Patent ID: 8823607

Claim:
A pixel circuit disposed at intersection of a scanning line and a signal line comprising: an electro-optical element; a holding capacitor; a sampling transistor; and a drive transistor, wherein at least said electro-optical element is electrically connected between said drive transistor and a fixed potential, said sampling transistor is configured to sample an input signal from said signal line into said holding capacitor, said drive transistor is configured to apply current to said electro-optical element depending on the input signal held by said holding capacitor, said drive transistor having a threshold voltage that is imparted to said holding capacitor in association with said sampling transistor sampling said input signal into said holding capacitor, and a first reference potential is provided at a first node of the drive transistor prior to a period that the threshold voltage of the drive transistor is imparted into said holding capacitor, a second reference potential is provided at a second node of the drive transistor prior to the period, the difference between the first reference potential and the second reference potential being greater than the threshold voltage of the drive transistor, the first reference potential being retained at the first node during a predetermined period in which the second reference potential is provided at the second node, wherein the first reference potential is provided at the first node of the drive transistor through a first switching transistor, the first switching transistor is directly connected to the first node of the drive transistor, and the first node operates as a gate of the drive transistor.