Electron beam-generating apparatus, image-forming apparatus, and driving methods thereof

A driving method for an image-forming apparatus having a plurality of electron-emitting devices, a plurality of scanning lines to which operating signals for operating a plurality of electron beams emitted from the plurality of electron-emitting devices are inputted, a plurality of rows of modulation means forming a matrix in cooperation with the plurality of scanning lines to which a plurality of rows of modulation means information signals for modulating a plurality of electron beams emitted from each of the scanning lines is inputted, and an image-forming member for forming an image upon irradiation by the plurality of modulated electron beams, said driving method comprising the step of:

• conducting a modulation operation of the plurality of electron beams with respect to each of the scanning lines in N+1 installments of the modulation operation,
• wherein the N+1 installments of the modulation operation are operations of dividing the plurality of electron beams emitted from each of the scanning lines into N+1 groups, a unit of the groups corresponding to electron beams arranged at intervals of N rows, where N.gtoreq.1, and
• wherein each of the N+1 installments of the modulation operation is characterized by inputting information signals to one group of rows of the modulation means and simultaneously inputting cut-off signals to the remaining N groups of rows of the modulation means.