Gradation correction circuit, and γ correction apparatus

A gradation correction circuit for a display apparatus, comprising;

• a first selector for selecting a first gradient among plural gradients of a broken line representing input output characteristics of a display apparatus;
• a difference arithmetic unit for calculating a first difference value representing a difference between plural broken line points that are the input values corresponding to broken points of the broken line;
• a second selector for selecting a second selected difference value value among first difference values calculated by the difference arithmetic unit;
• a level detection circuit for receiving the broken line points and the input video signal as inputs, identifying between which first broken line points the input video signal lies, and calculating a second difference value between the input video signal and one broken line point among said first broken line points;
• a third selector for selecting a third selected difference value between the second difference value calculated by the level detection circuit and the second selected difference value selected by the second selector;
• a multiplier for multiplying the first gradient of the broken line selected by the first selector and the third selected difference value selected by the third selector to calculate a first output;
• an integrator for successively adding the values which are successively outputted from the multiplier to calculate a second output;
• a register for holding the second output of the integrator as a held output value corresponding to each broken point;
• an adder for adding the held output value from the register and the first output from the multiplier;
• and
• a control circuit for controlling the first through third selectors and the register on the basis of the identification result from the level detection circuit and the vertical blanking pulse, wherein,
• when the start of a vertical blanking period is detected by a vertical blanking pulse, the control circuit outputs a selection signal at a predetermined timing, thereby successively instructing the first and second selectors to select the gradients of the broken line and the second selected difference values, respectively, and instructing the third selector to select the second selected difference value selected by the second selector;
• and,
• when the start of the video signal period is detected by the vertical blanking pulse, the control circuit instructs the third selector to select the second difference value calculated by the level detection circuit, and instructs the first selector to select the gradient of the broken line corresponding to an identification result from the level detection circuit as well as instructs the register to output the value corresponding to the identification result, on the basis of the identification result.