Patent ID: 7952301

Claim:
An auto-dimming apparatus consisting of: a circuit having a control apparatus, a control transformer, a power inverter circuit, a current transformer, and a feedback circuit for supplying a feedback controlled current to a load wherein; said control apparatus consists of: a control coil wound on a bobbin and a control inductor wound on a core of magnetic material wherein said control inductor wound on a core of magnetic material is disposed within a magnetic path of said bobbin; said control transformer consists of: a core of magnetic material upon which is wound at least one primary coil for receiving an input electrical signal need precedence; said core of magnetic material additionally having at least one secondary coil for supplying an output electrical signal precedence proportional to a turns ratio defined by the number of turns of the secondary coil in the numerator to the number of turns of the primary coil in the denominator and a primary current; said core of magnetic material being fabricated from a magnetically soft material; said control apparatus connected in parallel to said primary coil of said control transformer; said control inductor of said control apparatus receiving a control electrical signal from said feedback circuit wherein said control current generates a magnetic field; said magnetic field causing a change in magnetic properties of the core of magnetic material of said control apparatus in a physically non-coupled manner wherein said magnetic properties in said core of magnetic material is varied as said control electrical signal in said control coil is varied; said output voltage of said control transformer decreases with the decrease of said magnetic properties; said current transformer having at least one primary winding and a plurality of secondary windings: said primary winding of the current transformer receiving a current from the secondary coil of the control transformer; wherein a first secondary windings serving to provide a feedback current to the control inductor of said control apparatus; said additional secondary windings being optionally provided for input by at least one of the group consisting of an external controller, a microprocessor, and a monitoring system; and said feedback circuit useful for conditioning said feedback current from said current transformer and being chosen from the group consisting of a DC coupled feedback and control circuit, an AC coupled feedback and control circuit, and an optically coupled microprocessor feedback and control circuit.