Patents by Inventor Thomas R. Payne

Thomas R. Payne 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).

  • Publication number: 20220233595
    Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for treating T cell exhaustion in a subject, by administering a PTD-MYC fusion protein (e.g., an HIV TAT-MYC fusion protein) or immune cells treated with a PTD-MYC fusion protein. Kits for use in practicing the methods are also provided herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Applicant: TAIGA BIOTECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Yosef REFAELI, Brian C. Turner, Thomas R. PAYNE
  • Publication number: 20220142149
    Abstract: Provided herein are compositions and methods for the cryopreservation of immune cells, such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by pre-treating the cells with a PTD-MYC fusion protein (e.g., an HIV TAT-MYC fusion protein) prior to freezing. Kits for practicing the methods are also provided herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Yosef REFAELI, Brian C. TURNER, Thomas R. PAYNE
  • Patent number: 5619614
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 8, 1997
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Payne, Steven A. Rice, William W. Wead
  • Patent number: 5412291
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Payne, Steven A. Rice
  • Patent number: 5375437
    Abstract: An out-of-balance condition detecting system with a lid actuated switching assembly for interrupting operation of a washing machine upon detection of an out-of-balance (OOB) condition or upon a lid of the washing machine being open. The system includes pneumatic generating units for generating a predetermined fluidic pressure in response to excursions of a tub of the washing machine during a spin cycle; an actuator which is fluidly coupled to such generating units for providing an actuating position corresponding to the OOB condition; and a switching assembly which includes a switch responsive to the actuator in its actuating position to interrupt the OOB condition. The switch is further responsive to the lid to deenergize the motor upon the lid being in an open position. The switch which can be either mechanically or magnetically actuated may be designed such that once the OOB condition has been detected, a user is required to open the lid in order to reset operation of the washing machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1993
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Mark E. Dausch, Walter Whipple, III, Vivek V. Badami, Dwight W. Jacobus, Thomas R. Payne
  • Patent number: 5325677
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1993
    Date of Patent: July 5, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Payne, Steven A. Rice, Richard E. McKnight, Jr., William W. Wead
  • Patent number: 5306995
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Payne, Steven A. Rice
  • Patent number: 5301523
    Abstract: A fabric washing machine includes a container to receive fabrics and fluid to wash the fabrics. A switched reluctance motor is operatively connected to oscillate and rotate the container. A control operates the machine by providing commutation signals to the motor to energize the stator phases in a predetermined sequence as corresponding rotor phases approach the stator phase being energized. To stop the machine the control repeatedly senses the instantaneous alignment of the stator and rotor phases and supplies commutation signals to the motor to energize the stator phases in the same sequence but as corresponding rotor phases have become aligned with the stator phase being energized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1992
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Payne, Steven A. Rice, Richard E. McKnight, Jr., William W. Wead
  • Patent number: 5293028
    Abstract: A cooking appliance adapted for energization by a standard domestic household power supply employs a power control arrangement which accommodates electric resistive heating units designed for operation at a maximum RMS voltage level less than the RMS voltage level of the output power signal of the domestic power supply. The power control system couples power pulses from the external power supply to the heating unit at one of a plurality of available pulse repetition rates, each repetition rate establishing a corresponding RMS voltage level for application of power to the heating unit. The repetition rate associated with the maximum user selectable power setting for the appliance is effective to apply an RMS voltage level to the heating unit which corresponds to the voltage level for which the heating unit was designed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Thomas R. Payne
  • Patent number: 5285545
    Abstract: An appliance electronic control system which tends to maintain a constant total cycle time, and thus an accurate "Time Remaining" display, notwithstanding variations in the actual time required for a water fill operation. The control system includes a count down timer and a time remaining display indicating cycle time remaining based on the state of the count down timer. The count down timer is initialized to a state representing nominal total cycle time, which includes the sum of a nominal fill time for water filling operations, a nominal time duration for each of several pause intervals, and the time durations of operational modes under the direct control of the control system, such as agitate time and spin time. During operation, the count down timer is decremented at regular predetermined intervals. The first time the machine fills, the actual time for the filling operation is measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 15, 1994
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Payne, Steven A. Rice, William W. Wead
  • Patent number: 5161393
    Abstract: A fabric washing machine has a container for fabrics and fluid to wash the fabrics. A switched reluctance motor is connected to the container. The motor is operated at a constant torque and the time needed to accelerate the container and a load of fabrics from one speed to a higher speed is measured. The measurement may be repeated with a different torque input. The inertia of the system, and thus the size of the fabric load, is calculated from the time measurement. The load size information, whether calculated or inputted, is used to calculate the blend of fabrics in the load. Water is added to the container in predetermined increments, and the container is oscillated a predetermined number of strokes and the required torque is measured after each addition of water. The required torque is used to calculate the blend of fabrics as the torque value varies with load size (already known) and the percentage of cotton in the load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Payne, Steven A. Rice, Douglas A. Able, Donald R. Dickerson, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5079410
    Abstract: An electronic control arrangement for controlling the power applied to an electrical load, in which the electronic control includes in its memory a predetermined power control parameter look-up table associated with each of a plurality of potentially applicable voltage ranges. Each table contains the appropriate control parameters for controlling the load when the associated one of the input voltage ranges is applied to the load. The control, in response to an input signal identifying the voltage to be applied, selects the control parameters from the look-up table associated with the identified voltage. This signal may be generated by voltage sensing circuitry which monitors the supply voltage, or by a manually adjustable circuit which enables presetting for a particular supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 1991
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1992
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Payne, Steven A. Rice
  • Patent number: 5076076
    Abstract: A fabric washing machine includes a container to receive fluid and fabrics to be washed in the fluid. A switched reluctance motor includes a stator and a rotor directly connected to the container so that the rotor and container oscillate together to wash the fabrics and continuously rotate together to extract fluid from the fabrics. A control stores a plurality of sets of empirically determined wash values representing instantaneous rotor velocities, calls up individual values in a predetermined timed sequence and controls the motor in accordance with the currently called up value to provide oscillation of the rotor and container. User operable means selects which set of wash values is used in a particular wash operation. The control also stores a set of empirically determined spin values representing instantaneous rotor velocities. User operable means selects at least one spin value representing a rotor velocity less than the maximum velocity represented by any stored spin value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 31, 1991
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Thomas R. Payne
  • Patent number: 5053740
    Abstract: A temperature sensor is formed with a metal substrate at least a portion of which is coated with a layer of porcelain enamel. At least one conductive element is deposited on the coated portion of the substrate in such a manner as to provide a first sensor configuration for sensing temperature as a function of the resistance of the conductive element itself. This conductive element in operative combination with the porcelain enamel layer and the metal substrate provides a second sensor configuration for sensing temperature over a second temperature range as a function of the resistance of the porcelain enamel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 1990
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1991
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Schultz, Thomas R. Payne
  • Patent number: 5041809
    Abstract: A temperature sensor includes a glass-ceramic substrate and a plurality of conductive elements deposited on the substrate. The substrate serves both as a support for the conductive elements and as a temperature-sensitive resistive material forming an operative part of the sensor itself. The conductive elements are arranged to provide one sensor configuration for sensing temperature over a first temperature range as a function of the resistance of one of the elements, a second sensor configuration for sensing temperature over a second temperature range as a function of the surface resistance of the substrate between two of the elements, and a third sensor arrangement for sensing temperature over a third temperature range as a function of the bulk resistance of the substrate between two of the elements separated by a thickness of substrate material less than the surface distance therebetween. Four contact pads are provided to connect the three sensor configurations to external signal processing circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1990
    Date of Patent: August 20, 1991
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Payne, John Schultz
  • Patent number: 5026971
    Abstract: A temperature control system incorporating a temperature sensor characterized by thermal inertia which causes the sensed temperature to lag the actual temperature during the transition from one operating temperature for the controlled environment to a different operating temperature. This control system controls temperature as a function of setpoint temperature and the value of a temperature control variable representing the sensed temperature. The value of the temperature control variable is set equal to the temperature sensed by the sensor during steady state operating conditions. In response to a change in setpoint temperature, the system adjusts the value of the temperature control variable to compensate for the thermal lag of the sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1990
    Date of Patent: June 25, 1991
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Payne, John Schultz
  • Patent number: 4835353
    Abstract: An arrangement for providing power to a cooking magnetron uses a ful wave bridge inverter circuit connected to a power transformer. The filament of the magnetron is energized by a secondary winding of the power transformer. The inverter controls the microwave output of the magnetron by duty cycle control. In order to stabilize filament power against variations due to changes in the inverter duty cycle, a saturable reactor is connected in series with the filament. The reactor has a control winding which changes the impedance of the reactor in order to compensate for variations in the power supplied by the power transformer. The control winding of the reactor may be supplied with a voltage dependent upon the magnetron current. Since the magnetron current depends on the duty cycle of the inverter, this voltage may be used to make the impedance of the reactor dependent upon the duty cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1989
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Peter H. Smith, deceased, Thomas R. Payne, Flavian Reising, Jr.
  • Patent number: 4816647
    Abstract: An improved power control system for a household cooking appliance of the type having a glass ceramic cooking surface and at least one radiant heating unit disposed beneath the cooking surface operable at a plurality of user selectable power settings. At least one of the power settings has associated with it predetermined maximum and minimum reference temperatures defining a temperature band representative of the steady state temperature range for the glass ceramic support surface proximate the heating unit when heating normal loads at that power setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1989
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Thomas R. Payne
  • Patent number: 4786799
    Abstract: An improved electric cooking appliance with a plurality of heating units arranged in two groups, a first group adapted for energization by a first AC power signal and a second group adapted for energization by a second AC power signal, 180.degree. out of phase relative to the first power signal. The heating units of the first and second groups are each connected to a common neutral power line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 22, 1988
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Louis A. Welle, Jr., Thomas R. Payne
  • Patent number: 4740664
    Abstract: An improved power control system for a glas-ceramic cooktop appliance of the type having at least one radiant heating unit disposed beneath the glass-ceramic cooking surface, and a user actuable input keyboard to enable the user to select one of a plurality of power settings for the heating unit. The control system monitors the glass-ceramic temperature and the rate of change of the glass-ceramic temperature to detect abnormal thermal load conditions on the glass-ceramic cooking surface. Upon detection of an abnormal load condition, the power level applied to the heating unit is lowered as a function of the sensed glass-ceramic temperature, the temperature rate of change, and the user selected power setting, to limit the temperature of the glass-ceramic cooking surface so as to avoid damage by excessive temperatures resulting from the abnormal thermal load conditions on the cooking surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 26, 1988
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Thomas R. Payne, Louis A. Welle, Jr.