Method and system for bulk selling and banking a volume of fuel

• US 20040117281A1
• Filed: 12/17/2002
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BAP Fuels Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BAP Fuels Incorporated
• Inventors: Clydesdale, Glenn
• Application Number:
  US10/321,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117281A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method and system for bulk selling and banking a volume of fuel is provided, the method comprising the steps of selling a volume of fuel from a fuel selling location; creating a banking record of the sale; receiving the banking record at a fuel dispensing location, affiliated with the fuel selling location, and a request to dispense a portion of the volume purchased, which is less than the volume purchased; dispensing the requested portion; and, amending the banking record to reflect the remaining volume of sold fuel available for further dispensing. The banking record may include a measure of the volume of fuel available for dispensing and authentication information, such as purchaser identification information, transaction number, authentication code and combinations thereof. A method of verifying the received banking record is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for bulk selling and banking a volume of fuel comprising the steps of:

a. selling a volume of fuel from a fuel selling location;

b. creating a banking record of the sale;

c. receiving the banking record at a fuel dispensing location, affiliated with the fuel selling location, and a request to dispense a portion of the volume purchased, which is less than the volume purchased;

d. dispensing the requested portion; and

,

e. amending the banking record to reflect the remaining volume of sold fuel available for further dispensing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step b. includes the further step of transmitting a copy of the banking record to a central data store for storage.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the banking record includes a measure of the volume of fuel available for dispensing and authentication information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication information is a member of the group consisting of purchaser identification information, transaction number, authentication code and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the received banking record is verified, the verification comprising the steps of:

a. receiving the banking record;

b. querying a banking record database for a stored banking record corresponding to the received banking record;

c. comparing the stored banking record with the received banking record;

d. verifying that the received banking record matches the stored banking record; and

,

e. confirming that the measure of the volume of fuel available for dispensing is at least equal to the requested volume of fuel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the received banking record is verified at the fuel dispensing location.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the received banking record is transmitted to a remote location.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transmitted banking record is verified at a remote location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel sold is a member of the group consisting of gasoline, diesel, propane, natural gas, electricity, hydrogen and fuel oil, and combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel selling location is a gas station.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel selling location is remote from the fuel dispensing location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel is sold at a price per unit volume.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the price per unit volume is advertised at the fuel selling location.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the price per unit volume is advertised at the fuel dispensing location.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the price per unit volume is made available over a communication network to a user operating a communication device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication network is a telephone network.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication network is a data transmission network.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the communication device is a member of the group consisting of telephone, desk-top computer, notebook computer, handheld computer, cellular telephone and two-way pager.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the banking record is a paper record.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the paper record is a receipt.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the paper record is at least one coupon denoting at least a portion of the volume of fuel purchased, which is redeemed for at least a portion of the volume purchased.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the banking record is stored on a computer readable medium.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the computer readable medium is a magnetic strip of a card.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the electronic record is stored on a card having an embedded microprocessor and computer readable memory.

25. A system for bulk selling and banking a volume of fuel comprising:

a. a fuel selling location for selling a volume of fuel to a purchaser, wherein the fuel selling location includes a banking record creator for creating a banking record of the sold fuel; and

,

b. a fuel dispensing location, affiliated with the fuel selling location, for receiving the banking record and a request to dispense a portion of the volume purchased, which is less than the volume purchased, and a dispenser for dispensing the requested portion, wherein the fuel dispensing location includes a transaction manager for amending the banking record to reflect the volume of sold fuel available for further dispensing.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the fuel selling location further includes a transmitter for transmitting a copy of the banking record to a banking record database.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the banking record database is stored in a central data store.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the banking record includes a measure of the volume of fuel available for dispensing and authentication information, and said authentication information is a member of the group consisting of purchaser identification information, transaction number, authentication code and combinations thereof.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the transaction manager further includes:

a. a receiver for receiving the banking record;

b. a database query engine for querying a banking record database for a stored banking record corresponding to the received banking record;

c. a comparer for comparing the stored banking record with the received banking record and for verifying that the received banking record matches the stored banking record; and

,

d. a confirmer for confirming that the measure of the volume of fuel available for dispensing is at least equal to the requested volume of fuel.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the central data store is located at the fuel dispensing location.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the central data store is located at a remote location.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein a transmitter transmits the received banking record to the central data store at the remote location.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the fuel selling location is a gas station.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein the fuel selling location is a remote location.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein the fuel selling location further includes an advertiser for advertising that the fuel is sold at a price per unit volume.

36. The system of claim 25, wherein the fuel dispensing location further includes an advertiser for advertising that the fuel is sold at a price per unit volume.

37. The system of claim 25, wherein the banking record is a paper record.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the paper record is a receipt.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the paper record is at least one coupon denoting at least a portion of the volume of fuel purchased, which is redeemed for at least a portion of the volume purchased.

40. The system of claim 25, wherein the banking record is stored on a computer readable medium.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the computer readable medium is a magnetic strip of a card.

42. The system of claim 40, wherein the electronic record is stored on a card having an embedded microprocessor and computer readable memory.

43. A system for bulk selling and banking a volume of fuel comprising:

a. a fuel selling location for selling a volume of fuel to a purchaser, wherein the fuel selling location includes a means for creating a banking record of the sold fuel and presenting the record to the purchaser; and

,

b. a fuel dispensing location, affiliated with the fuel selling location, for receiving the banking record and a request to dispense a portion of the volume purchased, which is less than the volume purchased, and a means for dispensing the requested portion, wherein the fuel dispensing location includes a means for amending the banking record to reflect the volume of sold fuel available for further dispensing.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the fuel selling location further includes a means for transmitting a copy of the banking record to a banking record database.

45. The system of claim 43, wherein the fuel dispensing location further includes:

a. a means for receiving the banking record;

b. a means for querying a banking record database for a stored banking record corresponding to the received banking record;

c. a means for comparing the stored banking record with the received banking record;

d. a means for verifying that the received banking record matches the stored banking record; and

,

e. a means for confirming that the measure of the volume of fuel available for dispensing is at least equal to the requested volume of fuel.