Patent ID: 7583261

Claim:
A method for driving a display device for displaying image information corresponding to display data, wherein the display device includes a display panel comprising: (i) a plurality of selection scan lines arranged in rows and a plurality of data lines arranged in columns; (ii) a plurality of display pixels arranged in a matrix shape, each of the display pixels being arranged in a vicinity of a point at which one of the plurality of selection scan lines crosses one of the plurality of data lines, and each of the display pixels including a light emitting element and a driving element that supplies a current flowing into a current path thereof to the light emitting element; and (iii) a voltage supply line connected in common to the respective current paths of the driving elements of a predetermined number of the display pixels of the plurality of display pixels, the method comprising: supplying a predetermined voltage to the voltage supply line; applying a selection signal to one of the selection scan lines that correspond to rows of the display pixels that are connected to the voltage supply line, so as to set the row of the display pixels corresponding to said one of the selection scan lines to a selected state; performing a process when the row is selected by the selection signal to detect a specific value corresponding to element characteristics of the driving element of at least one of the display pixels in the row, the process, the process comprising: generating an adjustment voltage based on a predetermined voltage; applying the generated voltage to the display pixel via one of the plurality of data lines connected thereto; and detecting the specific value for the display pixel, based on a detection value which is one of a value of a potential difference between the data line and the voltage supply line and a value of a current flowing in the current path of the driving element of the display pixel via the voltage supply line; generating a gradation voltage having a voltage value for causing the light emitting element of the display pixel to emit light at a luminance gradation corresponding to display data; generating a correction gradation voltage by correcting the gradation voltage based on the specific value detected for the display pixel; and supplying the generated correction gradation voltage to the data line connected to the display pixel.