Patent ID: 7382100

Claim:
A lighting control device for controlling a light intensity level of at least one lamp, the at least one lamp having an initial light intensity level, the lighting control device comprising: an actuator; and a controller operable to cause the light intensity level of the at least one lamp to fade at a first fade rate that is based on the initial light intensity level of the at least one lamp upon a determination that the actuator has been actuated, to fade to off at a second fade rate upon a determination that the actuator has been actuated for only a single transitory duration, to fade from the initial intensity level to a preset desired intensity level at a third fade rate upon a determination that the actuator has been actuated for two successive transitory durations, and to fade to off in a predefined fade rate sequence upon a determination that the actuator has been actuated for more than a transitory duration, wherein the first fade rate is based on a predefined fade-off time, the fade-off time representing a time duration allotted for fading the light intensity level of the at least one lamp from the initial light intensity level to off.