Patent ID: 7561126

Claim:
A method of driving an electroluminescent device by current control using a bipolar type drive waveform, wherein a layer having a light emitting region is provided between an anode and a cathode, said method comprising the steps of: providing a drive waveform in a one image display period having a first drive waveform portion in a light emitting period contributing to light emission of the device and a second drive waveform portion in a non-light emitting period; wherein the drive waveform is an asymmetric bipolar type current waveform such that a first current is supplied as the first drive waveform, and a second current is supplied as the second drive waveform, the polarity of the second current being reversed to that of the first current, and an integral intensity obtained by multiplying the absolute value of the first current by a supply time in the light emitting period is different from an integral intensity obtained by multiplying the absolute value of the second current by a supply time in the non-light emitting period; and when the first and second currents having the first and second drive waveform portions of the asymmetric bipolar current waveform are supplied, an integral intensity obtained by multiplying a first voltage between electrodes, which voltage is caused by supplying the first current, by the supply time in the light emitting period is cancelled by an integral intensity obtained by multiplying a second voltage between electrodes, which voltage is caused by supplying the second current, by the supply time in the non-light emitting period, such that the difference between the integral intensities in the light emitting period and in the non-light emitting period is substantially zero, and further wherein the first drive waveform and the second drive waveform are applied to a single light emitting region during display of a single image frame, the second drive waveform characteristics being determined based on the first drive waveform characteristics.