Patent ID: 7518571

Claim:
An active matrix display device configured to operate under a still image mode and a moving image mode, comprising: a plurality of gate signal lines disposed in a predetermined direction on a substrate; a plurality of drain signal lines disposed in a direction different from the predetermined direction; a plurality of display electrodes disposed adjacent intersections of the gate signal lines and the drain signal lines; a retaining circuit which holds a digital image signal from a corresponding drain signal line in response to a signal from a corresponding gate signal line and receives a high voltage and a low voltage, the retaining circuit being provided for at least one of the display electrodes; a signal selection circuit which selects a first voltage or a second voltage in response to a signal from the retaining circuit and provides a corresponding display electrode with the selected first or second voltage, the signal selection circuit being provided for the retaining circuit; a reference voltage generation circuit which outputs the first voltage, the second voltage or the first and second voltages, and is disposed on the substrate; and a panel drive circuit driving the gate signal lines or the drain signal lines, wherein under the still image mode the panel drive circuit halts an operation thereof, and the reference voltage generation circuit outputs the first voltage, the second voltage or the first and second voltages so that the retaining circuit operates without receiving any output of the panel driver circuit, and the reference voltage generation circuit is configured to be driven by a difference between the high and low voltages.