Display device and method of driving the same

1. A display device, comprising:

a display panel configured to display an image;

a plurality of data drivers configured to supply data signals to the display panel; and

a timing controller comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive the R, G, and B data and an external dot clock signal;

a transmitting unit, the transmitting unit comprising a distributing unit and a plurality of serializing units, wherein the distributing unit is configured to:

receive a clock signal and the external dot clock signal,

divide the image data according to an R signal, a G signal, and a B signal using the external dot clock signal, and

transmit the R, G, and B signals to the plurality of serializing units according to the dot clock signal; and

wherein the plurality of serializing units are configured to serialize the R, G, and B signals into an R transmission signal, a G transmission signal, and a B transmission signal, and to embed dummy bits and clock signals into the R, G, and B transmission signals;

wherein the number of data bits transmitted during one period of the dot clock signal is based on the number of gray levels for at least one of the R, G, and B signals; and

wherein the timing controller is configured to set the data drivers and 3n ports, where n is an integer, and is configured to transmit an R transmission signal including R data bits, a G transmission signal including G data bits, and a B transmission signal including B data bits from each of the plurality of serializing units to the data drivers through the 3n ports.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the R, G, and B transmission signals are transmitted through a differential signal transmission method.

3. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the display panel is one of a liquid crystal display panel, a plasma display panel, and an organic light emitting diode display panel.

4. The display device of claim 3 , wherein the display panel is an OLED display panel.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dummy bits and clock signals are transmitted through the 3n ports after each 10 bits of the R data bits, the G data bits, and the B data bits.

6. A method of driving a display device, comprising:

receiving, in a timing controller, a clock signal, an external dot clock signal, and image data;

dividing, by a transmitting unit, the image data according to an R signal, a G signal, and a B signal using the external dot clock signal,

transmitting the R signal, G signal, and B signal to a serializing unit according to the external dot clock signal,

embedding, in the serializing unit, dummy bits and clock signals in an R transmission signal, a G transmission signal, and a B transmission signal

wherein the number of data bits transmitted during one period of the dot clock signal is based on the number of gray levels for at least one of the R, G, and B signals;

setting 3n ports between the timing controller and a data driver, where n is an integer; and

transmitting the R transmission signal including R data bits, the G transmission signal including G data bits, and the B transmission signal including B data bits from the serializing unit to the data driver through the 3n ports.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the R, G, and B transmission signals are transmitted in a differential signal transmission method.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the display device is an OLED.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising transmitting a dummy bit and a clock signal through the 3n ports after each 10 bits of the R data bits, the G data bits, and the B data bits.