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Touch dimmer system

  • US 5,485,058 A
  • Filed: 08/05/1994
  • Issued: 01/16/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A touch dimmer system comprising:

  • latching switch means comprising an input terminal, an output terminal, and a central terminal said control terminal being adapted to have applied to it a switching signal for causing said switch means to permit current from an AC line voltage source to flow through said latching switch means during a sub-cycle of said AC line voltage, said current operating to brighten one or more lamps connected in series with said output terminal;

    zero crossing circuit means for generating a zero crossing signal in response to zero crossing points of said AC line voltage source;

    a microprocessor comprising a self-contained clock oscillator connected to said zero crossing circuit means to receive said signal therefrom, said micro-processor producing a triggering signal output based on its own operating clock oscillator frequency;

    key switch circuit means connected to said microprocessor, and said zero crossing signal;

    output circuit means connected to said microprocessor to receive said triggering output signal therefrom and to thereupon generate said switching signal which is applied to said control terminal of said switching means;

    power supply circuit means connected to said AC line current source and to said zero crossing circuit means, said power supply circuit means functioning to interrupt current flow through said latching switching means when voltage from said AC line voltage source reaches a certain level or when a predetermined time has elapsed since the most recent of said zero crossing points of said AC line voltage source; and

    one or more respective dimmer key switches for setting various lamp brightness levels and for turning said one or more lamps on or off; and

    comprisingsaid key switch circuit means connected to said key switches and to said microprocessor for indicating the state of said respective dimmer key switches to said microprocessormeans connected to said power supply circuit means to monitor the value of said power supply voltage and provide a monitor signal to said microprocessor;

    said microprocessor evaluates said monitor signal to determine whether the power supply voltage is going up above a predetermined value or going down below said predetermined value, and provides a signal to said microprocessor to reset it when the power supply voltage is at said predetermined value;

    said microprocessor Upon determining that said power supply voltage is falling initiates a halt mode to save the contents of the memory of said microprocessor;

    said microprocessor upon determining that the supply voltage is rising starts itself up and first checks the memory of said microprocessor to see if the memory contents was lost during its shut down.

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