Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Tomobumi Nakayama, Deceased

Takayuki Kawakami

Hajime Kaji

Michiharu Masuda

A laser driving apparatus for driving a plurality of laser beam sources includes a plurality of laser beam sources, a photodetector for detecting amounts of laser beams emitted from the plurality of laser beam sources, a plurality of current sources for driving the plurality of laser beam sources, a plurality of switches respectively interposed between the plurality of laser beam sources and the plurality of current sources, a plurality of controllers for controlling light amounts of the plurality of laser beam sources by comparing the light amounts detected by the photodetector with a reference value and controlling current amounts of the plurality of current sources in accordance with the comparison values, a plurality of sample/hold circuits respectively interposed between the photodetector and the plurality of controllers, and timing adjustment device for outputting a plurality of timing signals of a first type for controlling the plurality of switches and a plurality of timing signals of a second type for controlling the plurality of sample/hold circuits. The timing adjustment device outputs the plurality of timing signals of the first type for time-divisionally turning on the plurality of switches and sequentially making the plurality of laser beam sources to emit laser beams one by one. The plurality of timing signals of the second type making each of the plurality of sample/hold circuits corresponding to the plurality of switches sample while each of the plurality of switches is on. The plurality of timing signals of the second type making each of the plurality of sample/hold circuits sample while any one of the switches which are turned on before a corresponding switch is on.

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Tokyo, Japan

Tomobumi Nakayama, Deceased