Patent ID: 8203437

Claim:
A programmable display switch apparatus, comprising: a power supply that provides power to the programmable display switch; a programming port that allows customizing one or more applications to which the programmable display switch is applied; one or more latching relays for controlling an attached circuit, a control logic circuit that changes a relay state of the one or more latching relays based on a programmed application of the programmable display switch; a display control and switch sensor circuit that stores a customized on state image and a customized off state image related to the programmed application of the programmable display switch and that commands the control logic circuit to change the relay state of the relays based on user input; a programmable display that: 1) is programmable to display either the on state image or the off state image based on a current state of the programmable display switch, 2) while not being touched, displays one of the images that represents the current state of the programmable display switch, and 3) once touched, detects the touch and causes the displayed one of the images to change to another of the images associated with an opposite state, whereby the programmable display switch can be applied in a variety of installations with images shown on the programmable display and operation of the relays customized for the specific application of the programmable display switch.