Organic EL display device and method of driving the same

1. An organic EL display device, comprising:

an array of a plurality of pixel circuits, each of the pixel circuits including:

an organic EL element;

a storage capacity for holding a voltage corresponding to an image signal;

a drive transistor for applying a current to the organic EL element, the current corresponding to the voltage of the storage capacity; and

a current switch for either connecting or disconnecting the drive transistor with the organic EL element; and

an inter-pixel switch for connecting or disconnecting a node located between the organic EL element and the current switch in one of a pair of the pixel circuits that are adjacent to each other and a node between the organic EL element and the current switch in the other of the pair of the pixel circuits, and in a three-dimensional image display period in which the voltage of the storage capacity of one of the pixel circuits in the pixel circuit pair is updated, turning the current switch in the one of the pixel circuits to a disconnected state and turning the current switch in the other of the pixel circuits to a connected state, applying a current in response to the voltage of the storage capacity of the other of the pixel circuits to the organic EL elements of the pixel circuits that form the pixel circuit pair to cause the organic EL elements to emit light.

2. A method of driving an organic EL display device, comprising:

when displaying a two-dimensional image, turning the inter-pixel switch to a disconnected state;

driving the organic EL display device as claimed in claim 1 , the method further comprising:

sequentially updating the voltage of the storage capacity of the pixel circuit in response to an image signal of the two-dimensional image;

and applying a current in response to the updated voltage of the storage capacity to the organic EL element of the pixel circuit to cause the organic EL element to emit light;

the method further comprising: when displaying the three-dimensional image by alternately displaying a right-eye parallax image and a left-eye parallax image, turning the inter-pixel switch to a connected state to form a pixel circuit pair;

alternately updating the voltages of the storage capacities of the pixel circuits in the pixel circuit pair based on image signals of the parallax images.

3. An organic EL display device, comprising:

pixel circuits disposed respectively at intersections between a plurality of data lines and a plurality of scanning lines that intersect the data lines, each one of the pixel circuits including:

an organic EL element;

a storage capacity for holding a voltage corresponding to an image signal; a drive transistor for applying a current to the organic EL element, the current corresponding to the voltage of the storage capacity; and

a current switch for either connecting or disconnecting the drive transistor with the organic EL element, wherein each of a plurality of the pixel circuits sharing one of the data lines includes:

a first inter-pixel switch for connecting or disconnecting a node located between the organic EL element and the current switch in the pixel circuit having a p-th line of the scanning lines (where p is an odd number) and a node between the organic EL element and the current switch in the pixel circuit having a (p+1)th line of the scanning lines; and

a second inter-pixel switch for connecting or disconnecting a node located between the organic EL element and the current switch in the pixel circuit having a q-th line of the scanning lines (where q is an even number) and a node between the organic EL element and the current switch in the pixel circuit having a (q+1)th line of the scanning lines, and in a three-dimensional image display period in which the voltage of the storage capacity of one of the pixel circuits in the pixel circuit pair is updated, turning the current switch in the one of the pixel circuits to a disconnected state and turning the current switch in the other of the pixel circuits to a connected state, applying a current in response to the voltage of the storage capacity of the other of the pixel circuits to the organic EL elements of the pixel circuits that form the pixel circuit pair to cause the organic EL elements to emit light.

4. A method of driving an organic EL display device, comprising:

when displaying a two-dimensional image, turning the first inter-pixel switch and the second inter-pixel switch to a disconnected state;

driving the organic EL display device as claimed in claim 3 , the method further comprising:

sequentially updating the voltage of the storage capacity of the pixel circuit in response to an image signal of the two-dimensional image;

applying a current in response to the updated voltage of the storage capacity to the organic EL element of the pixel circuit to cause the organic EL element to emit light;

the method further comprising: when displaying the three-dimensional image by alternately displaying a right-eye parallax image and a left-eye parallax image,

turning one of the first inter-pixel switch and the second inter-pixel switch to a connected state and turning the other to a disconnected state to form a pixel circuit pair;

alternately updating the voltages of the storage capacities of the pixel circuits in the pixel circuit pair based on image signals of the parallax images.

5. The method according to claim 4 further comprising:

when displaying the three-dimensional image by alternately displaying the parallax images,

alternately switching the first inter-pixel switch and the second inter-pixel switch between the connected state and the disconnected state frame by frame.