Photon conditioning of gaseous discharge display panel including phosphor means emitting UV radiation

Claim 2

In a multiple gaseous discharge display device characterized by an ionizable gaseous medium in a gas chamber formed by a sealed envelope and a pair of spaced arrays of electrode members, the envelope comprising a dielectric material and including at least a transparent portion for viewing the display, the electrode members of one array being transversely oriented with respect to the electrode members of the other array so as to define a plurality of discharge units, said discharge units being in open photonic communication, and the gaseous medium being capable of being placed in a conditioned state by ions generated by photons, the improvement wherein said device further comprises a first phosphor means excitable by radiation emitted by a gaseous discharge within said chamber and emitting radiation in the near UV non-visible range upon excitation for efficient photon conditioning of said gaseous medium and further comprising a second phosphor means excitable by radiation emitted by a gaseouS discharge within said chamber and emitting light in the visible range upon excitation for viewing of the display and not being excitable by said radiation in the near UV non-visible range emitted by said first recited phosphor means.

Claim 3

The device according to claim 1 wherein both said first recited phosphor means and said second phosphor means are excitable by radiation in the vacuum UV range emitted by a gaseous discharge within said chamber.

Claim 4

In a multiple gaseous discharge display/memory device characterized by an ionizable gaseous medium in a gas chamber formed by a pair of opposed dielectric material charge storage members, each backed by an array of electrode members, the electrode members of one array being transversely oriented with respect to the electrode members of the other array so as to define a plurality of discharge units, said discharge units being in open photonic communication, and said dielectric material charge storage members being adapted to emit electrons when struck by photons to condition said gaseous medium, the improvement wherein said device further comprises at least first and second phosphor means, each said phosphor means being excitable by radiation emitted by a gaseous discharge within said chamber, said first phosphor means emitting radiation in the near UV non-visible range upon excitation for efficient photon conditioning of said gaseous medium, and said second phosphor means emitting light in the visible range upon excitation for viewing of the display and not being excitable by said radiation in the near UV non-visible range emitted by said first phosphor means.

Claim 5

In a multiple gaseous discharge display/memory device characterized by an ionizable gaseous medium in a gas chamber formed by a pair of opposed dielectric material charge storage members, each backed by an array of electrode members, the electrode members of one array being transversely oriented with respect to the electrode members of the other array so as to define a plurality of discharge units, said discharge units being in open photonic communication, and said dielectric material charge storage members being adapted to emit electrons when struck by photons to condition said gaseous medium, the improvement wherein said device further comprises at least first and second phosphor means, each said phosphor means being excitable by radiation emitted by a gaseous discharge within said chamber, said first phosphor means emitting radiation in the near UV non-visible range upon excitation for efficient photon conditioning of said gaseous medium, and said second phosphor means emitting light in the visible range upon excitation for viewing of the display and not being excitable by said radiation in the near UV non-visible range emitted by said first phosphor means.

Claim 6

The device according to claim 3 wherein both said phosphor means are excitable by radiation in the vacuum UV range emitted by a gaseous discharge within said chamber.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 4 wherein said first phosphor means which emits in the near UV range is selected from strontium hexaborate activated by lead and calcium-magnesium silicate activated by cerium.

Claim 8

The invention of claim 5 wherein said second phosphor means which emits radiation in the visible range is selected from zinc silicate activated with manganese, calcium tungstate activated with lead, yttrium vanadate activated with europium and yttrium oxide activated with europium.

Claim 9

The invention of claim 6 wherein the gaseous medium consists essentially of at least one rare gas selected from Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe.

Claim 10

The invention of claim 7 wherein the gaseous medium contains up to 10 percent atoms of helium.

Claim 11

In the operation of a multiple gaseous discharge display devices characterized by an ionizable gaseous medium in a gas chamber formed by a sealed envelope and a pair of spaced arrays of electrode members, the envelope comprising a dielectric material and including at least a transparent portion for viewing the display, the electrode members of one array being transversely oriented with respect to the electrode members of the other array so as to define a plurality of discharge units, said discharge units being in open photonic communication, and the gaseous medium being capable of being placed in a conditioned state by ions generated by photons, the improvement wherein the photon conditioning of the ionizable gaseous medium is improved by providing at least first and second phosphor means within said chamber and selectively exciting each said phosphor means by radiation emitted from at least one gaseous discharge within said chamber to cause said first phosphor means to emit radiation in the near UV non-visible range to efficiently photonically condition the gaseous medium and to cause said second phosphor means to emit light in the visible range for viewing of the display, said second phosphor means not being excitable by said radiation in the near UV non-visible range emitted by said first phosphor means whereby interference with the display is avoided.

Claim 12

In the operation of a multiple gaseous discharge display devices characterized by an ionizable gaseous medium in a gas chamber formed by a sealed envelope and a pair of spaced arrays of electrode members, the envelope comprising a dielectric material and including at least a transparent portion for viewing the display, the electrode members of one array being transversely oriented with respect to the electrode members of the other array so as to define a plurality of discharge units, said discharge units being in open photonic communication, and the gaseous medium being capable of being placed in a conditioned state by ions generated by photons, the improvement wherein the photon conditioning of the ionizable gaseous medium is improved by providing at least first and second phosphor means within said chamber and selectively exciting each said phosphor means by radiation emitted from at least one gaseous discharge within said chamber to cause said first phosphor means to emit radiation in the near UV non-visible range to efficiently photonically condition the gaseous medium and to cause said second phosphor means to emit light in the visible range for viewing of the display, said second phosphor means not being excitable by said radiation in the near UV non-visible range emitted by said first phosphor means whereby interference with the display is avoided.

Claim 13

In the operation of a multiple gaseous discharge display/memory device charActerized by an ionizable gaseous medium in a gas chamber formed by a pair of opposed dielectric material charge storage members, each baked by an array of electrode members, the electrode members of one array being transversely oriented with respect to the electrode members of the other array so as to define a plurality of discharge units, said discharge units being in open photonic communication, and said dielectric material charge storage members being adapted to emit electrons when struck by photons to condition said gaseous medium, the improvement wherein the photon conditioning of the ionizable gaseous medium is improved by providing at least first and second phosphor means within said chamber and selectively exciting each said phosphor means by radiation emitted from at least one gaseous discharge within said chamber to cause said first phosphor means to emit radiation in the near UV non-visible range for efficiently photonically condition said gaseous medium and to cause said second phosphor means to emit light in the visible range for viewing of the display, said second phosphor means not being excitable by said radiation in the near UV non-visible range emitted by said first phosphor means whereby interference with the display is avoided.

Claim 14

In the operation of a multiple gaseous discharge display/memory device charActerized by an ionizable gaseous medium in a gas chamber formed by a pair of opposed dielectric material charge storage members, each baked by an array of electrode members, the electrode members of one array being transversely oriented with respect to the electrode members of the other array so as to define a plurality of discharge units, said discharge units being in open photonic communication, and said dielectric material charge storage members being adapted to emit electrons when struck by photons to condition said gaseous medium, the improvement wherein the photon conditioning of the ionizable gaseous medium is improved by providing at least first and second phosphor means within said chamber and selectively exciting each said phosphor means by radiation emitted from at least one gaseous discharge within said chamber to cause said first phosphor means to emit radiation in the near UV non-visible range for efficiently photonically condition said gaseous medium and to cause said second phosphor means to emit light in the visible range for viewing of the display, said second phosphor means not being excitable by said radiation in the near UV non-visible range emitted by said first phosphor means whereby interference with the display is avoided.

Claim 15

AS AN ARTICAL OF MANUFACTURE A DIELECTRIC BODY FOR A GASEOUS DISCHARGED DISPLAY/MEMORY DEVICE SAID DIELECTRIC BODY CONTAINING AT LEAST FIRST AND SECOND PHOSPHOR MEANS EACH SAID PHOSPHOR MEANS BEING SENSITIVE TO AND EXCITABLE BY RADIATION EMITTED BY A GASOUS DISCHARGE SAID FIRST PHOSPHOR MEANS EMITTING RADIATION IN,THE NEAR UV NON-VISIBLE RANGE UPON EXCITATION FOR EFFICIENT PHOTON CONDITIONING OF A GASEOUS ME-

Claim 16

AS AN ARTICAL OF MANUFACTURE A DIELECTRIC BODY FOR A GASEOUS DISCHARGED DISPLAY/MEMORY DEVICE SAID DIELECTRIC BODY CONTAINING AT LEAST FIRST AND SECOND PHOSPHOR MEANS EACH SAID PHOSPHOR MEANS BEING SENSITIVE TO AND EXCITABLE BY RADIATION EMITTED BY A GASOUS DISCHARGE SAID FIRST PHOSPHOR MEANS EMITTING RADIATION IN,THE NEAR UV NON-VISIBLE RANGE UPON EXCITATION FOR EFFICIENT PHOTON CONDITIONING OF A GASEOUS ME-