Patent ID: 8169384

Claim:
A display device comprising: a pixel array section; and a drive section configured to drive the pixel array section, the pixel array section including scan lines arranged in rows, signal lines arranged in columns, pixels arranged in a matrix form, each of the pixels disposed at the intersection between one of the scan lines and one of the signal lines, and power lines, each of the power lines disposed for one of the pixel rows, the drive section including a main scanner configured to supply a sequential control signal to each of the scan lines to perform a linear sequential scan of the pixels on a row by row basis, a drive scanner configured to supply a supply voltage to each of the power lines in step with the linear sequential scan, the supply voltage switching between first and second potentials, the first potential being lower than the second potential, and a signal selector configured to supply a signal potential serving as a video signal and a reference potential, to the signal lines arranged in columns in step with the linear sequential scan, wherein each of the pixels includes a light-emitting element, sampling transistor, drive transistor, and holding capacitor, the sampling transistor has its gate connected to the scan line, one of its source and drain connected to the signal line and the other of its source and drain connected to the gate of the drive transistor, the drive transistor is a P-channel transistor and has its source connected to the cathode of the light-emitting element and its drain connected to the ground wiring, the holding capacitor is connected between the source and gate of the drive transistor, the light-emitting element has its anode connected to the power line and its cathode connected to the source of the drive transistor, wherein during a period of time in which the signal selector supplies the reference potential to the signal line, the main scanner supplies the control signal to the scan line to bring the sampling transistor into conduction, and the drive scanner changes the power line from the second potentials to the first potential to initiate a discharge of the holding capacitor so as to hold a voltage corresponding to the threshold voltage of the drive transistor in the holding capacitor, during a period of time in which the signal selector supplies the signal potential to the signal line, the main scanner supplies the control signal to the scan line to bring the sampling transistor into conduction so that the signal potential from the signal line is sampled and held in the holding capacitor, and during a period of time in which the drive scanner maintains the power line at the second potential, the drive transistor passes a drive current, commensurate with the held signal potential, through the light-emitting element.