Refrigerator and ice maker methods and apparatus

1. An ice maker comprising:

a mold comprising at least one cavity for containing water therein for freezing into ice;

a water supply comprising at least one valve for controlling water flow into said mold;

an ice removal heating element operationally coupled to said mold; and

an ice maker control system operationally coupled to said valve and said ice removal heating element and configured to:

control said valve;

control said ice removal heating element; and

provide a signal to a separate refrigerator control system, said refrigerator control system controlling an ice rate of the ice maker based on said signal.

2. An ice maker in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ice maker control system further configured to transmit to the refrigerator control system a signal that said valve is in an open state letting water flow into said at least one mold cavity.

3. An ice maker in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ice maker control system further configured to transmit to the refrigerator control system a signal that said valve was in an open state letting water flow into said at least one mold cavity.

4. An ice maker in accordance with claim 1 wherein said ice maker control system further configured to transmit to the refrigerator control system a signal that said ice removal heating element is energized.

5. An ice maker in accordance with claim 1 wherein said refrigerator control system increases said ice rate in the ice maker based on said signal.

6. A refrigerator comprising:

a fresh food compartment;

a freezer compartment separated from said fresh food compartment by a mullion;

an ice maker positioned within said freezer cavity; and

a refrigerator control system configured to control a temperature of said freezer compartment and said fresh food compartment, said refrigerator control system configured to receive a signal from a separate ice maker control system, said refrigerator control, system controlling an ice rate of said ice maker based on said signal.

7. A refrigerator in accordance with claim 6 wherein said refrigerator control system configured to control the temperature of said freezer compartment based on the received signal.

8. A refrigerator in accordance with claim 6 further comprising a fan positioned to move air in said freezer compartment, said refrigerator control system configured to control said fan based on the received signal.

9. A refrigerator in accordance with claim 6 further comprising a fan positioned to move air in said freezer compartment, said refrigerator control system configured to control said fan based on a signal representative of a user selected mode including a speed ice mode and a normal ice mode such that:

when the signal is representative of speed ice mode:

said fan is energized during cooling cycles, and

said fan is energized selectively during non-cooling cycles in conjunction with predetermined ice make modes; and

when the signal is representative is normal ice mode:

said fan is energized during cooling cycles, and

said fan is de-energized during non cooling cycles.

10. An ice maker comprising:

a mold comprising at least one cavity for containing water therein for freezing into ice;

a water supply comprising at least one valve for controlling water flow into said mold;

an ice removal heating element operationally coupled to said mold; and

an ice maker control system operationally coupled to said valve and said ice removal heating element and configured to:

control said valve;

control said ice removal heating element; and

provide a signal to a separate refrigerator control system, said signal comprising at least one of an indication that:

said valve is in an open state;

said valve was in an open state; and

said ice removal heating element is energized.