AC PLASMA PANEL

Abstract: An ac plasma panel having gray tone and color control. The plasma panel is constructed using a matrix of discharge sites (S1 and S2), each site associated with one or more migration sites (e.g., R and G). The migration sites, in turn, have different color light producing phosphor coatings on electrical field controlling conductors (e.g., VORB). During the ionization of the plasma gas at the discharge sites, a selective electrical field is established between a discharge site and an adjacent migration site thereby attracting electrons to excite the phosphor coatings. The selection of the different migration sites controls the color produced by the panel, and the amplitude of the selective electrical field controls the light intensity.

Description: AC PLASMA PANEL Background of the Invention My invention relates to a technique for providin gray tones and/or color on an ac plasma panel. A plasma panel is a display device comprised of body of an ionizable gas sealed within a nonconductive transparent envelope. Images on the device are displayed by controllably initiating glow discharges at selected locations within the gas. This is accomplished by setting up electric fields within the gas via appropriately arranged conductors. This invention relates to so-called twin substrate panels where the conductors are imbedded within dielectric layers disposed on two opposing nonconductive surfaces, such as glass plates. Typically, ' the conductors are arranged in rows on one plate and columns orthogonal thereto on the other plate. The overlapping, or crosspoints, of the row and column conductors define a matrix of discharge sites. Glow discharges are initiated at selected sites by application of a voltage pulse. At any site, the repetitive reversal of voltage polarity results in a series of short duration glow discharges whic appear, to the human eye, as a continuous glow of light. One problem with ac plasma panels is their relative inability to provide light intensity control at a discharge site and an inability to provide a full color display. Thus, while ac plasma panels find widespread acceptance for graphic displays, they have not been found to be acceptable for applications, such as for example, television, where a high degree of contrast is necessary o where color presentation is desirable. Summary of the Invention The invention uses a known technique in which electrons from a glow discharge at one site are available for migration to an adjacent site by the creation of an electric field between the discharge site and the migration site. An ac plasma panel is arranged with a plurality of discharge sites, each such site having adjacent thereto one or more migration sites. The migration sites include a phosphor, such that when migrating electrons strike the phosphor, light of a particular color is emitted to a viewer. The energy of the electron flow, hence the light intensity, is controlled by the establishment of a variable intensity electric field between the discharge site and the adjacent migration site. By masking the glow discharges at the discharge sites, a viewer observes only the light emitted from the adjacent phosphor sites. If the discharge site is surrounded by colored phosphors, each having an associated electric field producing mechanism, it is possible to obtain different colors. In one embodiment, an ac plasma panel is provided having a matrix of picture elements (pels) each pel having at least one glow discharge site surrounded by colored phosphor migration sites. Each row of pels corresponds to a similar row on a conventional television screen with the migration sites of each pel being driven from the intensity signals corresponding to that pel. Because the electrons for each pel are generated at the pel itself, focusing problems are greatly reduced and the entire screen can have a thickness of approximately 1.25 mm. Brief Description of the Drawing FIG. 1 depicts an ac plasma panel display system arranged in pels; FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the display system, further defining the layout of the pels; FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematics showing the video memory and clock control circuits; FIG. 5 depicts a set of display system pels having assumed color reception at each pel; FIGS. 6 and 7 show the clock pulses and timing sequence for the display system; FIGS. 8-17 depict cross-sectional representatio showing electron and ion movement in the display system o FIG. 1; and FIGS. 18 and 19 depict alternate embodiment cross-sectioned representations. Description The following is a brief discussion of the know characteristics and operation of an ac plasma panel. A write pulse is applied across a selected discharge site of an ac plasma panel via the row and colu conductor pair associated with that site. The magnitude the pulse exceeds the breakdown voltage of the display ga and is thus sufficient to create an initial glow discharg in the gas in the immediate vicinity of the. selected site The glow discharge is characterized by (a) a short, e.g., one microsecond, light pulse in the visible spectrum, and (b) the creation of a plasma of electrons and positive io in the vicinity of the site. The electrons and positive ions migrate to opposite walls of the discharge site and are temporarily stored there after termination of the voltage pulse. This stored charge provides a "wall- 1 voltage across the gas at the selected site. To repeat the glow discharge, a following (sustain) voltage pulse, of opposite polarity to and of lower amplitude than the write pulse, is then applied across the site. This following pulse is of a polarity to add to the stored "wall" voltage, whereby the breakdown voltage of the gas is again exceeded. A plasma is again created, the electrons and positive ions, however, migrating across the site to reverse the polarity of the stored wall voltage. Subsequent voltage pulses, of alternating polarity, repeat the process, the stored wall voltage reversing polarity after each glow discharge. It is known to cause lateral shifting of a glow discharge at one site of the panel to an adjacent site (se U.S. Patent 4,328,489). This is accomplished by providing an attracting voltage at the adjacent site at a time when a glow discharge and an attendant plasma are present at the one site, some of the charge carriers thus being attracted to the adjacent site to be stored on the walls thereof. This stored charge interacts with a following sustain pulse to initiate a glow discharge. This technique of attracting charge carriers from a plasma at one site to an adjacent site is the basis of the present invention, which is now described. With reference to FIG. 1, a display panel is shown including a twin—substrate ac plasma panel 100 of generally known type. The panel 100 illustratively comprises two glass plates between which an ionizable gas mixture is sealed. The inner surface of each glass plate is covered by a dielectric material layer (see, ..also, FIG. 8). Electrical conductors are disposed on each substrate. All of the conductors on one of the substrate ' s are embedded within the dielectric layer in accordance with known technology. On the other substrate, however, only some of the conductors are so embedded, but others of the conductors, as described hereinafter, are directly exposed to the gas interior of the panel. The conductors on the one substrate (e.g., the "row" conductors) are generally orthogonal to the conductors (e.g., the "column" conductors) on the other substrate. The areas of overlapping of the row and column conductors are called sites. In this embodiment of the invention, groups of six sites are treated as a single picture element or pel, each such pel (e.g., enlarged pel 0-0 of FIG. 1) consisting of the intersections of three column conductors and two row conductors. Of the six sites thus comprising each pel, the two middle sites SI and S2 function as normal glow discharge sites. That is, a glow discharge is initiated at each of these sites and the discharge is continuously refreshed by recurring alternating polarity sustain voltage pulses. By appropriate masking, the glow discharges are not visible to a viewer of the panel. The other sites of each pel, identified by the letters R,G,B and W, do not support glow discharges, but function, as further described hereinafter, to attract electrons from the plasma periodically generated at each o the discharge sites SI and S2. Each of these other sites (referred to hereinafter as migration sites) includes (FIG. 8) a phosphor, e.g. a phosphor layer coated on the column conductor of the sites, capable of emitting a different color in response to the impact of electrons thereon. Thus, for example, the site R is provided with a red light emitting phosphor, the site G with a green light emitting phosphor, the site B with a blue light phosphor and the site W with a white light phosphor. As shown, at least those portions of the column conductors on" which are disposed the phosphor layers are not coated with the dielectric layer material, i.e., the phosphor layers are exposed to the gas within the panel. Thus, if a voltage i applied to these phosphor coated column conductors, electrons from the glow discharges at the adjacent sites S and S2 can migrate directly to these column conductors and impact against the associated phosphors. The phosphors thus emit light, the amount of light being a function of the amplitude of the applied video signals. Different colors are produced depending upon which phosphors of each pel are excited. FIG. 2 is an expanded version of panel 100 showing 511 pels in both the horizontal and vertical directions. When the electronic signals from a standard video memory 30 (FIG. 1) are applied to the various migration sites under control of clock 40 (as described hereinafter) , different colored lights (as perceived by the human eye) are produced by the various pels, with the intensity of the colored lights being dependent upon the amplitude of the applied video signals. O The operation of the inventive ac plasma panel system is now briefly described. A glow discharge is maintained (i.e., repetitively generated) at all of the discharge sites SI and S2 in response to a train of alternating polarity sustain voltage pulses (FIG. 6) . Addressing of the pels, to control the image being displayed, is on a row by row sequential basis. The video information to be displayed b an addressed row is applied to the column conductors (VOGW VORB, V1GW V511 RB) . As previously described, the phosphors at the migration sites emit light in response to the migration thereto of electrons from the adjacent discharge sites SI or S2. This is accomplished by applyin •the video signals, in voltage pulse form (one pulse per cycle) , to the migration site column conductors at the sam time that a glow discharge is caused to occur at the SI or S2 sites of the addressed row. The glow discharges along the addressed row occur in response to the application of excitation pulses applied only to the addressed row. Such excitation pulses are shown in FIGURE 6 as Clock A and Clock B, the purpose of the use of two such trains of pulses being described hereinafter. As shown in FIG. 6, the clock pulses A and B are similar to the sustain. oltag pulses, but occur slightly earlier in time. To prevent other, non-addressed rows from responding to the video signals, blocking signal pulses ar applied to all the rows except the one being addressed. The blocking signal pulses are also similar to the sustain voltage pulses except that they occur even earlier in time than the excitation pulses (see FIG. 6) . The purpose of the blocking signal pulses is to cause an early occurring glow discharge at each of the discharge sites SI and S2 of all the rows (except the addressed one) whereby, at the later time when the video information voltage pulse is applied, the electrons in the plasma have already been stored on a panel wall and are not available for migration to the migration sites associated with the non-addressed rows. Thus, the phosphors at these sites are not excited. A more detailed description of the system is no provided. In FIG. 6, it is seen that the sustain voltage pulse train which is simultaneously applied to all of the discharge sites via the row conductors ROA through R511B consists of a positive going 5 microsecond pulse PI followed by a 5 microsecond quiescent stage, followed by a 5 microsecond negative pulse NI. This cycle is continuously repeated. The voltage waveforms shown are th voltages across the various sites as measured from the column to the row conductors. As will be seen hereinafter the charge cloud migration occurs, if at all, just prior t the negative going pulses of the sustain voltage under control of a negative voltage (excitation) pulse resulting in a net cell voltage similar to that, caused by_the negative sustain voltage. Clock A of FIG. 6.provides negative excitation voltage pulses just prior to the negative odd cycles of the sustain voltage, while clock B provides negative excitation pulses just prior to the even negative voltage pulses of the sustain voltage. In the embodiment shown, each pel of FIG. 2 requires two such pulses one during the A cycle and one during the B cycle - to completely control that pel. These are • referred to the phase A and phase B pulses. The prefiring, or blocking signal is applied to those row conductors where migration is not desired. This blocking signal pulse, shown as pulse BS1, is a 5 microsecond negative going pulse which occurs during the quiescent period just before each negative sustain voltage pulse. As will be seen, this pulse has the effect of causing early electron movement at the discharge sites thereby rendering the electrons unavailable for subsequent migration. Thus, in those rows where a prefiring, or blocking pulse occurs, electron migration from the discharge site to the phosphor site does not occur. Control Generation Turning now to FIG. 2, assume that it is desired to establish various colors on panel 100 in accordance with the color layout shown in FIG. 5. These colors are the colors provided from a television camera and received at a color television receiver as a series of signals representing, for each pel, a color signal and an intensity signal. In this embodiment, the color signals for each refresh of the screen are stored in a memory map. The memory locations contain an indication of the color signal for the associated pel plus an indication of the relative strength of that color. As is well known, the true color is a mixture of primary colors mixed by the eye of the viewer. For the purposes of this discussion, it will be assumed that each pel has associated in memory a location having the registers show in FIG.* 3, namely, register G to control the green phosphor, register R to control the red phosphor, register W to control the white phosphor, and register B to control the blue phosphor. Associated with each register is an intensity register, namely, intensity registers GI, WI, RI and BI shown in FIG. 3, to control the intensity of the green, white, red and blue phosphors, respectively. Logic is provided with the memory which activates the white register when a combination of red, green, and blue signals are received at a pel. Now, assuming an instant of time in video memory 30, FIG. 3, corresponding to the desired colors shown in FIG. 5, then the memory associated with pel 00 would have an activated R register (shown in heavy lines) , and the intensity of the red intensity register would have 100 on a relative scale. At the same time, the memory associated with pel 511-0 would have an activated W register with an intensity of 100 in the WI register. Of course, the R, B and G registers could also be active in pel 0-511 in addition to the W register, or without the W register, if the white phosphor were not to be used. In a similar manner, all of the other registers of video memory 30 are loaded with the bit information corresponding to the chart of FIG. 5. Clock pulses AO through B511, as shown in FIG. 6, are applied to memory 30 thereby, row by row, sequentially providing control signal to panel 100. Of course, there is no need to have a full video memory, and the system could be constructed using only buffer registers to hold the signal of a single row. Digressing momentarily and turning to FIG. 8, a pictorial view of one site of panel 100 is shown in a cutaway section. From a time sequence this view is taken at the conclusion of a positive sustain pulse (FIG. 6) across the S discharge sites along the ROA row (such positive pulse actually comprising a negative pulse applie to the row ROA electrode) . It will be seen at this point that negative electrons are gathered around column conductors SOC, SIC, S2C...S511C, while positive ions are collected opposite these. positions. At the same point in time, the same situation occurs for all of the rows, as shown in FIG. 9 for row ROB. In FIG. 11, row ROB is again shown, this time at the conclusion of blocking signal BS1 shown in FIG. 6. Th blocking voltage which occurs after the positive sustain voltage and before the negative sustain voltage causes the electrons and ions at each of the sites to switch position and thus positive ions are gathered around the column conductors SOC through 511C. This blocking signal is applied to all rows, except the row in which the color signal is to be presented. The control for this is shown in FIG. 4. Immediately subsequent to the blocking signal time slot, and just prior to the negative sustain signal, the clock A excitation pulse is applied across the SI discharge sites along row ROA causing the electrons, which had been gathered around each of the column conductors SOC through S11C, to form a plasma (i.e., a cloud of charged particles) . At the same time, clock signal A0, FIG. 4, " is provided to video memory 30, thereby strobing the information contained in the first row of memory elements into output drivers 31. These output drivers now contain an indication of the desired color phosphor and the intensity of that phosphor for each pel. Clock pulse A+B strobes these drivers, which in turn provide positive voltage pulses on the migration conductors of panel 100. Thus, for pel 00, FIG. 2, this translates to a full strength (100 percent) voltage on conductor VORB. Turning to FIG. 10, the voltage applied on the VORB conductor from the video memory causes the electrons present at column conductor SOC to migrate toward the positive voltage on column VORB. These electrons excite the red phosphor causing that phosphor to glow. These electrons also travel across the gas to the .position priorly occupied by the positive ions. From FIG. 5 we see that pel 1-0- is to be yellow, which, in TV processing, is a combination of red and green. Thus, as shown in FIG. 10, a voltage would appear, via video memory 30, on the V1RB and V1GW column conductors associated with discharge site SIC, and the electrons from that site would migrate to the red and green phosphors causing those phosphors to give off light. The amount of light discharged is a function of the number of electrons striking the phosphor, which in turn is a function of the magnitude of the voltage on the column conductor. For pel 2-0, the video voltage would be 75 percent of maximum causing 75 percent of the maximum number of electrons to migrate to the red phosphor. Since pel 511-0 is to have only its white phosphor turned on, no voltage is applied to column conductors V511RB and V511GW during clock phase A. Thus the electrons and ions simply change position without lateral migration. The next cycle of the clock is positive and the electrons and ions again switch position, returning to the configuration as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Then the next blocking pulse is applied to all rows, except row ROB. Thus, as shown in FIG. 12, row ROA is prefired. Since the phosphors have a long decay time, those that were turned on during clock cycle A continue to glow. During clock cycle B, the blue phosphor (FIG. 13 of pel 2-0 is activated along with the white phosphor of pel 511-τO. Thus, at the conclusion of the A and B cycles, pel 0-0 is showing red, pel lτr0 is showing yellow (red and green) , pel 2τ-0 is showing magenta (red and blue) , while pel 511-0 is showing white. The timing of the voltage pulses on the column conductors which established, these colors is shown in FIG. 7 under row 0. These signals are controlled from clock circuit 40, FIG. 4, and video memory 30, FIG. 3 in a straightforward manner. - During the A cycle of the next clock pulse, the colors for row 1 (FIG. 2) , pel 0-1 through pel 511-1 will be turned on in accordance with the chart shown in FIG. 5. Thus, turning to FIG. 14, it will be seen that during the cycle of row RIA, a pulse will be applied to conductor V0GW, causing the green phosphor of pel 0-1 to emit light. Since the magnitude of the voltage on conductor V0GW is 50 percent of an established maximum (which is the value stored in the appropriate register of video memory 30, FIG. 3), the green phosphor emits light at half intensity. In pel 1---1, neither the red nor green phosphors is to be rendered active and thus no voltage potential is applied on conductor V1RB or V1GW, and the electrons from the plasma of the discharge site simply reverse position with the ions and are not migrated toward either of the adjacent phosphors. At pel 2-1 of row RIA, the same thing occurs with no phosphors coming active, as is also the cas in pel 511-τl. Since the blocking pulse had been applied to all rows other than row RIA just prior to the clock A pulse, the electrons of the plasm ' as at the discharge sites are no E available for migration in any row other than in row * RIA. This is shown in FIG. 15 for row RIB. Turning now to FIG. 16, after the next positive sustain pulse, the blocking pulse is applied to all rows, including row RIA, but now excluding row RIB, thus causing a glow discharge at the discharge sites (except those alon row RIB) at a time when no voltages are applied to the adjacent migration conductors. Thus, only those phosphors which had priorly been turned on remain on. When the clock B pulse occurs, as shown in FIG. 17, no voltage potential is applied to the migration conductors of pel 0-1 and thus no electron migration occur at the pel at this time. A potential of 75 percent of full value is applied to conductor V1RB of pel 1-1, causing electron migration from discharge site SIC to vertical conductor V1RB, thereby causing the blue phosphor to emit light at 75 percent of full value. With respect to pel 2-1, no voltage potentials are applied to the migration conductor leads and thus no migration occurs. At pel 511- ^ 1, a voltage potential of 50 percent of full value is applied t conductor V511GW, causing the white phosphor to emit light at 50 percent of value. In review, with respect to row 1, pel 0-1 shows 50 percent green (row RIA) , pel 1-1 shows 75 percent blue (row RIB) , pel 2-rl shows black since no phosphors are lighted, and pel 511**~1 shows 50 percent white (row RIB). These colors are in accordance with the row 1 color chart shown in FIG. 5. Gray Tone Control The foregoing discussion is directed to color presentation on an ac plasma panel. By substituting for the color phosphors white phosphor spaced in relationship to each discharge site, it is possible to establish electric fields from the discharge site to the phosphor sites in the same manner discussed such that the signal strength applied to the c nductor at each phosphor site controls the intensity of light displayed to a viewer. In this manner, it is possible, on a row-by-row basis, to control precisely the gray tone distribution of light on a plasma panel. Alternate Embodiment FIGS. 18 and 19 show an alternate arrangement of the ac plasma panel where the phosphors of the adjacent pels share a common column electrode for the purpose of controlling electron migration. Thus, as shown in FIG. 18, display site SOC has associated with it red phosphor controlled by a voltage potential on lead V1GW0RB while display site SIC has associated with it a green phosphor controlled by the same column conductor. In this embodiment, in order to control the displayed colors, it is necessary to refresh each discharge site on alternate clock cycles such that when the negative-going sustain..pulse is applied to conductors SOC, S2C, etc., a positive sustain pulse is applied to controls SIC, S3C, etc. Full selectivity is thereby assured. While two rows are shown for each pel, each row having a separate discharge site SI or S2, it is possible to have each pel comprise but a single discharge site surrounded by three or four migration sites, and one skilled in the art may arrange these migration sites in any desirable manner to provide the necessary resolution. It should be noted that it is possible to draw so many electrons away from the discharge sites to make it necessary to rewrite, in conventional manner, those sites. This may be done periodically, even if sites are not distinguished. Also, it should be noted that for a single substrate ac plasma panel where a field gradient can be generated between sites, this technique can also be applied . As described, clock pulses A and B are used both as excitation pulses, to generate a glow discharge along each addressed row, in succession, and to strobe the video information from the memory- 30 such that the video signal S ^ appears on the column conductors simultaneously with the generation of the glow discharges along the addressed row. This provides selectivity of row addressing because, during the time interval when the video signal is applied, a glow discharge exists only along the row being addressed. It is possible, however, to omit the use of the excitation pulses (clock A and B) , and rely instead on the normal sustain pulse train to create the glow discharge necessary for migration. In such case, the video signals are applied simultaneousl with the negative pulses of the sustain pulse train. Selectivity is still obtained because of the prior occurring blocking signal pulses applied to all the rows other than the particular one being addressed. Thus, with the exception of the row being addressed, when the video signal is applied, a glow discharge has already occurred (in response to the blocking signal pulse) , the plasma has dissipated, and a new discharge does not occur in response to the immediately following negative sustain voltage pulse.

Claims: Claims 1. A plasma panel having a plurality of discharg sites (S1 and S2) each operable for ionizing the plasma ga at a particular panel location, said ionization including the periodic generation of a plasma of charged particles, at least one migration (R,G,B,W) site associated with each said discharge site, said migration site including means (V column conductors) for selectively attracting electrons from said associated discharge site during said generation interval; CHARACTERIZED IN THAT each said migration site includes a light emitting means under control of said attracted electrons. 2. The panel of claim 1 wherein the intensity of the light emitted by said light emitting means is controllable by said selective attracting means. 3. The panel of claim 2 -wherein said light emitting means comprises a phosphor. 4. The panel of claim 2 wherein different migration sites produce a different colored light. 5. The panel of claim 4 wherein said migration sites are arranged in groups of different light producing sites, and including means for selectively activating different ones of the sites of each said group for controlling the perceived light generated by each said group.

Inventors: NGO PETER DINH TUAN, NGO, PETER, DINH, TUAN
Applicants: WESTERN ELECTRIC CO, WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INC.
Application year: 1983
Main classification: G09G3
IPC codes: G09G3, H04N9