Remote control having a capacitive touch surface and a mechanism for awakening the remote control

A method of controlling an electrical load device using a handheld controller, the method comprising:

• receiving, by processor circuitry in a sleep state, an input indicative of a change in impedance of a variable impedance element disposed on an inside surface of a rear portion of a handheld controller housing;
• wherein the change of impedance is responsive to a force applied to the rear portion of the handheld controller housing;
• and
• causing, by the processor circuitry, a transition of from the sleep state to an active state responsive to the receipt of the input indicative of the change in impedance of the variable impedance element.

A non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device that includes instructions that, when executed by processor circuitry reversibly transitionable between a sleep state and an active state and disposed in an electric load control handheld controller, cause the processor circuitry to:

• receive, while in the sleep state, an input indicative of a change in impedance of a variable impedance element disposed on an inside surface of a rear portion of an electric load control handheld controller housing;
• wherein the change of impedance is responsive to a force applied to the rear portion of the electric load control handheld controller housing;
• and
• cause a transition from the sleep state to the active state responsive to the receipt of the input indicative of the change in impedance of the variable impedance element.