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US 8,109,301 B1Granted
Illuminated refrigerator dispenser system with sensors
OwnerJason Adam Deniseinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A refrigerator having a dispenser that includes an outlet and that is configured to dispense content through the outlet and along an output flow path. The refrigerator also includes a detection unit configured to detect user activity that is indicative of a desire to fill a container with content using the dispenser. The refrigerator further includes an optical system that is configured to, in response to detecting the user activity, direct a beam of light along at least a portion of the output flow path of the dispenser to assist a user in positioning a container to receive content dispensed along the output flow path.
Claims20
A refrigerator comprising:
- a dispenser that includes an outlet and that is configured to dispense content through the outlet and along an output flow path;
- a user input device that is configured to receive a first user input command to set a particular quantity of content to dispense from the dispenser;
- a detection unit configured to detect the first user input command to set the particular quantity of content to dispense from the dispenser;
- an optical system that is configured to, in response to detecting the first user input command to set the particular quantity of content to dispense from the dispenser, direct light along at least a portion of the output flow path of the dispenser to assist a user in positioning a container to receive content dispensed along the output flow path;
- and
- a controller configured to monitor for a second user input command to cause the dispenser to dispense the particular quantity of content,
- the controller being configured to, in response to detecting the second user input command, control the dispenser to dispense the particular quantity of content and control the optical system to turn off the light, and
- the controller being configured to, in response to detecting at least a threshold amount of time has passed after receipt of the first user input command without receipt of the second user input command, control the optical system to turn off the light.
5 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a dispenser that includes an outlet and that is configured to dispense content through the outlet and along an output flow path;
- a user input device that is configured to receive a user input command to dispense content from the dispenser;
- a detection unit configured to detect the user input command to dispense content from the dispenser;
- an optical system that is configured to direct light along at least a portion of the output flow path of the dispenser to assist a user in positioning a container to receive content dispensed along the output flow path;
- and
- a controller configured to delay dispensing of content from the dispenser in response to the user input command, control the optical system to direct light along at least a portion of the output flow path while delaying the dispensing of content, measure a time from when the user input command to dispense content was detected, compare the measured time from when the user input command to dispense content was detected to a threshold time, determine when the measured time reaches the threshold time based on the comparison, and control the dispenser to dispense content in response to a determination that the measured time has reached the threshold time.
3 more elements
A refrigerator comprising:
- a dispenser that includes an outlet and that is configured to dispense content through the outlet and along an output flow path;
- a detection unit configured to detect presence of a container being filled by the dispenser;
- an optical system that is configured to direct light along at least a portion of the output flow path of the dispenser to assist a user in positioning a container to receive content dispensed along the output flow path;
- and
- a controller that is configured to detect an end of a dispensing operation, that is configured to monitor movement of the container subsequent to the end of the dispensing operation, that is configured to determine whether the container has been removed from a dispensing area based on the monitoring, that is configured to discontinue monitoring in response to a determination that the container has been removed from the dispensing area, that is configured to determine whether a threshold period of time has passed after detecting the end of the dispensing operation in response to a determination that the container has not been removed from the dispensing area, and that is configured to provide an alert indicating that a filled container remains in the dispensing area in response to a determination that the threshold period of time has passed after detecting the end of the dispensing operation.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.