Driving method for image display apparatus

1. A method for driving an image display apparatus which includes

(A) an image display panel including a plurality of pixels arrayed in a two-dimensional matrix and each configured with a first subpixel for displaying a first primary color, a second subpixel for displaying a second primary color, a third subpixel for displaying a third primary color and a fourth subpixel for displaying a fourth color; and

(B) a signal processing section, the signal processing section being capable of (a) calculating a first subpixel output signal based at least on a first subpixel input signal and an expansion coefficient (α0) and outputting the calculated first subpixel output signal to the first subpixel, (b) calculating a second subpixel output signal based at least on a second subpixel input signal and the expansion coefficient (α0) and outputting the calculated second subpixel output signal to the second subpixel, (c) calculating a third subpixel output signal based at least on a third subpixel input signal and the expansion coefficient (α0) and outputting the calculated third subpixel output signal to the third subpixel, and (d) calculating a fourth subpixel output signal based on the first subpixel input signal, second subpixel input signal and third subpixel input signal and outputting the calculated fourth subpixel output signal to the fourth subpixel,

the driving method comprising:

(a) a step, carried out by the signal processing section, of calculating a maximum value (Vmax(S)) of brightness where a saturation (S) in an HSV (Hue, Saturation and Value) color space expanded by addition of the fourth color is used as a variable;

(b) a step, carried out by the signal processing section, of calculating a saturation (S) and brightness (V(S)) of a plurality of pixels based on the subpixel input signal values to the plural pixels; and

(c) a step of determining the expansion coefficient (α0) so that the ratio of expanded pixels having a brightness value higher than the maximum value (Vmax(S)) to all pixels is equal to or lower than a predetermined value (β0), the expanded pixels being calculated by multiplying the brightness (V(S)) and the expansion coefficient α0, the saturation (S) being represented by S=(Max−Min)/Max and the brightness (V(S)) being represented by V(S)=Max, Max being a maximum value among the three subpixel input signal values of the first subpixel input signal value, second subpixel input signal value and third subpixel input signal value to the pixel, and Min is a minimum value among the three subpixel input signal values of the first subpixel input signal value, second subpixel input signal value and third subpixel input signal value to the pixel.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, step (c) includes:

obtaining expansion coefficients α(S) with regard to the pixels according to the expression α(S)=V max (S)/V(S), and

determining an expansion coefficient α(S) having a value within a range of the minimum value to the predetermined value β o ×NP th smallest value among the values of the expansion coefficients α(S) as the expansion coefficient α o , where NP is the number of the pixels.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein in step (c) an expansion coefficient α(S) corresponding to the predetermined value β o ×NP th smallest value among the values of the expansion coefficients α(S) is determined as the expansion coefficient α o .