Patent ID: 7446483

Claim:
A backlight light source drive device which drives a plurality of backlight light sources disposed at the rear surface of a liquid crystal panel, the backlight light source drive device comprising: a plurality of backlight light source drive circuits configured to respectively drive the plurality of backlight light sources, and a control circuit configured to turn the plurality of backlight light source drive circuits ON and OFF, each of the backlight light source drive circuits including: a current detection circuit configured to detect a current through the individual backlight light source; and a protection signal output circuit which includes: an LED illumination circuit which, when the current detected by the current detection circuit becomes less than or equal to a fixed threshold value, illuminates an LED which indicates an anomalous condition and outputs a protection signal to the control circuit for stopping the operation of all of the plurality of backlight light source drive circuits; and an LED power supply circuit which supplies power to the LED illumination circuit, irrespective of whether the backlight light source drive circuits are turned ON or OFF by the control circuit; wherein the control circuit turns all of the plurality of backlight light source drive circuits OFF, upon receipt of a protection signal from any one of the protection signal output circuits of the backlight light source drive circuits, and wherein each of the protection signal output circuits comprises: a thyristor, which is connected in series with the LED, and outputs the protection signal by being turned ON; and a Zener diode, which is connected to the gate terminal of the thyristor, and is turned ON when the electrical current detected by the corresponding electrical current detection circuit becomes less than or equal to a fixed threshold value.