Intelligent electrical switches

An electrical switch, comprising:

• a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a fourth terminal, and a fifth terminal;
• a solid-state alternating current (AC) switch connected in an electrical path between the first terminal and the second terminal;
• a microcontroller configured to control operation of the solid-state AC switch to control power flow between the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein the microcontroller is configured to communicate with a second electrical switch over a data line that is connected to the third terminal of the electrical switch and to the second electrical switch, to implement multi-way switch control for controlling power to a load;
• and
• a grounded conductor path between the fourth terminal and the fifth terminal of the electrical switch, wherein the grounded conductor path is coupled to the microcontroller and utilized as a ground reference for operating solid-state circuitry of the microcontroller.

An electrical circuit, comprising:

• a first electrical switch comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a first solid-state alternating current (AC) switch connected in an electrical path between the first and second terminals of the first electrical switch, and a first microcontroller configured to control operation of the first solid-state AC switch to control power flow between the first terminal and the second terminal of the first electrical switch;
• and
• a second electrical switch comprising a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, a second solid-state AC switch connected in an electrical path between the first and second terminals of the second electrical switch, and a second microcontroller configured to control operation of the second solid-state AC switch to control power flow between the first terminal and the second terminal of the second electrical switch;
• wherein the first microcontroller and the second microcontroller are configured to communicate over a data line that is coupled to the third terminal of the first electrical switch and to the third terminal of the second electrical switch to control the respective first and second solid-state AC switches to implement a multi-way switching circuit for controlling power to a load.

A method, comprising:

• operating a first electrical switch and a second electrical switch to enable multi-way switching control of power to a load, wherein operating the first electrical switch and the second electrical switch comprises:
• performing, by each of the first electrical switch and the second electrical switch, a master/slave self-identification process to enable the first electrical switch and the second electrical switch to determine whether to operate in a master mode or a slave mode, based on sensing a voltage level on a data line connecting the first and second electrical switches;
• wherein in response to the first electrical switch determining to operate in the slave mode and the second electrical switch determining to operate in the master mode;
• operating the first electrical switch in the slave mode in which the first electrical switch is configured to supply continuous power from an AC power source to the second electrical switch over a power traveler wire connecting the first and second electrical switches;
• and
• operating the second electrical switch in the master mode in which the second electrical switch is configured to control power to the load based on a state of the first electrical switch and a state of the second electrical switch.