Patent ID: 7224331

Claim:
A display device comprising: a display panel having cathodes, gates, and an anode in which said cathodes and said gates are connected in a matrix manner; an electron emitter which emits electrons in a state where a voltage is applied only between said cathodes and said anode and which is provided with said cathodes; in which display of a plurality of pixels in said display panel is performed under a dark state by stopping electron emission from said electron emitter for said anode by applying a stop voltage between said cathodes and said gates, and control means which controls operation of a circuit for driving a display panel in such a way that a potential of said anode becomes not less than a threshold value potential by which a potential of said anode can perform electron emission from said electron emitter after a predetermined time elapse from starting of application of a drive voltage which provide provides a specified display state or the stop voltage between said cathodes and said gates when a display starting signal is generated.