Abstract: A display device (10) includes: a scan drive circuit (74) operating to apply scan voltages to respective ones of the display electrodes (2, Y1-Yn) during a first period of time, and apply sustain voltage pulses to the ones of the display electrodes (2, Y1-Yn) during a second period of time; a sustain voltage circuit (64) applying a potential for a sustain voltage pulse between two inputs of said scan drive circuit through two respective signal lines (SU, SD) during said second period of time; a switch (SW1) short-circuiting the two input terminals of said scan drive circuit during said second period of time; and a switch control circuit (604) causing said short-circuiting switch to operate. The switch control circuit provides a control signal (SW_CTRL) to operate said short-circuiting switch so as to short-circuit the two input terminals during said second period of time.

Abstract: A color display device (10) includes: a plurality of gas discharge tubes disposed side by side, the gas discharge tubes having phosphor layers (4R, 4G, 4B) of different materials for respective colors disposed therein and containing discharge gas therein, the gas discharge tubes each having a plurality of light-emitting points disposed along the length thereof; a plurality of display electrodes disposed on display-side surfaces of the gas discharge tubes; and a plurality of signal electrodes (3) disposed on the rear sides of the respective gas discharge tubes. The discharge gas in each of the plurality of gas discharge tubes comprises a mixture of a plurality of different gases. The gas discharge tubes including respective different materials for the phosphor layers have respective different compositions of the plurality of different gases. Each composition of the plurality of different gases has such respective partial pressure ratios as to raise a color temperature.

Abstract: An address pulse width is reduced, so that a display period for driving a plasma display panel (PDP) can be made longer. The PDP comprises cells, each cell having parallel first and second electrodes covered with dielectric and a third electrode disposed in a direction crossing the first and second electrodes. A method of driving the PDP comprises addressing ones of the cells to be illuminated for displaying. The addressing comprises effecting an operation of producing wall charges having the same polarity on the dielectric layers over the first and second electrodes before an operation of producing discharge between the second and third electrodes for addressing, so that the discharge for addressing occurs only between the second and third electrodes.

Abstract: A sustain voltage applying circuit includes a circuit having a sustain pulse generating circuit for generating a sustain pulse of a predetermined waveform and an offset pulse generating circuit for generating an offset pulse higher in peak value than the sustain pulse, the sustain pulse generating circuit and the offset pulse generating circuit being connected in parallel, the offset pulse generating circuit including a first voltage source, a first switching circuit, an inductance component for generating a resonance voltage for the offset pulse generation, and a forward diode for permitting a current supplied to the display electrodes to flow forward so that the resonance voltage is maintained at a higher voltage level than a voltage level of a sustain voltage for a predetermined period of time, the sustain pulse generating circuit including a second voltage and a second switching circuit.

Abstract: A light emitting tube array drivable in an ADS subfield mode wherein a fluorescent material layer is arranged on an inner wall of each light emitting tube sandwiched between a front substrate and a rear substrate, a discharge gas is airtightly put therein, and a plurality of electrodes formed for generating discharge in the light emitting tube are formed on the front substrate and the rear substrate has a problem that a discharge error is caused so that its cells wherein light emission should be caused do not emit light since the volume of its discharge spaces is extremely larger than that in plasma display panels or since the discharge spaces are partitioned by the light emitting tubes.

Abstract: A gas discharge tube is manufactured by closing an opening of a glass tube by forming a glass layer with outer peripheral shape identical to the outer peripheral shape of the glass tube on an end face of the glass tube. An open end face (opening) of the glass tube is pressure-welded to a dry film containing a low melting point glass powder and a binder resin, and then the glass tube is lifted up to transfer the dry film for closing the opening to the end face of the glass tube. A phosphor support member is inserted into the glass tube from a side opposite to the end face and then an end of the phosphor support member is caused to adhere to the dry film. The binder resin is burnt off, and the dry film is vitrified to produce a low melting point glass layer.

Abstract: An address pulse width is reduced so that a display period for driving a plasma display panel (PDP) can be made longer. The PDP comprises cells, each cell having first and second electrodes covered with dielectric and a third electrode covered with dielectric disposed in a direction crossing the first and second electrodes. A method of driving the PDP comprises addressing ones of the cells to be illuminated for displaying, by applying, between the second and third electrodes of the respective cells to be illuminated, a preparatory address pulse having a pulse width that produces no discharge, and by subsequently applying therebetween main address pulses, each main address pulse having a pulse width that produces discharge.

Abstract: A method for driving a plasma display panel having at least three electrodes. The method includes applying a first pulse having a voltage changing with time in a positive direction and a second pulse having a voltage changing with time in a negative direction to a second main electrode in an address preparation period. The method also includes applying a scan pulse to the second main electrode in an address period. The method also includes at least one of the first and second pulses in the address preparation period has a stepwise waveform whose voltage rise or fall stepwise.

Abstract: In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a color display device (10) includes a plurality of gas discharge tubes disposed side by side. The gas discharge tubes have respective phosphor layers (4R, 4G, 4B) of different materials for different colors disposed therein and containing discharge gas therein. Each of the gas discharge tubes has a plurality of light-emitting points disposed along the length thereof. The color display device further includes a plurality of display electrodes disposed on the display screen side of the gas discharge tubes, and a plurality of signal electrodes (3) disposed on the rear side of the gas discharge tubes. Voltage control layers (6R, 6G, 6B) are disposed between the phosphor layers and the signal electrodes. The voltage control layers are made of materials which change firing voltages applied between the display electrodes and the signal electrodes.

Abstract: A color display device (10) includes: a plurality of gas discharge tubes disposed side by side, the gas discharge tubes having phosphor layers (4R, 4G, 4B) of different materials for respective colors disposed therein and containing discharge gas therein, the gas discharge tubes each having a plurality of light-emitting points disposed along the length thereof; a plurality of display electrodes disposed on display-side surfaces of the gas discharge tubes; and a plurality of signal electrodes (3) disposed on the rear sides of the respective gas discharge tubes. Those ones of the gas discharge tubes which include a same, particular material in the phosphor layers (4R, 4G, 4B) thereof have voltage adjusting layers (6R, 6B) disposed between rear surfaces and the signal electrodes thereof. The voltage adjusting layers are made of a material which adjusts a firing voltage for discharge between the display electrodes and the signal electrodes.

Abstract: A display device (10) includes a plurality of gas discharge tubes (11R, 11G, 11B, . . . ) sandwiched between a front support plate (31) and a plurality of rear support plates (321, 322, . . . 328). The display device further includes: a plurality of display electrodes (2) formed on a surface of the front support plate facing the plurality of gas discharge tubes to extend across tube axes of the plurality of gas discharge tubes; a plurality of signal electrodes (3) formed on surfaces of the plurality of rear support plates facing the plurality of gas discharge tubes to extend along the longitudinal direction of the plurality of gas discharge tubes. Another rear support plate (330) for supporting the plurality of rear support plates is disposed on surfaces of the plurality of rear support plates opposite to the surfaces facing the plurality of gas discharge tubes.

Abstract: A gas discharge tube includes a thin tube having a discharge space therein and an electron emissive coating formed within the thin tube. The thin tube has a display surface on which a pair of display electrodes is adapted to be disposed, and has a rear surface on which a signal electrode is adapted to be disposed. A surface portion facing toward the display surface is formed within the thin tube at a location nearer to the display surface from the midway between the display and rear surfaces. An electron emissive coating is formed on the surface portion. Thus the gas discharge tube can reduce its firing voltage without lowering the light-emission efficiency.

Abstract: A display device (12) has a display screen, the display screen comprising a plurality of gas discharge tubes (20R, 20G, 20B, . . . 28R, 28G, 28B) disposed side by side. Each of the gas discharge tubes includes a phosphor layer (4) formed therein and also includes a discharge gas contained therein. Each gas discharge tube has a plurality of light-emitting points. Each of the plurality of gas discharge tubes (20R, 20G, 20B, . . . 28R, 28G, 28B) is curved along the longitudinal direction thereof. The display screen is formed by combining the plurality of gas discharge tubes having different magnitudes of curvature.

Abstract: A plasma tube array according to the present invention includes plural light emitting tubes that have fluorescent material layers inside and are mutually lined up in parallel. The plasma tube array includes pairs of display electrodes that are formed along the respective fluorescent material layers. The fluorescent material layers are disposed in sequence in the longitudinal direction of the light emitting tubes.

Abstract: A plasma tube array includes a front supporting substrate, a back supporting substrate, display electrode pairs and signal electrodes, and wirings. The front supporting substrate and the back supporting substrate overlap each other, with a discharge space formed therebetween. The display electrode pairs are formed on the inner surface of the front supporting substrate. The signal electrodes are formed on the back substrate. The plasma tube array displays an image by allowing light to be emitted by applying a voltage to the signal electrodes and the display electrode pairs. The wirings are formed on an outer surface of the front supporting substrate so as to correspond respectively to the display electrodes. The wirings extend parallel to the display electrodes, and are connected to the corresponding display electrodes, respectively.

Abstract: A display device (10) including a plurality of gas discharge tubes (11R, 11G, 11B) sandwiched between a front support plate (31) and a rear support plate (32). The display device further including: a plurality of display electrodes (2) formed on a surface of the front support plate facing the gas discharge tubes to extend across the axial direction of the gas discharge tubes; and a plurality of signal electrodes (3) formed on a surface of the rear support plate facing the gas discharge tubes to extend along the longitudinal direction of the gas discharge tubes. The plurality of signal electrodes are divided into a plurality of groups (B1, B2, . . . , Ba). Each group includes a predetermined number of signal electrodes. The distance between adjacent ones of the signal electrodes in each group has a first distance. The distance between adjacent ones of said signal electrodes in each group is substantially equal to a first distance (PT).

Abstract: A plasma tube array in which a number of arc each including a phosphor layer inside are arranged. The plasma tube array displays an image by causing discharge inside the arc tubes so that the phosphor layers inside the arc tubes are allowed to emit light. This plasma tube array has a structure with which phosphor layers can be easily aligned in a predetermined direction. The plasma tube array includes alignment members, each of which is disposed at one end of a corresponding one of the arc tubes, and which regulate the postures in a rotational direction of the respective arc tubes.

Abstract: An arc tube array-type display device includes an arc tube array, a supporting member, a plurality of display electrodes, a plurality of scan electrodes, and a plurality of address electrodes. The arc tube array has a plurality of arc tubes arranged side by side. Each of the arc tubes has a discharging gas sealed therein. The supporting member supports the arc tube array. The plurality of display electrodes are arranged at an adjacent portion between the arc tubes, and generate an opposing discharge inside the arc tube by applying voltages to each of the arc tubes from both of the side faces. The plurality of scan electrodes are arranged on the display surface side of the arc tube in a stripe form in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the arc tube so as to form light-emitting areas at intersecting portions against the arc tubes. The plurality of address electrodes are used for selecting light-emitting areas arranged on the back surface side of the respective arc tubes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a plasma tube array including: plural light-emitting tubes; a front supporting member and a back supporting member which spread over the front and back of the light-emitting tubes; plural display electrode pairs provided on the surface of the front supporting member facing the light-emitting tubes; and plural signal electrodes provided on the surface of the back supporting member facing the light-emitting tubes. Each display electrode constituting the display electrode pair is a display electrode which is made of a metal thin wire, provided with plural openings formed in a distributed manner and includes a first metal thin wire facing a discharge slit and extending along the discharge slit, and the first metal thin wire is a metal thin wire thicker than a second metal thin wire which forms a region closer to a non-discharge slit side than the first metal thin wire.

Abstract: A method for driving an AC type surface-discharge display device which has cells arranged in a matrix. Each of the cells has at least three electrodes including a pair of main electrodes on every line of the matrix and an address electrode on every column of the matrix. The method includes providing an address preparation period applying a charge producing pulse and applying a charge adjusting pulse. The charge adjusting pulse has a waveform monotonously falling from a reference potential and a negative polarity and is applied to the second main electrode used as a scan electrode and generates feeble electric discharges between the first and second main electrodes. The feeble electric discharges are accompanied by a decrease of the wall voltage formed by the charge producing pulse.