Patent ID: 7942547

Claim:
A light emitting device comprising: a plurality of light emitting elements aligned along a reference line; a plurality of lenses that collects light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements; and a drive circuit that allows either a first light emitting element or a second light emitting element to emit light, wherein the plurality of lenses includes: a first lens; and a second lens that is disposed on an opposite side of the first lens with the reference line interposed therebetween, wherein a distance between the center of the first lens and the reference line is the same as a distance between the center of the second lens and the reference line, wherein the plurality of light emitting elements includes: the first light emitting element; the second light emitting element that is disposed on an opposite side of the first light emitting element with the reference line interposed therebetween; a third light emitting element disposed on a side that is the same as that of the first light emitting element, viewed from the reference line; and a fourth light emitting element disposed on a side that is the same as that of the second light emitting element, viewed from the reference line, wherein a center of the third light emitting element is shifted in a direction in which the reference line extends from a center of the first light emitting element, wherein a center of the fourth light emitting element is shifted in the direction in which the reference line extends from a center of the second light emitting element, wherein a distance between the first light emitting element and the reference line is the same as a distance between the second light emitting element and the reference line, wherein a distance between the reference line and the third light emitting element is the same as a distance between the reference line and the fourth light emitting element and the distance between the third light emitting element and the reference line is different than the distance between the reference line and the first light emitting element, wherein the drive circuit allows the light emitting elements belonging to one light emitting line between a first light emitting line including the first light emitting element and the third light emitting element and a second light emitting line including the second light emitting element and the fourth light emitting element to emit light, wherein the light emitting elements belonging to the first light emitting line are disposed in a zigzag pattern, and wherein the light emitting elements belonging to the second light emitting line are disposed in a zigzag pattern.