AC plasma gas discharge gray scale graphic, including color and video display drive system

TLDR: In this paper, a novel drive system is described for AC plasma (ACP) gas discharge flat bistable matrix panels on which real-time video and computer graphics, both with pixel by pixel gray scale are displayed.

Abstract: A novel drive system is described for AC plasma (ACP) gas discharge flat bistable matrix panels on which real-time video and computer graphics, both with pixel by pixel gray scale are displayed. The drive scheme increases scan speed, reduces complexity and minimizes circuitry required to operate the video and computer graphics gray scale images on the ACP display through: a) unique application of standard high density memory IC architecture, and b) unique panel drive waveform technique. Flicker is avoided with an interlaced framerate of 46 Hz and non-sequential pixel row scanning. The unique panel drive scheme allows high speed operation to avoid flicker in the ACP panel for real time gray scale video and graphic images. Because of the high speed addressing requirements, the panel waveform techniques apply all of the drive voltages to the ACP panel from the row (Y) axis and only selective cancellation voltage from the column (X) axis. This technique results in ground based data transfer from the memory circuits to the column driver ICs, and eliminates significant level shifting through multiple parallel isolation circuits such as transformers or optical couplers. Avoidance of isolation circuits in the X-axis allows higher speed transfer of data into column drivers. The panel addressing requirements for pixel-by-pixel gray scale is minimized through geometric accumulation of pixel on-time per frame. At least 64 levels of gray scale are provided in standard neon ACP displays with pixel rows of 256, 480 and 512, for example.