초록 ▼

An intelligent fountain dispenser performs automated control and systems diagnostics in real time. The intelligent fountain dispenser includes a controller in electrical communication with a syrup valve, a water valve, a carbonator valve, a water level sensor, a flowmeter, and an input panel. The in

An intelligent fountain dispenser performs automated control and systems diagnostics in real time. The intelligent fountain dispenser includes a controller in electrical communication with a syrup valve, a water valve, a carbonator valve, a water level sensor, a flowmeter, and an input panel. The intelligent fountain dispenser also includes a dispenser housing and a carbonator tank. Water and carbon dioxide mix in the carbonator tank to produce carbonated water. The carbonator valve supplies water to the carbonator tank in accordance with instructions received from the controller. The controller also instructs the syrup valve and the water valve in the supply of syrup and carbonated water, respectively, to the dispenser housing. The controller provides the instructions to the valves based on information received from the water level sensor, flowmeter, and input panel. The controller performs systems diagnostics by monitoring the voltage drop across current-sensing resistors associated with each of the valves. The controller can also perform system diagnostics based on information supplied by a signature resistor associated with the input panel.

대표청구항 ▼

An intelligent fountain dispenser performs automated control and systems diagnostics in real time. The intelligent fountain dispenser includes a controller in electrical communication with a syrup valve, a water valve, a carbonator valve, a water level sensor, a flowmeter, and an input panel. The in

An intelligent fountain dispenser performs automated control and systems diagnostics in real time. The intelligent fountain dispenser includes a controller in electrical communication with a syrup valve, a water valve, a carbonator valve, a water level sensor, a flowmeter, and an input panel. The intelligent fountain dispenser also includes a dispenser housing and a carbonator tank. Water and carbon dioxide mix in the carbonator tank to produce carbonated water. The carbonator valve supplies water to the carbonator tank in accordance with instructions received from the controller. The controller also instructs the syrup valve and the water valve in the supply of syrup and carbonated water, respectively, to the dispenser housing. The controller provides the instructions to the valves based on information received from the water level sensor, flowmeter, and input panel. The controller performs systems diagnostics by monitoring the voltage drop across current-sensing resistors associated with each of the valves. The controller can also perform system diagnostics based on information supplied by a signature resistor associated with the input panel. enerate a second control signal for the second converter element, wherein the processing circuit generates a digital signal for the second modulator circuit including a portion of the first control signal such that the second converter element compensates for the error associated with the first control signal. 6. The digital-to-analog converter circuit of claim 5 wherein the first modulator circuit includes a first digital delta sigma modulator and the second modulator circuit includes a second digital delta sigma modulator. 7. The digital-to-analog converter circuit of claim 5 wherein the processing circuit generates additional digital signals received by additional ones of the plurality of modulator circuits to generate additional control signals received by additional ones of the plurality of digital-to-analog converter elements, the additional ones of the plurality of digital-to-analog converter elements generating additional ones of the plurality of weighted signals in response to the additional control signals, respectively, and wherein the processor operates to recursively provide a plurality of attenuated and error-corrected digital signals to the inputs of some of the delta sigma modulators, respectively, to reduce error components in some of the additional control signals. 8. A digital-to-analog converter of claim 1 wherein the modulator circuits and the processing circuit are included in a processing engine including memory circuitry, multiplier circuitry, comparator circuitry, adder/accumulator circuitry, and multiplexing circuitry. 9. An analog-to-digital converter circuit for generating a digital output signal representative of an analog input signal, the analog-to-digital converter circuit including analog filtering circuitry configured to receive the analog input signal and an analog feedback signal, and a quantizing circuit receiving an output of the analog filtering circuitry to generate a digital representation of the analog input signal, the analog-to-digital converter circuit further comprising: a digital processing circuit configured to receive an N-bit digital signal from the quantizing circuit and generate a K-bit output signal, the digital processing circuit including a plurality of modulator circuits arranged in a predetermined order and each configured to receive a digital input signal and generate a corresponding one of the bits of the K-bit output signal as a plurality of control signals, respectively, at least some of the plurality of the control signals each having an error component and an error cancellation component for correcting an error component of another of the control signals, the digital processing circuit also including a processing circuit configured to receive the N-bit digital signal and generate a plurality of digital input signals received by the plurality of modulator circuits, respectively, wherein the digital input signals received by some of the modulator circuits each include an error cancellation component corresponding to an error component in a control signal produced by another of the modulator circuits; and a plurality of digital-to-analog converter elements each having associated element weights and each generating an analog signal that is summed with the other analog signals to produce the analog feedback signal. 10. The analog-to-digital converter circuit of claim 9 including a conversion circuit having an input coupled to receive the K-bit output signal for converting the K-bit output signal to a signed digital number, and also including a digital decimation filter coupled to receive the signed digital number for producing the digital output signal representative of the analog input signal. 11. The analog-to-digital converter circuit of claim 9, wherein the plurality of modulator circuits are digital delta-sigma modulator circuits. 12. The analog-to-digital converter circuit of claim 9, wherein the associated element weights are binarily weighted. 13. The digi