Load control device for a light-emitting diode light source

1. A circuit for controlling an intensity of a LED light source, the circuit comprising:

an LED drive circuit configured to control a magnitude of a load current conducted through the LED light source to control the intensity of the LED light source;

a current sense circuit configured to provide a load current feedback signal that indicates the magnitude of the load current; and

a control circuit configured to generate at least one drive signal for controlling the LED drive circuit to adjust the intensity of the LED light source towards a target intensity;

wherein, when the target intensity is greater than a transition intensity, the control circuit is configured to adjust a value of an operational characteristic of the at least one drive signal in response to the load current feedback signal in order to regulate an average magnitude of the load current towards a target current that ranges from a maximum rated current to a minimum rated current; and

wherein, when the target intensity is less than the transition intensity, the control circuit is configured to control the average magnitude of the load current below the minimum rated current by:

operating in a first state and a second state on a periodic basis;

controlling the LED drive circuit in the first state during a first time period in which the control circuit adjusts the value of the operational characteristic of the at least one drive signal to regulate a peak magnitude of the load current towards approximately the minimum rated current in response to the load current feedback signal; and

controlling the LED drive circuit in the second state during a second time period in which the control circuit maintains the operational characteristic of the at least one drive signal approximately constant.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein, when the target intensity is less than the transition intensity, the control circuit is configured to adjust a duty cycle defining when the LED drive circuit operates in the first state and the second state to adjust the average magnitude of the load current below the minimum rated current.

3. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the duty cycle in response to the target intensity.

4. The circuit of claim 3 , wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the duty cycle linearly with respect to the target intensity.

5. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the control circuit is configured to operate in the first state and the second state on the periodic basis in a plurality of burst periods, each of the plurality of burst periods including the first time period and the second time period.

6. The circuit of claim 5 , wherein, when the target intensity is less than the transition intensity, the control circuit is configured to regulate the average magnitude of the load current by adjusting the duty cycle and the peak magnitude of the load current.

7. The circuit of claim 6 , wherein the control circuit is configured to regulate the peak magnitude of the load current to the minimum rated current during the first time period in a first burst period and regulate the peak magnitude of the load current to the minimum rated current plus a current offset during the first time period in a second burst period.

8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the operational characteristic of the at least one drive signal comprises a duty cycle of the at least one drive signal, the control circuit configured to adjust the duty cycle of the at least one drive signal to regulate the average magnitude of the load current to the target current in response to the load current feedback signal when the target intensity is greater than the transition intensity, the control circuit further configured to adjust the duty cycle of the at least one drive signal to regulate the peak magnitude of the load current to the minimum rated current in response to the load current feedback signal in the first state when the target intensity is less than the transition intensity.

9. The circuit of claim 8 , wherein the LED drive circuit comprises a half-bridge inverter circuit, and the at least one drive signal comprises two drive signals for driving the half-bridge inverter circuit.

10. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the LED drive circuit comprises a linear regulator.

11. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the operational characteristic of the at least one drive signal comprises an operating frequency of the at least one drive signal.

12. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is configured to increase the magnitude of the load current from an initial current to the minimum rated current over a ramp time period at a beginning of the first time period.

13. A method of controlling an intensity of a LED light source, the method comprising:

generating at least one drive signal for controlling an LED drive circuit to adjust a magnitude of a load current conducted through the LED light source and adjust the intensity of the LED light source towards a target intensity;

receiving a load current feedback signal that indicates the magnitude of the load current;

when the target intensity is greater than a transition intensity, adjusting a value of an operational characteristic of the at least one drive signal in response to the load current feedback signal in order to regulate an average magnitude of the load current towards a target current that ranges from a maximum rated current to a minimum rated current; and

when the target intensity is less than the transition intensity, controlling the average magnitude of the load current below the minimum rated current by:

operating the LED drive circuit in a first state and a second state on a periodic basis;

controlling the LED drive circuit in the first state during a first time period in which the value of the operational characteristic of the at least one drive signal is adjusted to regulate a peak magnitude of the load current towards approximately the minimum rated current in response to the load current feedback signal; and

controlling the LED drive circuit in the second state during a second time period in which the operational characteristic of the at least one drive signal is maintained approximately constant.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

when the target intensity is less than the transition intensity, adjusting a duty cycle defining when the LED drive circuit operates in the first state and the second state to adjust the average magnitude of the load current below the minimum rated current.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein adjusting the duty cycle comprises adjusting the duty cycle in response to the target intensity.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein adjusting the duty cycle comprises adjusting the duty cycle linearly with respect to the target intensity.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

regulating the peak magnitude of the load current to the minimum rated current during the first time period in a first burst period and regulate the peak magnitude of the load current to the minimum rated current plus a current offset during the first time period in a second burst period.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the operational characteristic of the at least one drive signal comprises a duty cycle of the at least one drive signal, the method further comprising:

adjusting the duty cycle of the at least one drive signal to regulate the average magnitude of the load current to the target current in response to the load current feedback signal when the target intensity is greater than the transition intensity; and

adjust the duty cycle of the at least one drive signal to regulate the peak magnitude of the load current to the minimum rated current in response to the load current feedback signal in the first state when the target intensity is less than the transition intensity.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the operational characteristic of the at least one drive signal comprises an operating frequency of the at least one drive signal.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

increasing the magnitude of the load current from an initial current to the minimum rated current over a ramp time period at a beginning of the first time period.