Patent ID: 7084526

Claim:
A switching system for use with an AC power source and an energy consuming load, said system comprising: a microchip, and a user interface to select at least one function from multiple functions of the load to be controlled by the microchip, the functions being at least the activation, the de-activation and one other function, the interface comprising at least one switch connected to at least one input to the microchip, the input transmits control signals to the microchip indicating switch operations, said input and/or switch not forming a serial link in a circuit that transfers the energy between the power source and the load, wherein (a) the switching system is configured such that the microchip is powered irrespective of an operating position of the switch and/or load activation status; and (b) the switching system conforms to at least one of the following configurations: (i) wherein the user interface comprises at least a touch sensor and/or touch pad structure as a switch and the microchip is configured to select a switching off function upon a switch operation if a preceding time period of switch deactivation was longer than a predefined period and the microchip also controls the adjustment of power to the load, based on the period of switch activation, through an intermittent connection and disconnection of the power source, much that any dead period wherein the power source is not connected to the light source is not easily visible to a user, and wherein the time based function selection is specifically to improve the ease of operation of the user interface; (ii) the microchip is configured such that at least one switch functions initially as an on-switch when the switch is activated, and the microchip selecting a function upon a next operation of a switch based on a preceding time period of switch activation, a preceding time period of switch deactivation and the number of switch activation signals, received through the user interface; and (iii) the switching system is connected to the rest of the circuit that connects the power source and the load, by only two connections, also comprising an energy storage device to power the microchip at certain times and wherein the energy storage device is recharged at other times.