Patents by Inventor Alton Harkcom

Alton Harkcom 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).

  • Directionless rotary encoder control system for a household appliance
    Patent number: 7076324
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention uses an on-board microcontroller of a household appliance to receive signals from a directionless encoder attached to a knob for receiving user input and processing the signals from the direction encoder according to a control algorithm. The microcontroller may increase the output to an electric heating element on the appliance based on a variety of criteria, including either direction of rotation, current heating element setting, or a change in directional rotation. Alternatively, or in addition, the microcontroller may provide various types of graduated visual or audible feedback to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2006
    Assignee: K.G.O. North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Alton Harkcom, Craig E. Bryan, Joerg Clemens
  • Systems and methods for providing variable output feedback to a user of a household appliance
    Patent number: 7069090
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention uses an on-board microcontroller of a household appliance to receive signals from a directionless encoder attached to a knob for receiving user input and processing the signals from the direction encoder according to a control algorithm. The microcontroller may increase the output to an electric heating element on the appliance based on a variety of criteria, including either direction of rotation, current heating element setting, or a change in directional rotation. Alternatively, or in addition, the microcontroller may provide various types of graduate visual or aural feedback to the user regarding the output provided by the microcontroller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: E.G.O. North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeff Huffington, Alton Harkcom
  • Directionless rotary encoder control system for a household appliance
    Publication number: 20060036338
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention uses an on-board microcontroller of a household appliance to receive signals from a directionless encoder attached to a knob for receiving user input and processing the signals from the direction encoder according to a control algorithm. The microcontroller may increase the output to an electric heating element on the appliance based on a variety of criteria, including either direction of rotation, current heating element setting, or a change in directional rotation. Alternatively, or in addition, the microcontroller may provide various types of graduated visual or audible feedback to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2004
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Inventors: Alton Harkcom, Craig Bryan, Joerg Clemens
  • Touch and proximity sensor control systems and methods with improved signal and noise differentiation
    Patent number: 6998545
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a novel new technique for detecting an intended activation of a touch sensor in the presence of noise. An algorithm is described that compares a cumulative deviation of a touch sensor reading to a scale to obtain a ratio expressed as a percentage. The percentage is compared against a target threshold and the period required to reach the threshold is examined to determine whether the rise or fall in touch sensor readings is attributable to a touch or to system noise. Additional disclosed embodiments describe circuits configured to operate in a noisy environment and have touch sensors arranged as arrays that are capable of detecting a direction and speed of a human-like contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: E.G.O. North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Alton Harkcom, David A. Dettweiler
  • Systems and methods for providing variable output feedback to a user of a household appliance
    Publication number: 20060025874
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention uses an on-board microcontroller of a household appliance to receive signals from a directionless encoder attached to a knob for receiving user input and processing the signals from the direction encoder according to a control algorithm. The microcontroller may increase the output to an electric heating element on the appliance based on a variety of criteria, including either direction of rotation, current heating element setting, or a change in directional rotation. Alternatively, or in addition, the microcontroller may provide various types of graduate visual or aural feedback to the user regarding the output provided by the microcontroller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2004
    Publication date: February 2, 2006
    Inventors: Jeff Huffington, Alton Harkcom
  • Touch and proximity sensor control systems and methods with improved signal and noise differentiation
    Publication number: 20040056845
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a novel new technique for detecting an intended activation of a touch sensor in the presence of noise. An algorithm is described that compares a cumulative deviation of a touch sensor reading to a scale to obtain a ratio expressed as a percentage. The percentage is compared against a target threshold and the period required to reach the threshold is examined to determine whether the rise or fall in touch sensor readings is attributable to a touch or to system noise. Additional disclosed embodiments describe circuits configured to operate in a noisy environment and have touch sensors arranged as arrays that are capable of detecting a direction and speed of a human-like contact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2003
    Publication date: March 25, 2004
    Inventors: Alton Harkcom, David A. Dettweiler