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Integrated fuel dispensing and accounting system

  • US 10,210,696 B2
  • Filed: 12/23/2015
  • Issued: 02/19/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A fuel-dispensing and accounting system consisting of:

  • a first consumer device comprising;

    a first short-range wireless transceiver;

    a first long-range wireless transceiver different from the first short-range wireless transceiver; and

    a first general-purpose computing device coupled to the first short-range wireless transceiver and the first different long-range wireless transceiver, said first general-purpose computing device configured with first software;

    a second consumer device comprising;

    a second short-range wireless transceiver;

    a second long-range wireless transceiver different from the second short-range wireless transceiver; and

    a second general-purpose computing device coupled to the second short-range wireless transceiver and the second different long-range wireless transceiver, said second general-purpose computing device configured with second software; and

    a fuel-dispensing controller consisting of;

    a third short-range wireless transceiver;

    an electronically-controlled switch connected to an electrically-operated fluid pump; and

    a third general-purpose computing device coupled to the third short-range wireless receiver and the electronically controlled switch, said third general-purpose computing device configured with third software;

    wherein the fuel-dispensing controller and an active device chosen from the first consumer device and the second consumer device interact under control of the third software and either the first software of the first consumer device or the second software of the second consumer device to perform operations comprising;

    establishing a first connection between a short-range wireless transceiver of the active device and the third short-range wireless transceiver;

    establishing a second, different connection between a long-range wireless transceiver of the active device and a remote server;

    obtaining a vending authorization from the remote server transmitted over the second different connection and received by the active device;

    transmitting the vending authorization from the active device over the first connection to the fuel-dispensing controller;

    after receiving the vending authorization at the fuel-dispensing controller, activating the electronically-controlled switch to engage the electrically-operated fluid pump;

    determining a quantity of fuel dispensed by the electrically-operated fluid pump;

    transmitting the quantity of fuel dispensed from the fuel-dispensing controller to the active device over the first connection; and

    transmitting the quantity of fuel dispensed from the active device to the remote server over the second different connection.

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