Plasma display panel having additional discharge cells of a larger effective area and driving circuit therefor

Claim 1

A gas discharge panel for exhibiting a selected variable display including first and second dielectric plates, means for hermetically sealing said plates with an ionizable gas therebetween, a set of first electrodes on each of said plates for defining a plurality of first gas discharge cells that form picture elements of the displays to be exhibited by said panel, said first electrodes being spaced from said first gas discharge cells by a dielectric coating, a second electrode on said first plate for defining a plurality of second gas discharge cells in cooperation with said first electrodes disposed on said second plate, said second electrodes being spaced from said second gas discharge cells by a dielectric coating, and means effective to increase the effective discharge area of said second discharge cells to an effective discharge area that is at least twice as large as the largest discharge area of said first gas discharge cells, said last-named means comprising a circuit for driving said gas discharge panel including first circuit means for selectively supplying said first gas discharge cells with a first high-frequency voltage of a first common peak-to-peak value to make said panel exhibit said selected display, and second circuit means for supplying said second gas discharge cells with a second high-frequency voltage of a second peak-to-peak value higher than said first peak-to-peak value.