Patent ID: 6211627
Filing Date: 2001-04-03
Classification: H05B,Y10S

Abstract:
An apparatus comprising:a semiconductor power controller for selectively coupling a lamp load to an alternating current supply, said lamp load at a location remote from said semiconductor power controller, said semiconductor power controller having a power output coupled to said lamp load, said alternating current supply supplying alternating current, said alternating current having half-cycles, said semiconductor power controller responsive to a control input;a control circuit coupled with said control input of said semiconductor power controller, said control circuit having an input and accepting a first value at said input indicating a desired amount of power to be supplied to said lamp load, said control circuit determining those portions of said half-cycles in which said semiconductor power controller couples said alternating current supply to said lamp load so as to supply said desired amount of power to said lamp load;said control circuit further accepting at least one additional value not a desired amount of power value and varying those portions of said half-cycles at which said semiconductor power controller couples said alternating current supply to said lamp load so as to encode said additional value so as to be decodable in said power output.