Patent ID: 8680896

Claim:
An apparatus for driving a voltage controlled switching element having a conduction control terminal, comprising: voltage determining means for determining whether or not voltage at the conduction control terminal is at a first voltage which is lower than a second voltage and which is equal to or more than a threshold voltage, the second voltage being a voltage provided when the switching element is in a normal on-state thereof, the threshold voltage being voltage at which the switching element is switched on; forcible switching-off means that forcibly switches off the switching element when it is determined by the voltage determining means that the voltage at the conduction control terminal is at the first voltage; and a power supply that generates the second voltage; a charging path electrically connecting the conduction control terminal of the switching element and the power supply; a charging switching element that selectively opens and closes the charging path; a normal discharge path that discharges, from the conduction control terminal, electric charge which allow the switching element to be turn on; and a discharging switching element that selectively opens and closes the normal discharge path.