Abstract: An improved apparatus and method is provided for accurately dispensing a preselected volume of liquid. A flowmeter is provided to generate signals proportional to the flow of liquid through a faucet. A programmed microcomputer receives the flowmeter signals and controls the faucet. The residual volume of liquid (spill), which was dispensed after the faucet was last commanded to close, is stored and averaged with additional, previously stored spill amounts by the microcomputer. The average spill volume is used to anticipate the spill for the forthcoming pour. When the cumulative volume of liquid dispensed is equal to the preselected volume less the anticipated spill volume, the microcomputer signals the faucet to close, resulting in an accurate pour. In a another aspect, an improved beer dispensing head is provided. A spring-loaded conventional tap handle activates a sensor means in the head.

Abstract: A process for assuring that the individual computational elements of a fault-tolerant computer system have the same view of the external world when applied in applications where input data representations of the same quantity may have slight variations without being incorrect. The process transmits data between each of the computational elements through circuitry utilizing transmitters and receivers, and provides a check as to the accuracy of each such transmission, resulting in each computational element either having the same plurality of data as each other computational element, or a representation that a transmission was faulty.

Abstract: An analog selector circuit for providing an analog output signal of a value approximate to the median value of the analog input signals, having a plurality of comparator means equal to the number of analog input signals, each comparator means being connected to receive one of the input signals and comparing the received signal with the analog output signal of the selector circuit, a plurality of electronic control valves connected to receive the output signals from the plurality of comparator means, the valves being connected such that a number of said valves equal in number to the majority of analog input signals are connected in series to form a series combination and there are a sufficient number of such series combinations to receive all combinations of the majority of voltage output signals, and each series combination connected to receive a voltage potential input signal and providing the output signals of the series combinations to a common terminal to form the analog output signal; and a resistive net

Abstract: A fault-tolerant computational system having a voter circuit which receives inputs from several computational devices and produces an output in agreement with a majority of the inputs. Also included is a clock circuit for synchronizing the output of data from the computational devices so that the input to the voter circuit is synchronized. The system may be adapted for fault detection by comparing the output of the voter circuit to the outputs of each of the computational channels.