Display device and method of operating display device including shifting an image display reference coordinate

1. A method of operating a display device, comprising:

initializing an image display reference coordinate as a random coordinate among coordinates included in a shift pattern when power is applied to the display device;

shifting the image display reference coordinate from the random coordinate along the shift pattern; and

displaying an input image to a display panel included in the display device based on the image display reference coordinate.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein initializing the image display reference coordinate as the random coordinate among coordinates included in the shift pattern when the power is applied to the display device includes:

generating a random value; and

setting the image display reference coordinate as a coordinate, which corresponds to the random value, among the coordinates included in the shift pattern.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shift pattern represents a shifting trace of the image display reference coordinate from a start coordinate to an end coordinate within a shift range.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein displaying the input image on the display panel included in the display device based on the image display reference coordinate includes:

generating an output image by processing the input image based the image display reference coordinate; and

displaying the output image on the display panel.

5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the image display reference coordinate includes an X-axis image display reference coordinate and a Y-axis image display reference coordinate.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein generating the output image by processing the input image based on the image display reference coordinate includes:

shifting the input image along the X-axis based on the X-axis image display reference coordinate;

generating an internal image by scaling the shifted input image along the X-axis;

shifting the internal image along the Y-axis based on the Y-axis image display reference coordinate; and

generating the output image by scaling the shifted internal image along the Y-axis.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein:

the shifted input image along the X-axis includes a first partial image, a second partial image, and a third partial image,

the first, second, and third partial images are disposed sequentially along the X-axis, and

the third partial image is not displayed on the display panel.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein generating the internal image by scaling the shifted input image along the X-axis includes:

generating a first extended partial image by extending the first partial image along the X-axis to fill a blank region of the display panel, the blank region being generated by the X-axis shift; and

generating the internal image by adding the first extended partial image and the second partial image.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein:

the shifted internal image along the Y-axis includes a first partial internal image, a second partial internal image, and a third partial internal image,

the first, second, and third partial internal images are disposed sequentially along the Y-axis, and

the third partial internal image is not displayed on the display panel.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein generating the output image by scaling the shifted internal image along the Y-axis includes:

generating a first extended partial internal image by extending the first partial internal image along the Y-axis to fill a blank region of the display panel, the blank region being generated by the Y-axis shift; and

generating the output image by adding the first extended partial internal image and the second partial internal image.

11. A display device, comprising:

a timing controller including a reference coordinate generator and an image processor, the reference coordinate generator to initialize an image display reference coordinate as a random coordinate among coordinates included in a shift pattern when power is applied to the display device, the reference coordinate generator to shift the image display reference coordinate from the random coordinate along the shift pattern, the image processor to generate an output image by shifting and scaling an input image based on the image display reference coordinate, the timing controller to generate a data driver control signal and a scan driver control signal based on the output image;

a display panel including a plurality of pixel circuits;

a data driver to generate data signals based on the data driver control signal, and provide the data signals to the pixel circuits through a plurality of data lines;

a scan driver to generate scan signals based on the scan driver control signal, and provide the scan signals to the pixel circuits through a plurality of scan lines; and

a power controller to provide a supply voltage and a ground voltage to the display panel to operate the display panel.

12. The display device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the reference coordinate generator includes:

a random value generator to generate a random value; and

a look-up table (LUT) storing coordinates included in the shift pattern, the look-up table to output a coordinate, which corresponds to the random value, among the coordinates as the image display reference coordinate.

13. The display device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the shift pattern represents a shifting trace of the image display reference coordinate from a start coordinate to an end coordinate within a shift range.

14. The display device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the image display reference coordinate includes an X-axis image display reference coordinate and a Y-axis image display reference coordinate.

15. The display device as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the image processor includes:

an X-axis image processor to shift the input image along the X-axis based on the X-axis image display reference coordinate and to generate an internal image by scaling the shifted input image along the X-axis; and

a Y-axis image processor to shift the internal image along the Y-axis based on the Y-axis image display reference coordinate and to generate the output image by scaling the shifted internal image along the Y-axis.