Abstract: An apparatus and method for driving a plasma display panel and includes two ramp switches. The two ramp switches are used to apply a two-step falling ramp waveform to a Y electrode of the plasma display panel in a reset period, thereby lowering a withstand voltage of a switch which is formed on a main path to block the flow of current when the falling ramp waveform is applied.

Abstract: During a sustain period of a plasma display device, voltages of Vs and 0V are alternately applied to a plurality of scan electrodes. At this time, by applying Vs to a first node, a first capacitor with a first terminal coupled to the first node is charged with a first voltage. By then applying 0V to the first node, a second capacitor with a first terminal is coupled to a second node with a voltage of a second terminal of the first capacitor is charged with a second voltage. In an address period, a voltage of the second node is selectively applied to a plurality of scan electrodes. Therefore, an additional power source for supplying a voltage to selectively apply to a plurality of scan electrodes in an address period is not necessary.

Abstract: A driving method for a plasma display panel to improve brightness when the load is low is provided. The driving method of the plasma display panel includes allocating a first number of sustain pulses for driving the plasma display panel when a load of the plasma display panel exceeds a reference load. The first number of sustain pulses is allocated as a function of a power consumption of the plasma display panel. The method further includes allocating a second number of sustain pulses for driving the plasma display panel when the load is less than the reference load. The second number of sustain pulses is allocated to improve brightness.

Abstract: A method of driving a plasma display panel (PDP) capable of improving gray scale display comprises the steps of applying pulses having a first voltage to first electrodes and second electrodes during a sustain period of at least one subfield and reducing a voltage of the first electrodes to a voltage of no more than one-half of the first voltage while maintaining a voltage of the second electrode at a second voltage.

Abstract: The plasma display device includes a plurality of discharge cells, a controller, and a driver. The controller is configured to divide one frame into a plurality of subfields each having a weight value, determine a sustain number allocated to one frame according to a screen load ratio calculated based on video signals inputted for a duration of a frame, allocate the sustain number allocated for one frame to the subfields, and set a minimum sustain number allowed at each screen load ratio and a target sustain number at each screen load ratio. The driver is configured to apply sustain pulses of as many as the sustain number allocated to each subfield to the discharge cells in each subfield.

Abstract: A display panel driving apparatus that applies a rising ramp voltage in a reset period includes a first voltage applying unit outputting the first voltage, a second voltage applying unit outputting the second voltage, a first ramp switching unit coupled between the first and second voltage applying units to control the rising ramp voltage, and a first scanning switching unit coupled between the first ramp switching unit and the electrode to apply a high level scanning voltage to the electrode. The rising ramp voltage is applied to the electrode when the first voltage is output from the first voltage applying unit, the first ramp switching unit is turned on, and the first scanning switching unit is turned on. A ramp reset signal is generated without a conventional path switch that carries out a rising ramp interval in the reset period.

Abstract: A plasma display panel sustain-discharge circuit. First and second signal lines for supplying first and second voltages and at least one inductor coupled between one end of the panel capacitor and a third voltage are formed. Energy is stored in the inductor through a path formed between the third voltage and the first signal line in a state where a voltage of one end of the panel capacitor is substantially fixed to the first voltage. The voltage of one end of the panel capacitor substantially decreases to the second voltage using resonance current generated between the inductor and the panel capacitor and the stored energy. Energy is stored in the inductor through a path formed between the third voltage and the second line in a state where a voltage of one end of the panel capacitor is substantially fixed to the second voltage.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for driving a plasma display panel. In an idle period, a lowest voltage is applied to each circuit of a driving board of a plasma display panel so that a bootstrap capacitor of a switch driving circuit may enter a chargeable state. Therefore, it is possible not only to make the capacity of the bootstrap capacitor of each circuit small, but also to effectively prevent an abnormal discharge or an abnormal operation of each circuit when an abnormal image is inputted.

Abstract: A PDP having a driving circuit that reduces the reset voltage of the PDP driving waveforms to make it possible to use low-voltage elements and to achieve high contrasts is disclosed. Since conventional PDP waveforms require very high reset voltages, it causes a problem of intense background light emissions, low contrasts, use of high-voltage components, and increased circuit costs. According to the driving waveforms of the present invention, relative voltage differences between the address electrode and the X electrode and between the X electrode and the Y electrode are considered to design waveforms of low reset voltages, thereby providing high contrasts and low-cost circuit.

Abstract: A plasma display includes a plurality of first electrodes divided into at least two groups. In the plasma display, first group cells corresponding to first electrodes of the first group are initialized, and light emitting cells are selected from the first group cells to be sustain-discharged. In addition, second group cells corresponding to the first electrodes of the second group are initialized, and light emitting cells are selected from the second group cells to be sustain-discharged.

Abstract: In driving a Plasma Display Panel (PDP), when a driving operation moves from an address period to a sustain period, low-voltage driving switches of all of the scan ICs are turned on at the same time after the drain voltage and source voltage of each of them are made equal via a power recovery circuit under the condition that the outputs of the scan ICs are floating. Therefore, when the switches are turned on, no current flows therethrough, thereby making it possible to solve instability of a driving circuit and noise and EMI therein.

Abstract: In a plasma display device, a second terminal of a first transistor, whose first terminal is connected to an electrode, is connected to a power source for supplying a first voltage. A first driver is adapted to drive the first transistor to change the voltage of the electrode, and a second driver adapted to sustain the voltage of the electrode substantially at a second voltage differing from the first voltage by intercepting a path between the first transistor and the power source when the voltage of the electrode is changed into the second voltage in a first period, and to change the voltage of the electrode substantially back to the first voltage in a second period. In this way, it is possible to supply two or more voltages having a different voltage level by one power source.

Abstract: A driving circuit and method for driving a plasma display cell array using the circuit is disclosed. The driving circuit comprises a first transistor configured to drive the cells, a first driving sub-circuit configured to turn the first transistor on, and a second driving sub-circuit configured to turn the first transistor off when the voltage driven to the cells reaches a selected value.

Abstract: During a sustain period of a plasma display device, voltages of Vs and 0V are alternately applied to a plurality of scan electrodes. At this time, by applying Vs to a first node, a first capacitor with a first terminal coupled to the first node is charged with a first voltage. By then applying 0V to the first node, a second capacitor with a first terminal is coupled to a second node with a voltage of a second terminal of the first capacitor is charged with a second voltage. In an address period, a voltage of the second node is selectively applied to a plurality of scan electrodes. Therefore, an additional power source for supplying a voltage to selectively apply to a plurality of scan electrodes in an address period is not necessary.

Abstract: A method for driving a plasma display device including first electrodes and second electrodes. In one embodiment, the plurality of first electrodes are divided into a plurality of groups including first and second groups. During a first period of a sustain period, a second voltage is applied to the first and second groups of the first electrodes while a first voltage is applied to the second electrodes, the second voltage being higher than the first voltage. During a second period of the sustain period, while the second voltage is applied to the second electrodes, the first voltage is applied to the first group of the first electrodes, and the first voltage is applied to the second group of the first electrodes a period of time after when the first voltage is initially applied to the first group of the first electrodes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a plasma display device and a driving method thereof. A second voltage higher than a first voltage is applied to second electrodes while the first voltage is applied to first electrodes during at least a portion of a wall charge compensation period occurring between a first period and a second period of an address period. A difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is smaller than that between voltages applied to the first and second electrodes in a sustain period. Further, only when temperature of the plasma display device is higher than a reference temperature, the wall charge compensation period is included. Accordingly, the wall charges lost due to high temperatures may be compensated and a stable address operation can be performed.

Abstract: A plasma display panel with a driving apparatus including an inductor of which one end is electrically connected to one end of a panel capacitor. The driving apparatus of the plasma display panel alters a terminal voltage of the panel capacitors into a second voltage by storing energy in the inductor using energy of the panel capacitor charged with a first voltage. The terminal voltage of the panel capacitor is changed into the second voltage, and thereafter, it is maintained at the second voltage by freewheeling current flowing through the inductor. In addition, the terminal voltage of the panel capacitor is changed into the first voltage using the energy stored in the inductor. The terminal voltage of the panel capacitor is maintained at the first voltage by connecting one end of the panel capacitor to a first voltage source after it is changed into the first voltage.

Abstract: A method of driving a plasma display panel that reduces the intensity of a light unit and performs a stable address discharge. Each frame includes a plurality of subfields. A sustain discharge is performed according to a grayscale weight allocated to each subfield. A first subfield having a lowest grayscale weight is divided into a reset period in which all discharge cells are initialized, and an address period in which discharge cells that are to be turned on are selected. A second subfield subsequent to the first subfield is divided into a reset period, an address period, and a sustain period in which a sustain discharge is performed according to a grayscale weight in the selected discharge cells. A low voltage level of a scan pulse applied to scan electrodes in the address periods is lower than a low voltage level of a sustain pulse applied in the sustain period.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving a plasma display panel that generates a power level to reduce manufacturing costs and pressure of circuitry elements. The plasma display panel is constructed with a plurality of electrodes. The apparatus includes a scan pulse application portion generating a scan pulse and outputting the scan pulse to first electrodes among the plurality of electrodes, a sustain pulse generation portion generating a sustain pulse, and a bootstrap portion performing a bootstrap operation using a high level and a low level of the sustain pulse, and generating a low level voltage of the scan pulse.

Abstract: A plasma display device and a driving method according to the present invention erase more wall charges formed on electrodes by controlling a voltage applied to a sustain electrode and a scan electrode during a falling period of a reset period of the next subfield as the number of sustain discharge pulses applied to the scan electrode and the sustain electrode during a sustain period of a previous subfield increases. Different waveforms may be used during the falling period of the reset period for different subfields, to vary a number of wall charges that may be erased.