Laser drive apparatus for semiconductor laser for video display apparatus

1. A laser drive apparatus comprising:

a digital to analog converter including a plurality of current sources of a number corresponding to a bit number of a digital input code and a plurality of switches of a number corresponding to the number of bits, the plurality of switches being connected to the plurality of current sources and selectively switching over presence or absence of output of a control current from each of the plurality of current sources, the digital to analog converter outputting control currents corresponding to the digital input code as output respective currents from the plurality of switches; and

a driver circuit including a plurality of current mirror circuits that generate a drive current corresponding to each of the output currents based on each of the output currents to drive a laser diode,

wherein the driver circuit that includes the plurality of current mirror circuits is connected to each of the plurality of current sources via each of the plurality of switches, and generates a drive current corresponding to each of the output currents from each of the plurality of current sources to drive the laser diode,

wherein the digital input code is converted from input video data, and provided to the digital-to-analog converter that generates RGB drive currents for a laser scanning type image display apparatus driven by the laser drive apparatus,

wherein the output currents from the plurality of current sources are weighted in accordance with bits of the digital input code,

wherein a ratio of each of the output currents from each of the plurality of current sources to a load capacity of a driver having each of the current mirror circuits is identical for all the bits corresponding to each of the plurality of current sources, and

wherein the plurality of current mirror circuits is configured to distribute load capacity of the driver circuit.

2. The laser drive apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a threshold current generator circuit that generates a threshold current for a step-up at time of light emission for each of the plurality of current mirror circuits in response to the digital input code and each of the output currents from each of the plurality of current sources, and that adds the threshold current to the drive current.

3. A laser drive apparatus comprising:

a digital to analog converter including a plurality of current sources of a number corresponding to a bit number of a digital input code and a plurality of switches of a number corresponding to the number of bits, the plurality of switches being connected to the plurality of current sources and selectively switching over presence or absence of output of a control current from each of the plurality of current sources, the digital to analog converter outputting control currents corresponding to the digital input code as output respective currents from the plurality of switches; and

a driver circuit including a plurality of current mirror circuits that generate a drive current corresponding to each of the output currents based on each of the output currents to drive a laser diode,

wherein in the driver circuit that includes the plurality of current mirror circuits, the plurality of current sources is divided into a plurality of current source sets, the plurality of current mirror circuits being connected to the plurality of current source sets via the plurality of switches, and generating a drive current corresponding to each of the output currents from the plurality of current source sets to drive the laser diode,

wherein the digital input code is converted from input video data, and provided to the digital-to-analog converter that generates RGB drive currents for a laser scanning type image display apparatus driven by the laser drive apparatus,

wherein the output currents from the plurality of current sources are weighted in accordance with bits of the digital input code,

wherein a ratio of each of the output currents from each of the plurality of current sources to a load capacity of a driver having each of the current mirror circuits is identical for all the plurality of current source sets corresponding to each of the plurality of current sources, and

wherein the plurality of current mirror circuits is configured to distribute load capacity of the driver circuit.

4. The laser drive apparatus as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a threshold current generator circuit that generates a threshold current for a step-up at time of light emission for each of the plurality of current mirror circuits in response to the digital input code and each of the output currents from each of the plurality of current sources, and that adds the threshold current to the drive current.

5. An image display apparatus comprising a laser drive apparatus, the laser drive apparatus comprising:

a digital to analog converter including a plurality of current sources of a number corresponding to a bit number of a digital input code and a plurality of switches of a number corresponding to the number of bits, the plurality of switches being connected to the plurality of current sources and selectively switching over presence or absence of output of a control current from each of the plurality of current sources, the digital to analog converter outputting control currents corresponding to the digital input code as output respective currents from the plurality of switches; and

a driver circuit including a plurality of current mirror circuits that generate a drive current corresponding to each of the output currents based on each of the output currents to drive a laser diode,

wherein the driver circuit that includes a plurality of current mirror circuits is connected to each of the plurality of current sources via each of the plurality of switches, and generates a drive current corresponding to each of the output currents from each of the plurality of current sources to drive the laser diode,

wherein the digital input code is converted from input video data, and provided to the digital-to-analog converter that generates RGB drive currents for a laser scanning type image display apparatus driven by the laser drive apparatus,

wherein the output currents from the plurality of current sources are weighted in accordance with bits of the digital input code,

wherein a ratio of each of the output currents from each of the plurality of current sources to a load capacity of a driver having each of the current mirror circuits is identical for all the bits corresponding to each of the plurality of current sources, and

wherein the plurality of current mirror circuits is configured to distribute load capacity of the driver circuit.

6. An image display apparatus comprising a laser drive apparatus, the laser drive apparatus comprising:

a digital to analog converter including a plurality of current sources of a number corresponding to a bit number of a digital input code and a plurality of switches of a number corresponding to the number of bits, the plurality of switches being connected to the plurality of current sources and selectively switching over presence or absence of output of a control current from each of the plurality of current sources, the digital to analog converter outputting control currents corresponding to the digital input code as output respective currents from the plurality of switches; and

a driver circuit including a plurality of current mirror circuits that generate a drive current corresponding to each of the output currents based on each of the output currents to drive a laser diode,

wherein in the driver circuit that includes the plurality of current mirror circuits, the plurality of current sources is divided into a plurality of current source sets, the plurality of current mirror circuits being connected to the plurality of current source sets via the plurality of switches, and generating a drive current corresponding to each of the output currents from the plurality of current source sets to drive the laser diode,

wherein the digital input code is converted from input video data, and provided to the digital-to-analog converter that generates RGB drive currents for a laser scanning type image display apparatus driven by the laser drive apparatus,

wherein the output currents from the plurality of current sources are weighted in accordance with bits of the digital input code,

wherein a ratio of each of the output currents from each of the plurality of current sources to a load capacity of a driver having each of the current mirror circuits is identical for all the plurality of current source sets corresponding to each of the plurality of current sources, and

wherein the plurality of current mirror circuits is configured to distribute load capacity of the driver circuit.