Patent ID: 8258723

Claim:
A light-emitting element array, comprising: a plurality of three-terminal light-emitting elements, having a first terminal connected through a driving circuit to a first potential, a second terminal connected to a second potential, and a third terminal for enabling current flow between the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein the third terminals of a plurality of the three-terminal light-emitting elements are driven in common and the first terminal of each one of said plurality of the three-terminal light-emitting elements is driven separately from the first terminals of all other ones of said plurality of the three-terminal light-emitting elements, wherein the third terminal of said each three-terminal light-emitting element is switchably connected to the first potential and the second potential, the third terminal being connected to the second potential through a self-opening switching element that switches off when the third terminal is at a potential differing from the second potential by less than a predetermined amount.