Patent ID: 8325210

Claim:
A light-emitting device comprising: a plurality of light-emitting chips that each include a plurality of light-emitting elements and a plurality of memory elements provided respectively corresponding to the plurality of light-emitting elements, each of the memory elements memorizing a corresponding light-emitting element to be caused to light up, each of the plurality of light-emitting chips being capable of lighting up the light-emitting elements more than one, in parallel; an enable signal supply unit that transmits an enable signal in common to light-emitting chips belonging to each of M groups into which the plurality of light-emitting chips are divided, where M is an integer more than one, the enable signal enabling selection of light-emitting elements to be caused to light up among the plurality of light-emitting elements; a write signal supply unit that transmits a write signal in common to light-emitting chips belonging to each of N classes into which the plurality of light-emitting chips are divided, where N is an integer more than one, the write signal setting memory elements corresponding to the light-emitting elements to be caused to light up among the plurality of light-emitting elements, to any one of a memory state and a non-memory state, in the light-emitting chips in which the selection is enabled by the enable signal; and a light-up signal supply unit that transmits light-up signals for lighting up to light-emitting elements corresponding to memory elements in the memory state, for the plurality of light-emitting chips.