Electronic controller for a water purifying unit
First Claim
1. An electronic controller for use in a water purifying unit of the type having a tap water inlet, a purified water outlet, reservoir, a filter interposed between the inlet and outlet through which the tap water passes for purification, a first conductivity probe in the tap water for sensing the conductivity of the tap water, and a second conductivity probe in the purified water for sensing the conductivity of the purified water, the electronic controller comprising:
- electrical pulse means activated by a power signal coupled to the input of the first and second conductivity probes for applying electrical pulses thereto resulting in output signals from each conductivity probe that are indicative of the impurity concentration of the water in which it is immersed;
amplifying means activated by a power signal coupled to said first and second conductivity probes for amplifying the output signals from each of said conductivity probes by a predetermined gain to provide output signals which are approximately equal when the filter is all right; and
comparing means activated by a power signal for comparing the output signals from said amplifying means and for generating a signal indicative of a needed filter change when the output signals differ in a first direction and a signal indicative that the filter is ok when the output signals differ in a second direction; and
power control means for periodically supplying a power signal to said electrical pulse means, said amplifying means and said comparing means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An analog ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) circuit has a power control section, a conductivity filter testing section, a light emitting diode (LED) driving section, and a bias section. The LED driving section is responsive to the conductivity filter testing section for indicating when the filter should be replaced. The power control section, conductivity filter testing section, LED driving section, and bias section are all operated in a controlled timed relation by a digital ASIC logic system to minimize power use.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An electronic controller for use in a water purifying unit of the type having a tap water inlet, a purified water outlet, reservoir, a filter interposed between the inlet and outlet through which the tap water passes for purification, a first conductivity probe in the tap water for sensing the conductivity of the tap water, and a second conductivity probe in the purified water for sensing the conductivity of the purified water, the electronic controller comprising:
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electrical pulse means activated by a power signal coupled to the input of the first and second conductivity probes for applying electrical pulses thereto resulting in output signals from each conductivity probe that are indicative of the impurity concentration of the water in which it is immersed; amplifying means activated by a power signal coupled to said first and second conductivity probes for amplifying the output signals from each of said conductivity probes by a predetermined gain to provide output signals which are approximately equal when the filter is all right; and comparing means activated by a power signal for comparing the output signals from said amplifying means and for generating a signal indicative of a needed filter change when the output signals differ in a first direction and a signal indicative that the filter is ok when the output signals differ in a second direction; and power control means for periodically supplying a power signal to said electrical pulse means, said amplifying means and said comparing means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An electronic controller for detecting when a filter should be replaced in a water purifying unit of the type having a tap water inlet, a purified water outlet, a reservoir, a filter interposed between the inlet and outlet through which the tap water passes for purification, a first conductivity probe in the tap water for sensing the conductivity in the tap water, and a second conductivity probe in the purified water for sensing the conductivity of the purified water, the first and second conductivity probes having an electronic controller comprising:
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electrical current source means coupled to inputs of the first and second conductivity probes for applying current pulses thereto resulting in a current output signal from each conductivity probe indicative of the impurity concentration of the water in which it is immersed; a capacitor interposed between the inputs of the first and second conductivity probes and said electrical current source means to prevent direct current flow through the first and second conductivity probes; means for converting the current output signals from the conductivity probes to voltage output signals; means coupled to the converting means for amplifying the voltage output signal from the second conductivity probe by a predetermined gain causing the voltage output signal to be slightly below the voltage output signal from the first conductivity probe when the filter is all right; and electrical comparing means for comparing the voltage output signals from the first and second conductivity probes following the converting and amplifying means and generating a positive output voltage as long as the voltage output signal from the first conductivity probe exceeds the voltage output signal from the second conductivity probe for indicating a filter that is all right, and generating a negative output voltage when the voltage output signal from the first conductivity probe is less than the voltage output signal from the second conductivity probe for indicating a dirty filter that should be replaced. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification