Provided is an LED lamp for prevention of freezing, comprising: a housing opened at a front side thereof; an LED unit disposed inside the housing; a lens mounted at the opened front side of the housing and configured to allow lighting light emitted from the LED unit to transmit therethrough; a heating member disposed at the rear side of the lens and configured to generate heat by being supplied with power; a sensor unit disposed at the inside of the housing and configured to sense the internal temperature of the housing; and a control unit configured to control the power supplied to the heating member depending on the internal temperature of the housing, sensed by the sensor unit.

A heater system is provided. The system includes a resistive element with a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) of at least about 1,000 ppm such that the resistive element functions as a heater and as a temperature sensor and the resistive element is a material having greater than about 95% nickel. The system also includes a heater control module including a two-wire controller with a power control module that is configured to periodically compare a measured resistance value of the resistive element against a reference temperature to adjust for resistance drift over time during operation such that a temperature drift of the resistive element is less than about 1% over a temperature range of about 500 C.-1,000 C.

A multi-purpose detection circuit for object detection and vehicle position determination is described. For example, the circuit is configurable for detecting foreign metallic objects, living objects, and a vehicle or type of vehicle above an inductive wireless power transmitter. The circuit is also configurable for determining the vehicle's position relative to the inductive wireless power transmitter. An example apparatus includes a measurement circuit including a multiplexer, electrically connected to a plurality of inductive and capacitive sense circuits, for measuring one or more electrical characteristics in each of the inductive and capacitive sense circuits according to a predetermined time multiplexing scheme. The apparatus further includes a control and evaluation circuit for evaluating the measured electrical characteristics and determining at least one of a presence of a metallic object, a living object, a vehicle, or a type of vehicle, and a vehicle position based on changes in the measured electrical characteristics.

A method for controlling a heated process of an electric heater includes obtaining a setpoint variable indicating a target temperature of the heater. The method includes identifying an energy profile for the heater based on the setpoint variable. The energy profile provides a defined magnitude of initial electrical energy to be applied to the heater to have a temperature of the heated process reach the target temperature. The method includes obtaining a process variable indicating a performance characteristic of the heated process. The method includes providing electrical energy to the heater based on at least one of the energy profile and the process variable.

A multi-purpose detection circuit for object detection and vehicle position determination is described. For example, the circuit is configurable for detecting foreign metallic objects, living objects, and a vehicle or type of vehicle above an inductive wireless power transmitter. The circuit is also configurable for determining the vehicle's position relative to the inductive wireless power transmitter. An example apparatus includes a measurement circuit including a multiplexer, electrically connected to a plurality of inductive and capacitive sense circuits, for measuring one or more electrical characteristics in each of the inductive and capacitive sense circuits according to a predetermined time multiplexing scheme. The apparatus further includes a control and evaluation circuit for evaluating the measured electrical characteristics and determining at least one of a presence of a metallic object, a living object, a vehicle, or a type of vehicle, and a vehicle position based on changes in the measured electrical characteristics.

A temperature control assembly includes a plurality of heating units and a plurality of temperature sensors. The heating units are arranged in a ring shape, and the temperature sensors are respectively arranged on the heating units. Each of the heating units includes a bearing hole and a heating body. The heating body surrounds the bearing hole and is configured to generate heat, and each of the temperature sensors is configured to sense a temperature.

A control system for operating a heater includes a controller configured to determine an operational power level based on a measured performance characteristic of the heater, a power set-point, and a power control algorithm, determine a bake-out power level based on a measured leakage current at the heater, a leakage current threshold, and a moisture control algorithm, and select a power level to be applied to the heater. The selected power level is the lower power level from among the operational power level and the bake-out power level.

An apparatus configured to mitigate surface occlusion is provided. The apparatus includes a surface, an occlusion mitigating element integrated with the surface; and a controller configured to determine at least one of a fog condition or an ice condition based on an offset temperature, and control the occlusion mitigating element according to the determined at least one of the fog condition and the ice condition, a surface temperature of the surface, a dew point temperature, and the offset temperature.

Embodiments are described for a ignitor for use with a smoking article such as a cigarette or pipe. The device has a heating element extending from a handle portion. A protective housing releasably engages with the handle portion and is dimensioned to receive the heating element therein. A power supply supplies voltage to the heating element to effectively ignite the smoking article.

A heater includes at least one resistive element. The at least one resistive element includes a material having a high temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) such that the resistive element functions as a heater and as a temperature sensor, the resistive element being a material selected from the group consisting of greater than about 95% nickel, a nickel copper alloy, stainless steel, a molybdenum-nickel alloy, niobium, a nickel-iron alloy, tantalum, zirconium, tungsten, molybdenum, Nisil, and titanium. In one form, the heater is a tubular heater with compacted MgO insulation and a metal sheath.