Patent ID: 8151596

Claim:
A refrigerator comprising: a cabinet; at least one refrigerated compartment arranged within the cabinet; a door mounted to the cabinet for selectively providing access to the at least one refrigerated compartment; and a dispenser assembly provided in the door for selectively releasing at least one of water and ice to a consumer, said dispenser assembly including: a main body portion; a control portion provided on the main body portion, said control portion including a plurality of control elements for selecting a desired dispensing operation; a dispenser well provided in the main body portion, said dispenser well including a base section and an upstanding wall section; a control operatively connected to the plurality of control elements for regulating the dispensing operation; and a sensor system including at least one passive sensor mounted along the wall section of the dispenser well, said at least one passive sensor being configured to detect a container placed within the dispensing well, an upper rim portion of the container and a level of the at least one of water and ice released into the container during the dispensing operation, said control automatically initiating a dispensing operation based on the presence of the container in the dispenser well and thereafter automatically terminating the dispensing operation before the level of liquid reaches the upper rim portion of the container.