US4622549A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Repetition rate compensation and mixing in a plasma panel
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1983-06-29
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Granted: 1986-11-11
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Expires: 2003-06-29
Abstract
Abstract Operation of an AC plasma display panel requires the three control operations of write, erase, and sustain. Sustain, write and erase signals are stored in a plurality of sections in a storage device and the sections are selectively accessed according to the specific operation to be provided to the plasma panel display. The control signals stored within a given sequence are selected so that no dimming occurs during write and erase operations. A brightness control is provided to modulate the average repetition rate of signals applied to the plasma display panel. In this manner, a plurality of flicker-free brightness levels may be chosen.
Inventors
- 👤 Tony N. Criscimagna
- 👤 Harry S. Hoffman, Jr.
- 👤 Thomas J. Milich
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 00:27
CPC Classifications
G; G09; G09G; G09G3/00; G09G3/20; G09G3/22; G09G3/28; G09G3/288; G09G2320/00; G09G2320/02; G09G2320/0247; G09G2320/06; G09G2320/0626
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
83 words
A plasma panel display system comprising: a plurality of addressable control signals to gate energizing signals to illuminable cells in a panel display, means responsive to each of said control signals for gating said energizing signals at a different one of a plurality of repetition rates; a storage device for storing said control signals; and addressing means for addressing selected ones of said stored control signals in combination which produce groups of said energizing signals having a uniform repetition rate for each group.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
83 words
A plasma panel display system comprising: a plurality of addressable control signals to gate energizing signals to illuminable cells in a panel display, means responsive to each of said control signals for gating said energizing signals at a different one of a plurality of repetition rates; a storage device for storing said control signals; and addressing means for addressing selected ones of said stored control signals in combination which produce groups of said energizing signals having a uniform repetition rate for each group.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
A system according to claim 1 having a display sustain function comprised of a sequence of signals of different selectable repetition rates, a display erase function comprised of a sequence of signals of different selectable repetition rates, a display write function comprised of a sequence of signals of different selectable repetition rates.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
A system according to claim 2 wherein said display sustain function, said display write function and said display erase function are held at a uniform repetition rate by selection of the repetition rate for each function to make the average repetition rates equal.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
182 words
A system for selectively controlling the discharge state of a plurality of illuminable cells in a plasma display device, said plurality of illuminable cells having a brightness proportional to the repetition rate of energizing signals applied thereto, said system comprising in combination: a source for a plurality of control signals for gating said energizing signals to said illuminable cells, each of said control signals having one of a plurality of repetition rates; a storage device for storing said plurality of control signals; addressing means for accessing said storage device and for generating sequences of control signals, each sequence having a uniform repetition rate by selectively reading out said plurality of control signals in a predetermined order; and driving means which gates said energizing signals to said illuminable cells for preventing flicker in said plasma display device by gating said uniform repetition rate sequences of energizing signals to said plasma display device to effect a uniform discharge rate of said plurality of cells, whereby said plurality of cells maintains a uniform brightness in response to said gating of uniform repetition rate energizing signals.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
182 words
A system for selectively controlling the discharge state of a plurality of illuminable cells in a plasma display device, said plurality of illuminable cells having a brightness proportional to the repetition rate of energizing signals applied thereto, said system comprising in combination: a source for a plurality of control signals for gating said energizing signals to said illuminable cells, each of said control signals having one of a plurality of repetition rates; a storage device for storing said plurality of control signals; addressing means for accessing said storage device and for generating sequences of control signals, each sequence having a uniform repetition rate by selectively reading out said plurality of control signals in a predetermined order; and driving means which gates said energizing signals to said illuminable cells for preventing flicker in said plasma display device by gating said uniform repetition rate sequences of energizing signals to said plasma display device to effect a uniform discharge rate of said plurality of cells, whereby said plurality of cells maintains a uniform brightness in response to said gating of uniform repetition rate energizing signals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
52 words
A system according to claim 4 having a display sustain function comprised of a sequence of signals of different selectable repetition rates, a display erase function comprised of a sequence of signals of different selectable repetition rates, a display write function comprised of a sequence of signals of different selectable repetition rates.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
A system according to claim 5 wherein said driving means applies said first, second, and third sequences of energizing signals to said plasma display device thereby maintaining a uniform brightness during execution of said sustain function, said erase function, and said write function.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
84 words
A system for providing control of a plasma display device having illuminable cells comprising: a plurality of control signals for gating energizing signals to said illuminable cells, each of said control signals having one of a plurality of repetition rates; a storage device for storing said control signals; control means for selectively addressing said control signals to combine the repetition rates of said energizing signals driven by said control signals; wherein the average repetition rate of the combination is controlled by said control means.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
84 words
A system for providing control of a plasma display device having illuminable cells comprising: a plurality of control signals for gating energizing signals to said illuminable cells, each of said control signals having one of a plurality of repetition rates; a storage device for storing said control signals; control means for selectively addressing said control signals to combine the repetition rates of said energizing signals driven by said control signals; wherein the average repetition rate of the combination is controlled by said control means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
49 words
A system according to claim 7 wherein said control means mixes said first average repetition rate sequences and said second average repetition sequences in varying proportions, thereby producing a plurality of additional sequences having average repetition rates between said first average repetition rate and said second average repetition rate.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
136 words
A method for operating a plasma panel display composed of illuminable cells whose discharge rate is proportional to the repetition rate of control signals applied thereto, said method comprising the steps of: generating a first sequence of control signals having a first repetition rate; generating a second sequence of control signals having a second repetition rate lower than said first repetition rate; generating a third sequence of control signals having a third repetition rate higher than said first repetition rate; combining said second sequence of control signals and said third sequence of control signals to produce a first group of control signals having an average repetition rate substantially equal to said first repetition rate over a period of time substantially equal to said first sequence; gating said first group of control signals to said illuminable cells.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
136 words
A method for operating a plasma panel display composed of illuminable cells whose discharge rate is proportional to the repetition rate of control signals applied thereto, said method comprising the steps of: generating a first sequence of control signals having a first repetition rate; generating a second sequence of control signals having a second repetition rate lower than said first repetition rate; generating a third sequence of control signals having a third repetition rate higher than said first repetition rate; combining said second sequence of control signals and said third sequence of control signals to produce a first group of control signals having an average repetition rate substantially equal to said first repetition rate over a period of time substantially equal to said first sequence; gating said first group of control signals to said illuminable cells.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
115 words
A method according to claim 9 further comprising the steps of: generating a fourth sequence of control signals having a fourth repetition rate; generating a fifth sequence of control signals having a fifth repetition rate lower than said fourth repetition rate; generating a sixth sequence of control signals having a sixth repetition rate higher than said fourth repetition rate; combining said fifth sequence of control signals and said sixth sequence of control signals to produce a second group of control signals having an average repetition rate substantially equal to said second repetition rate over a period of time substantially equal to said first sequence; gating said second group of control signals to said illuminable cells.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 10 further comprising the step of modulating the application of said first and said second groups of control signals.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
47 words
A method according to claim 11 further comprising the steps of: storing said generated sequences of control signals in a storage device; and reading said generated sequences of control signals out of said storage device prior to applying said groups of control signals to said illuminable cells.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
167 words
A system for selectively controlling the discharge rate of a plurality of illuminable cells in a plasma display device, said plurality of illuminable cells having a brightness proportional to the repetition rate of control signals applied thereto, said system comprising: a plurality of addressable control signals for gating energizing signals to said illuminable cells; a plurality of control signals, each having one of a plurality of repetition rates; a storage device for storing said control signals; control means for selectively addressing said control signals to combine the repetition rates of said energizing signals gated by said control signals; wherein the average repetition rate of the combination is controlled by said control means, and driving means for varying the brightness level of said plasma display device by applying said modulated sequence of control signals to said plurality of cells, whereby the brightness level of said plasma display device may be controllably varied by modulating the order in which said control signals are read out from said storage device.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
167 words
A system for selectively controlling the discharge rate of a plurality of illuminable cells in a plasma display device, said plurality of illuminable cells having a brightness proportional to the repetition rate of control signals applied thereto, said system comprising: a plurality of addressable control signals for gating energizing signals to said illuminable cells; a plurality of control signals, each having one of a plurality of repetition rates; a storage device for storing said control signals; control means for selectively addressing said control signals to combine the repetition rates of said energizing signals gated by said control signals; wherein the average repetition rate of the combination is controlled by said control means, and driving means for varying the brightness level of said plasma display device by applying said modulated sequence of control signals to said plurality of cells, whereby the brightness level of said plasma display device may be controllably varied by modulating the order in which said control signals are read out from said storage device.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
79 words
A system according to claim 13 wherein said sustain function comprises a first sequence having a first plurality of sustain control signals, said erase function comprises a second sequence having a first erase control signal and a second plurality of sustain control signals, and said write function comprises a third sequence having a first write control signal and a third plurality of sustain control signals, each of said first, second, and third sequences having a first average repetition rate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
88 words
A system according to claim 14 wherein said sustain function further comprises a fourth sequence having a fourth plurality of sustain control signals, said erase function further comprises a fifth sequence having a second erase control signal and a fifth plurality of sustain control signals, and said write function comprises a sixth sequence having a second write control signal and a sixth plurality of sustain control signals, each of said fourth, fifth, and sixth sequences having a second average repetition rate greater than said first average repetition rate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
50 words
A system according to claim 15 wherein said control means mixes said first average repetition rate sequences and said second average repetition rate sequences in varying proportions, thereby producing a plurality of additional sequences having average repetition rates between said first average repetition rate and said second average repetition rate.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
43 words
A system according to claim 16 wherein said driving mean applies said plurality of additional sequences to said plurality of cells to produce a plurality of brightness levels, whereby the number of brightness levels produced is equivalent to the number of additional sequences.
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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) | 1989-11-10 | 1990-05-12 | 1990-11-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1993-11-10 | 1994-05-12 | 1994-11-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1997-11-10 | 1998-05-12 | 1998-11-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |