US3976912A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical supply system and method for improving the operating characteristics of gaseous discharge display panels
Assignee: Kimble Glass Inc
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Filing: 1972-02-23
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Granted: 1976-08-24
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Expires: 1992-02-23
Abstract
Abstract There is disclosed an electrical system and method for supplying operating potentials to gaseous discharge display panels and improving the performance characteristics of such devices. Write and erase operations are accomplished by means of controlling the level of pedestals which has the advantage over previous system in the improvement of sustaining and write/erase characteristics of gaseous discharge display/memory panels of the type disclosed in Baker et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,499,167, which in turn produces a larger 100 percent operating window.
Inventors
- 👤 Joseph L. Miavecz
- 👤 Donald J. Spry
- 👤 David S. Wojcik
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 07:12
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/22; G09G3/28; G09G3/288; G09G3/291; G09G3/293; G09G3/294; G09G3/296; G09G3/297
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
In a gaseous discharge display panel having row-column conductor arrays nonconductively coupled to a gas discharge medium in a thin chamber space between said row and said column conductor arrays, improvement in the means supplying sustaining and write/erase voltage to said panel comprising, a sustainer generator for supplying to said panel a pair of contiguous square wave sustainer voltages, one of said voltages constituting a write/erase pedestal voltage, means to adjust the write/erase voltage pedestal voltage level to obtain the maximum operating range for said gaseous discharge display memory panel and, addressing circuit means connected to said sustainer generator for applying data entering discharge condition controlling signal voltage pulses for algebraic addition to said write/erase voltage pedestals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
In a gaseous discharge display panel having row-column conductor arrays nonconductively coupled to a gas discharge medium in a thin chamber space between said row and said column conductor arrays, improvement in the means supplying sustaining and write/erase voltage to said panel comprising, a sustainer generator for supplying to said panel a pair of contiguous square wave sustainer voltages, one of said voltages constituting a write/erase pedestal voltage, means to adjust the write/erase voltage pedestal voltage level to obtain the maximum operating range for said gaseous discharge display memory panel and, addressing circuit means connected to said sustainer generator for applying data entering discharge condition controlling signal voltage pulses for algebraic addition to said write/erase voltage pedestals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The invention defined in claim 1 said means to adjust including means to establish a selected write voltage level and means to establish a selected erase voltage level.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The invention defined in claim 1 wherein said write/erase pedestal level is below the amplitude level of the other of said pair of contiguous square wave sustainer voltages and both said levels being below the level for firing any site in said panel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
99 words
In a gas discharge display panel having a pair of crossed conductor arrays non-conductively coupled to a thin gas discharge medium to which are applied a periodic sustaining voltage and discharge condition manipulating write and erase pulse voltages, the improvement comprising means for supplying a write/erase pedestal sustainer voltage to all conductors of said arrays in addition to said periodic sustaining voltage, means for adjusting the level of said pedestal sustainer voltage in accordance with the critical panel write voltages, and means, for adjusting the level of said pedestal sustainer voltage in accordance with the critical panel erase voltages.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
99 words
In a gas discharge display panel having a pair of crossed conductor arrays non-conductively coupled to a thin gas discharge medium to which are applied a periodic sustaining voltage and discharge condition manipulating write and erase pulse voltages, the improvement comprising means for supplying a write/erase pedestal sustainer voltage to all conductors of said arrays in addition to said periodic sustaining voltage, means for adjusting the level of said pedestal sustainer voltage in accordance with the critical panel write voltages, and means, for adjusting the level of said pedestal sustainer voltage in accordance with the critical panel erase voltages.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
174 words
A method of operating a gas discharge data display panel of the type having an insulatingly coated row-conductor array, an insulatingly coated column conductor array means mounting said arrays in spaced apart relation with a gaseous discharge medium therebetween, and wherein the operating potentials to said conductor arrays includes a periodic voltage for sustaining discharges once initiated, said periodic sustainer voltage being of a magnitude insufficient to initiate a discharge at any site but of sufficient magnitude to maintain discharges once initiated at any site, and a data entering discharge initiating signal voltage for algebraic addition to said sustainer voltage potential, the improvement comprising, supplying sustainer potential to said conductors, said sustainer potential having at least two amplitude levels, one of which is fixed and the other of which is variable and at a level below the said one at a fixed level, both said levels being below the level for firing any site in said panel, and causing said data entering signals to occur during selected times of occurrences of said variable level.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
174 words
A method of operating a gas discharge data display panel of the type having an insulatingly coated row-conductor array, an insulatingly coated column conductor array means mounting said arrays in spaced apart relation with a gaseous discharge medium therebetween, and wherein the operating potentials to said conductor arrays includes a periodic voltage for sustaining discharges once initiated, said periodic sustainer voltage being of a magnitude insufficient to initiate a discharge at any site but of sufficient magnitude to maintain discharges once initiated at any site, and a data entering discharge initiating signal voltage for algebraic addition to said sustainer voltage potential, the improvement comprising, supplying sustainer potential to said conductors, said sustainer potential having at least two amplitude levels, one of which is fixed and the other of which is variable and at a level below the said one at a fixed level, both said levels being below the level for firing any site in said panel, and causing said data entering signals to occur during selected times of occurrences of said variable level.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
The invention defined in claim 5 including adjusting the level of said variable level in accordance with the critical voltage characteristics of said panel to produce a larger 100 percent operating window.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The invention defined in claim 5 including maintaining the voltage level of said second sustainer level during writing of information to said panel.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The invention defined in claim 5 including maintaining the voltage level of said second level during erase of information to said panel.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The invention defined in claim 5 wherein said variable voltage level is different for writing information to said panel than for erasing information from said panel.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
154 words
In a gas discharge display device having a first conductor array and a second conductor array, each conductor array being non-conductively coupled to a thin gaseous discharge medium and to which are alternately applied periodic sustaining voltages from a source, and discharge condition manipulating write and erase pulse voltages, the improvement wherein said source of alternately applied periodic sustaining voltage includes first sustaining voltage means supplying a first voltage having two amplitude levels and applying same to said first conductor array, addressing circuit means causing said write voltage pulses to be algebraically added to the lower of said two amplitude levels, and second sustaining voltage operating alternately with respect said first means, supplying a second voltage having two amplitude levels and applying same to said second conductor array, and second addressing circuit means causing said erase voltage pulses to be algebraically added to the lower of said two amplitude levels in said second voltage.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
154 words
In a gas discharge display device having a first conductor array and a second conductor array, each conductor array being non-conductively coupled to a thin gaseous discharge medium and to which are alternately applied periodic sustaining voltages from a source, and discharge condition manipulating write and erase pulse voltages, the improvement wherein said source of alternately applied periodic sustaining voltage includes first sustaining voltage means supplying a first voltage having two amplitude levels and applying same to said first conductor array, addressing circuit means causing said write voltage pulses to be algebraically added to the lower of said two amplitude levels, and second sustaining voltage operating alternately with respect said first means, supplying a second voltage having two amplitude levels and applying same to said second conductor array, and second addressing circuit means causing said erase voltage pulses to be algebraically added to the lower of said two amplitude levels in said second voltage.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-08-24 | 1980-02-23 | 1980-08-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-08-24 | 1984-02-23 | 1984-08-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-08-24 | 1988-02-23 | 1988-08-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |