Patent ID: 8302473

Claim:
A method for detecting a level of a surface of a liquid in a container of a beverage maker having a brew cycle, the container having an upper opening, the beverage maker having a support housing and a primary liquid level sensing means mounted in the support housing for non-intrusively measuring the level of the surface of the liquid in the container, and a secondary liquid level sensing means mounted in said support housing for intrusively sensing a predetermined level of the surface of the liquid in the container, the support housing being moveable between an upward unlocked position and a downward locked position, and the support housing being configured to mate with the upper opening of the container in the downward locked position, the method comprising the steps of: moving a support housing of a beverage maker to a downward locked position mating with an upper opening of a container of the beverage; intermittently providing power to at least a portion of a primary liquid level sensing means mounted in the support housing non-intrusively measuring the level of the surface of the liquid in the container during a brew cycle of the beverage maker such that the primary liquid level sensing means operates periodically; and intrusively sensing a predetermined level of the surface of the liquid in the container with a secondary liquid level sensing means mounted in said support housing for preventing accidental overflows in the event of a malfunction of the primary liquid level sensing means.