Display device having a voltage limiting circuit to ensure that the voltage between the drain and source of a pixel's driving transistor does not exceed a predetermined value

1. An electro-optical device, comprising:

a pixel circuit that includes

a driving transistor;

a light-emitting element;

a voltage limiter circuit, the voltage limiter circuit being a diode, a cathode of the diode being connected to a point of junction of the driving transistor and the light-emitting element and the other terminal of the diode being connected to a feeder line for a predetermined voltage level;

wherein

the driving transistor allows an electric current that is dependent on a voltage between a gate of the driving transistor and a source of the driving transistor to flow through the light-emitting element,

the light-emitting element emits a light at a luminance that is dependent on the electric current, and

the voltage limiter circuit performs voltage limiting in such a way as to ensure that a voltage between the drain of the driving transistor and the source of the driving transistor does not exceed a predetermined value;

a first element located outside of a display area, wherein the first element acquires a threshold voltage of the light-emitting element; and

a second element located outside of the display area, wherein the second element acquires a threshold voltage of the diode,

wherein a bias voltage applied to the diode is determined from the threshold voltage of the light-emitting element and the threshold voltage of the diode acquired by the first and second elements located outside of the display area, and

wherein a potential that is equal to sum of a voltage that is based on a level of a voltage that is applied to one of two terminals of the light-emitting element, a threshold voltage of the light-emitting element, and a threshold voltage of the diode is applied to the feeder line, and the one of two terminals is a point that is not connected to the driving transistor.

2. The electro-optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the diode is a diode-connected transistor or a diode element.

3. An electronic apparatus that is provided with the electro-optical device according to claim 2 .

4. The electro-optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the pixel circuit is provided at a position corresponding to each of intersections of a plurality of scanning lines and a plurality of data lines; the plurality of scanning lines, the plurality of data lines, and the plurality of pixel circuits are formed on the same single substrate; and a potential of the data line is retained at the gate of the driving transistor when the scanning line is selected.

5. The electro-optical device according to claim 4 , wherein the first element and the second element are formed on the substrate.

6. An electronic apparatus that is provided with the electro-optical device according to claim 5 .

7. An electronic apparatus that is provided with the electro-optical device according to claim 4 .

8. The electro-optical device according to claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting element includes a pixel electrode and a common electrode; the pixel electrode is connected via the driving transistor to a power line to which a fixed potential is applied; and a potential of the common electrode is set variably.

9. An electronic apparatus that is provided with the electro-optical device according to claim 8 .

10. An electronic apparatus that is provided with the electro-optical device according to claim 1 .

11. A power supply method that is to be used by an electro-optical device, the electro-optical device including a pixel circuit, the pixel circuit including a driving transistor, a light-emitting element, and a voltage limiter circuit, the voltage limiter circuit being a diode, a cathode of the diode being connected to a point of junction of the driving transistor and the light-emitting element and the other terminal of the diode being connected to a feeder line for a predetermined voltage level, the driving transistor and the light-emitting element being connected to power supply in series, the electro-optical device further including a first element located outside of a display area, wherein the first element acquires a threshold voltage of the light-emitting element, and a second element located outside of the display area, wherein the second element acquires a threshold voltage of the diode, an electric current that is dependent on a voltage between a gate of the driving transistor and a source of the driving transistor flowing through the light-emitting element, the light-emitting element emitting a light at a luminance that is dependent on the electric current, and voltage limiting is performed in such a way as to ensure that a voltage between the drain of the driving transistor and the source of the driving transistor does not exceed a predetermined value even when a voltage of the power supply is set to be high, wherein a bias voltage applied to the diode is determined from the threshold voltage of the light-emitting element and the threshold voltage of the diode acquired by the first and second elements located outside of the display area, and wherein a potential that is equal to sum of a voltage that is based on a level of a voltage that is applied to one of two terminals of the light-emitting element, a threshold voltage of the light-emitting element, and a threshold voltage of the diode is applied to the feeder line, and the one of two terminals is a point that is not connected to the driving transistor.