Patent ID: 7505388

Claim:
A laser controller for controlling a laser drive electric current to be supplied to a laser unit by adding a plurality of drive electric currents, the laser controller comprising: a timing signal generator configured to generate a timing signal for controlling the number of additions of the drive electric currents, in accordance with input data; a mask signal generator configured to generate a mask timing signal for controlling the number of additions of the drive electric currents, and for masking a part of the timing signal, in accordance with the input data; an electric current generator configured to convert a current setting signal for setting the laser drive electric current into the drive electric currents; an arithmetic processing circuit configured to execute arithmetic processing of the timing signal and the mask timing signal, and to generate a result of the arithmetic processing as an output signal; and a controller configured to control whether at least one of the drive electric currents are added, in accordance with the output signal, wherein the mask signal generator shifts a pulse width of the mask timing signal by an offset time, and sets a timing of change of a logical level of the mask timing signal to a timing different from a timing of change of a logical level of the timing signal, and the laser drive electric current is changed at a timing of change of a logical level of the timing signal or the mask timing signal, wherein the arithmetic processing circuit performs at least an AND operation of the timing signal and the mask timing signal as the arithmetic processing.