Patent GB-1340867-A (GB)
Title: Gas discharge display and memory panel
IPC: G09G3/28
Filed: 1970-12-23
Abstract: 1340867 Matrix displays OWENS-ILLINOIS Inc 23 Dec 1970 [29 Dec 1969] 61244/70 Headings G5C and G4H A gas discharge display and memory panel comprises a pair of support plates with row and column conductor arrays thereon, a spacer sealant defining with the plates a chamber with gas (e.g. 0À2 to 1 atmos. Ne-Ar) and dielectric charge storage members on the conductors in the chamber, wherein discharge sites are controlled by high voltage pulses (e.g. from pulsers 32, 32) and discharges, once initiated, are sustained by a high amplitude periodic sustaining voltage applied to all conductors, the sustaining voltage being applied such that the conductor matrix floats w.r.t. a reference potential (e.g. ground) and the selectively applied h.v. pulses when applied are added to the sustaining voltages from sources VSR, VSC, the panel being adapted to be connected to low voltage D.C. sources EPR, EPC, the low voltage potential floating w.r.t. the sustaining potential, a selector circuit 30, 31 carried by the panel having logic elements for selecting row and column conductors and initiating application of the h.v. pulses, the low voltage D.C. source being the sole source of operating potential of the selector circuit and a coupling means for isolatingly coupling a data source signal to the selector circuit. The binary data source isolation may include transformers TX1 ..., TY1 ..., or may be photon isolation. High voltage D.C. sources E PR , E PC  driving the pulsers float on the sustaining potential, floating of logic circuits with pulser circuits enabling combination of logic control and decoding functions in the logic circuits and reduction in the number of control wires required. Source potentials are given and VSR, VSC waveform may be sinusoidal, square wave or triangular for example). Various conductor divisions are discussed and may be in groups of eight with integrated circuit packages (40-I-1) ..., (Fig. 2A, not shown), each package as in Fig. 3 (not shown). Fig. 3 includes two or more integrated chips (50), (51) with inputs from E8 to E18 conductors in edge conductor array on panel edge extensions or on a separate substrate carried on the extensions, contacts being by pressure or fused by mild heat or sonic vibration, high voltage pulsers (52), AND gate logic elements (54), and inverter circuit (56) which may be eliminated for certain polarity inputs. Conductor SI-2 connects to selector logic circuitry #I (Fig. 2A). Coincidence of a pulse from row conductor SI-2 and a data pulse on one of conductors E11-E18 triggers pulser 52 producing a h.v. pulse added to the sustaining voltage on E8. A sector selection logic circuit is in Fig. 4 (not shown) including chip (63) with AND gate trees (61) functioning as binary decoders, inverters (62), strobe input (ET1) selecting one of the first 64 horizontal conductors via T7-T14 connectors to pulser circuits (40-I-1) .... Signal wires may be reduced further by a signal storage device such as an integrated shift register (not shown) for receiving data, the device being on the plate extension. Plate extensions may be on all sides with various alternating conductor groupings being disclosed as well as circuitry degrouping. Conductors need not be equally spaced, and for alphanumeric display some conductors may be eliminated, or no potentials applied to some conductors. Edge connectors E1-E18 permit slip-on or edge connectors as in printed circuit boards. In Fig. 2B (not shown) logic circuit (60), pulser packages and edge conductor array are on printed circuit board CB on the plate extensions. An edge of board CB may extend to facilitate connector strip connection. Also row and column conductors may extend to the edges of the plate extensions to connect with a separated board CB by edge connectors. Panel dimensions, discharge gap to conductor spacing and gas compositions are disclosed. Inputs may be from computer, teletype unit or telephone line. Reference is made to Specifications 1,315,375 and 1,327,598.