General Electric Company

Lexmark International, Inc.

Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.

Steven Andrew Rice

Thomas R Payne

William W Wead

Benjamin Alan Askren

Ronald Willard Baker

Raymond Jay Barry

Douglas Laurence Robertson

Michael Lewis Pawley

James Richard Franks

Richard E McKnight, Jr

Johnnie A Coffey

Gary Scott Overall

Douglas Anthony Able

Curtis Ray Droege

Brian Dale Cook

Brett Alan Farris

Duane Edward Norris

David Wayne DeVore

Mark Anthony Didat

Todd Alan Dutton

Johnny Ray Sears

Marc Eric Hottenroth

Brian J Morman

Donald Richard Dickerson, Jr

Michael Wesley Baskette

Randall Steven Gall

Andrew Charles Hogan

Michael Ray Wedding

A control system of an appliance having a motor is provided. The control system includes an inverter circuit configured to provide power to the motor. The inverter circuit has a direct-current (DC) bus. The control system further includes a controller device powered by the DC bus, and a phase fired control device operatively coupled to an input of the inverter circuit. Also, the phase fired control device is configured to control a magnitude of voltage applied to the DC bus based on a phase on angle of the phase fired control device.

Phase control of DC bus in appliances

A consumer appliance, as provided herein, may include a cabinet, a user interface attached to the cabinet, a motor mounted within the cabinet, and a control board in electrical communication with the user interface and the motor. The user interface may include one or more connected electrical elements. The control board may be configured to initiate an initial operation. The initial operation may include activating the control board and detecting the one or more connected electrical elements from a predetermined plurality of potential electrical elements. The initial operation may further include selecting an operating personality from a plurality of preset personalities based on detecting the one or more connected electrical elements. The initial operation may still further include directing the motor according to the selected operating personality.

Consumer appliances and methods of operation

Methods and system for validating facsimile communications by ensuring that each detected facsimile calling tone is actually a facsimile calling tone that was generated by a sending facsimile device. The method can include establishing a connection between a sending facsimile device and a receiving facsimile device, which was initiated by either the sending facsimile device or the receiving facsimile device. The connection can be utilized for at least one of facsimile communication, voice communication, and a combination of facsimile communication and voice communication. The method can also comprise switching the receiving facsimile machine from a voice-capable mode to a facsimile mode once at least one facsimile calling tone is detected after a first facsimile calling tone is detected while the receiving facsimile device in the line monitoring mode.

Method and apparatus for validation of facsimile communication

A method for carrying out predetermined actions by a telecom receiving device. A predetermined answer string is entered and stored in a memory portion of a receiving telecom device. Incoming calls are checked for appropriateness. Accepted incoming calls are monitored for a predetermined event. If the predetermined event is detected, a set of steps are accomplished in accordance with the previously stored answer string. The receiving telecom device then resumes normal operation after completing the actions represented by the answer string.

Method for carrying out predetermined actions by a receiving telecom device using an answer prefix

An apparatus for the management of the fluid level in a media coating system. In one embodiment, the apparatus has a supply item for the storage of a media coating fluid and an applicator having a trough for receiving the media coating fluid from the supply item. The apparatus utilizes a fluid level detection sensor that is located within the applicator to measure whether the media coating fluid level within the trough of the applicator is either above or below a threshold position and to generates an output signal. The apparatus has a controller for receiving the output signal and controlling delivery of the media coating fluid from the supply item to the applicator.

System and method of fluid level regulating for a media coating system

The present invention relates to a method and system for accurately indexing print receiving media of various types. A media indexing system is provided that includes a roller capable of indexing a print receiving medium in response to an indexing operation. A relationship exists between a commanded indexing operation of the roller and resultant indexing of a first type of print receiving medium. A type of print receiving medium is supplied to the media indexing system. The type of the print receiving medium is generally identified. A desired amount by which the print receiving medium should be indexed is identified. A commanded indexing operation of the roller to index by the desired amount is modified based on the type of the print receiving medium and the relationship. The print receiving can be indexed by substantially the desired amount.

Error mapping technique for a printer

A printhead gap adjustment mechanism for use in an imaging apparatus includes a worm gear coupled to a carrier shaft to transmit a rotational motion to the carrier shaft. A worm screw is positioned in rotational cooperation with the worm gear, the worm screw having an axis of rotation. A first cam is coupled to the carrier shaft. A first cam follower surface is disposed in proximity to the first cam. A guide device guides the carrier shaft in a translational direction substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the worm screw. A rotation of the worm screw transmits rotational motion to drive the first cam via the worm gear and the carrier shaft, the first cam engaging the first cam follower surface to effect a translational motion of the worm gear in the translational direction, thereby effecting a movement of the printhead in the translational direction.

Printhead gap adjustment mechanism for an imaging apparatus

A carrier assembly includes a carrier housing defined in part by a wall having an interior surface, an exterior surface and a distal end. A slot extends between the interior surface of the wall and the exterior surface of the wall, the slot being spaced apart from the distal end. At least one first projecting member is positioned adjacent the slot. A circuit card is mounted to the exterior surface of the wall. A printhead cable in the form of a flexible printed circuit is provided having a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion is secured to the circuit card. The flexible printed circuit is laced through the slot, the flexible printed circuit including at least one hole to correspondingly receive the at least one first projecting member. The second end portion passes over a portion of the interior surface and around the distal end of the wall. An attachment mechanism secures the second end portion to the exterior surface of the wall.

Printhead carrier housing and flexible printed circuit attached to same

A method of determining a feed position of a print medium in an imaging apparatus includes an encoder device, connected to a feed shaft, that produces a first periodic signal and a second periodic signal approximately 90 degrees out of phase with the first. A modified first signal is created. A modified second signal is created. The modified first signal is added to the modified second signal to create a summation signal that has a plurality of local minimum values, a plurality of local maximum values, and a plurality of substantially linear segments. A periodic modified summation signal is created by adding a corresponding constant value to each linear segment. The feed position of the print medium is calculated based upon a number of cycles of the modified summation signal counted and a determined value of the modified summation signals.

High precision analog encoder system

A control system for a glass touch cooktop includes a control panel including a plurality of touch control areas with touch toggle controls that correspond to a plurality of surface heater elements, and a toggle lock control that disables the touch controls areas when activated. The toggle lock control is separated from the touch control, identified with a conspicuous icon, and includes an integral indicator to readily alert a user that the system is locked. Graphical icons and integral indicators are incorporated into touch controls for user-friendly operation of the heating elements.

Glass touch cooktop dual element and bridge burner control

An electronic control system, particularly adaptable to coin-operated laundry appliances, which enables owners of such machines to customize machine operation. Laundry parameters are stored in random access memory, and timing functions are performed in control logic. Thus, the owner may simply update the information on a computer and download the parameters to individual laundry machines. A portable receiver/transmitter may be utilized to transfer information to the laundry machine controller by way of an infrared communications link. Also disclosed is a reconfigurable fuzzy logic control which is general purpose, having a functionality that may be easily altered in accordance with the type of machine. The structure of the fuzzy logic controller is identical for all applications. Definitions of both fuzzy logic membership functions and fuzzy logic rules are input to the controller as a set of parameters, such that the fuzzy logic controller is programmably reconfigurable without any change in the actual fuzzy logic. In the disclosed embodiment, the reconfigurable and reprogrammable fuzzy logic controller is used for two different purposes, one relating to the control of a washing machine and the other to control of a clothes dryer.

Appliance electronic control system with programmable parameters

Appliance electronic control system with programmable and reconfigurable

A highly flexible electronic control system which is readily reconfigurable or reprogrammable to suit more than one machine, such as more than one laundry appliance. Control parameters are input to the controller over a communications link, which may be an optical communications link. The controller is automatically adaptable to particular ones of a plurality of different machines, for example laundry appliances in the form of a two-speed washer, a one-speed washer, an electric dryer and a gas dryer. The controller determines the particular appliance by applying signals to particular terminals of a connector connected to a machine to be interrogated. Other terminals are monitored to logically recognize the particular appliance. Thereafter, the control system implements functions appropriate to the particular appliance. An operation sequencing facility termed an 'internally restructurable control' is disclosed, a specific form of which is a testing facility termed 'internal test mode,' in which case the parameters include specifications of particular functional element states to be established in a sequence, as well as time durations for selected ones of the functional element states. In another facility, termed a 'diagnostic mode', the parameters indicate particular changes in controller output states.

Reconfigurable appliance electronic control system with automatic model

A fabric washing machine includes a container to receive fabrics and washing fluid. An SRM is operatively connected to oscillate and rotate the container. Ribs formed on the center post of the container agitate the fabrics and fluid as the container is oscillated. Just prior to a spin extraction operation the container is oscillated with an asymmetric pattern that travels further in one direction than in the other. To minimize wrapping of the fabrics about the center post the asymmetric pattern is periodically reversed. Also, just prior to the spin operation the motor is operated at a constant torque and the time to accelerate the container from one speed to a higher speed is measured one or more times. The inertia of the load, and thus the size of the fabric load, is calculated from the time measurements. The motor then is operated at a constant torque to accelerate the container from a threshold speed for a predetermined period of time and the final speed of the container is measured. This speed measurement is compared to the predetermined terminal speed of a comparable balanced load to determine the degree of unbalance in the load of fabrics. The terminal speed of the spin operation is then set based upon the determined load size and degree of unbalance.

Growing community of inventors

Shelbyville, KY, United States of America

Steven Andrew Rice