Method of driving display panel by compensating for flicker and display apparatus thereof

1. A method of driving a display panel, the method comprising:

dividing an input image into a plurality of segments;

generating a flicker value of a segment of the plurality of segments;

compensating the flicker value of the segment based on segment size, flicker value of the segment, and flicker values of neighboring segments positioned around the segment;

determining a frame rate of the display panel based on the flicker value of the segment; and

outputting a data voltage to the display panel in the frame rate,

wherein compensating the flicker value comprises:

determining not to compensate the flicker value of the segment when the segment size is equal to or greater than a compensation threshold; and

determining to compensate the flicker value of the segment when the segment size is less than the compensation threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a compensation size,

wherein the compensation size represents a number of a flicker value of a compensation target segment and flicker values of segments adjacent to the compensation target segment; and

wherein the compensation size is used for compensation of the compensation target segment when the segment size is less than the compensation threshold.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the compensation size is determined such that a multiplication of the segment size and the compensation size is equal to or greater than the compensation threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the compensation size is determined as a minimum integer satisfying that the multiplication of the segment size and the compensation size is equal to or greater than the compensation threshold.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the compensation size comprises:

determining a first compensation size representing a number of the flicker value of the compensation target segment and the flicker values of the segments adjacent to the compensation target segment in a first direction; and

determining a second compensation size representing a number of the flicker value of the compensation target segment and the flicker values of the segments adjacent to the compensation target segment in a second direction different from the first direction;

wherein the first compensation size and the second compensation size are each used for compensation of the compensation target segment.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining whether the input image represents a static image or a video image,

wherein the frame rate of the display panel is determined based on the flicker value of the segment when the input image represents the static image.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the flicker value of the segment comprises:

converting luminances of pixels into flicker values of the pixels; and

operating the flicker values of the pixels in the segments.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein operating the flicker values of the pixels in the segments comprises summing the flicker values of the pixels in the segments.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein operating the flicker values of the pixels in the segments comprises:

setting weights of the pixels based on positions of the pixels; and

operating a weighted sum of the flicker values of the pixels using the weights of the pixels.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the frame rate of the display panel comprises comparing a maximum value of the flicker values of the segments to a threshold.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the frame rate of the display panel comprises comparing an average of flicker values of segments that is greater than a predetermined flicker value to a threshold.

12. A method of driving a display panel, the method comprising:

dividing an input image into a plurality of segments;

generating a flicker value of a segment of the plurality of segments;

compensating the flicker value of the segment based on segment size, flicker value of the segment, and flicker values of neighboring segments positioned around the segment;

determining a frame rate of the display panel based on the flicker value of the segment;

outputting a data voltage to the display panel in the frame rate; and

determining a compensation size,

wherein a compensation size is determined by dividing a compensation threshold by the segment size,

wherein determining whether or not to compensate the flicker value of the segment comprises:

determining not to compensate the flicker value of the segment when the segment size is equal to or less than 1; and

determining to compensate the flicker value of the segment when the segment size is greater than 1.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining the compensation size comprises:

determining a first compensation size representing a number of a flicker value of a compensation target segment and the flicker values of the segments adjacent to the compensation target segment in a first direction; and

determining a second compensation size representing a number of the flicker value of the compensation target segment and the flicker values of the segments adjacent to the compensation target segment in a second direction different from the first direction;

wherein the first compensation size and the second compensation size are used for compensation of the compensation target segment.

14. A display apparatus comprising:

a display panel configured to display an image;

a low frequency driver connected to the display panel and configured to divide an input image into a plurality of segments, to generate a flicker value of a segment of the plurality of segments, to compensate the flicker value of the segment depending on the segment size, and to determine a frame rate of the display panel based on the flicker value of the segment; and

a data driver connected to the display panel and configured to output a data voltage to the display panel in the frame rate,

wherein the low frequency driver is configured to determine not to compensate the flicker value of the segment when the segment size is equal to or greater than a compensation threshold; and

wherein the low frequency driver is configured to determine to compensate the flicker value of the segment when the segment size is less than the compensation threshold.

15. The display apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the low frequency driver is configured to determine a compensation size, the compensation size representing a number of a flicker value of a compensation target segment and flicker values of segments adjacent to the compensation target segment, the compensation size used for compensation of the compensation target segment when the segment size is less than the compensation threshold.

16. The display apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the compensation size is determined such that a multiplication of the segment size and the compensation size is equal to or greater than the compensation threshold.

17. The display apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the low frequency driver is configured to determine a compensation size;

wherein the compensation size is determined based on a number of a flicker value of a compensation target segment and flicker values of segments adjacent to the compensation target segment, the compensation size used for compensation of the compensation target segment;

wherein the compensation size is determined by dividing the compensation threshold by the segment size;

wherein the low frequency driver is configured to determine not to compensate the flicker value of the segment when the segment size is equal to or less than 1; and

wherein the low frequency driver is configured to determine to compensate the flicker value of the segment when the segment size is greater than 1.

18. The display apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the low frequency driver comprises a static image determiner configured to determine whether the input image represents a static image or a video image, and

wherein the low frequency driver is configured to determine the frame rate of the display panel based on the flicker value of the segment when the input image represents the static image.