Phase-control power controller for converting a line voltage to an RMS load voltage

1. A phase-control power controller that converts a line voltage to an RMS load voltage, the controller comprising:

line terminals for a line voltage and load terminals for a load voltage;

a phase-control circuit connected to said line and load terminals and having an RC network that clips the load voltage;

a load sensing circuit connected across said load terminals that senses the load voltage and provides a DC signal that is related to an RMS load voltage; and

a comparison circuit connected to said phase-control circuit and said load sensing circuit and that compares the DC signal to a reference and adjusts a resistance of said RC network in response to the comparison of the DC signal to the reference to control the RMS load voltage,

said comparison circuit comprising a first energy emitter that emits energy is response to the comparison of the DC signal to the reference, a first energy sensor that senses energy emitted from said first energy sensor, and two resistors connected in series and with said RC network connected between said two resistors, one of said two resistors having a resistance that corresponds to an amount of energy sensed by said first energy sensor.

2. The controller of claim 1 , wherein said load sensing circuit comprises a full-wave bridge that sets the DC signal to a peak of the clipped load voltage.

3. The controller of claim 1 , wherein said comparison circuit further comprises a second energy emitter that emits energy is response to the comparison of the DC signal to the reference, a second energy sensor that senses energy emitted from said second energy sensor, and wherein a second one of said two resistors has a resistance that corresponds to an amount of energy sensed by said second energy sensor.

4. The controller of claim 1 , wherein said comparison circuit further comprises a load sensitive resistor that emits an amount of thermal energy corresponding to the amount of energy sensed by said first energy sensor, and wherein said first energy emitter emits optical energy is response to the comparison of the DC signal to the reference, said first energy sensor senses the optical energy emitted from said first energy sensor, and said one of said two resistors is a thermally dependent resistor whose resistance corresponds to the amount of thermal energy emitted by said load sensitive resistor.

5. The controller of claim 1 , wherein said phase-control circuit further comprises a diac and a triac that is triggered by said diac.

6. The controller of claim 1 , wherein said phase-control circuit further comprises an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

7. The controller of claim 6 , wherein said comparison circuit varies the resistance of said RC network so as to maintain the RMS load voltage substantially constant.