Patent ID: 8169164

Claim:
A light output control device for laser light sources that controls light outputs from laser light sources for respective RGB colors, the light output control device comprising three sets for respective RGB colors, each set including: (a) a semiconductor laser operable to output a light of one of the RGB colors; (b) a light output detection unit operable to detect a light output from the semiconductor laser; (c) a light output adjustment unit operable to update a light output target value; (d) a light output control unit operable to control the semiconductor laser based on the updated light output target value; and (e) a division unit operable to divide the output from the light output detection unit by an output from the light output adjustment unit to obtain a ratio of a rising of the light output from the semiconductor laser, wherein the light output control device further comprises a rising determination unit for determining, based on detection results obtained by the respective division unit for the respective RGB, rising of output of the semiconductor laser with slowest rising from among the semiconductor lasers for the respective RGB colors and outputting light output adjustment values for the respective semiconductor lasers for the respective RGB, wherein the light output adjustment unit for the respective RGB updates their respective light output target values based on the light output adjustment values for the respective RGB outputted from the rising determination unit, and the light output control unit for the respective RGB causes their respective corresponding semiconductor lasers to operate in accordance with a semiconductor laser whose light output rising time is slowest, based on the updated light output target values to keep RGB color balance upon activation.