Patent ID: 7372349

Claim:
A system comprising: N branches including an electrical device in each, wherein N is a positive integer of 1 or greater; a latching micromagnetic switch system that controls energy flow to each branch, such that only the electrical device in the branch connected to the latching micromagnetic switch system operates, the latching micromagnetic switch system having one or more latching micromagnetic switches, each including, a magnet proximate to a substrate, the magnet producing a first magnetic field; a cantilever having a magnetic material and a longitudinal axis, the magnetic material making the cantilever sensitive to the first magnetic field, which is approximately perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the cantilever rotating between a first and second state based on the first magnetic field producing a torque in the magnetic material of the cantilever that maintains the cantilever in one of the first and second states; and a conductor that conducts a current, the current induces a torque in the cantilever based on a second magnetic field, a component of the second magnetic field that is parallel to the longitudinal axis adjusts the direction of the torque produced by the first magnetic field in the magnetic material of the cantilever such that the conductor switches the cantilever between the first and second states; wherein each of the N branches is coupled to first and second ones of the latching micromagnetic switches and wherein the first latching micromagnetic switch is located at an input of each of the N branches and the second latching micromagnetic switch is located at an output of the N branches.