Patent ID: 6842160

Claim:
Display apparatus comprising: electron emission elements aligned in a matrix on a substrate and driven by column lines and row lines; a column line drive unit for driving the column lines in a pulse width modulation manner by applying to each column line one of pulses which have different pulse widths respectively corresponding to gradation levels of a luminance signal to be displayed in the display apparatus; a row line drive unit for sequentially driving the row lines; first means for defining a plurality of blocks each of which includes at least two column lines by dividing the column lines, and a plurality of gradation steps each of which includes at least two gradation levels by dividing the gradation levels, and detecting a block driving status which indicates how the gradation levels in each of the gradation steps are applied to the columns in each block; and second means for defining a plurality of periods within one horizontal interval, the periods being associated with widths of approximating pulses corresponding respectively to the gradation steps, calculating a voltage drop due to a resistance in the row line and the current flow by the approximating pulses on the column lines during each of the defined periods on the basis of the detected block driving status, determining a block voltage drop for each block estimated from the voltage drops over the plurality of periods, and modifying the luminance signal for each block according to the determined block voltage drop.