Abstract: A first signal line for supplying a potential to one terminal of a capacitive load, a first switch element for supplying a first potential to the first signal line, a first drive circuit for driving the first switch element, and a second signal line for supplying a second potential different from the aforesaid first potential to the one terminal of the capacitive load are included. A first capacitor is capable of supplying a lower potential than the first and the third potentials to the first signal line. A coil circuit is connected between the first signal line or the second signal line and a supply line for supplying the third potential. A floating power supply circuit supplies power supply voltage with a potential of the first signal line as a reference to the first drive circuit.

Abstract: There is provided a plasma display device capable of high luminous efficacy and stable driving for displaying images at various image display load factors. The plasma display device performs the sustain discharge for a light-emission display, and is configured to apply a sustain pulse voltage between a sustain electrode pair in a respective one of the plural discharge cells to generate a sustain discharge in a respective one of the following operating modes selected based upon use of the plasma display device: (a) generating a pre-discharge and then a main discharge; (b) generating a main discharge without a pre-discharge preceding the main discharge; and (c) switching between the mode (a) and the mode (b). The sustain voltage waveforms are used which compensate for an increase in voltage drop due to an increase in discharge current when the image display load factor is excessively increased.

Abstract: A method for driving a plasma display panel is provided in which wasteful power consumption is reduced and light emission efficiency is improved when the number of cells to be lighted is relatively small. The method includes classifying a display ratio into plural group ranges, selecting a suitable display pulse waveform for each group range, detecting the display ratio of an object to be displayed in a real display, and plural types of display pulses having different waveforms are used differently in accordance with the result of the detection. The display ratio means a ratio of the number of cells to be lighted to the number of cells of the screen.

Abstract: A signal transfer circuit in a pre-drive circuit converts the reference potential of a control signal, supplied from a drive control circuit, to the reference potential of an output element. The control signal is then amplified in a signal amplifier circuit and thereafter supplied to the output element. This makes it possible to isolate the reference potential and transfer the control signal to the output element even when the reference potentials of the drive control circuit and the control signal are different from that of the output element. The drive control circuit can also be prevented from being affected by variations in potential of the output element or the like.

Abstract: A driving apparatus comprises switches SW1 to Sw3, a first signal line OUTA, and a second signal line OUTB. By ON/OFF control of the switches SW1 to Sw3, the voltage of the first signal line OUTA is changed between a positive voltage (+1/2V) level, which is smaller than a voltage V to be applied to a load 20, and the ground level, and the voltage of the second signal line OUTB is changed between the ground level and a negative voltage (−1/2V). By ON/OFF control of switches SW4 and SW5, the positive and negative voltages given by the first and second signal lines are selectively applied to the load 20. The maximum voltage applied to each element in the driving apparatus can be thereby lowered to the voltage (1/2V), which is smaller than the voltage V to be applied to the load 20. This makes it possible to hold down the breakdown voltage of each element to half the conventional value.

Abstract: A predrive circuit, a drive circuit and a display device which are capable of driving output elements so as to transmit control signals stably even when reference potentials generated on the output elements side turn to high voltage. A first level shift circuit outputs a flow signal which is an input signal according to a first level shift potential. A second level shift circuit outputs a flow signal which is the flow signal output from the first level shift circuit, according to a second reference potential. A level shift power supply circuit supplies the level shift potential based on a prescribed power supply voltage and the second reference potential to the first level shift circuit and the second level shift circuit.

Abstract: A method for driving a plasma display panel applies, within a subfield among the n subfields, a narrow-width pulse having a pulse width equal to or less than 2 &mgr;s to first electrodes in order to cause an erase discharge while terminating a discharge caused between the first and second electrodes, and applies a voltage pulse to third electrodes so that the voltage pulse falls at the same time as the narrow-width pulse falls.

Abstract: A signal transfer circuit in a pre-drive circuit converts the reference potential of a control signal, supplied from a drive control circuit, to the reference potential of an output element. The control signal is then amplified in a signal amplifier circuit and thereafter supplied to the output element. This makes it possible to isolate the reference potential and transfer the control signal to the output element even when the reference potentials of the drive control circuit and the control signal are different from that of the output element. The drive control circuit can also be prevented from being affected by variations in potential of the output element or the like.

Abstract: A ramp waveform generation circuit for generating a ramp waveform to be applied to a capacitive load serving as a display element is connected between the ground and a signal line for supplying a high-level voltage generated by a power supply circuit for generating a voltage to be applied to the capacitive load, thereby operating the ramp waveform generation circuit with reference to the ground potential. Hence, without using a plurality of power supply circuits or a signal transmission circuit for converting the reference potential of a control signal for the ramp waveform generation circuit, a stable ramp waveform can be output with a simple circuit arrangement.

Abstract: A PDP not posing the problem that previous display data appears at the time of activation, and a wave generating circuit capable of generating a complex wave without the necessity of expanding a quantity of ROM data and of increasing a reading speed have been disclosed. A plasma display panel display comprising a plasma display panel that includes a plurality of cells to be selectively discharged to glow, a reset unit for bringing the plurality of cells to a given state, an addressing unit for setting the plurality of cells to states associated with display data, and a sustaining discharge unit for enabling the plurality of cells to glow according to the set states further comprises an operation halt factor detector for detecting the fact that a factor of halting the operation of the plasma display panel has occurred, and an initialization unit that when it is detected that the operation halt factor has occurred, initializes memory information in the plasma display panel.

Abstract: A method of driving a plasma display is disclosed, in which the deterioration of the display quality which otherwise might be caused by the light emission due to a reset pulse is prevented thereby to improve the display quality. The voltage of the reset pulse is set taking the voltage due to the accumulated charge into consideration in accordance with a specific display. In this way, the self-erasure discharge is not caused in all the cells but only in the cells involved in display. The display brightness is set also for the self-erasure discharge as a discharge involved in display like the sustaining discharge.

Abstract: A PDP not posing the problem that previous display data appears at the time of activation, and a wave generating circuit capable of generating a complex wave without the necessity of expanding a quantity of ROM data and of increasing a reading speed have been disclosed. A plasma display panel display comprising a plasma display panel that includes a plurality of cells to be selectively discharged to glow, a reset unit for bringing the plurality of cells to a given state, an addressing unit for setting the plurality of cells to states associated with display data, and a sustaining discharge unit for enabling the plurality of cells to glow according to the set states further comprises an operation halt factor detector for detecting the fact that a factor of halting the operation of the plasma display panel has occurred, and an initialization unit that when it is detected that the operation halt factor has occurred, initializes memory information in the plasma display panel.

Abstract: A power supply which inputs a first direct-current voltage from the outside and outputs a high direct-current voltage to a plasma display panel. The power supply connects the input direct-current voltage to a positive polarity side of a first capacitor of a plurality of N capacitors connected in series to each other and connects a negative polarity side of the first capacitor to a ground (step 1); connects the input direct-current voltage to a positive polarity side of an Mth capacitor of the N capacitors and connects a negative polarity side of the Mth capacitor to the ground (step 2); repeats step 2 for M=2 to N (step 3); and outputs a voltage of the positive polarity side of the first capacitor to the plasma display panel (step 4).

Abstract: An article disposition apparatus capable of disposing articles such as ICs at any arbitrary disposition pitch by a simple arrangement in a time efficient manner. The article disposition apparatus according to the present invention comprises a stainless steel belt for transferring articles, a sensor for sensing the passing of the articles transferred by the stainless steel belt, a plurality of adsorption devices disposed each other at a predetermined pitch in the direction of transfer carried out by the stainless steel belt for holding the articles transferred by the stainless steel belt, respectively, and a control circuit for controlling a plurality of the adsorption devices so that the articles being transferred are held by a plurality of the adsorption devices in response to the passing of the articles sensed by the sensor.

Abstract: There are disclosed a method of delivering pictorial image data per each color obtained by applying color resolution to a manuscript using a color scanner to a sublimation transfer printer to effect a transfer from a sublimation transfer sheet to an image-receiving sheet, thus to make a hard copy of a color image, and a device for implementing such a method. The image data comprises three primary data of cyan, magenta and yellow and black data calculated from the three primary data. Data obtained by applying color and gradation corrections to the four color data are delivered to the sublimation transfer printer. The sublimation transfer sheet is provided with a transfer ink layer of four colors of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. By the operation of the sublimation transfer printer, the ink of each transfer ink layer is transferred onto the image-receiving paper, thus to make a hard copy.

Abstract: There are disclosed a method of delivering pictorial image data per each color obtained by applying color resolution to a manuscript using a color scanner to a sublimation transfer printer to effect a transfer from a sublimation transfer sheet to an image-receiving sheet, thus to make a hard copy of a color image, and a device for implementing such a method. The image data comprises three primary data of cyan, magenta and yellow and black data calculated from the three primary data. Data obtained by applying color and gradation corrections to the four color data are delivered to the sublimation transfer printer. The sublimation transfer sheet is provided with a transfer ink layer of four colors of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. By the operation of the sublimation transfer printer, the ink of each transfer ink layer is transferred onto the image-receiving paper, thus to make a hard copy.

Abstract: A humidity detector which is disclosed herein includes a humidity sensing element consisting of a heating resistance wire coil and a humidity sensing portion of a metal oxide or metal oxides sintered on the coil with the opposite ends of the coil being exposed, a heating circuit for energizing the coil to increase the temperature of the humidity sensing portion to a level higher than the temperature in a measuring atmosphere, and a resistance variation detecting circuit for detecting the variation in resistance between the opposite ends of the coil depending upon the humidity contained in the measuring atmosphere. The metal oxide may be Al2O3 or a mixture of Al2O3 with at least one selected from the group consisting of SnO2, ZnO, TiO2 and MgO.