The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 31, 1992
Filed:
Jun. 18, 1990
Larry J Manson, Baroda Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
John K Paustian, Benton Township, Berrien County, MI (US);
Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI (US);
Abstract
A control system for automatically changing the operational mode of appliances and the like, particularly environmental-affective appliances such as air conditioners, and in particular room air conditioners, as a function of the activity level prevalent in the environment being served, wherein the environmental activity level is monitored by detecting the level of ambient light and the detected light level is used to produce a signal for changing the previously-set operational parameter, e.g., room temperature. In a preferred embodiment, a lens system is utilized for focusing ambient light received at a detecting port upon a photodetector which is spaced from such port, and the resulting electrical signal is utilized in a circuit to control a heater mounted adjacent the appliance control, e.g., the air conditioner thermostat, to thereby vary the set-point in accordance with a predetermined relationship. In the preferred embodiment, the control circuit embodies a signal lamp or the like for indicating the active state of the control circuit, thereby signaling that set-point change is taking place.