Overdrive dimming

1. An apparatus comprising:

a light engine comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes connected in series;

a power supply that generates an output power that is supplied to the light engine; and

a processor that controls the power supply, the processor configured to:

calculate an operational age of the light engine;

detect a sudden catastrophic failure of one of the light emitting diodes;

determine whether the calculated operational age of the light engine exceeds a warrantied operational lifespan; and

cause the power supply to adjust the output power in response to detecting the sudden catastrophic failure of one of the light emitting diodes, wherein:

the output power is adjusted to maintain a warrantied light engine luminance in response to determining that the calculated operational age of the light engine does not exceed the warrantied operational lifespan; and

the output power is adjusted to maintain a luminance that is greater than the warrantied light engine luminance in response to determining that the calculated operational age of the light engine exceeds the warrantied operational lifespan.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operational age of the light engine is based on a forward voltage across the light engine and a forward current through the light engine.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to calculate the operational age of the light engine by:

causing the power supply to vary the forward voltage across the light engine while sampling the forward voltage and the forward current; and

calculating a transition voltage from the sampled forward voltage and forward current.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein:

the transition voltage is one of a plurality of transition voltages calculated from forward voltages and forward currents sampled at different times; and

the processor is further configured to calculate the operational age of the light engine based on differences between at least two of the plurality of transition voltages.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein maintaining the warrantied light engine luminance comprises a decrease in output power.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein maintaining a luminance that is greater than the warrantied light engine luminance comprises an increase in output power.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a light engine comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes connected in series;

a switched-mode power supply that generates an output power that is supplied to the light engine, the switched-mode power supply setting the output power in response to a voltage control signal; and

a microcontroller comprising a processor, a memory, an analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter, and program logic that is stored in the memory and implemented by the processor;

wherein the analog-to-digital converter provides forward voltage across the light engine and forward current through the light engine to the processor, and the program logic uses the forward voltage and forward current to calculate an operational age of the light engine, detect sudden catastrophic failure of one of the light emitting diodes, determine whether the calculated operational age of the light engine is greater than a warrantied operational lifespan, and generate the voltage control signal to cause the power supply to adjust the output power in response to detection of the sudden catastrophic failure of one of the light emitting diodes, wherein adjusting the voltage control signal comprises maintaining a luminance that is greater than a warrantied light engine luminance when the calculated operational age of the light engine is greater than the warrantied operational lifespan and maintaining a luminance equal to the warranted light engine luminance when the calculated operational age of the light engine does not exceed the warrantied operational lifespan, the voltage control signal being provided to the power supply by the processor via the digital-to-analog converter.

8. A method comprising:

calculating an operational age of a light engine that comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes connected in series;

detecting sudden catastrophic failure of one of the light emitting diodes;

determining whether the calculated operational age of the light engine exceeds a warrantied operational lifespan; and

adjusting power provided to the light engine in response to detecting the sudden catastrophic failure of one of the light emitting diodes, wherein:

the power is adjusted to maintain a warrantied light engine luminance in response to determining that the calculated operational age of the light engine does not exceed the warrantied operational lifespan; and

the power is adjusted to maintain a luminance that is greater than the warrantied light engine luminance in response to determining that the calculated operational age of the light engine exceeds the warrantied operational lifespan.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the calculated operational age of the light engine is based on a forward voltage across the light engine and a forward current through the light engine.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein calculating the operational age of the light engine comprises:

varying the forward voltage across the light engine while sampling the forward voltage and the forward current; and

calculating a transition voltage from the sampled forward voltage and forward current.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

calculating the operational age of the light engine based on differences in transition voltages calculated from forward voltages and forward currents sampled at different times.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein adjusting the power to maintain a warrantied light engine luminance comprises decreasing the power to the light engine.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein adjusting the power to maintain a luminance that is greater than the warrantied light engine luminance comprises increasing the power to the light engine.