Patent ID: 7248002
Filing Date: 2007-07-24
Classification: H05B

Abstract:
1. A light emission control apparatus comprising: a voltage-temperature profile storage unit storing a table mapping forward voltages to ambient temperatures at discrete levels of the forward currents, showing characteristics of the ambient temperature with respect to the forward voltage of a light emitting element; a forward voltage detecting unit detecting the forward voltage of the light emitting element subject to control; a temperature computing unit configured to determine the ambient temperature from the detected forward voltage of the light emitting element by referring to the table mapping the forward voltages of the light emitting element to the ambient temperatures; a driving current determining unit determining a command value defining a driving current to drive the light emitting element in accordance with the ambient temperature determined by said temperature computing unit; and a driving current control unit controlling the driving current to drive the light emitting element in accordance with the command value thus determined.