Patent ID: 8217865

Claim:
A display apparatus comprising: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels of light-emitting elements constituting a screen, the pixel array being configured to display each frame of an image on the screen by emitting light having a luminance in accordance with the level of an image signal and to continuously emit light from the screen within each frame for an amount of time specified by a duty ratio; a life control unit configured to extend the life of the light-emitting elements by simultaneously adjusting the maximum permissible level of the image signal and the duty ratio, the life control unit including an average luminance calculating circuit and a duty ratio and maximum permissible luminance level calculating circuit; a signal output unit for driving the screen to display an image by outputting an image signal adjusted within the maximum permissible level to the pixel array; a duty ratio transmission unit for enabling the screen to emit light for an amount of time specified by transmitting an adjusted duty ratio to the pixel array; and a first gate driver for driving a duty signal to the pixels in the pixel array; and a second gate driver for driving a write-in signal to the pixels in the pixel array; wherein the life control unit detects the average luminance of the image from the input image signal, and wherein the duty ratio specifying the light emission time per frame and the maximum permissible level of the image signal are reduced in inverse proportion to changes in the detected average luminance.