Patent ID: 6144348
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: G09G

Abstract:
A plasma display apparatus, comprising:a plasma display panel including plural pairs of first and second electrodes arranged to be adjacent to one another in correspondence to respective display lines on a first substrate and coated with an insulating layer facing a discharge space, third electrodes arranged orthogonally to said first and second electrodes and defining therewith a display area, the third electrodes being disposed on said first substrate or on a second substrate opposed to said first substrate with said discharge space therebetween, and priming electrodes, located outside the display area, forming priming cells in which priming discharges are carried out;a first electrode drive circuit driving said first electrodes;a second electrode selection drive circuit selectively driving said second electrodes;a third electrode drive circuit driving said third electrodes; anda priming electrode drive circuit driving said priming electrodes,wherein said priming discharge is induced in said priming cells by applying voltages to said priming electrodes by said priming electrode drive circuit, discharges are then induced successively along all the display lines in said display area while potentials of said first, second and third electrodes are maintained at given constant values and initialization is carried out in all the cells within the display area by said discharges; and addressing discharges are performed on display cells selected in accordance with address information by successively specifying voltages applied to said first, second, and third electrodes; and sustaining discharges producing a display are carried out on the basis of the addressing discharges by applying sustain voltages to said first and second electrodes.