Method for driving electro-optical panel, data line driving circuit thereof, electro-optical apparatus, and electronic equipment

A method for driving an electro-optical panel that includes an electro-optical material, whose transmittance-applied-voltage characteristic has a linear portion and a non-linear portion, a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines, switching devices provided correspondingly to intersections between the scanning lines and the data lines, and pixel electrodes provided correspondingly thereto, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining, according to a value of a predetermined bit of image data to be displayed, which of the linear portion and the non-linear portion of the transmittance characteristic the image data corresponds to, and,
• when it is determined that the image data corresponds to the non-linear portion,
• selecting from plural inner capacitances provided correspondingly to each of bits other than the predetermined bit of the image data and weighted according to the bit value thereof, the inner capacitances corresponding to a data value represented by the other bits;
• charging a quantity of electric charge corresponding to an image data value into each of the selected inner capacitances;
• and
• supplying a voltage to each of the data lines by transferring the charge between a parasitic capacitance thereof and each of the selected inner capacitances, and
• when it is determined that the image data corresponds to the linear portion,
• selecting from the plural inner capacitances, the inner capacitances corresponding to the data value represented by the other bits;
• charging a quantity of electric charge corresponding to an image data value into each of the selected inner capacitances;
• and
• supplying a voltage to each of the data lines by transferring the charge between the parasitic capacitance thereof and each of all of the inner capacitances.

A method for driving an electro-optical panel that includes an electro-optical material, whose transmittance-applied-voltage characteristic has a linear portion and a non-linear portion, a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines, switching devices provided correspondingly to intersections between the scanning lines and the data lines, and pixel electrodes provided correspondingly thereto, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining, according to a value of a most significant bit of image data to be displayed, which of the linear portion and the non-linear portion of the characteristic the image data corresponds to, and,
• when it is determined that the image data corresponds to the non-linear portion,
• selecting from plural inner capacitances provided correspondingly to each of low order bits other than the most significant bit of the image data and weighted according to the bit value thereof, the inner capacitances corresponding to a data value represented by the low order bits;
• connecting one of terminals of each of the selected inner capacitances to each of the data lines;
• supplying a first data line voltage across both terminals of each of the selected inner capacitances and to each of the data lines;
• and
• supplying a first inner capacitance voltage to the other terminal of each of the selected inner capacitances, and
• when it is determined that the image data corresponds to the linear portion,
• connecting one of terminals of each of all of the inner capacitances to each of the data lines, and supplying a second data line voltage to the one of terminals thereof and to each of the data lines;
• selecting from all of the inner capacitances, the inner capacitances corresponding to a data value represented by the low order bits;
• and
• supplying a second inner capacitance voltage to the other terminal of each of the selected inner capacitances.

A data line driving circuit for driving data lines of an electro-optical panel that includes an electro-optical material, whose transmittance-applied-voltage characteristic has a linear portion and a non-linear portion, a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines, switching devices provided correspondingly to intersections between the scanning lines and the data lines, and pixel electrodes provided correspondingly thereto, the data line driving circuit comprising:

• plural inner capacitances provided correspondingly to each of low order bits other than a most significant bit of the image data and weighted respectively corresponding to bit values thereof;
• a switching device provided between each of the inner capacitances and a corresponding one of the data lines and controlled in such a manner as to be on or off according to a digit corresponding to each of bits of the image data;
• a first voltage supply that selects one of a first data line voltage and a second data line voltage according to the most significant bit of the image data and supplies the selected voltage to one of terminals of each of all of the inner capacitances and to the other terminal of each of the inner capacitances to be connected thereto through the data lines and the switching device;
• and
• a second voltage supply that selects one of a first inner capacitance voltage and a second inner capacitance voltage according to the most significant bit of the image data and for supplying the selected voltage to one of terminals of each of the inner capacitances selected according to each of digits of the low order bits.

A data line driving circuit for driving data lines of an electro-optical panel that includes an electro-optical material, whose transmittance-applied-voltage characteristic has a linear portion and a non-linear portion, a plurality of scanning lines, a plurality of data lines, switching devices provided correspondingly to intersections between the scanning lines and the data lines, and pixel electrodes provided correspondingly thereto, the data line driving circuit comprising:

• a shift register that sequentially shifts transfer pulses in every horizontal scanning period and sequentially outputs selection signals;
• a first latch portion that latches image data according to each of the selection signals and outputs plural dot-sequence image data;
• a second latch portion that latches each of dot-sequence image data in every horizontal scanning period and outputs plural line-sequence image data;
• and
• a DA conversion portion that DA-converts the line-sequence image data,
• the DA converting portion including:
• plural inner capacitances provided correspondingly to each of low order bits other than a most significant bit of the line-sequence image data and weighted respectively corresponding to bit values thereof;
• a switching device provided between each of the inner capacitances and a corresponding one of the data lines and controlled in such a manner as to be on or off according to a digit corresponding to each of bits of the line-sequence image data;
• a first voltage supply that selects one of a first data line voltage and a second data line voltage according to the most significant bit of the line-sequence image data and supplies the selected voltage to one of terminals of each of all of the inner capacitances and to the other terminal of each of the inner capacitances to be connected thereto through the data lines and the switching device;
• and
• a second voltage supply that selects one of a first inner capacitance voltage and a second inner capacitance voltage according to the most significant bit of the line-sequence image data and supplies the selected voltage to one of terminals of each of the inner capacitances selected according to each of digits of the low order bits.