Digital, touchless electrical switch

Electrical switches have long been used to enable an individual to open or close electrical circuits and, thus, to turn electrically operated apparatus on and off (e.g., wall-mounted light switches are useful for turning lights on and off, aswell as for controlling whether or not power is provided to wall-mounted electrical sockets). Electrical switches (e.g., dimmer switches) may also be configured to control the amount of power that is provided to an electrically operated apparatus.

Two-way electrical switches typically have two positions, an "on" position, in which power is provided to an electrically operated apparatus in communication and under control of the switch, and an "off" position, in which power is not providedto the electrically operated apparatus. Conventional, wall-mounted light switches are an example of such two-way electrical switches. A typical conventional, wall-mounted light switch may be oriented in a somewhat upwardly facing direction or in asomewhat downwardly facing direction, with one such direction comprising the "on" position and the other direction comprising the "off" position. Orientation of the switch is effected manually, typically with the fingers of a user of the electricallyoperated apparatus.

Further, due to the mechanical nature of conventional electrical switches, an electrical arc, or spark, is typically generated as conventional electrical switches are used. While the generation of a spark is usually not problematic in mostenvironments, sparks have been known to result in fires. Moreover, the use of conventional electrical switches is limited in volatile environments, where the result of a spark could be explosive.

While motion-sensing, hands-free electrical switches lack many of the undesirable features of conventional, manually-operated electrical switches, they also lack many of the endearing features of conventional, manually-operated electricalswitches. In particular, hands-free electrical switches do not provide a user thereof with a readily perceivable indication of the orientation of the switch. Moreover, while hands-free electrical switches sense a user's motion to turn on or off, theytypically employ only a single sensor and, therefore, cannot distinguish between arbitrary motion and the type of motion that is intended to turn the electrical switch on or off.

The inventors are unaware of any hands-free switches that operate in a manner that is capable of distinguishing between motion which is intended to turn them on or off and arbitrary motion, and of hands-free light switches which require that theoperation of conventional, wall-mounted electrical switches be mimicked.