KR100352978B1 - Plasma Display Panel and Driving Method Thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plasma display panel and a method of driving the plasma display panel in which a plasma display panel can be used as a multi-vision without an image signal splitter.

In order to achieve the above object, the method of driving the plasma display panel according to the present invention includes the step of inputting a screen magnification command for specifying the number of repetitions of the same data, and supplying the data to the plasma display panel by repeating the data for the same number of repetitions. It includes.

According to the present invention, a plasma display panel can be used as a multi-vision without a video signal splitter.

Description

Plasma Display Panel and Driving Method Thereof

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plasma display panel and a driving method thereof, and more particularly, to a plasma display panel and a driving method thereof, which enable a plasma display panel to be used in a multi-vision without an image signal splitter.

Plasma Display Panel (hereinafter referred to as "PDP") is a display device using visible light generated from a phosphor when ultraviolet light generated by gas discharge excites the phosphor. PDP is thinner and lighter than the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), which has been the mainstay of the display means, and has the advantage of being able to realize a high-definition large screen. PDP is composed of a plurality of discharge cells arranged in a matrix form, one discharge cell constitutes a pixel of the screen.

1 is a perspective view showing a discharge cell structure of a conventional three-electrode AC surface discharge PDP.

Referring to FIG. 1, a discharge cell of a three-electrode alternating surface discharge type PDP is formed on a scan / sustain electrode 12Y and a common sustain electrode 12Z formed on an upper substrate 10, and a lower substrate 18. An address electrode 20X is provided. The upper dielectric layer 14 and the passivation layer 16 are stacked on the upper substrate 10 having the scan / sustain electrode 12Y and the common sustain electrode 12Z side by side. In the upper dielectric layer 14, wall charges generated during plasma discharge are accumulated. The protective layer 16 prevents damage to the upper dielectric layer 14 due to sputtering generated during plasma discharge and increases emission efficiency of secondary electrons. As the protective film 16, magnesium oxide (MgO) is usually used. The lower dielectric layer 22 and the partition wall 24 are formed on the lower substrate 18 on which the address electrode 20X is formed, and the phosphor 26 is coated on the surfaces of the lower dielectric layer 22 and the partition wall 24. The address electrode 20X is formed in the direction crossing the scan / sustain electrode 12Y and the common sustain electrode 12Z. The partition wall 24 is formed in parallel with the address electrode 20X to prevent ultraviolet rays and visible light generated by the discharge from leaking to the adjacent discharge cells. The phosphor 26 is excited by ultraviolet rays generated during plasma discharge to generate visible light of any one of red, green, and blue. Inert gas for gas discharge is injected into the discharge space provided between the upper and lower substrates 10 and 18 and the partition wall 24.

When such a PDP is used as a multi vision, a video signal splitter 38 as shown in FIG. 2 is used.

Referring to FIG. 2, four PDP panels 30, 32, 34, and 36 for displaying an image, and image signals for distributing the video signals to four PDP panels 30, 32, 34, and 36 are received. The split distributor 38 is shown. The video signal splitter 38 receives an image signal to be displayed on one PDP panel and distributes the same to four PDP panels 30, 32, 34, and 36. If the PDP panels 30, 32, 34, and 36 are 480 × 640 VGA (Video Graphic Array) class, as shown in Fig. 3A, the video signal splitter 38 divides one data into two address electrodes as shown in Fig. 3B. Feed repeatedly. In this case, scan pulses are sequentially applied to the scan / sustain electrode lines in synchronization with data supplied to the address electrode lines. Accordingly, one PDP panel may display an image of 240 × 320. That is, when four PDP panels 30, 32, 34, and 36 are combined, a video signal of 480 × 640 VGA level can be displayed. In this way, multiple PDP panels can be used for multivision.

However, when constructing a multi-vision with a PDP as described above, an expensive video signal splitter is additionally installed.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a plasma display panel and a method of driving the same, which enable a plasma display panel to be used as a multi-vision without a video signal splitter.

1 is a perspective view showing a conventional AC surface discharge plasma display panel.

2 is a diagram showing an image signal splitting divider for supplying data so that a plasma display panel can be used in multivision;

3A is a diagram showing data supplied to an address electrode line when a plasma display panel displays a normal signal;

Fig. 3B is a diagram showing data supplied to an address electrode line when the plasma display panel is used in multivision.

4 is a block diagram showing a driving device of the plasma display panel according to the present invention;

5 is a flowchart illustrating a screen magnification method of the present invention.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

10: upper substrate 12Y: scanning / sustaining electrode

12Z: common sustain electrode 14,22: dielectric layer

16: protective film 18: lower substrate

20X: address electrode 24: partition wall

26: phosphor 30, 32, 34, 36, 40: panel

38: video signal splitter 41: input terminal

42: video signal processor 44: power supply

46: frame memory 48: control unit

50: screen enlargement selector 52: data placement unit

54: scan / sustain driver 56: wave form generator

58: address driver 60: pulser

62: common sustain drive unit

In order to achieve the above object, the method of driving the plasma display panel according to the present invention includes the step of inputting a screen magnification command for specifying the number of repetitions of the same data, and supplying the data to the plasma display panel by repeating the data for the same number of repetitions. It includes.

The plasma display panel according to the present invention includes a screen magnification selection unit which is included in the plasma display panel and receives a screen magnification command for designating the number of repetitions of the same data, a video signal processing unit which receives an analog video signal and converts it into digital data; A frame memory for storing data in units of frames, and a controller configured to control the frame memory to receive the screen magnification command from a screen magnification selection unit and to input the data stored in the frame memory to the plasma display panel only. do.

Other objects and features of the present invention in addition to the above objects will become apparent from the description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 5.

4 is a block diagram showing a PDP driving apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, the PDP driving apparatus of the present invention stores a video signal processor 42 for receiving an analog image signal and converts the digital data into digital data, and stores the digital data converted from the video signal processor 42 in units of frames. A data arranging unit 52 and a data arranging unit 52 for rearranging data so that the frame memory 46 and the digital data of one frame stored in the frame memory 46 are received and supplied to the address driver 58. An address driver 58 is provided for receiving data from the PDP panel 40. The video signal processor 42 converts an analog video signal input from the input terminal 41 into digital data so as to match the resolution of the PDP panel 40. The frame memory 46 temporarily stores digital data input from the video signal processor 42 in units of frames and supplies the stored digital data to the data placing unit 52. The data placement unit 52 receives data from the frame memory 46 and rearranges the data so that the data placement unit 52 can be supplied to the address driver 58. The address driver 58 receives data from the data placement unit 58 and supplies data to the PDP panel 40. The power supply unit 44 supplies an operating voltage to the driving device of the PDP.

The PDP driving apparatus of the present invention drives the control unit 48 that controls the frame memory 46 and the scan / sustain driver 54, the common sustain driver 62, and the pulser 60 under the control of the controller 48. Waveform generator 56 for generating drive signals for driving and a scan / sustain driver for receiving scan signals from the waveform generator 56 and supplying scan pulses and sustain pulses to the PDP panel 40. 54, a common sustain driver 62 which receives a drive signal from the waveform generator 56, and supplies a sustain pulse to the PDP panel 40, and receives a drive signal from the waveform generator 56 and receives an address driver ( A pulser 60 for generating an operation signal of 58, and a screen magnification selection unit 50 for receiving a screen magnification command from a user and generating a screen magnification signal and supplying the screen magnification signal to the controller 48. The controller 48 generates a control signal and supplies the control signal to the frame memory 46 and the waveform generator 56. The waveform generator 56 receives a control signal from the controller 48 and generates driving signals of switching elements included in the scan / sustain driver 54 and the common sustain driver 62. The waveform generator 56 also generates a drive signal for the pulser 60. The scan / sustain driver 54 receives a drive signal from the waveform generator 56 and supplies a scan pulse and a sustain pulse to the PDP panel 40. The common sustain driver 62 receives a driving signal from the waveform generator 56 and supplies a sustain pulse to the PDP panel 40. The pulser 60 receives a driving signal from the waveform generator 56, generates an operation signal of switching elements included in the address driver 58, and supplies the driving signal to the address driver 58. The screen magnification selecting unit 50 receives a screen magnification command of a remote controller or a turn-on signal of a switch (not shown) and generates a screen magnification signal supplied to the controller. The screen magnification signal generated by the screen magnification selector 50 includes batch mode information including the repetition frequency information of the same address signal. That is, the batch mode information includes information on the number of repetitions of the same signal supplied as shown in FIG. 3B in consideration of the number of PDP panels 40 used for multivision.

An operation process when the PDP panel 40 configured as described above is used for multi vision will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5. First, when the screen magnification selecting unit 50 receives a turn-on signal of a remote controller or a switch, the screen magnification selecting unit 50 supplies a screen magnification command to the control unit 48. (S64) The control unit 48 displays the screen from the screen magnification selecting unit 50. It is checked whether or not the magnification command is input. (S66) If a magnification command is not input from the screen magnification selection unit 50, a normal screen display control signal is supplied to the frame memory 46 and the waveform generator 56. S70) The frame memory 46 receiving the normal screen display control signal supplies the data placing unit 52 with data stored in units of frames so that the PDP panel 40 can display the normal screen. The waveform generator 56 receiving the normal screen display control signal controls the scan / sustain driver 54, the common sustain driver 62, and the pulser 60 so that the PDP panel 40 can display the normal screen. . That is, the PDP panel 40 displays the normal screen. (S76) When the screen magnification command is input from the screen magnification selection unit 50 to the controller 48 in step S66, the controller 48 is included in the screen magnification command. The display area to be enlarged, that is, the number of repetitions of the same information is selected by decoding the information of the batch mode. (S68) The enlarged display control signal including the repetition number command is used for the frame memory 46 and the waveform generator ( 56). The frame memory 46 receiving the screen enlargement display control signal repeats the data stored in the frame unit by the number of repetitions included in the screen enlargement display control signal and supplies the data to the data placement unit 52. The waveform generator 56 receiving the screen enlargement display control signal controls the scan / sustain driver 54, the common sustain driver 62, and the pulse 60 so that the PDP panel 40 can display the enlarged screen. . That is, the frame memory 46 and the waveform generator 56 receiving the screen enlargement display control signal display the enlarged screen on the PDP panel 40 (S74 and S76).

As described above, according to the plasma display panel and the driving method thereof according to the present invention, the plasma display panel can be used as a multi-vision without an image signal divider and divider by controlling a frame memory that has been used.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (5)

A method of displaying images in a multi-vision by combining a plurality of plasma display panels each having an address line into which data is input, Inputting a magnification command for designating the number of repetitions of the same data; And repeating supplying the data to the plasma display panel as many times as the repetition number of the same data. The method of claim 1, And the plasma display panel enlarges and displays an input image corresponding to the repetition number of the same data. The method of claim 1, And n (where n is an integer equal to or greater than 0) in the lateral direction, wherein the same data is repeated n times. In each plasma display panel that receives data and displays an image in multivision, A screen magnification selection unit included in the plasma display panel and configured to input a screen magnification command for designating the same number of repetitions of the same data; A video signal processing unit which receives an analog video signal and converts it into digital data; A frame memory for storing the digital data in frame units; And a controller configured to receive the screen magnification command from the screen magnification selection unit and control the frame memory so that the data stored in the frame memory is inputted to the plasma display panel only. The method of claim 4, wherein And the repetition number is n times if n (where n is an integer of 0 or more) are arranged in the lateral direction.