Patent ID: 7515121

Claim:
A display apparatus comprising: a plurality of scanning lines arranged in a plurality of rows; a plurality of signal lines arranged in a plurality of columns; a plurality of pixels, each of which is arranged at an intersection of one of the scanning lines with one of the signal lines, and each of which comprises an optical element which is operated by a driving current, and a pixel circuit which supplies the driving current to the optical element; a power supply driver connected to the plurality of pixels; and a data driver which is connected to the signal lines and which makes gradation currents flow from the power supply driver to each of the signal lines in a selection period; wherein the pixel circuit of a given pixel in a given row is connected to one of the scanning lines and one of the signal lines and comprises: charge hold means for holding electric charges in accordance with the gradation current which flows through the signal line in the selection period of the given row; driving current switch means for passing the driving current, which has a current value that is substantially equal to a current value of the gradation current in accordance with the electric charges held by the charge hold means, through the optical element of the pixel after the selection period of the given row; and gradation current control switch means for controlling a flow of the gradation current, which flows via the driving current switch means through the signal line; wherein the driving current switch means comprises a driving transistor; wherein the gradation current control switch means comprises: (i) a current path control transistor having a source connected to the signal line, and a drain connected to a source of the driving transistor, and (ii) a data write control transistor having a source connected to a gate of the driving transistor, and a drain connected to a drain of the driving transistor; wherein the power supply driver outputs, to the drain of the driving transistor, a charge voltage for the gradation current and a power voltage for the driving current; and wherein the display apparatus further comprises reset means for supplying a reset voltage to the signal line to which a potential in accordance with electric charges charged in the signal line by the gradation current is applied, the reset voltage being higher than a highest gradation voltage in the signal line, which is a voltage in the signal line when a gradation current equal to a highest gradation driving current flowing through the optical element is stationary in the signal line.