Apparatus and method for driving liquid crystal display panel with data driver including gamma correction circuitry and drive circuitry

1. A liquid crystal display device comprising:

a liquid crystal display panel; and

a data driver IC which drives the liquid crystal display panel,

wherein said liquid crystal display panel includes:

a gate line;

first and second data lines; and

a pixel which includes a first sub-pixel connected to said gate line and said first data line, and a second sub-pixel connected to said gate line and said second data line,

wherein said data driver IC includes:

a gamma correction circuitry which generates a first gamma-corrected data by performing a gamma correction on externally received image data in accordance with a first gamma curve, and generates a second gamma-corrected data by performing a gamma correction on said externally received image data in accordance with a second gamma curve; and

a drive circuitry which drives said first data line in response to said first gamma-corrected data and drives said second data line in response to said second gamma-corrected data,

wherein said gamma correction circuitry includes:

a parameter storage unit storing first calculation parameters associated with said first gamma curve and second calculation parameters associated with said second gamma curve;

a counter operating in synchronization with reception of said image data;

a decoder for selecting an address of said parameter storage unit in response to said image data and a counter value received from said counter; and

a gamma correction circuit generating said first gamma-corrected data and said second gamma-corrected data,

wherein, when said counter value is a first value, said decoder selects an address of said parameter storage unit in which said first calculation parameters are stored and said gamma correction circuit generates said first gamma-corrected data by performing an approximate gamma correction calculation by using said selected first calculation parameters, and

wherein, when said counter value is a second value, said decoder selects an address of said parameter storage unit in which said second calculation parameters are stored and said gamma correction circuit generates said second gamma-corrected data by performing an approximate gamma correction calculation by using said selected second calculation parameters.

2. A data driver IC for driving a liquid crystal display panel including a gate line, first and second data lines, a pixel which includes a first sub-pixel connected to said gate line and said first data line, and a second sub-pixel connected to said gate line and said second data line, said driver IC comprising:

a gamma correction circuitry which generates first gamma-corrected data by performing gamma correction on externally received image data in accordance with a first gamma curve, and generates second gamma-corrected data by performing gamma correction on said externally received image data in accordance with a second gamma curve; and

a drive circuitry which drives said first data line in response to said first gamma-corrected data and drives said second data line in response to said second gamma-corrected data,

wherein said gamma correction circuitry includes:

a parameter storage unit storing first calculation parameters associated with said first gamma curve and second calculation parameters associated with said second gamma curve;

a counter operating in synchronization with reception of said image data;

a decoder for selecting an address of said parameter storage unit in response to said image data and a counter value received from said counter; and

a gamma correction circuit generating said first gamma-corrected data and said second gamma-corrected data,

wherein, when said counter value is a first value, said decoder selects an address of said parameter storage unit in which said first calculation parameters are stored and said gamma correction circuit generates said first gamma-corrected data by performing an approximate gamma correction calculation by using said selected first calculation parameters, and

wherein, when said counter value is a second value, said decoder selects an address of said parameter storage unit in which said second calculation parameters are stored and said gamma correction circuit generates said second gamma-corrected data by performing an approximate gamma correction calculation by using said selected second calculation parameters.