Patent ID: 8519941

Claim:
An apparatus for driving a backlight unit comprising a lamp unit including a plurality of lamps, the apparatus comprising: an error amplifying unit configured to detect an error voltage between a feedback voltage corresponding to a current flowing to the lamp unit and a preset first reference voltage; a soft signal generating unit configured to generate a soft start signal of the lamp unit; a high-frequency driving signal generating unit configured to generate a high-frequency driving signal of the lamp unit; a high-frequency driving termination determining unit configured to generate a high-frequency driving termination signal when the error voltage is equal in voltage level to the soft start signal; and a high-frequency driving signal blocking unit configured to block the high-frequency driving signal in advance when the high-frequency driving termination signal is inputted, wherein the soft signal generating unit comprises: a first current source having one terminal connected to a terminal of a preset first power supply voltage; a first capacitor connected between the other terminal of the first current source and a ground; and a first Zener diode connected between the other terminal of the first current source and the ground in parallel to the first capacitor, and the high-frequency driving signal generating unit comprises: a second current source having one terminal connected to a terminal of a preset second power supply voltage; a switch configured to switch a common terminal, which is connected to the other terminal of the second current source, between a ground terminal and a charged terminal; a second capacitor connected to the charged terminal; a second Zener diode connected between the other terminal of the second current source and the ground; and a first comparator configured to compare an output voltage of the switch with a preset second reference voltage to generate the high-frequency driving signal during a period when a voltage charged in the second capacitor is lower than the second reference voltage.