US Patent 7991032 Laser drive

Disclosed herein is a laser driver including a light emission controlling section configured to stop generation of a control voltage by a control voltage generating section, causing a given voltage corresponding to a magnitude of a reference current to be outputted to an input node of a first emitter follower to operate the first emitter follower for a first time period from start of a light emission time period, release stop of the generation of the control voltage by the control voltage generating section, causing the control voltage to be outputted to the input node of the first emitter follower to operate the first emitter follower until end of the light emission time period of the laser, and operate a second emitter follower to discharge electric charges accumulated in the laser for a second time period after the end of the light emission time period of the laser.