Patent ID: 8616013

Claim:
A method of determining an amount of ice collected in an ice storage container of a refrigerator, the ice being discharged into the ice storage container by an ice maker having an ice detecting sensor with a sensor heater, and a light transmitter with a transmitter heater, the method comprising the following steps performed in sequence: (a) operating the light transmitter to transmit light to the ice detecting sensor; (b) if the light is not received by the ice detecting sensor, turning on the sensor and transmitter heaters, and if light is received by the ice detecting sensor, proceeding to step (g); (c) determining whether or not an operation time of the sensor and transmitter heaters have reached a preset heater operation time, the preset heater operation time being sufficient to clear any ice accumulated on the ice detecting sensor and the light transmitter; (d) if the operation time of the sensor and transmitter heaters have reached the preset heater operation time, turning off the sensor heater; (e) transmitting light to the ice detecting sensor; (f) if light is not received by the ice detecting sensor, determining that the ice storage container is full or nearly full of ice, waiting a predetermined period of time, and then repeating the method beginning at step (a), but if light is received by the ice detecting sensor, determining that the ice storage container is not full or nearly full of ice and proceeding to step (g); (g) operating the ice maker to discharge ice into the ice storage container; (h) transmitting light to the ice detecting sensor, and halting the operation of the ice maker when it is determined that the ice storage container is full or nearly full of ice, waiting a predetermined period of time, and then repeating the method beginning at step (a).