Patent ID: 7133007

Claim:
A display device, comprising: an ac surface discharge type plasma display panel, comprising: pairs of display electrodes on a first substrate, the display electrodes of each pair being arranged adjacent to each other and generating surface discharges in respectively associated discharge cells, a dielectric layer covering said pairs of display electrodes, address electrodes on a second substrate selecting respective discharge cells, a phosphor layer covering said address electrodes; and a write address type drive system driving each of the electrodes of said panel, wherein said write address type drive system: a) prior to addressing the discharge cells, applies a voltage between each pair of display electrodes in all the respectively associated discharge cells, such that one electrode of each pair of display electrodes has a positive potential relatively to the other electrode of said pair of the display electrodes, and to the respective address electrode, thereby generating a surface discharge between said pair of display electrodes; and b) in conducting addressing, applies a selective voltage between one electrode of a selected pair of the display electrodes and a selected address electrode, such that said address electrode has a potential which is positive relatively to the one electrode of said selected pair of display electrodes, thereby generating a write discharge in a selected discharge cell.