Patent ID: 6906477

Claim:
An energy savings device for an inductive, resistive or capacitive load that is powered by an input AC voltage waveform, comprising: a setting unit configured to allow a user to set a desired power operating level for the load, and that outputs a setting signal as a result thereof; a processor configured to receive the setting signal from the setting unit, and that determines a phase delay to be performed on an output AC voltage waveform that is to be provided to the load, wherein the processor outputs a control signal as a result thereof; a switching linear control element that receives the control signal output from the processor, and that turns off and on at predetermined times in accordance with the control signal, so as to create the output AC voltage waveform as a chopped voltage wavefrom from the input AC voltage waveform; and a bridge rectifier connected to the switching linear control element and disposed in a series connection between the load and a line that provides the input AC voltage waveform, wherein the bridge rectifier converts an AC current waveform from a bi-directional waveform to a unidirectional waveform for inputting to the switching linear control element, wherein the output voltage waveform is provided to the load by way of the bridge rectifier.