Display device with degradation compensation based on sensing data and method of driving the same

1. A display device comprising:

a display panel comprising pixels;

a sensor configured to generate sensing data by measuring a current flowing through each of the pixels based on a reference voltage; and

a compensator configured to:

generate stress data by calculating stress of the pixels based on input data provided from an external component;

divide the pixels into groups using a first block having a first size;

generate first reference data by calculating first reference values for the groups based on first pixels of the pixels in the groups having a first stress value among the stress data; and

generate degradation data based on the sensing data by compensating a variation in the sensing data based on the first reference data.

2. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the variation of the sensing data varies depending on at least one of characteristic variation of the pixels and a driving condition of the display device.

3. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the first stress value is the most distributed in the stress data.

4. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the first stress value is the lowest value in the stress data.

5. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the compensator calculates the first reference values by averaging sensed current values corresponding to the first pixels in the sensing data for each of the groups.

6. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the compensator is to generate second reference data by calculating second reference values for the groups based on second pixels of the pixels in the groups having a second stress value among the stress data and compensate the first reference data based on the second reference data.

7. The display device of claim 6 , wherein the compensator calculates differences between the first reference values and the second reference values corresponding to respective groups and compensates the first reference data based on the differences.

8. The display device of claim 7 , wherein the compensator is to:

select a first group of the groups having a first valid value in the first reference data and a second valid value in the second reference data;

calculate a first difference between the first valid value and the second valid value;

select a second group of the groups having a first invalid value in the first reference data and a third valid value in the second reference data;

calculate a first compensation value by compensating the third valid value based on the first difference; and

update the first reference data by compensating the first invalid value based on the first compensation value.

9. The display device of claim 8 , wherein the compensator is to:

select a third group of the groups having a second invalid value in the first reference data;

select a fourth group of the groups adjacent to the third group and having a fourth valid value in the first reference data; and

update the first reference data by compensating the second invalid value based on the fourth valid value.

10. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the compensator is to generate first supplementary data based on a second block having a second size and compensates the first reference data based on the first supplementary data.

11. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the compensator is to compensate the first reference data to have a resolution which is equal to a resolution of the sensing data by interpolating the first reference values based on the pixels.

12. The display device of claim 11 , wherein the compensator generates the degradation data by subtracting the first reference data from the sensing data.

13. The display device of claim 1 , wherein the compensator generates the degradation data when the display device is initially driven.

14. The display device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a data driver configured to generate a data signal based on converted data and to provide the data signal to the pixels,

wherein the compensator is to generate the converted data by compensating the input data based on the degradation data.

15. A method of driving a display device including pixels, the method comprising:

generating stress data by calculating stress of each of the pixels based on input data provided form an external component;

generating sensing data by measuring a current flowing through each of the pixels in response to a reference voltage;

dividing the pixels into groups using a first block having a first size;

generating first reference data by calculating first reference values for the groups based on first pixels of the pixels in the groups having a first stress value among the stress data;

generating degradation data based on the sensing data by compensating a variation in the sensing data based on the first reference data; and

compensating degradation of the pixels based on the degradation data.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein generating the first reference data includes:

generating second reference data by calculating second reference values for the groups based on second pixels of the pixels in the groups having a second stress value of the stress data; and

compensating the first reference data based on the second reference data.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein generating the first reference data further includes:

compensating an invalid value of the first reference data based on a valid value of an adjacent group of the groups, and

wherein the adjacent group is adjacent to a target group of the groups corresponding to the invalid value.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein generating the first reference data includes:

compensating the first reference data to have a resolution which is equal to a resolution of the sensing data by interpolating the first reference values based on the pixels.