Patent ID: 7888623
Filing Date: 2011-02-15
Classification: G01J,H04N,H05B

Abstract:
1. An illumination device comprising: a light emitting element to be a light source; a light amount detecting means for detecting the amount of light emitted by the light emitting element; a light emitting element drive means for controlling drive current supplied to the light emitting element so that the difference between the light mount detected by the light amount detecting means and a light amount target value becomes small; a junction temperature detecting means for calculating junction temperature of the light emitting element; and a setting means for setting the light amount target value in accordance with the junction temperature detected by the junction temperature detecting means, in which the light emitting element has three color emitting elements including a red-light emitting element generating light of a red wavelength component, a green-light emitting element generating light of a green wavelength component and a blue-light emitting element generating light of a blue wavelength component, and in which the setting means sets the light amount target value to be applied to each color emitting element of the light emitting element by using three temperature correction functions for each said color light emitting element each pertaining to a function involving the respective color emitting element and junction temperature variation of one of the three color emitting elements such that for a first color emitting element three respective temperature correction functions are utilized which include a first temperature correction function pertaining to a function involving the first color emitting element and junction temperature variation of the first color emitting element, a second temperature correction function pertaining to a function involving the first color emitting element and junction temperature variation of a second color emitting element, and a third temperature correction function pertaining to a function involving the first color emitting element and junction temperature variation of a third color emitting element.