Patents by Inventor Aaron Zarate

Aaron Zarate has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Detection of damaged IR sensor array
    Patent number: 12680882
    Abstract: A cooktop appliance includes a cooking panel comprising a heating zone, an infrared (IR) sensor array positioned below the heating zone, the IR sensor array comprising a shielded IR sensor and an IR source, and a controller operatively coupled to the shielded IR sensor and the IR source. The controller is configured to receive a first signal from the shielded IR sensor, energize the IR source to illuminate a pan in the heating zone, receive a second signal from the shielded IR sensor, identify a fault in the IR sensor array based on a comparison between the first signal and the second signal, and generate a fault signal in response to identifying the fault in the IR sensor array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2026
    Assignee: Haier US Appliance Solutions, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Brown, Eugenio Gomez, Aaron Zarate
  • DETECTION OF DAMAGED IR SENSOR ARRAY
    Publication number: 20250290803
    Abstract: A cooktop appliance includes a cooking panel comprising a heating zone, an infrared (IR) sensor array positioned below the heating zone, the IR sensor array comprising a shielded IR sensor and an IR source, and a controller operatively coupled to the shielded IR sensor and the IR source. The controller is configured to receive a first signal from the shielded IR sensor, energize the IR source to illuminate a pan in the heating zone, receive a second signal from the shielded IR sensor, identify a fault in the IR sensor array based on a comparison between the first signal and the second signal, and generate a fault signal in response to identifying the fault in the IR sensor array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2024
    Publication date: September 18, 2025
    Inventors: Richard Brown, Eugenio Gomez, Aaron Zarate