Commercial/residential oil heating fuel status monitoring invention detailed process flow

• US 20040236626A1
• Filed: 03/25/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stephen Lynch
• Original Assignee: Stephen Lynch
• Inventors: Lynch, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US10/809,079
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236626A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes

Abstract

A computerized oil/fuel customer/supplier storage and inventory control system programmed to generate work orders and purchase orders for the customer, the supplier respectively depending upon predetermined/preprogrammed levels of oil/fuel at the customer and supplier'"'"'s locations respectively.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring oil/fuel requirements comprising:

a customer database for the storage of information peculiar to the oil/fuel, heating/cooling requirements of predetermined premises

oil/fuel storage tanks, oil/fuel quantity sensors, and data transmitting devices, to generate customer premise status signals for updating said customer database.

a supplier database for the storage of information peculiar to the oil/fuel inventory capabilities at pre-selected sources of oil/fuel,

a computer system for reviewing data from said customer and supplier databases, and a program for polling said customer database periodically for comparing the status of said customer premise status signals to a preprogrammed table that stores an output or preprogrammed data indicative of predetermined minimum oil/fuel levels for each premise, and said computer system generating a work order for those premises identified as below that level.

2. The combination according to claim 1 further characterized by oil/fuel inventory sensors, and transmitting devices, to generate supplier inventory signals for updating said supplier database.

3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said signals are transmitted at least in part on the internet.

4. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said signals are transmitted at least in part over telephone/data communication wiring common to the customers premises for other purposes.

5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said computer system is linked by modems and telephone/data communication lines for operation from a location remote from the computer system, the computer system comprising a server program to serve several oil/fuel suppliers.

The combination according to claim 1 wherein said transmitting devices operate on radio frequency at least in part.

7. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said periodic comparison is also responsive to a manual input inquiry from the premises of the customer.

8. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said periodic polling can be accomplished from a location remote from the computer system, which remote location is selected from the group comprising the premises of the customer, the supplier serving that customer, and the location of foresaid computer system.

9. The combination according to claim 1 further comprising oil/fuel inventory sensors, and transmitting devices to generate supplier inventory signals to update said supplier database, and said program further including means for generating purchase orders for the supplier or suppliers identified as having oil/fuel inventories below a preprogrammed level.