Method for driving a ferroelectric liquid crystal panel

A method for driving a ferroelectric liquid crystal panel in which a ferroelectric liquid crystal is disposed between a plurality of scanning electrodes formed on a substrate and a plurality of signal electrodes formed on a opposite substrate and arranged in a direction of running crosswise relative to each other, and either a select voltage or a non-select voltage is selectively applied to the scanning electrodes whereas either a rewriting voltage or a holding voltage is selectively applied to the signal electrodes to change the display of each pixel defined where each scanning electrode and each signal electrode run cross-wise relative to each other, which comprises:

• dividing all the scanning electrodes into a plurality of groups comprising a plurality of scanning electrodes;
• selecting a group of the scanning electrodes to be changed on display from the divided groups, based on a first display data currently displayed and a second display data to be subsequently displayed;
• and
• performing a first and a second scanning processes with respect to the selected group to rewrite the display by the second display data whereas applying the non-select voltage to the other groups to maintain the current display;
• the first scanning process comprising:
• applying the select voltage to all the scanning electrodes of selected group substantially at once;
• and
• applying-the rewriting voltage to the signal electrodes corresponding to the pixels whose displays are to be changed to place in a first stable state the liquid crystal of the pixels whereas applying the holding voltage to the other signal electrodes to place in the current stable state the liquid crystal of the pixels;
• the second scanning process comprising:
• applying the select voltage to each scanning electrode successively with respect to the group in which the first scanning process is completed;
• and
• applying the rewriting voltage to the signal electrodes corresponding to the pixels whose liquid crystal is to be placed in a second stable state whereas applying the holding voltage to the other signal electrodes to place in the current stable state the liquid crystal of the corresponding pixels.