Display panel driving method

Abstract

A method of grayscale-driving a display panel in accordance with pixel data derived from a video signal. The display panel includes a plurality of display lines, with a plurality of pixel cells serving as pixels being arranged on each display line. A display period of a single field of the video signal is divided into a plurality of subfields. The method includes dividing one subfield into M lower subfields. M is an integer greater than one. M groups of display lines are prepared by sequentially taking every M display lines from the display lines. First to Mth address steps are performed in the M lower subfields respectively and sequentially. Each address step sets the pixel cells belonging to the display lines of the display line group concerned, to a drive mode determined by the pixel data. A first light emission step is performed to cause the pixel cells whose drive mode is a lit mode, to emit light directly before or after the address step concerned. Another subfield is divided into N lower subfields. N is smaller than M. N groups of L continuos address steps are prepared from the first to Mth address steps. L is an integer greater than one. The N groups of L continuous address steps are performed in the N lower subfields respectively and sequentially. A second light emission step is performed to cause the pixel cells whose drive mode is the lit mode, to emit light directly before or after the address step group concerned.