Methods and systems for measuring physical volume

• US 20060157142A1
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pilot Travel Centers LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Flying J Inc.
• Inventors: Peterson, Aaron R., Guillerm, Thierry J., Hillam, John D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,177,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/198
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/3209 relating to spillage or leakage, e.g. spill containments, leak detection leak detectors for underground fuel dispensing systems G01M3/2892
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer program products for determining a volume of liquid product in a manifold set of tanks. The method includes identifying a plurality of book volumes of liquid product in the manifold set of tanks. The method further includes identifying a plurality of measured physical volumes of liquid product in the manifold set of tanks, each measured physical volume being associated with one book volume of the plurality of book volumes. Following collecting the volumes, the method includes determining a variance between each measured physical volume of the plurality of measured volumes and each book volume of the plurality of book volumes, and then using those variances to generate an expected variance to each of the plurality of measured physical volumes, the combination of the expected variance and the measured physical volume being the volume of the liquid product in the manifold set of tanks.

Claims

1. A method for measuring physical volume of a liquid product in a manifold set of tanks, the method comprising:

identifying three or more volume book balances of the volume of the liquid product in the manifold set of tanks at three or more reconciliation times;

monitoring an amount of the liquid product dispensed from the manifold set of tanks;

measuring a physical volume of the liquid product in each tank of the manifold set of tanks at the three or more reconciliation times;

generating variance data indicative of a difference between the physical volume and the three or more volume book balances; and

generating data for use in determining the volume of the liquid product in the manifold set of tanks based upon a measured height of the liquid product in the manifold set of tanks.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein identifying three or more volume book balances comprises identifying an initial volume book balance and two or more addition volume book balances.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein monitoring the amount of liquid product comprises tracking the amount of product dispensed from one or more dispensers at a retail facility.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein measuring the physical volume of the liquid product at the manifold set of tanks comprises measuring a tank physical volume of the liquid product in each tank of the manifold set of tanks and aggregating the tank physical volumes to generate the physical volume of the liquid product at the manifold set of tanks.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the manifold set of tanks comprises one or more tanks in fluid communication one with another.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating variance data comprises:

identifying a first difference between a first volume book balance at a first reconciliation time and a first physical volume at the first reconciliation time;

identifying a second difference between a second volume book balance at a second reconciliation time and a second physical volume at the second reconciliation time;

identifying a third difference between a third volume book balance at a third reconciliation time and a third physical volume at the third reconciliation generating data indicative of the relationship between the first difference, the second difference, the third differences.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein generating variance data comprises:

identifying a first volume book balance at the first reconciliation time, the first reconciliation time being associated with a delivery of the liquid product to the manifold set of tanks;

identifying two or more volume book balances at two or more reconciliation times, the two or more reconciliation times occurring at times when the liquid product is only being dispensed from the manifold set of tanks; and

generating differences between the first volume book balance, the two or more volume book balances, and the physical volume at the first reconciliation time and the two or more reconciliation times.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising

identifying a plurality of volume book balances at a plurality of reconciliation times subsequent to the two or more reconciliation times;

and

generating differences between the plurality of volume book balances and the physical volume at the plurality of reconciliation times.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising identifying each reconciliation time of the plurality of reconciliation times when the liquid product is delivered to the manifold set of tanks.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising assigning the variance data with a zero value at each reconciliation time of the plurality of reconciliation times when the liquid product is delivered to the manifold set of tanks.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

calculating variance data indicative of a difference between the physical volume and the three or more additional volume book balances; and

generating an expected variance to the physical volume using the variance data.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising generating a relationship between three or more data points representative of the variance data, the data representative of the relationship being used to calibrate the manifold set of tanks.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein measuring the physical volume can occur at specific times based upon an amount of the liquid product dispensed from one or more dispensers at a retail facility.

14. A method for determining a volume of liquid product in a manifold set of tanks at a retail facility, the method comprising:

identifying a plurality of book volumes of liquid product in the manifold set of tanks between a first delivery of liquid product and a second delivery of liquid product;

identifying a plurality of measured physical volumes of liquid product in the manifold set of tanks between the first delivery of liquid product and the second delivery of liquid product, each measured physical volume of said plurality of measured physical volumes being associated with one book volume of said plurality of book volumes;

determining a variance between each measured physical volume of said plurality of measured volumes and each book volume of said plurality of book volumes;

generating, using the variance, an expected variance to each of the plurality of measured physical volumes, the combination of the expected variance and the measured physical volume being the volume of the liquid product in the manifold set of tanks.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising monitoring the amount of liquid product dispensed from one or more dispensers at the retail facility.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein identifying the plurality of measured physical volumes comprises measuring and aggregating the tank physical volumes of the liquid product in one or more tanks of the manifold set of tanks.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein determining variance data comprises:

identifying a first difference between a first volume book balance at a first reconciliation time and a first physical volume at the first reconciliation time;

identifying a second difference between a second volume book balance at a second reconciliation time and a second physical volume at the second reconciliation time;

identifying a third difference between a third volume book balance at a third reconciliation time and a third physical volume at the third reconciliation time; and

generating data indicative of the relationship between the first difference, the second difference, the third differences.

18. A computer program product for implementing a method for determining a volume of liquid product in a manifold set of tanks at a retail facility, the computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, can cause the distributed computing system to perform the:

identifying a plurality of book volumes of liquid product in the manifold set of tanks between a first delivery of liquid product and a second delivery of liquid product;

identifying a plurality of measured physical volumes of liquid product in the manifold set of tanks between the first delivery of liquid product and the second delivery of liquid product, each measured physical volume of said plurality of measured physical volumes being associated with one book volume of said plurality of book volumes;

determining a variance between each measured physical volume of said plurality of measured volumes and each book volume of said plurality of book volumes;

generating, using the variance, an expected variance to each of the plurality of measured physical volumes, the combination of the expected variance and the measured physical volume being the volume of the liquid product in the manifold set of tanks.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising monitoring the amount of liquid product dispensed from one or more dispensers at the retail facility.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein identifying the plurality of measured physical volumes comprises measuring a tank physical volume of the liquid product in each tank of the manifold set of tanks and aggregating the tank physical volumes to generate the physical volume of the liquid product at the manifold set of tanks.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the manifold set of tanks comprises one or more tanks in fluid communication one with another.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein determining variance data comprises:

identifying a first difference between a first volume book balance at a first reconciliation time and a first physical volume at the first reconciliation time;

identifying a second difference between a second volume book balance at a second reconciliation time and a second physical volume at the second reconciliation time;

identifying a third difference between a third volume book balance at a third reconciliation time and a third physical volume at the third reconciliation time; and

generating data indicative of the relationship between the first difference, the second difference, the third differences.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein determining variance data comprises:

identifying a first volume book balance at the first reconciliation time, the first reconciliation time being associated with a delivery of the liquid product to the manifold set of tanks;

identifying two or more volume book balances at two or more reconciliation times, the two or more reconciliation times occurring at times when the liquid product is only being dispensed from the manifold set of tanks; and

generating differences between the first volume book balance, the two or more volume book balances, and the physical volume at the first reconciliation time and the two or more reconciliation times.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, further comprising

identifying a plurality of volume book balances at a plurality of reconciliation times subsequent to the two or more reconciliation times;

and

generating differences between the plurality of volume book balances and the physical volume at the plurality of reconciliation times.

25. The computer program product of claim 25, further comprising identifying each reconciliation time of the plurality of reconciliation times when the liquid product is delivered to the manifold set of tanks.

26. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising assigning the variance data with a zero value at each reconciliation time of the plurality of reconciliation times when the liquid product is delivered to the manifold set of tanks.