KR20050045347A - Driving method of plasma display panel and plasma display device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of driving a plasma display panel and a plasma display device. In particular, in the driving method of the plasma display panel, after the address period, a plurality of sustain discharge pulses are continuously applied to the first electrode while the wall voltage of the first electrode is lower than the wall voltage of the second electrode. Then, the sustain discharge pulse is alternately applied to the first electrode and the second electrode. Then, the first electrode is floated while the sustain discharge pulse is applied to the second electrode before the plurality of sustain discharge pulses are continuously applied to the first electrode.

 In this way, even when sustain discharge does not occur at the first sustain discharge pulse voltage, the space charge is converted into wall charge and a strong discharge can be generated thereafter. Therefore, stable discharge can be generated during the sustaining period.

Description

Plasma display panel driving method and plasma display device {DRIVING METHOD OF PLASMA DISPLAY PANEL AND PLASMA DISPLAY DEVICE}

The present invention relates to a method of driving a plasma display panel and a plasma display device.

Recently, PDPs have been in the spotlight as flat panel display devices due to their high brightness, high luminous efficiency, and wide viewing angles, compared to other display devices.

A plasma display panel is a flat panel display device that displays characters or images using plasma generated by gas discharge, and tens to millions or more of pixels are arranged in a matrix form according to their size. First, the structure of the plasma display panel will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

1 is a partial perspective view of a plasma display panel, and FIG. 2 shows an electrode arrangement diagram of the plasma display panel.

As shown in FIG. 1, the plasma display panel includes two glass substrates 1 and 6 facing each other apart. On the glass substrate 1, the scan electrode 4 and the sustain electrode 5 are formed in pairs and in parallel, and the scan electrode 4 and the sustain electrode 5 are covered with the dielectric layer 2 and the protective film 3. have. A plurality of address electrodes 8 are formed on the glass substrate 6, and the address electrodes 8 are covered with the insulator layer 7. The address electrode 8 and the partition 9 are formed on the insulator layer 7 between the address electrodes 8. In addition, the phosphor 10 is formed on the surface of the insulator layer 7 and on both sides of the partition wall 9. The glass substrates 1 and 6 are disposed to face each other with the discharge space 11 therebetween so that the scan electrode 4, the address electrode 8, the sustain electrode 5, and the address electrode 8 are orthogonal to each other. The discharge space 11 at the intersection of the address electrode 8 and the paired scan electrode 4 and the sustain electrode 5 forms a discharge cell 12.

As shown in FIG. 2, the electrode of the plasma display panel has a matrix structure of n × m. The plurality of address electrodes A ₁ -A _m are arranged in the vertical direction, and the plurality of scan electrodes Y ₁ -Y _n and the storage electrodes X ₁ -X _n are arranged in pairs in the horizontal direction.

In general, a plasma display panel is driven by dividing one frame into a plurality of subfields, and gray levels are expressed by a combination of subfields. In general, each subfield includes a reset period, an address period, and a sustain period. The reset period serves to erase the wall charges formed by the previous sustain discharge and to set up the wall charges in order to stably perform the next address discharge. The address period is a period in which a wall charge is accumulated in a cell (addressed cell) that is turned on by selecting a cell that is turned on and a cell that is not turned on in the panel. The sustain period is a period in which sustain discharge is performed to actually display an image in the addressed cells.

In general, in order to implement a high-efficiency plasma display panel, the ratio of xenon (Xe) in the discharge gas is improved to increase luminous efficiency and luminance. As the ratio of xenon increases in order to increase the luminous efficiency and luminance, the driving voltage increases and thus the discharge voltage increases. In other words, as the ratio of xenon increases, a higher sustain discharge voltage is required for stable sustain discharge.

In the past, in order to stably perform the sustain discharge, the voltage and the width of the first sustain discharge pulse were made larger than the voltage and the width of the pulse of the other sustain discharge after the address period so that the discharge could be surely discharged from the address discharge. Such a drive waveform is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-134565.

However, as the ratio of xenon increases, the driving voltage increases, so that only the voltage and width of the first sustain discharge pulse are increased. Therefore, sustain discharge becomes unstable and normal display cannot be performed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above problems, and to provide a plasma display panel driving method and a plasma display device capable of increasing a driving margin by improving transition of sustain discharge in a sustain period. There is.

In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, a plasma display panel including a reset period, an address period, a sustain period, and a sustain discharge pulse is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode during the sustain period. A method is provided. The driving method includes a first method of continuously applying a plurality of sustain discharge pulses to the first electrode in the sustain period, after the address period, when the wall voltage of the first electrode is lower than the wall voltage of the second electrode. And a second step of applying the sustain discharge pulse alternately to the first electrode and the second electrode. In this case, the first electrode and the second electrode are sustain electrodes and scan electrodes, respectively. In the first step, the space charge between the first electrode and the second electrode is converted into wall charge, thereby raising the wall voltage.

Further, before the first step, the method may further include applying a sustain discharge pulse to the second electrode and simultaneously floating the first electrode.

The second step may include dividing the sustain discharge pulse applied to the first electrode and the second electrode into a plurality of groups, and a first group of the plurality of groups may be applied to the second electrode after the first step. The voltage of the at least one sustain discharge pulse belonging to the first group and applied to the second electrode may be higher than the voltage of the sustain discharge pulse belonging to the other group.

The second step may include dividing the sustain discharge pulse applied to the first electrode and the second electrode into a plurality of groups, and a first group of the plurality of groups may be applied to the second electrode after the first step. The first sustain discharge pulse may be applied, and the width of at least one sustain discharge pulse belonging to the first group and applied to the second electrode may be longer than the width of the sustain discharge pulse belonging to another group.

According to another feature of the present invention, a plasma display panel including a discharge cell formed between a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, and a reset period, an address period, and a sustain period, wherein the first electrode and the second electrode A plasma display device including a driving circuit for applying a driving voltage to an electrode and a third electrode is provided. During the sustain period, the driving circuit applies a plurality of sustain discharge pulses to the first electrode after the address period has a lower wall voltage of the first electrode than the wall voltage of the second electrode. The sustain discharge pulse is applied to the electrode and the second electrode alternately. The driving circuit may float the first electrode while applying a sustain discharge pulse to the second electrode before applying the plurality of sustain discharge pulses to the first electrode during the sustain period.

A method of driving a plasma display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail to be easily carried out by those of ordinary skill in the art with respect to embodiments of the present invention. As those skilled in the art would realize, the described embodiments may be modified in various different ways, all without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. In describing the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description is omitted.

3 is a diagram illustrating a plasma display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, a plasma display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a plasma panel 100, a controller 200, an address driver 300, a sustain electrode driver 400, and a scan electrode driver 500. do.

The plasma panel 100 includes a plurality of address electrodes A1 to Am arranged in the column direction, a plurality of sustain electrodes X1 to Xn arranged in the row direction, and scan electrodes Y1 to Yn.

The controller 200 receives an image signal from the outside and outputs an address driving control signal, a sustain electrode X driving control signal, and a scan electrode Y driving control signal.

The address driver 300 receives an address driving control signal from the controller 200 and applies a display data signal for selecting a discharge cell to be displayed to each address electrode.

The sustain electrode driver 400 receives the sustain electrode X driving control signal from the controller 200 and applies a driving voltage to the sustain (X) electrode.

The scan electrode driver 500 receives the scan electrode Y driving control signal from the controller 200 and applies a driving voltage to the scan electrode Y.

At this time, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the sustain electrode driver 400 floats the sustain electrode X when the sustain discharge pulse voltage is applied to the scan electrode Y after the address period, as will be described later. Then, a plurality of sustain discharge pulse voltages are applied to the sustain electrode X in succession. Then, the scan electrode driver 500 may apply a second sustain discharge pulse voltage greater than the voltage magnitude and width of the sustain discharge pulse normally applied during the sustain period to the scan electrode Y.

4 is a driving waveform diagram of a plasma display panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Each of the subfields in the driving waveform according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a reset period (P _r), an address period (P _a), and a sustain period (P _s). The reset period P _r consists of a rising ramp period and a falling ramp period.

The rising ramp period is a period in which wall charges are formed in the scan electrode Y, the sustain electrode X, and the address electrode A, and the falling ramp period erases some of the wall charges formed in the rising lamp period to facilitate address discharge. It is a period. An address period (P _a) is a period for selecting a discharge cell to cause sustain discharge in a sustain period of the plurality of discharge cells. Sustain period (P _s) is a period for maintaining discharge in the discharge cells selected by applying a sustain pulse in turn to the scan electrode (Y) and the sustain electrode (X) during the address period (P _a).

In the plasma display panel, a scan / hold driving circuit for applying a driving voltage to the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Y in each of the periods P _r , P _a , and P _s , and a driving voltage to the address electrode A, respectively. An address driving circuit for applying a is connected to form one display device.

4, in the rising ramp period of the reset period P _r , the ramp voltage gradually rising from the V _s voltage to the V _set voltage while maintaining the address electrode A and the sustain electrode X at 0 V is obtained. It is applied to the scan electrode Y. While this voltage rises, the first weak reset discharge occurs in each of the discharge cells from the scan electrode Y to the address electrode A and the sustain electrode X, respectively. As a result, negative wall charges are accumulated in the scan electrode Y, and positive wall charges are accumulated in the address electrode A and the sustain electrode X at the same time.

Here, the wall charge refers to a charge that is formed on the wall of the discharge cell (eg, the dielectric layer) close to each electrode and accumulates in the electrode. This wall charge is not actually in contact with the electrode itself, but here the wall charge is described as "formed", "accumulated" or "stacked" on the electrode. In addition, a wall voltage refers to the potential difference formed in the wall of a discharge cell by wall charge.

Subsequently, in the falling ramp period, a ramp voltage that gently falls from the V _s voltage to the -V _nf voltage is applied to the scan electrode Y while the sustain electrode X is maintained at the V _b2 voltage. Figure 4 but is in a higher voltage than V _s V _b2 voltage may be a voltage equal to voltage V _s. While this ramp voltage falls, the second weak reset discharge occurs again in all the discharge cells. As a result, the negative wall charges of the scan electrode Y decrease and the positive wall charges of the sustain electrode X and the address electrode A decrease.

And an address period (P _a) in the other scan electrode (Y) by a V _sch voltage applied to a state lower than the voltage -V -V _{scl nf} voltage sequentially to the scan electrode (Y) during the sustain the scan electrodes (Y) Choose. And V _scl is the negative voltage applied to the address voltage (V _a) to the address electrode (A) to form a discharge cell to be selected among the discharge cells formed by applying the scan electrode (Y). Then, the voltage applied to the address electrodes (A) (V _a) and the wall voltage due to the wall charges formed on the difference and the address electrode (A) and scan electrodes (Y) of the voltage (V _n) applied to the scan electrode (Y) This causes address discharge. In FIG. 4, the V _scl voltage was set at the same level as the V _nf voltage in the reset period. However, the V _scl voltage may be lower than the V _nf voltage of the reset period.

Next, in the sustain period P _s , a sustain pulse voltage (hereinafter referred to as sustain discharge pulse voltage) is sequentially applied to the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode X. The sustain discharge pulse is a pulse that causes the voltage difference between the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode X to alternately become a V _s voltage and a -V _s voltage. The V _s voltage is lower than the discharge start voltage between the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode X. If the address period (P _a), the wall voltage between the scan electrode (Y) and the sustain electrode (X) by the address discharge are formed on the scan electrode by the wall voltage and V _s the voltage (Y) and the sustain electrode (X) Discharge occurs at.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, even if the driving voltage increases with increasing ratio of xenon, a method for stably performing sustain discharge in the sustain period is disclosed.

Fig. In the sustain period according to the first embodiment of the present invention as shown in the fourth address period (P _a) the first sustain discharge pulse voltage to the scan electrode (Y in the sustain period (P _s) which is located immediately after the scan pulse of ) Is applied. At this time, the first sustain discharge pulse voltage of the sustain electrode X is plotted. In this way, discharge does not occur in the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode X. FIG.

Thereafter, a plurality of sustain discharge pulse voltages are continuously applied to the sustain electrode X. Next, a sustain discharge pulse voltage is applied to the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode X in turn. Then, even if the first sustain discharge does not occur in the sustain period P _s , a strong sustain discharge is generated by converting the space charge into the wall charge by a plurality of sustain discharge pulse voltages applied successively to the sustain electrode X. Can happen. Therefore, after that, even if a low sustain discharge pulse voltage is applied, the driving margin can be secured. Hereinafter, such an effect will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5C.

5A and 5C are diagrams showing the state of wall charge distribution by the drive waveform of FIG. 5A shows the wall at the time when the first sustain discharge pulse voltage is plotted on the sustain electrode X when the first sustain discharge pulse voltage V _s is applied to the scan electrode Y in the sustain period P _s . It shows the state of charge. 5B illustrates a wall charge state when a plurality of sustain discharge pulse voltages are applied to the sustain electrode X while the scan electrode Y maintains the reference voltage OV. Next, FIG. 5C illustrates the wall charge state when the sustain discharge pulse voltage V _s is applied to the scan electrode Y while the sustain electrode X maintains the reference voltage 0V.

In general, in the sustain period P _s , the voltage V _s is first applied to the scan electrode Y while the reference voltage 0 V is applied to the sustain electrode X. Then, in the discharge cell selected in the address period, the scan electrode (Y) and the sustain electrode (X) wall of the (+) of the scan electrode (Y) voltage is formed in the address period to V _s voltage between the charge and the sustain electrode (X) Since the wall voltage due to the negative wall charge of is added, the discharge start voltage is exceeded. Therefore, sustain discharge occurs between scan electrode Y and sustain electrode X. FIG.

However, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the sustain electrode X is floated while the V _s voltage is first applied to the scan electrode Y in the sustain period P _s . In this case, since the voltage V _s is applied to the scan electrode Y and no current is supplied to the sustain electrode X in the floating state while the current is flowing, the potential of the sustain electrode X is equal to the potential of the scan electrode Y. Follow the change. Therefore, even when the first sustain discharge pulse voltage is not applied to the sustain electrode X, the first sustain discharge pulse voltage may be applied to the sustain electrode X in a form. Then, since the voltage difference between the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode X becomes lower than the discharge start voltage, no discharge occurs. Therefore, the state of the wall charge is the same as the state of the wall charge formed in the address period as shown in Fig. 5A.

Next, when 0 V is applied to the scan electrode Y and a continuous V _s voltage is applied to the sustain electrode X, as shown in FIG. 5B, at the intersection of the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode X is shown. Through the space charges generated in the discharge cells formed in the discharge space, a large number of negative charges are accumulated on the sustain electrode X and a large number of positive charges are stored on the scan electrode Y.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5C, negative charges and positive charges accumulated in the front are converted into wall charges, and the positive and negative wall charges are respectively applied to the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Y, respectively. The wall charge of) is formed sufficiently. Therefore, when the reference voltage (0V) is applied to the sustain electrode (X) while the V _s voltage is applied to the scan electrode (Y), sustain discharge can be generated more easily than before.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the sustain electrode X is floated in the sustain period P _s , and then a plurality of continuous sustain discharge pulse voltages are applied to convert the space charge into wall charge. Since then, strong discharges have been generated, but may be different. Hereinafter, such an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 is a driving waveform diagram of the plasma display panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a view showing a state of wall charge distribution by the driving waveform of FIG. 6, and FIG. The wall charge state at the time when a plurality of sustain discharge pulse voltages are applied to the sustain electrode X while the reference voltage (0 V) is maintained is shown. Next, FIG. 7B illustrates the wall charge state when the first sustain discharge pulse voltage is applied to the scan electrode Y while the sustain electrode X maintains the reference voltage.

Here, the driving operation in the reset period and the address period is the same as in Fig. 4, and will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of sustain discharge pulse voltages are applied to the sustain electrode X while the scan electrode Y is maintained at the reference voltage 0V in the sustain period P _s . Then, as described above, an address discharge occurs in the discharge cell formed by the address electrode A to which the voltage V _a is applied and the scan electrode Y to which the V _sc voltage is applied in the address period, thereby scanning the scan electrode Y of the discharge cell. Positive wall charges and negative wall charges are stored in the and sustain electrodes X, respectively. When a plurality of continuous sustain discharge pulse voltages are applied to the sustain electrode X in this state, sustain discharge does not occur and discharge at the intersection of the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode X as shown in Fig. 7A. Through the space charges generated in the discharge cells formed in the space, a large number of negative charges are accumulated on the sustain electrode X and a large number of positive charges are stored on the scan electrode Y. As the plurality of space charges thus accumulated are converted into wall charges, more (+) wall charges and (-) wall charges are formed on the scan electrode (Y) and the sustain electrode (X).

Thereafter, the first sustain discharge pulse voltage, V _s , is applied to the scan electrode Y while the scan electrode Y is maintained at the reference voltage 0V. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, the negative and negative charges accumulated in the front are converted into wall charges, and the positive and negative wall charges are respectively applied to the scan electrode Y and the sustain electrode Y, respectively. Is sufficiently formed so that the sustain discharge can be more easily generated than before. Therefore, the driving margin can be secured even at a low sustain discharge pulse voltage.

In the first and second embodiments of the present invention, after applying a plurality of sustain discharge pulse voltages consecutively to the sustain electrode X, the sustain electrode X and the scan electrode (V _s ), which are sustain discharge pulse voltages, are applied. Alternately applied to Y), but may be different. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

8 is a driving waveform diagram of a plasma display panel according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

After applying a plurality of continuous discharge pulse voltages to the sustain electrode X as shown in FIG. 8, the sustain discharge pulse voltage larger than the voltage and width of the sustain discharge pulse applied in FIG. 4 is applied to the scan electrode Y. Is authorized. In this way, the sustain discharge can be more reliably carried out than in FIG.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications and improvements of those skilled in the art using the basic concepts of the present invention defined in the following claims are also provided. It belongs to the scope of rights.

As described above, the present invention can stably perform sustain discharge in a high efficiency plasma display panel.

1 is a partial perspective view of a typical plasma display panel.

2 is an electrode array diagram of a general plasma display panel.

3 is a diagram illustrating a plasma display panel according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

4 is a driving waveform diagram of a plasma display panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

5A and 5C are diagrams showing the state of wall charge distribution by the drive waveform of FIG.

6 is a driving waveform diagram of a plasma display panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

7A and 7B are diagrams showing a state of wall charge distribution by the driving waveform of FIG. 6.

8 is a driving waveform diagram of a plasma display panel according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (10)

A method of driving a plasma display panel including a reset period, an address period, and a sustain period, wherein the sustain discharge pulse is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode during the sustain period. In the retention period, After the address period, a first step of continuously applying a plurality of sustain discharge pulses to the first electrode while the wall voltage of the first electrode is lower than the wall voltage of the second electrode, and A second step of applying the sustain discharge pulse alternately to the first electrode and the second electrode; Method of driving a plasma display panel comprising a. The method of claim 1, And the first electrode and the second electrode are sustain electrodes and scan electrodes, respectively. The method of claim 2, Before the first step, Floating the first electrode while applying a sustain discharge pulse to the second electrode; The driving method of the plasma display panel further comprising. The method of claim 3, wherein The second step, Dividing the sustain discharge pulse applied to the first electrode and the second electrode into a plurality of groups; The first group of the plurality of groups includes a first sustain discharge pulse applied to the second electrode after the first step, And a voltage of at least one sustain discharge pulse belonging to the first group and applied to the second electrode is higher than a voltage of the sustain discharge pulse belonging to another group. The method of claim 3, wherein The second step, Dividing the sustain discharge pulse applied to the first electrode and the second electrode into a plurality of groups; The first group of the plurality of groups includes a first sustain discharge pulse applied to the second electrode after the first step, And a width of at least one sustain discharge pulse belonging to the first group and applied to the second electrode is longer than a width of the sustain discharge pulse belonging to another group. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, And in the first step, the space charge between the first electrode and the second electrode is converted into wall charges to raise the wall voltage. A plasma display panel in which discharge cells are formed between the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode; and A driving circuit including a reset period, an address period, and a sustain period, and applying a driving voltage to the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode; The drive circuit, During the sustain period, a plurality of sustain discharge pulses are applied to the first electrode after the wall voltage of the first electrode is lower than the wall voltage of the second electrode after the address period, and then the first electrode and the second electrode are applied. And a sustain discharge pulse applied alternately to electrodes. The method of claim 7, wherein The drive circuit, During the sustain period, before applying a plurality of sustain discharge pulses to the first electrode, and applying a sustain discharge pulse to the second electrode and at the same time floating the first electrode. The method of claim 8, Dividing the sustain discharge pulse applied to the first electrode and the second electrode alternately into a plurality of groups; A first group of the plurality of groups includes a first sustain discharge pulse applied to the second electrode after a plurality of sustain discharge pulses are applied to the first electrode,  Plasma display of which the voltage and width of at least one sustain discharge pulse belonging to the first group and applied to the second electrode are higher than the voltage of the sustain discharge pulse belonging to another group and longer than the width of the sustain discharge pulse belonging to another group Device. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, And the first electrode and the second electrode are sustain electrodes and scan electrodes, respectively.