Abstract: A method for driving an AC type surface-discharge display device having cells arranged in a matrix. Each cell has at least three electrodes including a pair of main electrodes and on every line of the matrix and an address electrode on every column of the matrix. The method includes conducting an address preparation period including applying a first charge adjusting voltage, monotonously rising or falling, to a gap between the main electrodes. The method also includes applying a charge adjusting voltage, monotonously rising or falling, to a gap between a scan electrode and the address electrode.

Abstract: A gas-discharge tube has a glass tube as its main body and a trench is provided in the axial direction of the glass tube on one surface (the surface opposed to the discharge surface) among the external surfaces of the glass tube. An address electrode is placed in the trench. The inner surface of the region of the glass tube where sustain electrodes are placed is formed to have a microscopic unevenness. A secondary electron emission film is formed on this inner surface where the unevenness is formed. In addition, a phosphor support member, whose cross section across the axis is in approximately a C-shape and where a phosphor layer has been formed in advance on the inner surface, is placed inside of the glass tube. Stable discharge characteristics is obtained by eliminating dispersion of the position of an electrode, relative to the gas-discharge tube.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an image display device that includes a display screen where subpixels emitting colored light of each color are arranged cyclically so as to repeat every predetermined display pixel pitch at least in a predetermined rotation arrangement direction and displays images on the display screen. The image display device displays images based on image data having a resolution higher than a resolution determined by the display pixel pitch after minimizing color differences from colors expressed by the image data. A weighting operation is performed which corresponds to a state where each data point is arranged not to overlap with the center of each subpixel to calculate data corresponding to each subpixel.

Abstract: In an AC-driven gas discharge display device and especially a plasma tube array type, a return path is provided for alternate discharge current flowing between X and Y driver circuits. The AC-driven gas discharge display device comprises a front-side, transparent substrate and a rear-side substrate sandwiching therebetween a plurality of thin discharge tubes arranged side by side; a plurality of pairs of display electrodes on an inner surface of the front-side substrate; and a plurality of address electrodes, in a direction transverse to the plurality of display electrodes, the rear-side substrate on an inner surface. Striped light-blocking, electrically conductive films are disposed on an outer surface of the front-side substrate at locations between respective ones of the pairs of display electrodes and coupled at their opposite ends to respective points of a common reference potential in the X- and Y-electrode driver circuits, respectively, to provide a return path for alternate discharge current.

Abstract: In order to reduce aliasing as much as possible in a display apparatus that has a delta arrangement type screen, an image filter for performing a neighborhood operation is incorporated as a previous stage of a screen driving circuit. The image filter realizes low pass filtering including space frequency limitation in the diagonal direction that is suitable for a display on the delta arrangement type screen. Coefficients that constitute the filter matrix are optimized so that frequency components that exceed a Nyquist limit in the delta arrangement are suppressed. Coefficients that give optimal filter characteristics for any scale of filter matrix are defined by an expression.

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: According to the present invention, there is provided a method for forming a metal oxide film comprising, when a metal oxide film is formed by conducting a thermal treatment on a coating film containing an organic metal compound formed on an inner wall of a tube, performing an ultraviolet irradiation treatment or an ozone treatment on the coating film prior to or simultaneously with the thermal treatment.

Abstract: A light-emitting tube array display device includes a light-emitting tube array constituted of a plurality of light-emitting tubes arranged in parallel with discharge gas filled therein, a light-transmitting supporter abutting the display surface side of the light-emitting tube array for supporting the light-emitting tube array and having electrodes formed on its surface facing the light-emitting tube array for applying a voltage to the light-emitting tubes, and a light-transmitting adhesive layer formed between the supporter and the light-emitting tube array. The adhesive layer has a refractive index equal to or higher than that of a tube body of the light-emitting tube and the supporter has a refractive index equal to or higher than that of the adhesive layer.

Abstract: In order to realize a display having good contrast and stable addressing by using a gas discharge display device having a screen of a three-electrode surface discharge structure having a characteristics that a counter discharge start voltage is higher than a surface discharge start voltage, prior to starting of initialization of an electrified state as canceling of setting of addressing that was performed last, positive charge is formed between opposed electrodes so that a discharge can be generated easily in the addressing after the initialization, and the initialization is performed so that the formed positive charge does not vanish.

Abstract: A plurality of arc tubes are arranged in parallel with the long side of a rectangular screen, a plurality of first electrodes and second electrodes are arranged on the display surface side of the arc tube array in the direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the arc tubes, and a plurality of third electrodes are arranged on the back side of the arc tube array along the longitudinal direction of the arc tubes. At the time of screen display, the third electrodes are used as scan electrodes and a scan voltage is applied sequentially to the plurality of third electrodes. In the meantime, a voltage is applied to a desired first electrode or second electrode so that discharge takes place in a desired light-emitting cell and a light-emitting cell is selected. Thereafter, display discharge takes place between the adjacent first electrode and second electrode thus performing display.

Abstract: The present invention provides an array display apparatus in which multiple light-emitting tubes each having a fluorescent substance layer inside are aligned and a discharge is generated within these multiple light-emitting tubes, whereby the fluorescent substance layers within the light-emitting tubes are caused to emit light thereby to display an image. The array display apparatus displays an image of uniform luminance irrespective of the planar shape of a display surface when image data representing a uniform image is inputted.

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 a plasma display panel is provided in which a time necessary for an addressing process is shortened without using any special driving component. The method comprises an addressing process that includes the steps of setting light emission operation of the cells of a display of one screen, starting j-th row selection at a point during (j-1)th row selection, and changing the data electrodes from a control state corresponding to display data of the (j-1)th row to a control state corresponding to display data of the j-th row during a period in which the (j-1)th row selection and the j-th row selection are overlapped with each other.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of driving a gas discharge display apparatus for displaying gray-scale display levels finer than those achieved by the conventional methods, and also to provide a gas discharge display apparatus with a driver capable of performing such a driving method. An opposed discharge between the sustaining electrode and the address electrode in addition to the conventional surface discharge is generated for the light emission from the fluorescent material in light emitting tubes. The method and the apparatus effect improvements in finer gray-scale display levels than those by the conventional methods.

Abstract: A return path is efficiently and advantageously provided for alternate discharge current flowing between X and Y driver circuits arranged on right and left sides of an AC-driven gas discharge display device of especially a plasma tube array type. The AC-driven gas discharge display device comprises a front-side, transparent substrate and a rear-side substrate sandwiching a plurality of thin discharge tubes arranged side by side. The front-side substrate has, on an inner surface thereof, a plurality of pairs of display electrode. The rear-side substrate has, on an inner surface thereof, a plurality of address electrodes in a direction transverse to the plurality of display electrodes. In the display device, striped light-blocking, electrically conductive films are formed on an outer surface of the front-side substrate at locations corresponding to locations between respective ones of the pairs of display electrode.

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 light-emitting discharge tube in which an outer wall surface of a glass tube is made less susceptible to flaws by forming a protective film on the outer wall surface of the glass tube, a method of fabricating the light-emitting discharge tube, and a protective film forming apparatus are provided. The light-emitting discharge tube defines light-emitting discharge regions by a plurality of external electrodes. The outer wall surface of the light-emitting discharge tube (the glass tube) is coated with the protective film (a metal film, a conductive metal oxide film, an insulating metal oxide film, or an organic film).

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: A method for forming a coating film on an internal surface of an elongated tube, includes longitudinally holding the elongated tube, applying a coating solution to the internal surface of the elongated tube; and drying the coating solution while carrying out a heat process for sequentially heating the elongated tube by using a heat source. The heat process includes adjusting the descending rate of the heat source so that a through-hole in the elongated tube is clogged with the coating solution whose viscosity is reduced by heating of the heat source, and sucking the through-hole in the elongated tube from the lower side thereof so that a portion of the through-hole that is clogged with the coating solution moves downwards along the elongated tube.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a gas discharge tube 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.