Lighting control device
DCFirst Claim
1. A lighting control device for controlling the state and light intensity level of at least one lamp, comprisinga) user-actuatable intensity selecting means for selecting a desired intensity level between a minimum intensity level and a maximum intensity level,b) a single control switch, independent of said user-actuatable intensity selecting means, for generating control signals in response to an input from a user, andc) control means operatively coupled to said intensity selecting means and said control switch for causing the lamp intensity to(i) fade from an off state to a desired intensity level when said input from a user causes a single switch closure of transitory duration, said fade occurring at a first fade rate,(ii) fade from any intensity level to said maximum intensity level when said input from a user causes multiple switch closures of transitory duration occurring within a predetermined time interval, said fade occurring at a second fade rate, and(iii) fade from a desired intensity level to an off state when said input from a user causes a single switch closure of more than a transitory duration, said fade occurring at a third fade rate.
2 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A lighting control device for controlling the state and intensity level of at least one lamp. The device includes a user-actuatable intensity selector for selecting a desired intensity level between a minimum intensity level and a maximum intensity level, a control switch for generating control signals representative of preselected states and intensity levels of the lamp in response to an input, and a control responsive to the intensity selector and the control switch for causing the lamp to fade from an off state to the desired intensity level when the input from a user from a user causes a single switch closure of transitory duration, such fade occurring at a first fade rate, fade from any intensity level to the maximum intensity level when the input from a user comprises two switch closures of transitory duration in rapid succession, such fade occurring at a second fade rate, and fade from the desired intensity level to an off state when the input from a user comprises a single switch closure of more than a transitory duration, such fade occurring at a third fade rate, each of such fade rates being non-instantaneous.
543 Citations
52 Claims
-
1. A lighting control device for controlling the state and light intensity level of at least one lamp, comprising
a) user-actuatable intensity selecting means for selecting a desired intensity level between a minimum intensity level and a maximum intensity level, b) a single control switch, independent of said user-actuatable intensity selecting means, for generating control signals in response to an input from a user, and c) control means operatively coupled to said intensity selecting means and said control switch for causing the lamp intensity to (i) fade from an off state to a desired intensity level when said input from a user causes a single switch closure of transitory duration, said fade occurring at a first fade rate, (ii) fade from any intensity level to said maximum intensity level when said input from a user causes multiple switch closures of transitory duration occurring within a predetermined time interval, said fade occurring at a second fade rate, and (iii) fade from a desired intensity level to an off state when said input from a user causes a single switch closure of more than a transitory duration, said fade occurring at a third fade rate.
-
20. A lighting control device for controlling the state and light intensity level of at least one lamp, comprising:
-
a) user-actuatable intensity selecting means for selecting a desired intensity level between a minimum intensity level and a maximum intensity level, b) a single control switch, independent of said user-actuatable intensity selecting means, for generating control signals in response to an input from a user, and c) control means operatively coupled to said intensity selecting means and said control switch for causing the lamp intensity to (i) fade from an off state to said desired intensity level when said input from a user causes a single switch closure of transitory duration, said fade occurring at a first fade rate, (ii) fade from any intensity level to said maximum intensity level when said input from a user comprises two switch closures of transitory duration in rapid succession, said fade occurring a second fade rate, and (iii) fade from said desired intensity level to an off state when a user touch causes a single switch closure of more than a transitory duration, said fade occurring at a third fade rate, said control means being further responsive to said intensity selecting means for causing said lamp to fade from a first intensity level to a second intensity level at a fourth fade rate when said intensity selecting means is actuated. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
-
-
29. A lighting control device for controlling the state and light intensity level of at least one lamp, comprising:
-
a) user-actuatable intensity selecting means for selecting a desired intensity level between a minimum intensity level and a maximum intensity level, b) a single control switch, independent of said user-actuatable intensity selecting means, for generating control signals representative of on and off states and preselected intensity levels of said at least one lamp in response to an input from a user, and c) control means for causing said lamp intensity to fade from a first intensity level to a second intensity level greater than said first intensity level when said intensity selecting means is actuated, said first intensity level being a minimum intensity level independent of any of said preselected intensity levels when said lamp is in said off state prior to actuation of said intensity selecting means. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
-
39. A lighting control device for controlling the state and light intensity level of at least one lamp, comprising:
-
(a) user-actuatable intensity selecting means for selecting a desired intensity level of said at least one lamp, (b) control switch means for generating control signals representative of preselected states and intensity levels of said at least one lamp in response to an input from a user, and (c) control means operatively coupled to said intensity selecting means and said control switch means for causing said lamp to fade from a non-zero intensity level to a substantially-zero intensity level at a first fade rate in response to a first input from a user to said control switch means, and for causing said lamp to fade from a non-zero intensity level to a substantially-zero intensity level at a second fade rate, different from said first fade rate in response to a second input from said user to said control switch means. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43)
-
-
44. In a lighting control device including intensity selecting means for selectively controlling the rate of change current applied to a lamp to cause the lamp intensity to fade from one steady-state intensity level to another, the improvement comprising:
a fade control switch and control means responsive to a control signal produced by a single actuation of said control switch for causing the rate of change of current applied to said lamp to vary in such a manner as to cause the lamp intensity to fade from a first intensity level to a second intensity level in accordance with a fade profile comprising at least first and second fade rates in sequence, said second fade rate being substantially different from said first fade rate. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
Specification