Liquid product identification for dispensing in storage tanks

• US 10,273,138 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2018
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dixon Valve & Coupling Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: Dixon Valve & Coupling Company, LLC
• Inventors: Koeninger, Robert C., DeYoung, Brian, Dexter, Garth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maust, Timothy L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kelly, Timothy P.
• Application Number:
  US15/950,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20180229994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/04 for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence

Abstract

A system for confirming that a liquid product is to be dispensed into a storage tank from a tanker compartment before dispensing the liquid product is disclosed. A wand computing device generates a liquid product identification signal that identifies the liquid product contained in the storage tank when positioned within proximity of a storage tank tag associated with the storage tank. A dispense monitoring computing device attempts to match the liquid product identified by the liquid product identification signal to the liquid products identified as contained in tanker compartments. The dispense monitoring computing device generates a signal to notify the operator that an appropriate tanker compartment contains liquid product that is the same as the liquid product contained by the storage tank and can be dispensed into the storage tank when the liquid product contained by the storage tank matches the liquid product contained by the appropriate tanker compartment.

Claims

1. A system for confirming that a liquid product is to be dispensed into a storage tank from a tanker compartment before dispensing the liquid product, comprising:

a wand computing device configured to generate a liquid product identification signal when positioned within proximity of a storage tank tag associated with a storage tank, wherein the liquid product identification signal identifies the liquid product contained in the storage tank;

a dispense monitoring computing device configured to;

identify each liquid product contained in each tanker compartment included in a tanker transport trailer as provided by a liquid product dispense database, wherein each liquid product initially loaded into each tanker compartment is uploaded into the liquid product dispense database;

determine whether the liquid product identified by the liquid product identification signal matches the liquid product identified as being contained in each tanker compartment as provided by the liquid product dispense database; and

generate a signal to notify an operator of an appropriate tanker compartment to dispense a liquid product contained in the appropriate tanker compartment into the storage tank when the liquid product identified by the liquid product identification signal matches the liquid product as being contained by the appropriate tanker compartment indicating that the liquid product contained in the appropriate tanker compartment is the same as the liquid product contained by the storage tank.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispense monitoring computing device is further configured to:

activate a positive lighting feature of an identification tag associated with the selected tanker compartment when the liquid product identified by the liquid product identification signal matches the liquid product identified as being contained by the appropriate tanker compartment to signal to the operator that dispensing of the liquid product contained by the appropriate tanker compartment is to be initiated; and

activate a negative lighting feature of the identification tag associated with the appropriate tanker compartment when the liquid product identified by the liquid product identification signal fails to match the liquid product identified as being contained by the appropriate tanker compartment to signal to the operator that dispensing of the liquid product housed by the appropriate tanker compartment is not to be initiated.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the dispense monitoring computing device is further configured to:

prohibit dispensing of any liquid product contained in any of the tanker compartments to the storage tank when the liquid product identified by the liquid product identification signal fails to match any of the liquid products identified as being contained in any of the tanker compartments.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a unique identification code is assigned to each liquid product initially loaded into each of the corresponding tanker compartments and is stored in the liquid product dispense database to identify each liquid product loaded into each corresponding tanker compartment.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the dispense monitoring computing device is further configured to:

convert the liquid product identification signal into a unique identification code; and

compare the unique identification code of the liquid product identification signal to each unique identification code associated with each tanker compartment provided by the liquid product dispense database to determine whether the unique identification code of the liquid product identification signal matches any of the unique identification codes associated with any of the tanker compartments as provided by the liquid product database.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the dispense monitoring computing device is further configured to:

generate the signal to notify the operator of the appropriate tanker compartment to dispense the liquid product contained in the appropriate tanker compartment into the storage tank when the unique identification code identified by the liquid product identification signal matches the unique identification code associated with the appropriate tanker compartment indicating that the liquid product contained in the appropriate tanker compartment is the same as the liquid contained by the storage tank;

and

prohibit dispensing of any liquid product contained in any of the tanker compartments to the storage tank when the unique identification code identified by the liquid product identification signal fails to match any of the unique identification codes associated with any of the tanker compartments.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispense monitoring computing device is further configured to:

periodically synchronize with the liquid product database to receive accurate liquid product identification information associated with an upcoming dispensing operation, wherein the liquid product identification information is information associated with the upcoming dispensing operation that is pertinent to ensure that the liquid product dispensed into the storage tank is correct.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispense monitoring computing device is further configured to transmit updated liquid product identification data to the liquid product dispense database after the liquid product is dispensed into the storage tank.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the dispense monitoring computing device is further configured to:

query the liquid product dispense database for updated liquid product identification data associated with each dispensing operation that is executed during a period of time; and

generate a report displaying the updated liquid product identification data associated with each dispensing operation that is executed during the period of time.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the dispense monitoring computing device is further configured to generate a geographic map that depicts each dispensing operation that is being executed during the period of time with each dispensing operation being displayed on the geographic map relative to Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of each dispensing operation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the dispense monitoring computing device is further configured to generate a geo-fence around a dispensing operation, wherein the geo-fence identifies a radius from a location of the dispensing operation.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the dispense monitoring computing device is further configured to prevent the dispensing operation when the tanker transport trailer is positioned outside of the geo-fence.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the dispense monitoring computing device is further configured to enable the dispensing operation when the tanker transport trailer is positioned within the geo-fence.

14. A method for confirming that a liquid product is to be dispensed into a storage tank from a tanker compartment before dispensing the liquid product comprising:

identifying a liquid product contained in the storage tank from a liquid product identification signal generated by a wand computing device when the wand computing device is positioned within proximity of a storage tank tag associated with the storage tank;

identifying each liquid product contained in each tanker compartment included in a tanker transport trailer as provided by a liquid product dispense database, wherein each liquid product initially loaded into each tanker compartment is uploaded into the liquid product dispense database;

determining whether the liquid product identified by the liquid product identification signal matches the liquid product identified as being contained in each tanker compartment as provided by the liquid product dispense database; and

generating a signal to notify an operator of an appropriate tanker compartment to dispense a liquid product contained in the appropriate tanker compartment into the storage tank when the liquid product identified by the liquid product identification signal matches the liquid product identified as being contained by the appropriate tanker compartment indicating that the liquid product identified as being contained in the appropriate tanker compartment is the same as the liquid product contained by the storage tank.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

activating a positive lighting feature of an identification tag associated with the selected tanker compartment when the liquid product identified by the liquid product identification signal matches the liquid product identified as being contained by the appropriate tanker compartment to signal to the operator that dispensing of the liquid product contained by the appropriate tanker compartment is to be initiated; and

activating a negative lighting feature of the identification tag associated with the appropriate tanker compartment when the liquid product identified by the liquid product identification signal fails to match the liquid product identified as being contained by the appropriate tanker compartment to signal to the operator that dispensing of the liquid product contained by the appropriate tanker compartment is not to be initiated.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

prohibiting dispensing of any liquid product contained in any of the tanker compartments to the storage tank when the liquid product identified by the liquid product identification signal fails to match any of the liquid products identified as being contained in any of the tanker compartments.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

assigning a unique identification code to each liquid product initially loaded into each of the corresponding tanker compartments and is stored in the liquid product dispense database to identify each liquid product loaded into each corresponding tanker compartment.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

converting the liquid product identification signal into a unique identification code; and

comparing the unique identification code of the liquid product identification signal to each unique identification code associated with each tanker compartment provided by the liquid product dispense database to determine whether the unique identification code of the liquid product identification signal matches any of the unique identification codes associated with any of the tanker compartments as provided by the liquid product database.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

generating the signal to notify the operator of the appropriate tanker compartment to dispense the liquid product contained in the appropriate tanker compartment into the storage tank when the unique identification code identified by the liquid product identification signal matches the unique identification code associated with the appropriate tanker compartment indicating that the liquid product contained in the appropriate tanker compartment is the same as the liquid product contained by the storage tank; and

prohibiting dispensing of any liquid product contained in any of the tanker compartments to the storage tank when the unique identification code identified by the liquid product identification signal fails to match any of the unique identification codes associated with any of the tanker compartments.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

periodically synchronizing with the liquid product database to receive accurate liquid product identification information associated with an upcoming dispensing operation, wherein the liquid product identification information is information associated with the upcoming dispensing operation that is pertinent to ensure that the liquid product dispensed into the storage tank is correct.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting updated liquid product identification information to the liquid product dispense database after the liquid product is dispensed into the storage tank.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

querying the liquid product dispense database for updated liquid product identification data associated with each dispensing operation that is executed during a period of time; and

generating a report displaying the updated liquid product identification data associated with each dispensing operation that is executed during the period of time.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

generating a geographic map that depicts each dispensing operation that is being executed during the period of time with each dispensing operation being displayed on the geographic map relative to Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of each dispensing operation.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

generating a geo-fence around a dispensing operation, wherein the geo-fence identifies a radius from a location of the dispensing operation.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

preventing the dispensing operation when the tanker transport trailer is positioned outside of the geo-fence.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

enabling the dispensing operation when the tanker transport trailer is positioned within the geo-fence.