Patent ID: 7446734

Claim:
A method of driving a plasma display panel, the plasma display panel including discharge cells, each of the discharge cells formed at an intersection of a scan electrode and a sustain electrode, and a data electrode, the method comprising: dividing one field period into a plurality of sub-fields, each sub-field having an initializing period, writing period, and sustaining period; in the initializing periods of the plurality of sub-fields, performing one of all-cell initializing operation and selective initializing operation, wherein, the all-cell initializing operation causes initializing discharge by applying a slowly ascending voltage from voltage Vp below discharge starting voltage toward voltage Vr exceeding the discharge starting voltage to the scan electrodes of all discharge cells for displaying an image, and applying a slowly descending voltage from voltage Vg smaller than the voltage Vr to voltage Va to the scan electrodes and, the selective initializing operation selectively causes initializing discharge only in the discharge cells subjected to sustaining discharge in the preceding sub-field by applying a slowly descending voltage from voltage Vq to voltage Va to the scan electrodes; and during the initializing period of initializing all cells, holding the sustain electrodes at 0 (V) and holding the data electrodes at positive voltage Vx, and causing initializing discharge between the scan electrodes and the sustain electrodes when applying the slowly ascending voltage from voltage Vp below discharge starting voltage toward voltage Vr exceeding the discharge starting voltage to the scan electrodes, and holding the sustain electrodes at positive voltage Vh and holding the data electrodes at 0 (V), and causing second initializing discharge between the scan electrodes, the sustain electrodes and the data electrodes when applying the slowly descending voltage from voltage Vg to voltage Va to the scan electrodes.