General Electric Company

Touchsensor Technologies, LLC

Methode Electronics, Incorporated

Mark Robert Mathews

John Steven Holmes

Rollie Richard Herzog

Wolfgang Daum

Robert Marten Bultman

Donald Charles Mueller

David W Caldwell

Bahar N Wadia

Thomas M Schreiber

Robert B Campbell

Jerry J Queen, Ii

Anthony V Gioiosa

Rick L Oppor

Daniel Eavenson

Tim Holder

Steven James Gray

David Gradl

Tam Nolan

Courtney Heron

A keyless entry system for an automobile includes a capacitive touch screen having at least one drive line and at least one sense line, the drive and sense lines defining a plurality of touch detection nodes. The touch screen is associated with an exterior surface of the automobile. A control circuit coupled to the touch screen is configured to detect proximity of a stimulus to the touch detection nodes. The control circuit provides a control output to a lock or latch controller when the control circuit determines that the stimulus has been placed proximate the touch detection nodes according to predetermined criteria.

Water immune keypad

A touch switch apparatus emulating a mechanical switch includes a field effect sensor and an electric field stimulator mechanically associated with the field effect sensor. A field generation signal applied to the field effect sensor causes an electric field to be generated thereabout. The electric field stimulator can be moved between first and second positions with respect to the field effect sensor. When moved into proximity with the field effect sensor, the electric field stimulator disturbs the electric field. A detection circuit coupled to the field effect sensor detects and responds to the disturbance to the electric field.

Touch switches and practical applications therefor

A touch panel includes first and second sets of electrodes separated by a dielectric and oriented so that the electrodes of the first set intersect with the electrodes of the second set without touching. Each of the electrodes can be made of a plurality of individual conductors shorted together. The conductors can be provided in the form of flat cable or clockspring material.

Electrode structure with spatial interpolation for capacitive touch panel

An interconnect apparatus for interconnecting electrical components includes a body and a spring element retained by and extending from the body. The apparatus is configured so that a portion thereof may be captured between first and second substrates and to connect electrical circuits lying in different planes.

System for connecting a first substrate to a second substrate

A touch switch apparatus for detecting the presence of an object such as a human appendage, the apparatus having a touch pad, an electric field generated about the touch pad and also having a preferably integrated and local control circuit connected to the touch pad and to a controlled device. Practical applications for touch switch apparatus, including use of touch switch apparatus in connection with other structure to emulate mechanical switches.

A control system for a refrigeration system having a refrigeration compartment and a quick chill/thaw pan. A main controller board, electrically connected to a temperature adjustment board and a dispenser board through the serial communications bus, controls the temperature of the refrigeration compartment and the quick chill/thaw pan. The control system accepts a plurality of inputs to determine a refrigeration mode and to execute a plurality of software algorithms to control the refrigeration compartment as both a chill pan to rapidly chill food and beverage items without freezing and a thaw pan to timely thaw frozen items at controlled temperature levels.

Electronics architecture for a refrigerator quick chill and quick thaw system

A detection apparatus for detecting refrigerator door openings is coupled to at least one switch configured to be activated by a door opening. When the door is opened, the switch is activated and inputs a signal to the detection apparatus. The detection apparatus rectifies the signal; and phase-shifts the rectified signal so that it leads or lags the line voltage. The shifted output signal is fed to a processor that detects the opening of the door based upon the shifted signal. Signals output by a plurality of switches that generate a signal when activated mixed using an opto-coupler. Relative impedance of the lead and lag circuits may be adjusted to differentiate a phase shift of one shifted signal relative to another signal. The processor converts a value in degrees of phase shifting of the mixed signal to a time value, and based upon the time value, the processor determines which of the doors is open.

Methods and apparatus for detecting refrigerator door openings

A control system for an appliance utilizing a plurality of peripheral devices includes a controller and a communications bus coupled to the plurality of peripheral devices and to the controller. The controller is configured to receive data from the peripheral devices over the communications bus and transmit control operations to the peripheral devices based on the data received. The communications bus reduces overall wiring requirements due to elimination or reduction of power wiring of the peripheral devices, facilitates distributed displays and human machine interfaces, and allows model differentiation with late point identification by a population of bus connections with a sensor, display, interface, or a blank. A data collision detection scheme is also provided to ensure proper communication along the bus.

Appliance sensor and man machine interface bus

Refrigerator&mdash;electronics architecture

A method for controlling speed in a pulse-width-modulation-controlled motor powered by a load voltage source is provided. The method includes the steps of measuring the motor load voltage, and setting a pulse-width-modulation duty cycle based on the measured voltage.

Growing community of inventors

Lombard, IL, United States of America

Mark Robert Mathews