A front glass substrate and a back glass substrate are disposed, confronting each other to interpose a certain space therebetween. A discharge gas is enclosed within the space. The space is divided into a plural of display cells and a plural of priming discharge cells. Display data write and sustaining discharges for displaying an image are caused in display cells by priming effects from priming discharge cells. Display cell electrodes control discharges at display cells. A pair of priming discharge electrodes for causing discharges in priming discharge cells is provided independently of display cell electrodes, and is driven independently of display cells. The priming discharge cells are independently of display cells with respect to structure and driving control, and may discharge preliminarily by a sine wave driving method using a low drive frequency.
This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/288,499 (Confirmation Number not yet assigned) filed Apr. 8, 1999, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
A method of driving a plasma display panel including a plurality of priming electrodes. The pulse width of scan pulses applied to some of a plurality of scan electrodes in which writing is performed and priming discharge is caused with the scanning of the scan electrodes is larger than the pulse width of scan pulses applied to the other scan electrodes in which writing is performed but no priming discharge is caused with the scanning of the scan electrodes.
A front substrate contains a plurality of scan electrodes and sustain electrodes. Two strips of scan electrodes and two strips of sustain electrodes are alternately disposed on the substrate. In addition, a plurality of auxiliary scan electrodes is disposed on the front substrate so as to be parallel to the scan electrodes. On the back substrate, a plurality of priming electrodes is disposed parallel to the scan electrodes. Each auxiliary scan electrode has electrical connections to the scan electrode that performs scanning earlier than the scan electrode adjacent to each auxiliary scan electrode. With the structure above, a priming discharge occurs between the auxiliary scan electrodes and the priming electrodes.
The initializing period of at least one of a plurality of sub-fields constituting one field is a selective initializing period for selectively initializing discharge cells in which a sustain discharge has occurred in the sustaining period of the preceding sub-field. In the sustaining period of the sub-field prior to the sub-field including the selective initializing period, voltage Vr is applied to a priming electrode (PRi) for causing a discharge between the priming electrode (PRi) and corresponding scan electrode (SCi) using the priming electrode (PRi) as a cathode.
The invention is a plasma display panel capable of stabilizing the addressing characteristics. A barrier rib is formed by longitudinal barrier ribs portion orthogonal to the scan electrodes and sustain electrodes on the front substrate, and side barrier rib portions crossing with these longitudinal barrier rib portions, to form cell spaces and form interstice portions between the cell spaces, and priming electrodes for producing a discharge between the front substrate and the rear substrate within the interstice portions are formed. Stable priming discharge is produced with certainty by the scan electrode and the priming electrode, hence decreasing the discharge time lag at the time of addressing and stabilizing the addressing characteristics.
A method drives a plasma display panel including priming electrodes. In the writing period of a sub-field, prior to the scanning of respective scan electrodes, priming discharge is caused between the scan electrodes and the priming electrodes. The time interval between the application of voltage to the priming electrodes for causing the priming discharge and the scanning of the corresponding scan electrodes is set within 10 .mu.s.
