Patent ID: 9578700
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: H02M,H05B

Claim:
1. A load control device for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load, the load control device adapted to be coupled to the AC power source through a dimmer switch, the load control device comprising: a load control circuit adapted to be coupled to the electrical load for controlling the power delivered to the electrical load; a control circuit coupled to the load control circuit for controlling the amount of power delivered to the electrical load in response to a conduction period of a phase-control voltage received from the dimmer switch; a controllable-load circuit configured to conduct a controllable-load current from the AC power source through the dimmer switch, the controllable-load circuit configured to maintain the magnitude of the controllable-load current constant for at least a portion of each half-cycle of the AC power source; and a communication circuit configured to transmit and receive digital messages; wherein the control circuit is configured to control the controllable-load circuit in response to receiving a digital message via the communication circuit, the control circuit configured to cause the controllable-load circuit to decrease the magnitude of the controllable-load current from an initial magnitude in a first half-cycle to a decreased magnitude in a second subsequent half-cycle, such that the conduction period of the phase-control voltage is the same when the controllable-load current has the initial magnitude in the first half-cycle and the decreased magnitude in the second half-cycle.