Method for driving plasma display panel

Abstract

A method is provided for driving a plasma display panel having parallel first and second electrodes, third electrodes crossing the first and second electrodes, and discharge cells with electrodes crossing mutually in the form of a matrix. The method includes a reset period during which distribution of wall charges in the discharge cells is uniformed, an addressing period during which wall charges are produced in the discharge cells according to display data, and a sustain discharge period during which sustain discharge is induced in discharge cells in which wall charges are produced during the addressing period. The driving method includes during the reset period, in lines defined by the first and second electrodes, applying a first pulse, in which an applied voltage varies with time to induce first discharge, and applying a second pulse in which an applied voltage varies with time to induce second discharge as an erase discharge.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for driving a plasma display panel in which a plurality of first and second electrodes are arranged adjacently each other, a plurality of third electrodes are arranged to cross the first and second electrodes, the plasma display panel having a reset period, an address period, and a sustain discharge period, the method comprising:
 in said reset period,   applying to the second electrodes a first waveform voltage, whose applied voltage increases with time to a first reached voltage,   and thereafter, applying to the second electrodes a second waveform voltage, whose applied voltage decreases with time from the first reached voltage to a second reached voltage which is a negative voltage,   wherein a voltage variation per unit time at a starting point of the second waveform voltage is larger than a voltage variation per unit time at an ending point of the second waveform voltage.   
     
     
         2 . A method for driving a plasma display panel according to the  claim 1 , wherein the second reached voltage is higher than a voltage of the second electrode at a time when a scan pulse is applied in the address period, but lower than a voltage of the second electrode at a time when the scan pulse is not applied in the address period.