Gas discharge panel and operating system

Claim 2

A gas discharge deviCe comprising a gas discharge panel including a matrix of gas cells, a cathode system including a plurality of parallel spaced electrodes, an auxiliary anode system and an anode system each comprising a plurality of parallel spaced electrodes in which at least part of the electrodes of one of these systems crosses the electrodes of one of the other systems, means for interconnecting at least part of the electrodes of the cathode system in groups, means for connecting each of a number of these groups to a different output of a line scanning control circuit for automatically scanning the panel line by line by means of an auxiliary discharge extending every time along a subsequent electrode of the cathode system, and wherein at least part of the electrodes of the auxiliary anode system extends in the same direction as that of the groups of interconnected electrodes of the cathode system and are likewise interconnected in at least two groups, means for connecting each of a number of these electrode groups of the auxiliary anode system to a different output of a second control circuit, a third control circuit for selectively energizing the anode electrodes, and means for mutually synchronizing said control circuits.

Claim 3

A gas discharge device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the electrodes of each of the two electrode systems of interconnected electrodes are connected in two groups per electrode system.

Claim 4

A gas discharge device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the interconnecting points of the electrodes of the two groups of electrodes of an electrode system are located along opposite sides of the panel.

Claim 5

A gas discharge device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the electrodes of one of the electrode systems interconnected in groups are connected in n groups and those of the other are connected in m groups in which m > n > or = 2 and that a scanning rate obtained by the line scanning control circuit is the same from group to group for both electrode systems.

Claim 6

A display device comprising a generally planar matrix of gas discharge cells, a cathode system including a plurality of parallel spaced cathode electrodes arranged adjacent said matrix of gas cells, an auxiliary anode system and an anode system comprising a plurality of parallel spaced auxiliary anode electrodes and a plurality of parallel spaced anode electrodes, respectively, arranged adjacent said matrix of gas cells such that the electrodes of one of these systems crosses the electrodes of one of the other systems to form a matrix, means for interconnecting at least some of the electrodes of the cathode system in separate groups, means for interconnecting at least some of the electrodes of the auxiliary anode system in separate groups, at least some of the electrodes of the auxiliary anode system extending parallel to at least some of the electrodes of the cathode system, line scanning control means with separate output terminals connected to respective groups of cathode electrodes for selectively energizing the groups of cathode electrodes in mutually exclusive time intervals to produce a line by line scanning of the gas cell matrix, a first control means with separate output terminals connected to respective groups of auxiliary anode electrodes for selectively energizing the groups of auxiliary anode electrodes, a second control means for selectively energizing the anode electrodes in accordance with electric signals representative of the information to be displayed, and means for synchronizing the operation of said first, second and line scanning control means.

Claim 7

A display device comprising a generally planar matrix of gas discharge cells, a cathode system including a plurality of parallel spaced cathode electrodes arranged adjacent said matrix of gas cells, an auxiliary anode system and an anode system comprising a plurality of parallel spaced auxiliary anode electrodes and a plurality of parallel spaced anode electrodes, respectively, arranged adjacent said matrix of gas cells such that the electrodes of one of these systems crosses the electrodes of one of the other systems to form a matrix, means for interconnecting at least some of the electrodes of the cathode system in separate groups, means for interconnecting at least some of the electrodes of the auxiliary anode system in separate groups, at least some of the electrodes of the auxiliary anode system extending parallel to at least some of the electrodes of the cathode system, line scanning control means with separate output terminals connected to respective groups of cathode electrodes for selectively energizing the groups of cathode electrodes in mutually exclusive time intervals to produce a line by line scanning of the gas cell matrix, a first control means with separate output terminals connected to respective groups of auxiliary anode electrodes for selectively energizing the groups of auxiliary anode electrodes, a second control means for selectively energizing the anode electrodes in accordance with electric signals representative of the information to be displayed, and means for synchronizing the operation of said first, second and line scanning control means.

Claim 8

A display device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the cathode, auxiliary anode and anode electrodes are arranged in separate parallel planes so that the planes of the auxiliary anode and cathode electrodes are on the same side of the plane of the anode electrodes.

Claim 9

A display device as claimed in claim 5 wherein the interconnecting points of one group of cathode electrodes is located alOng one side of the planar cell matrix and the interconnecting points of a second group of cathode electrodes is located along the opposite side of the planar cell matrix.

Claim 10

A display device as claimed in claim 7 wherein the interconnecting points of first and second interconnected groups of auxiliary anodes are likewise located along said one and said opposite sides of the planar cell matrix.