Patent ID: 7061453

Claim:
An active matrix EL display device comprising a plurality of unit pixels arranged in a matrix, each of the pixels having an EL element that is supplied with a driving current on the basis of a scanning signal and a digital image signal, so as to emit light and display an image, wherein the unit pixel comprises: a plurality of current controlling elements that have controlling terminals to which the respective digital image signals are applied and that are connected to a single EL element; and switching elements provided corresponding to the respective current controlling elements and supplied respectively with the scanning signal so as to switch between application and cutoff of the digital image signal with respect to the controlling terminals according to the condition of the scanning signal, each of the current controlling elements is controlled by a voltage of the digital image signal applied to the controlling terminals so as to take an OFF state for cutting off a supply of the driving current to the EL element or an ON state for supplying the EL element with the driving current corresponding to the voltage of the digital image signal, thereby a value of the current flowing in the EL element being the sum value of currents supplied from the respective current controlling elements in the ON state, and based on a combination of the current controlling elements in the ON state, the current supplied to the EL elements is controlled to be a value corresponding to the gradation to be displayed.