Abstract: A method of measuring a gap between a mask and a substrate by providing a mask and a substrate facing each other. The mask includes an array of patterns, and a at least one window disposed between two of the patterns. Each of the patterns corresponds to a display device. The method also includes projecting an incident laser beam onto the substrate through the window of the mask and determining a gap between the mask and the substrate in a middle region of the substrate in response to first and second reflected beams. The first reflected beam is generated by the reflection of the incident laser beam by the mask, and the second reflected beam is generated by the reflection of the incident laser beam by the substrate. Determining the gap between the mask and the substrate in the middle region allows for the correction of any undesirable deflection of the mask.

Abstract: By a method of the present invention, each field is made up of at least one sub-field, a sub-field of which is made up of a preliminary discharge period, a scanning period, and a sustaining period, the preliminary discharge period of which is made up of a sustaining erasing period, a priming period, and a priming erasing period, the sustaining erasing period of which is made up of a fist sustaining erasing period and a second sustaining erasing period. Negative wall charges are formed over both a scanning electrode and a common electrode in a display cell where sustaining discharge has occurred in an immediately preceding sub-field in the first sustaining erasing period and then are adjusted so that they may have almost the same amount in the second sustaining erasing period.

Abstract: A rear substrate in a plasma display panel including a first substrate through which an image is transmitted to a viewer, and the rear substrate arranged in facing relation to the first substrate, includes (a) an electrically insulating substrate, (b) a plurality of data electrodes arranged on the substrate and spaced away from one another, (c) a plurality of partition walls formed on the substrate, and (d) a phosphor layer covering the substrate and the data electrodes therewith between adjacent partition walls, wherein at least one partition wall and another partition wall among the partition walls are joined to each other at at least one of opposite ends thereof in a length-wise direction through a curved partition wall, the another partition wall extending in the same direction as a direction in which the at least one partition wall extends.

Abstract: A method for driving an address-display separated-type AC (Alternating Current) PDP (Plasma Display Panel) is provided which is capable of having sequentially and continuously wall charges be formed sufficiently on a scanning electrode and sustaining electrode even when a width of a scanning pulse is shortened. Driving operations of a scanning driver and sustaining driver for the scanning electrode and the sustaining electrode during a pre-discharge period are the same as those employed in the conventional method. Driving operations for the scanning electrode during a scanning period are also the same as those in the conventional method except following. At ending time of a period during which a scanning pulse is applied to the scanning electrode, a potential difference obtained by superimposing a writing wall charge forming pulse on a sustaining pulse is applied for 3 ?sec to 5 ?sec.

Abstract: An AC-type plasma display panel and a method for driving the AC-type plasma display panel are provided which are capable of reducing discharge leak (crosstalk) between cells being adjacent to each other and of increasing operating range. The AC-type plasma display panel has two insulating substrates both facing each other. On one insulating substrate is formed a plurality of scanning electrodes and a plurality of sustaining electrodes. On another insulating substrate is formed a plurality of data electrodes. Each of the scanning electrodes is made up of each of bus electrodes and each of main discharge electrodes.

Abstract: The method for driving a plasma display panel having a first substrate on which a plural of first electrodes and a plural of second electrodes are placed in parallel to each other, and a second substrate on which a plural of third electrodes placed so as to face the plurality of first and second electrodes and formed in a manner that the plurality of the third electrodes is extended in a direction orthogonal to the plurality of the first and second electrodes, the method including: a step of applying a voltage having an inclined waveform which changes with time to the first or second electrode; and a step of setting time of occurrence of discharge so that, in each of the display cells, time of occurrence of facing discharge between the first or second electrode to which the voltage having the inclined waveform is applied and the third electrode comes earlier than earliest time of occurrence of surface discharge between the first and second electrodes corresponding to each other.

Abstract: A method for driving an alternating current (AC) plasma display panel is provided which is capable of making sustaining light emission inconspicuous caused by erroneous discharge during a period when supply power becomes stable even if erroneous discharge occurs due to an influence of residual charges produced at a time of starting operations of the AC plasma display panel. A driving method for one frame is changed between a period (supply power stability waiting period) required until the supply power becomes stable and a display period. Time required until a voltage becomes stable is for example 0.5 seconds to 1 second after power-ON. In a field during this period, one field is divided into a plurality of sub-fields and the number of repeated pulses is smaller during a sustaining period of each sub-field than that of repeated pulses during a sustaining period of a sub-field in the display period. For example, no sustaining pulse is fed to a scanning electrode.

Abstract: Disclosed are a video signal processing circuit, a display apparatus and a video signal processing method which can restrain superimposition of noise on video signals to be saved in a frame memory or malfunction of the frame memory. The video signal processing circuit performs subfield coding on video signals to be input and outputs the video signals to a display section. The circuit has a frame memory which temporarily saves one frame of or one field of video signals before outputting the video signals to the display section and whose memory capacity depends on the product of the quantity of bits of video signals to be input and the quantity of display cells of the display section.

Abstract: A plasma display panel including a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix, wherein each of the cells includes (a) a scanning electrode having partial cutout, (b) a sustaining electrode having partial cutout, spaced away from the scanning electrode by a discharge gap in mirror-symmetry with a centerline of the discharge gap extending in a first direction, (c) a first trace electrode extending in the first direction on the opposite side of the scanning electrode about the discharge gap such that the first trace electrode makes electrical contact with the scanning electrode and further with a scanning electrode of an adjacent cell, and (d) a second trace electrode extending in the first direction on the opposite side of the sustaining electrode about the discharge gap such that the second trace electrode makes electrical contact with the sustaining electrode and further with a sustaining electrode of an adjacent cell.

Abstract: A plasma display panel is provided which is capable of improving efficiency of light emission and of achieving a stable operation with a driving margin being kept wide by keeping a discharge initiating voltage low and by maintaining an erroneous discharge voltage high. Each of first electrode portions of transparent electrodes formed on a first substrate forms a clearance being smaller than a width of each of partition walls on each of the partition walls formed between discharge cells being adjacent to each other in a row direction on a screen. Each of second electrode portions is formed apart from each of the partition walls. Each of third electrode portions is so constructed that its width in the row direction on the screen is smaller than that of each of second electrode portions.

Abstract: A method for driving a surface-discharge AC (alternating current)-type PDP (Plasma Display Panel) is provided which is capable of shortening a scanning period by securing a wide range in which a voltage to induce sustaining discharge can be set without causing flicker to occur and without causing black luminance to be increased. A sub-field is made up of a resetting period, a scanning period, a wall charge forming period, and a sustaining period. During the scanning period, time interval between scanning pulses is shortened. During the wall charge forming period, each of common electrodes and data electrodes is made to be at a ground potential and a wall charge forming pulse having a same potential as that of a scanning pulse is applied to all scanning electrodes. The time interval between wall charge forming pulses is for example 3 &mgr;sec to 50 &mgr;sec. This causes space charges being left in a display cell to be attracted on each of electrodes, whereby wall charges build up.