Fuel dispenser using intelligent intermediaries
First Claim
1. A fueling-station information-processing network, comprising:
- one or more fuel-dispenser station(s) each of which comprises one or more fuel dispenser(s) useable to control dispensation of fuel;
a host server;
a proxy server which is communicatively linked to said host server;
one or more fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s) mounted to said one or more fuel-dispenser station(s);
wherein said proxy server is communicatively linked to one or more of said fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s);
operating instructions, which are embodied in computer useable medium and control a portion of operation of said proxy server and which cause said proxy server to perform a file receiving-and-transmitting procedure comprising the steps of;
receiving an electronic data-file from said host server;
performing a check sum operation upon said electronic data-file in order to verify integrity and completeness of said electronic data-file; and
if said electronic data-file is in fact complete and correct, transmitting said electronic data-file or an electronic data-file which is a derivative thereof to said information processing device(s).
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fueling-station information-processing network is disclosed for a fueling station that comprises one or more fuel-dispenser stations each of which comprises one or more fuel dispensers for controlling transfer of fuel purchased by a customer from a fuel vendor'"'"'s fuel-storage tank to the customer'"'"'s fuel reservoir. The fueling-station information-processing network comprises one or more fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s) that are mounted to one or more of the fuel-dispenser stations and that perform the functions of controlling operation of the fuel-dispenser station and/or displaying information upon display screens for viewing by the customer. One or more of the fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s) of the fueling-station information-processing network are communicatively linked to a proxy server, which is communicatively linked, in turn, to a host server. The invention includes novel methods of operation of the fueling-station information-processing network that capitalize on the configuration of the fueling-station information-processing network.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A fueling-station information-processing network, comprising:
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one or more fuel-dispenser station(s) each of which comprises one or more fuel dispenser(s) useable to control dispensation of fuel;
a host server;
a proxy server which is communicatively linked to said host server;
one or more fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s) mounted to said one or more fuel-dispenser station(s);
wherein said proxy server is communicatively linked to one or more of said fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s);
operating instructions, which are embodied in computer useable medium and control a portion of operation of said proxy server and which cause said proxy server to perform a file receiving-and-transmitting procedure comprising the steps of;
receiving an electronic data-file from said host server;
performing a check sum operation upon said electronic data-file in order to verify integrity and completeness of said electronic data-file; and
if said electronic data-file is in fact complete and correct, transmitting said electronic data-file or an electronic data-file which is a derivative thereof to said information processing device(s). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A fueling-station information-processing network, comprising:
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one or more fuel-dispenser station(s) each of which comprises one or more fuel dispenser(s) useable to control dispensation of fuel;
a host server;
a proxy server which is communicatively linked to said host server;
one or more fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s) mounted to said fuel-dispenser station(s);
wherein said proxy server is communicatively linked to said one or more fuel-dispenser information-processing devices;
wherein one or more of said fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s) comprise display screen(s);
wherein one or more of said fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s) comprise a customer interface;
wherein each of said customer interface(s) is configured and communicatively linked to a fuel-dispenser information-processing device in such a manner that said customer interface may be operated by a customer to communicate a request to said fueling-station information-processing network that a web page of the customer'"'"'s choice or information derived from a web page of the customer'"'"'s choice be displayed upon said display screen; and
wherein a predetermined-list of preferred web-pages is stored within computer memory of said proxy server, said fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s), and/or said host server, and operating instructions of said host server, said proxy server, and/or said fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s) limit display of web pages or derivative images thereof upon said display screens to web pages in said predetermined-list of preferred web-pages. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A fueling-station information-processing network, comprising:
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one or more fuel-dispenser station(s) each of which comprises one or more fuel dispenser(s) useable to control dispensation of fuel;
a host server;
a proxy server which is communicatively linked to said host server;
one or more fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s) mounted to said fuel-dispenser station(s);
wherein said proxy server is communicatively linked to one or more of said one or more fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s);
wherein one or more of said fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s) comprise display screen(s);
wherein one or more of said fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s) comprise a customer interface;
wherein each of said customer interface(s) is communicatively linked to a fuel-dispenser information-processing device and, thus, to said proxy server;
wherein one or more of said customer interface(s) comprise one or more operating button(s) which are disposed adjacent said display screen(s) and which are communicatively linked to said fuel-dispenser information-processing device(s);
wherein one or more of said customer interface(s) comprise one or more web-page identifier(s) displayed upon said display screen(s) in such a manner that each of said web-page identifier(s) can be understood by a customer to correspond to one of said operating buttons of said customer interface; and
wherein said fueling-station information-processing network comprises operating instructions embodied in computer useable medium which cause said fueling-station information-processing network to perform the step of;
displaying upon one or more of said display screen(s) a web page of the customer'"'"'s choice or information derived from a web page of the customer'"'"'s choice after the customer communicates their choice to said fueling-station information-processing network by pressing one of said operating buttons of said customer interface(s), which corresponds to a web-page identifier of the customer'"'"'s choice.
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Specification