Patent ID: 8334663

Claim:
A load control device adapted to be coupled between an AC power source and an electrical load for controlling the power delivered to the electrical load, the load control device comprising: a controllably conductive device adapted to be coupled between the source and the electrical load for controlling the power delivered to the electrical load; a controller operatively coupled to a control input of the controllably conductive device for rendering the controllably conductive device conductive and non-conductive; and a power supply coupled in parallel with controllably conductive device for generating a DC supply voltage for powering the controller when the controllably conductive device is non-conductive, the power supply comprising an energy storage capacitor and a charge pump circuit adapted to conduct an input charging current through the electrical load and to conduct an output charging current through the energy storage capacitor to thus generate the DC supply voltage across the energy storage capacitor, the output charging current having a magnitude greater than the input charging current, the charge pump circuit operating at a switching frequency equal to approximately a line frequency of the AC power source.