny divided by Nzy and wherein the value of Nx'' is at least approximately equal to Nx divided by Nzx.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
50 words
The device as set forth in claim 5 wherein the said cathode electrode means is segmented into said number Nz of said at least two electrode segments for three level addressing whereby the number of drive circuits required therefor is the sum of the numbers Nz + Ny'' + Nx''.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-01-27 | 1978-07-29 | 1979-01-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-01-27 | 1982-07-29 | 1983-01-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-01-27 | 1986-07-29 | 1987-01-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |