Patent ID: 7855543

Claim:
A load control device for controlling the amount of power delivered to an electrical load from an AC power source, the load control device comprising: a semiconductor switch operable to be coupled in series electrical connection between the source and the load, the semiconductor switch having a control input for controlling the semiconductor switch between a non-conductive state and a conductive state; a controller operatively coupled to the control input of the semiconductor switch for controlling the semiconductor switch between the non-conductive state and the conductive state; a touch sensitive actuator having a touch sensitive front surface responsive to a point actuation characterized by a position and a force, the touch sensitive actuator having an output operatively coupled to the controller for providing an output voltage; a usage detection circuit operatively coupled between the output of the touch sensitive actuator and the controller, the usage detection circuit operable to generate a first control signal; and a stabilizing circuit operatively coupled between the output of the touch sensitive actuator and the controller, the stabilizing circuit operable to generate a second control signal; wherein the second control signal is representative of only the position of the point actuation on the touch sensitive front surface of the touch sensitive actuator, and the first control signal is representative of whether the point actuation is presently occurring on the front surface, the first control signal characterized by a faster response than the second control signal, such that the controller controls the semiconductor switch in response to the second control signal when the controller determines that the point actuation is presently occurring in response to the first control signal.