RU2256238C2 - Method for controlling ac gas panel - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: gaseous-discharge engineering; information display on ac gas panels, including monochromatic and color video modules.

SUBSTANCE: proposed ac gas panel is used as component part of display systems to provide for high-quality images due to elimination of interframe brightness flicker. To this end, double number of brightness gradation is formed by two digital brightness signal converters which are alternating in definite order with respect to pixel lines and/or columns, and in next frame of image this order of alternation is reversed.

EFFECT: enhanced performance characteristics of display systems using ac gas panels.

4 cl, 1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the field of gas discharge technology and can be used to develop means for displaying information on gas discharge display panels (GUI) of alternating current, in particular in monochrome and color gas discharge video modules.

A known method of controlling a gas-discharge indicator panel of alternating current, which consists in dividing the image frame into n subfields, each of which contains the same preparation, addressing and indication intervals for all display elements, the duration of the indication intervals being set in subfields in binary sequence: 1-2-4 -8-16-32-64-128, while you can get 256 gradations of brightness, see patent EP 0549275 A1, CL 0090 3/28 from 12/18/92.

The reasons that impede the achievement of the required technical result when using the known method include the fact that the high contrast of the image is not achieved in the known method due to the presence of preparation intervals in each subfield, and false dynamic contours are also present in the image.

A known method of controlling a gas discharge indicator panel of alternating current, which consists in dividing the image frame into n subfields, each of which contains an odd number of indication intervals and the same preparation, addressing and indication intervals for line display elements, see patent RU 2128404 C1, cl. 0090 3/28 from 03/07/97.

The reasons that impede the achievement of the required technical result when using the known method include the fact that the high contrast of the image is not achieved in the known method due to the presence of preparation intervals in each subfield, and false dynamic contours are also present in the image.

A known method of controlling a gas discharge indicator panel of alternating current, which consists in dividing the image frame into n subfields, each of which contains the same preparation, addressing and indication intervals for all display elements, the duration of the indication intervals being set in subfields in the sequence: 1-2-4- 8-16-24-32-40-56-72, and you can get 256 gradations of brightness, see article I. Kawahara, To Sekimoto "Dynamic Gray-Scale Control to Reduce Motion Picture Disturbance for High-Resolution PDP", SID , 1999.

The reasons that impede the achievement of the required technical result when using the known method include the fact that in the known method a high image contrast is not achieved due to the presence of preparation intervals in each subfield.

The closest method of the same purpose to the claimed object according to the totality of features is a method of controlling a gas-discharge indicator panel of alternating current, which consists in dividing the image frame into subfields, dividing each subfield into an addressing interval and an indication interval, setting a code sequence of brightnesses for the duration of the indication intervals, recording in the interval preparation of display elements located in rows and columns, followed by selective erasure of display elements in int vomited twice addressing and formation of two digital gradation transformation brightness signal, see. article of T. Tokunaga aa "Development of New Driving Method for AC-PDPs", IDW 99, adopted as a prototype.

The reasons that impede the achievement of the required technical result when using the known method include the fact that in the known method high image quality is not achieved due to the possibility of interframe flicker of brightness when using two digital transformations of the brightness signal in successive image frames.

The invention consists in the following.

The proposed control method solves the problem of improving the operational parameters of display systems containing gas discharge display panels of alternating current, namely, when implementing the invention, high image quality can be obtained by suppressing interframe flicker of brightness in successive image frames using two digital transformations of the brightness signal, providing a doubling of the number of gradations of brightness.

The specified technical result during the implementation of the invention is achieved by the fact that in the known method of controlling a gas-discharge indicator panel of alternating current, which consists in dividing the image frame into subfields, dividing each subfield into an addressing interval and an indication interval, setting a code sequence of brightnesses for the duration of the indication intervals, recording in the preparation interval display elements located in rows and columns, followed by selective erasure of display elements in the interval x addressing and the formation of a doubled number of gradations of brightness by two digital transformations of the brightness signal,

digital transformations of the luminance signal are alternated across rows and / or columns of display elements in each previous image frame, and in each subsequent image frame, digital transformations of the luminance signal are alternated in the reverse order;

the code sequence of luminances is set in the form of a series of numbers 0,1,2, ..., n-1, where n≥8 is the number of subfields in the image frame;

the code sequence of luminances is defined as a series of numbers 0,1,2γ, 3γ, ... (n-1) γ, where n≥8 is the number of subfields in the image frame, γ = 1.8-2.4 is the coefficient γ- brightness signal correction;

the code sequence of luminances is set in the form of a series of numbers b ₀ , b ₁ , ..., b _i , ..., b _n-1 , where n≥8 is the number of subfields in the image frame, i is the serial number of the subfield in the image frame, b _i is the numerical value of the brightness code for the i-th subfield, with b _i-1 <b _i <b _{i + 1} .

The alternation of digital transformations of the luminance signal in rows and / or columns of display elements in each previous image frame, and in each subsequent image frame, the alternation of digital transformations of the luminance signal in the reverse order, makes it possible to obtain a high-quality image by suppressing interframe flicker of luminance occurring in the image when using two image frames with two different digital conversions of the brightness signal.

Setting the code sequence of luminances in the form of a series of numbers 0,1,2, ..., n-1, where n≥8 is the number of subfields in the image frame, provides at least 2n≥16 gradations of brightness that vary linearly, sufficient in most applications when displaying sign information. In this case, only 8 subfields are used for one preparation interval in the image frame, which ensures high image contrast.

Setting the code sequence of luminances in the form of a series of numbers 0,1,2γ, 3γ, ... (n-1) γ, where n≥8 is the number of subfields in the image frame, and γ = 1.8-2.4 is the coefficient γ -correction of the luminance signal, provides at least 2n≥16 gradations of brightness, changing according to a nonlinear law in the form of a power function, sufficient in most cases when displaying sign information, as well as television information with a small number of gradations of brightness. In this case, only 8 subfields are used for one training interval in the image frame, which ensures high image contrast.

Setting the code sequence of luminances in the form of a series of numbers b ₀ , b ₁ , ..., b _i , ..., b _n-1 , where n≥8 is the number of subfields in the image frame, i is the serial number of the subfield in the image frame, b _i is the numerical value of the brightness code for the i-th subfield, while b _i-1 <b _i <b _{i + 1} provides at least 2n≥16 gradations of brightness that change non-linearly, which are sufficient in most cases when used in sign information, as well as television information with a small number of gradations of brightness. In this case, only 8 subfields are used for one preparation interval in the image frame, which ensures high image contrast. In addition, the use of ≥16 non-linear gradations of brightness can improve the quality of a television image, for example, due to the higher slope of the digital conversion of the brightness signal in the region of average image brightness.

The analysis of the prior art by the applicant, including a search by patent and scientific and technical sources of information and identification of sources containing information about analogues of the claimed invention, allowed to establish that the applicant did not find an analogue characterized by features identical to all the essential features of the claimed invention, and the definition from the list identified analogues of the prototype, as the closest in the totality of the characteristics of the analogue, allowed to identify the set of essential in relation to claimed by the applicant the technical result of the distinguishing features in the claimed object set forth in the claims.

Therefore, the claimed invention meets the requirement of "novelty" under applicable law.

To verify the conformity of the claimed invention to the requirements of the inventive step, the applicant conducted an additional search for known solutions in order to identify features that match the distinctive features of the claimed invention, the results of which show that the claimed invention does not follow explicitly from the prior art, as the prior art defined by the applicant, the effect of the transformations provided for by the essential features of the claimed invention is not revealed studies to achieve a technical result, in particular, the claimed invention does not provide for the following transformations:

- the addition of a known tool by any known part, attached to it according to known rules, to achieve a technical result, in respect of which the influence of such additions is established;

- replacement of any part of a known product with another known part to achieve a technical result, in respect of which the effect of such a replacement is established;

- the exclusion of any part of the funds with the simultaneous exclusion of the function due to its presence and the achievement of the usual result for such exclusion;

- an increase in the number of elements of the same type to enhance the technical result due to the presence in the tool of just such elements;

- the implementation of a known tool or part of a known material to achieve a technical result due to the known properties of the material;

- the creation of tools consisting of known parts, the choice of which and the relationship between them are based on known rules and the technical result achieved in this case is due only to the known properties of the parts of this object and the relationships between them.

Therefore, the claimed invention meets the requirement of "inventive step" under applicable law.

The materials explaining the claimed object are presented in the drawing, which shows the sequence of alternating digital transformations of the brightness signal in rows and columns in two adjacent image frames.

Information confirming the possibility of carrying out the invention with obtaining the above technical result are as follows.

When controlling the gas-discharge indicator panel of alternating current according to the proposed method, the image frame is divided into subfields, each of which is divided into an addressing interval and an indication interval, a code sequence of brightness is set by the duration of indication intervals, in the preparation interval, display elements located in rows and columns are recorded, selectively erased display elements in the addressing intervals and form a doubled number of gradations of brightness by two digital transformations of the brightness signal, which orye alternate rows and / or columns of display elements in each previous frame image with a change in reverse order of interlace in a subsequent frame image.

As shown in the drawing, two digital conversions of the luminance signal F1 and F2 alternate with each other in the previous frame of the image J-1 on the fragment of the information field of the gas-discharge display panel of alternating current in rows R and columns C. In the subsequent frame of the image J, two digital conversions of the brightness signal F1 and F2 alternate in rows and columns in reverse order. At the same time, interframe flicker of the image is suppressed due to the inertia of the eye much more efficiently than with the alternation of F1 and F2 in only two adjacent image frames.

An example of a specific implementation of two digital transformations of the luminance signal for a 4-bit binary code of the luminance signal with 8 subfields in the image frame is presented in table 1.

Table 1 Binary brightness code F1 conversion Convert F2 Subpol number Subpol number 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 0000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0001 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0010 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0011 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0100 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0101 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0110 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0111 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1000 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1001 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1010 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1011 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1100 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1101 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1110 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1111 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

The number 1 in the transformations F1 and F2 in table 1 corresponds to the on state of the display element, the number 0 - off state of the display element.

The control method according to the claimed invention was tested in a prototype gas-discharge video module on a color gas-discharge display panel of alternating current with an information capacity of 320 × (256 × 3) display elements. At the same time, 16 gradations of brightness were obtained with 8 subfields in the image frame. The maximum image brightness was 160 cd / sq.m. with an image contrast of more than 100: 1. There was no interframe flicker of brightness in the image, and the image quality was rated as high.

Thus, the above information indicates the fulfillment of the following set of conditions when using the claimed invention:

- a tool embodying the claimed invention in its implementation is intended for use in industry, namely in information display systems, in particular in monochrome and color gas-discharge video modules;

- for the claimed invention, as described in the independent clause of the claims below, the possibility of its implementation using the means and methods described above or known prior to the priority date is confirmed;

- a tool embodying the claimed invention in its implementation, is able to ensure the achievement of the perceived by the applicant technical result.

Therefore, the claimed invention meets the requirement of "industrial applicability" under applicable law.

Claims (4)

1. The method of controlling the gas-discharge indicator panel of alternating current, which consists in dividing the image frame into subfields, dividing each subfield into an addressing interval and an indication interval, setting a code sequence of brightnesses for the duration of indication intervals, recording in the preparation interval of display elements located in rows and columns, with subsequent selective erasure of the display elements in the addressing intervals depending on the brightness signal of this display element and a given code sequence of brightnesses, the formation of a doubled number of gradations of brightness by the first and second digital transformations of the brightness signal, characterized in that the first and second digital transformations of the brightness signal are alternated along the rows and / or columns of the display elements in each previous image frame, and in each subsequent image frame the first and the second digital transformations of the luminance signal are alternated in the reverse order, while the form of the digital transformations of the luminance signal is set in accordance with the table:

where the number 1 corresponds to the luminous state of the display element, the number 0 corresponds to the non-luminous state of the display element, and the number of subfields in the image frame corresponds to twice the number of consecutive values of the binary code of the luminance signal, starting from the value 0000. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the code sequence of luminances is set in the form of a series of numbers 0, 1, 2, ..., n-1, where n ≥ 8 is the number of subfields in the image frame. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the code sequence of luminances is set in the form of a series of numbers 0, 1, 2γ, 3γ, (n-1) γ, where n ≥ 8 is the number of subfields in the image frame, γ = 1, 8 ÷ 2,4 - coefficient γ - correction of the brightness signal. 4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the code sequence of luminances is set in the form of a series of numbers b ₀ , b ₁ , ..., b _i , ..., b _n-1 , where n ≥ 8 is the number of subfields in image frame, i is the serial number of the subfield in the image frame, b _i is the numerical value of the brightness code for the i-th subfield, with b _i-1 <b _i <b _{i + 1} .