Patent ID: 8508692

Claim:
A backlight unit comprising: a first light guide plate array including a plurality of first light guide plates arranged in parallel in a first direction to define a plurality of first light guide channels; a second light guide plate array including a plurality of second light guide plates arranged in parallel in a second direction intersected with the first direction to define a plurality of second light guide channels, the second light guide plate array being disposed under the first light guide plate array, wherein the first light guide plate array and the second light guide plate array define a matrix of blocks such that a luminance of each block is the sum of the luminance of the first and second light guide channels at each block; a first light array arranged near at least one end of the first light guide plate array to illuminate light to the at least one end of the first light guide plate array; a second light array arranged near at least one end of the second light guide plate array to illuminate light to the at least one end of the second light guide plate array; a first light array driving part independently controlling an amount of emitting light of each light source in the first light array and adjusting the current supplied to a light source of the first light array depending on a local dimming signal supplied directly from a picture analyzing part; and a second array driving part independently controlling an amount of emitting light of each light source in the second light array and adjusting the current supplied to a light source of the second light array depending on a local dimming signal supplied directly from the picture analyzing part, wherein the picture analyzing part generates the local dimming signal for adjusting the current supplied to the first and second light arrays with reference to the luminance analyzed for each block to control the first and second light array driving parts, wherein the first light array driving part is disposed along the first light array and the second light array driving part is disposed along the second light array, the first light array driving part not directly connected to the second light array driving part, wherein a long edge of the first light guide plate extends beyond or is shorter than a long edge of the second light guide plate in a first direction along a plane of the first and second light guide plates, wherein a short edge of the second light guide plate extends beyond or is shorter than a short edge of the first light guide plate in a second direction along the plane of the first and second light guide plates, the first and second directions being perpendicular to each other.