LIGHT-EMITTING ELEMENT DRIVE DEVICE, FLAT ILLUMINATION DEVICE, AND LIQUID CRYSTAL DISPLAY DEVICE

摘要

Disclosed is a light-emitting element drive device which drives light-emitting elements, wherein power loss originating from forward voltage drop variation in light-emitting elements is reduced. A plurality of voltage applying units (1, 32, 33; 2, 34, 35) generate voltage on the basis of a detection voltage that had been determined according to the largest forward voltage drop among forward voltage drops of light-emitting element strings (11 to 14), and apply the generated voltage to the light-emitting element strings (11 to 14). Switching units (30, 31) switch the voltage applying units to which light-emitting element strings (11 to 14) are individually connected, among the plurality of voltage applying units (1, 32, 33; 2, 34, 35). Control units (40 to 42) control the switching of the connections at the switching units (30, 31) so that the difference between the forward voltage drops of the light-emitting element strings (11 to 14) is minimal.