Panel-type display device

Claim 2

A display system including a display panel having an array of gas-filled display cells formed in an insulating sheet and disposed in rows and columns, said insulating sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface and said cells having upper ends and lower ends, lying in said top surface and said bottom surface of said sheet, respectively, a cathode electrode aligned with each column of cells and disposed on said top surface of said sheet adjacent to said upper ends of said cells, and an anode electrode aligned with each row of cells and disposed on said lower surface of said sheet adjacent to said lower ends of said cells, said cathode and anode electrodes being used for applying firing potential across selected cells to ionize the gas in a cell and thereby cause a cell to glow, the ionization and firing of a cell causing the generation of excited particles and charged particles including electrons, ions, metastable states and the like, each cell having a characteristic firing potential, said characteristic firing potential having a characteristic value for ionizing and firing a cell initially without the aid of external stimuli such as excited particles, gas communication paths in said panel between columns of cells and extending from each cell to the adjacent cell whereby, when a cell is ionized and fired and is glowing, excited particles and charged particles generated in the glowing gas diffuse through said paths to an adjacent cell which is not in a fired state and is not glowing, said particles serving to facilitate ionization and firing of said sEcond cell when operating potentials are applied to its electrodes, the ionization and firing of said second cell being achievable at a potential somewhat lower than its characteristic firing potential due to the presence of said excited particles, a plurality of cathode driver circuits, each coupled in common to a plurality of spaced-apart ones of said cathode electrodes associated with spaced-apart columns of cells in said panel, there thus being groups of columns of cells having their cathode electrodes connected to a separate common cathode driver circuit so that operating potential can be applied simultaneously to all of the cathode electrodes and the associated columns of cells of a group, each of the columns of cells of a group being spaced apart by a column of cells and cathode electrode of each of the other groups, anode drive circuit means coupled to said anode electrodes for applying operating potential thereto as operating potential is applied to each cathode electrode, said cathode and anode drive circuit means being operated to apply operating potential to the first column of cells which is thus ionized and caused to glow whereby excited particles are generated in the gas therein, and then to apply operating potentials to the cathode and anode electrodes associated with the un-ionized column of cells adjacent to said first column of ionized cells and to the other columns of cells of its group, only the column of cells adjacent to said ionized column of cells being ionized itself due to the fact that said gas communication paths serve to diffuse excited particles to the adjacent column of cells and not to other remote columns of cells of its group whereby said adjacent cell ionizes preferentially, said anode drive circuit means including means for modulating the current flow through selected display cells to modulate the light output therefrom as each column of cells is fired.

Claim 3

The system defined in claim 1 wherein said anode drive circuit means includes current sources connected directly to said anodes.

Claim 4

The system defined in claim 1 wherein the gas filling in said cells comprises 99.8 percent neon and 0.012 percent xenon.

Claim 5

The system defined in claim 1 wherein said anode circuit means includes means for applying high currents to transfer glow from one column of cells to the adjacent column and then modulating the current flow in selected cells to modulate the light output therefrom.

Claim 6

The system defined in claim 1 wherein said columns of display cells include a first column, a last column, and intermediate columns arrayed in a column scanning series, said electrodes and drive circuits being operable to scan said series of cells, column by column, beginning with the first and terminating with the last, said system further including a column of particle supply cells oriented adjacent to said first column of display cells and coupled thereto by gas communication paths between each particle supply cell and the adjacent display cell in the first column of display cells, said column of particle supply cells being positioned ahead of said series of columns of display cells and remote from all but said first column of display cells, a reset cathode electrode in operative relation with said column of particle supply cells, said anode electrodes also being in operative relation with said column of particle supply cells, and circuit means coupled to said reset cathode and said anodes for energizing and turning on said column of particle supply cells at the beginning of a scanning operation in which each of said columns of display cells is energized beginning with the first and continuing to the last.

Claim 7

A display system including a display panel having a plurality of gas-filled scanning cells oriented in rows and columns in a first, single layer, said cells having upper ends lying in a common plane and lower ends lying in a common plane, a scanning cathode associated with each column of scanning cells and disposed adjacent to the upper ends of said scanning cells, and a scanning anode associated with each row of scanning cells and disposed adjacent to the lower ends of said scanning cells, said cathode and anode electrodes being operable to apply potential to said scanning cells suitable for ionizing the gas in a cell and thereby causing a cell to ionize and to exhibit glow and to generate excited particles and charged particles, gas communication paths in said panel between each column of scanning cells through which excited particles diffuse from one scanning cell which is exhibiting glow to an adjacent cell which is not exhibiting glow, said particles being present within the gas in said other cell and providing an ionization-assisting force to said other cell to cause said other cell to ionize and exhibit glow when operating potentials are applied to it, a second layer of display cells having upper ends and lower ends and arrayed in rows and columns adjacent to said first layer with each cell in said second layer aligned with and communicating with a cell in said second layer, said display cells being adapted to be energized selectively to display a character or message, said cathode electrodes also being operable as the cathode electrodes for said display, each cathode being aligned with a column of display cells adjacent to the lower ends thereof, a display anode electrode associated with each display cell and aligned with each row of display cells and disposed adjacent to the upper ends thereof, a plurality of cathode driver circuits, each coupled in common to a plurality of spaced-apart ones of said scanning cathode electrodes associated with spaced-apart columns of scanning cells, there thus being groups of columns of scanning cells having their cathode electrodes connected to a separate common cathode driver circuit so that operating potential can be applied simultaneously to all of the cathode electrodes and the associated columns of cells of a group, each of the columns of scanning cells of a group being spaced apart by a column of cells and a cathode electrode of each of the other groups, first anode drive circuit means coupled to said scanning anode electrodes for applying operating potential thereto as operating potential is applied to each cathode electrode, said cathode and first anode drive circuit means being operated to apply operating potential to the first column of cells which is thus ionized and caused to glow whereby excited particles are generated in the gas therein, and then to apply operating potential to the cathode and anode electrodes associated with the un-ionized column of cells adjacent to said first column of ionized cells and to the other columns of cells of its group, only the column of cells adjacent to said ionized column of cells being ionized itself due to the fact that said gas communication paths serve to diffuse excited particles to the adjacent column of cells and not to other remote columns of cells of its group whereby said adjacent cell ionizes preferentially, and second anode drive circuit means coupled to said display anode electrodes and adapted to apply potentials thereto to transfer glow from a scanning cell to an associated display cell whereby, as the columns of scanning cells are scanned, selected display cells can be caused to glow to display a character.

Claim 8

A display system including a display panel having a plurality of gas-filled scanning cells oriented in rows and columns in a first, single layer, said cells having upper ends lying in a common plane and lower ends lying in a common plane, a scanning cathode associated with each column of scanning cells and disposed adjacent to the upper ends of said scanning cells, and a scanning anode associated with each row of scanning cells and disposed adjacent to the lower ends of said scanning cells, said cathode and anode electrodes being operable to apply potential to said scanning cells suitable for ionizing the gas in a cell and thereby causing a cell to ionize and to exhibit glow and to generate excited particles and charged particles, gas communication paths in said panel between each column of scanning cells through which excited particles diffuse from one scanning cell which is exhibiting glow to an adjacent cell which is not exhibiting glow, said particles being present within the gas in said other cell and providing an ionization-assisting force to said other cell to cause said other cell to ionize and exhibit glow when operating potentials are applied to it, a second layer of display cells having upper ends and lower ends and arrayed in rows and columns adjacent to said first layer with each cell in said second layer aligned with and communicating with a cell in said second layer, said display cells being adapted to be energized selectively to display a character or message, said cathode electrodes also being operable as the cathode electrodes for said display, each cathode being aligned with a column of display cells adjacent to the lower ends thereof, a display anode electrode associated with each display cell and aligned with each row of display cells and disposed adjacent to the upper ends thereof, a plurality of cathode driver circuits, each coupled in common to a plurality of spaced-apart ones of said scanning cathode electrodes associated with spaced-apart columns of scanning cells, there thus being groups of columns of scanning cells having their cathode electrodes connected to a separate common cathode driver circuit so that operating potential can be applied simultaneously to all of the cathode electrodes and the associated columns of cells of a group, each of the columns of scanning cells of a group being spaced apart by a column of cells and a cathode electrode of each of the other groups, first anode drive circuit means coupled to said scanning anode electrodes for applying operating potential thereto as operating potential is applied to each cathode electrode, said cathode and first anode drive circuit means being operated to apply operating potential to the first column of cells which is thus ionized and caused to glow whereby excited particles are generated in the gas therein, and then to apply operating potential to the cathode and anode electrodes associated with the un-ionized column of cells adjacent to said first column of ionized cells and to the other columns of cells of its group, only the column of cells adjacent to said ionized column of cells being ionized itself due to the fact that said gas communication paths serve to diffuse excited particles to the adjacent column of cells and not to other remote columns of cells of its group whereby said adjacent cell ionizes preferentially, and second anode drive circuit means coupled to said display anode electrodes and adapted to apply potentials thereto to transfer glow from a scanning cell to an associated display cell whereby, as the columns of scanning cells are scanned, selected display cells can be caused to glow to display a character.

Claim 9

The system defined in claim 6 wherein said second anode circuit means includes means for modulating the current flow through selected display cells to modulate the light output therefrom as each column of cells is fired.

Claim 10

The system defined in claim 6 wherein said second anode circuit means includes current sources connected directly to said display anodes.

Claim 11

The system defined in claim 6 wherein the gas filling in said cells comprises 99.8% neon and 0.2 percent xenon.

Claim 12

The system defined in claim 6 wherein said columns of display cells include a first column, a Last column, and intermediate columns arrayed in a column scanning series, said electrodes and drive circuits being operable to scan said series of cells, column by column, beginning with the first and terminating with the last, said system further including a column of particle supply cells oriented adjacent to said first column of display cells and coupled thereto by gas communication paths between each particle supply cell and the adjacent display cell in the first column of display cells, said column of particle supply cells being positioned ahead of said series of columns of display cells and remote from all but said first column of display cells, a reset cathode electrode in operative relation with said column of particle supply cells, said anode electrodes also being in operative relation with said column of particle supply cells, and circuit means coupled to said reset cathode and said anodes for energizing and turning on said column of particle supply cells at the beginning of a scanning operation in which each of said columns of display cells is energized beginning with the first and continuing to the last.

Claim 13

A display panel comprising an array of gas-filled glow cells disposed in a common matrix and arrayed in rows and columns, communication paths in said matrix between the cells in each column and the cells in the adjacent column, a first electrode associated with each column of cells, and a second electrode associated with each row of cells, and circuit means for applying operating potentials to the electrodes of all of the cells of each column separately and in turn to fire all of the cells in each column of cells successively, each column of cells, when fired, generating excited particles which diffuse to the adjacent column of cells to facilitate the firing of such adjacent column of cells, said cells being fired at a relatively low current level which produces minimal glow in each column of cells in turn but which generates excited particles, said circuit means also including a source of information signals which vary in intensity in accordance with their information content to modulate the current flow through selected cells in each column, as each column is fired, to cause said selected cells to glow at different brightness levels, whereby, as the columns of cells are energized, a message or character can be displayed in said panel by the selected cells which glow at a higher level.

Claim 14

A display panel comprising an array of gas-filled glow cells disposed in a common matrix and arrayed in rows and columns, communication paths in said matrix between the cells in each column and the cells in the adjacent column, a first electrode associated with each column of cells, and a second electrode associated with each row of cells, and circuit means for applying operating potentials to the electrodes of all of the cells of each column separately and in turn to fire all of the cells in each column of cells successively, each column of cells, when fired, generating excited particles which diffuse to the adjacent column of cells to facilitate the firing of such adjacent column of cells, said cells being fired at a relatively low current level which produces minimal glow in each column of cells in turn but which generates excited particles, said circuit means also including a source of information signals which vary in intensity in accordance with their information content to modulate the current flow through selected cells in each column, as each column is fired, to cause said selected cells to glow at different brightness levels, whereby, as the columns of cells are energized, a message or character can be displayed in said panel by the selected cells which glow at a higher level.

Claim 15

The system defined in claim 11 wherein said electrodes associated with said columns of cells are cathode electrodes, and said cathode electrodes are connected in groups, with cathodes in each group being spaced apart by at least one cathode of every other group.

Claim 16

The system defined in claim 11 and including rows of gaseous glow cells operable as particle supply cells disposed along the upper and lower margins of said panel and communicating with the adjacent glow cells.

Claim 17

The system defined in claim 11 wherein said electrodes aligned with said rows of cells are anode electrodes, and said circuit means is operated to apply operating potential thereto, all at the same time.

Claim 18

The system defined in claim 11 wherein said electrodes aligned with said rows of cells are anode electrodes, and said circuit means is operated to apply operating potential thereto sequentially.

Claim 19

The system defined in claim 11 wherein said panel includes columns of particle supply cells adjacent to the left and righthand margins of said panel and communicating with the adjacent glow cells.

Claim 20

The system defined in claim 16 and including circuit means for initiating operation of said panel by energizing the column of particle supply cells at the lefthand end of said panel, and scanning said glow cell columns from left to right.

Claim 21

The system defined in claim 16 and including circuit means for initiating operation of said panel by energizing the column of particle supply cells at the righthand end of said panel, and scaNning said glow cell columns from right to left.

Claim 22

The system defined in claim 16 and including first circuit means coupled to one-half of the particle supply cells in said column of particle supply cells, and second circuit means coupled to the other half of said column of particle supply cells, both said circuit means being operable simultaneously.

Claim 23

A display panel comprising an array of gas-filled glow cells disposed in a common matrix and arrayed in rows and columns, communication paths in said matrix between the cells in each column and the cells in the adjacent column, a first electrode associated with each column of cells, and a second electrode associated with each row of cells, and circuit means for applying operating potentials to the cells of each column separately and in turn to fire each column of cells successively at a first low current level at which a fired column of cells generates excited particles but the cells generate so little light that they are, in effect, not visible to a viewer, said circuit means also including a source of information signals which vary in intensity in accordance with their information content to modulate the current flow through selected cells in each column to cause said selected cells to glow at other greater brightness levels at which they are visible to a viewer, whereby, as the columns of cells are scanned, a message or character can be displayed in said panel by the selected cells which glow at a higher level and are visible to a viewer.

Claim 24

A display panel comprising an array of gas-filled glow cells disposed in a common matrix and arrayed in rows and columns, communication paths in said matrix between the cells in each column and the cells in the adjacent column, a first electrode associated with each column of cells, and a second electrode associated with each row of cells, and circuit means for applying operating potentials to the cells of each column separately and in turn to fire each column of cells successively at a first low current level at which a fired column of cells generates excited particles but the cells generate so little light that they are, in effect, not visible to a viewer, said circuit means also including a source of information signals which vary in intensity in accordance with their information content to modulate the current flow through selected cells in each column to cause said selected cells to glow at other greater brightness levels at which they are visible to a viewer, whereby, as the columns of cells are scanned, a message or character can be displayed in said panel by the selected cells which glow at a higher level and are visible to a viewer.

Claim 25

A display panel comprising an array of gas-filled glow cells disposed in a common matrix and arrayed in rows and columns, communication paths in said matrix between the cells in each column and the cells in the adjacent column, a first electrode associated with each column of cells, and a second electrode associated with each row of cells, said second electrodes being connected in groups so that each two adjacent second electrodes connected in one group are physically separated by one second electrode of each of the other groups, a single driver circuit connected to each group of second electrodes, electronic drive means coupled to said first electrodes whereby operation of each of said driver circuits and said electronic drive means energizes and ionizes the cells of each column separately and in turn at a first low current level at which the cells in the column generate excited particles but they generate so little light that they are, in effect, not visible to a viewer, and circuit means coupled to said cells including a source of information signals which vary in intensity in accordance with their information content to modulate the current flow through selected cells in each column to cause said selected cells to glow at other greater brightness levels at which they are visible to a viewer, whereby, as the columns of cells are scanned, a message or character can be displayed in said panel by said selected cells.

Claim 26

A display panel comprising an array of gas-filled glow cells disposed in a common matrix and arrayed in rows and columns, communication paths in said matrix between the cells in each column and the cells in the adjacent column, a first electrode associated with each column of cells, and a second electrode associated with each row of cells, said second electrodes being connected in groups so that each two adjacent second electrodes connected in one group are physically separated by one second electrode of each of the other groups, a single driver circuit connected to each group of second electrodes, electronic drive means coupled to said first electrodes whereby operation of each of said driver circuits and said electronic drive means energizes and ionizes the cells of each column separately and in turn at a first low current level at which the cells in the column generate excited particles but they generate so little light that they are, in effect, not visible to a viewer, and circuit means coupled to said cells including a source of information signals which vary in intensity in accordance with their information content to modulate the current flow through selected cells in each column to cause said selected cells to glow at other greater brightness levels at which they are visible to a viewer, whereby, as the columns of cells are scanned, a message or character can be displayed in said panel by said selected cells.

Claim 27

A display system comprising a display panel including a first array of scanning cells disposed in rows and columns in a common matrix, said cells having upper ends and lower ends, a gas communication path from each column of scanning cells to the adjacent column of scanning cells, an apertured scanning cathode electrode aligned with each column of cells and disposed adjacent to the upper ends thereof, a scanning anode electrode aligned with each row of scanning cells and disposed adjacent to the lower ends thereof, an array of display cells disposed in rows and columns adjacent to said array of scanning cells, with each display cell vertically aligned with and communicating with a scanning cell through an aperture in a scanning cathode, said scanning cathodes being positioned between and operable with both said scanning cells and said display cells, an array of display anodes, each aligned with a row of display cells, first circuit means connected to said scanNing cathode and scanning anode electrodes for applying operating potential and firing each column of cells selectively and in turn, and second circuit means connected to said display anode electrodes for applying signal potentials to selected display anodes and thereby firing selected display cells as the associated column of scanning cells is fired, the firing of said scanning cells and the firing of selected display cells being carried out sequentially at such a rate that an apparently stationary message is displayed in said array of display cells, said second circuit means including means for modulating the current flow through selected display cells to modulate the light output therefrom as each column of cells is fired.

Claim 28

A display system comprising a display panel including a first array of scanning cells disposed in rows and columns in a common matrix, said cells having upper ends and lower ends, a gas communication path from each column of scanning cells to the adjacent column of scanning cells, an apertured scanning cathode electrode aligned with each column of cells and disposed adjacent to the upper ends thereof, a scanning anode electrode aligned with each row of scanning cells and disposed adjacent to the lower ends thereof, an array of display cells disposed in rows and columns adjacent to said array of scanning cells, with each display cell vertically aligned with and communicating with a scanning cell through an aperture in a scanning cathode, said scanning cathodes being positioned between and operable with both said scanning cells and said display cells, an array of display anodes, each aligned with a row of display cells, first circuit means connected to said scanNing cathode and scanning anode electrodes for applying operating potential and firing each column of cells selectively and in turn, and second circuit means connected to said display anode electrodes for applying signal potentials to selected display anodes and thereby firing selected display cells as the associated column of scanning cells is fired, the firing of said scanning cells and the firing of selected display cells being carried out sequentially at such a rate that an apparently stationary message is displayed in said array of display cells, said second circuit means including means for modulating the current flow through selected display cells to modulate the light output therefrom as each column of cells is fired.

Claim 29

The system defined in claim 22 wherein said second circuit means energizes said selected display cell by pulling glow thereto from the associated scanning cells behind them.

Claim 30

The system defined in claim 22 wherein said second circuit means is coupled to said display anodes and the signals applied thereby have such a current level that glow is pushed through from selected scanning cells to selected display cells.

Claim 31

The system defined in claim 22 and additional circuit means for applying pulses to either one of said scanning anodes or said scanning cathodes just prior to the transfer of glow from one column of scanning cells to the next column of scanning cells.

Claim 32

A display system comprising a display panel including a first array of scanning cells disposed in rows and columns in a common matrix, said cells having upper ends and lower ends, a gas communication path from each column of scanning cells to the adjacent column of scanning cells, a scanning cathode electrode aligned with each column of cells and disposed adjacent to the lower ends thereof, a scanning anode electrode aligned with each row of scanning cells and disposed adjacent to the upper ends thereof, an array of display cells disposed in rows and columns adjacent to said array of scanning cells, with each display cell vertically aligned with and communicating with a scanning cell, said scanning anodes being disposed between and operable with both said scanning cells and said display cells, an array of display anodes, each aligned with a row of display cells, first circuit means connected to said scanning cathode and scanning anode electrodes for applying operating potential and firing each column of cells selectively and in turn, and second circuit means connected to said display anode electrodes for applying signal potentials to selected display anodes and thereby firing selected display cells as the associated column of scanning cells is fired, the firing of said scanning cells and the firing of selected display cells being carried out sequentially at such a rate that an apparently stationary message is displayed in said array of display cells.

Claim 33

A display system comprising a display panel including a first array of scanning cells disposed in rows and columns in a common matrix, said cells having upper ends and lower ends, a gas communication path from each column of scanning cells to the adjacent column of scanning cells, a scanning cathode electrode aligned with each column of cells and disposed adjacent to the lower ends thereof, a scanning anode electrode aligned with each row of scanning cells and disposed adjacent to the upper ends thereof, an array of display cells disposed in rows and columns adjacent to said array of scanning cells, with each display cell vertically aligned with and communicating with a scanning cell, said scanning anodes being disposed between and operable with both said scanning cells and said display cells, an array of display anodes, each aligned with a row of display cells, first circuit means connected to said scanning cathode and scanning anode electrodes for applying operating potential and firing each column of cells selectively and in turn, and second circuit means connected to said display anode electrodes for applying signal potentials to selected display anodes and thereby firing selected display cells as the associated column of scanning cells is fired, the firing of said scanning cells and the firing of selected display cells being carried out sequentially at such a rate that an apparently stationary message is displayed in said array of display cells.

Claim 34

The system defined in claim 11 wherein said low current level is permissibly up to approximately one-third of the value of said higher level of current flow through said selected cells.

Claim 35

The system defined in claim 20 wherein said first low current level is permissibly up to approximately one-third of the value of said higher level of current flow through said selected cells.