Fuel Dispenser Commerce

• US 20070106559A1
• Filed: 11/13/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dresser Incorporated (Nagano Keiki Company Limited)
• Inventors: Harrell, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,925,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery

Abstract

Systems and processes may provide for commerce at a fuel dispenser. In one general aspect, a system and process at a fuel dispenser may have the ability to present a user interface including data regarding at least one merchant remote from the fuel dispenser'"'"'s fueling facility and to determine if ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant has been received. If ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant has been received, the system and process may have the ability to present a user interface regarding payment data. The system and process may also have the ability to determine if payment data has been received and, if payment data has been received, generate a message regarding the ordering data for a remote merchant computer.

Claims

1. A method performed by a fuel dispenser at a fueling facility, the method comprising:

presenting a user interface comprising data regarding at least one merchant remote from the fueling facility;

determining if ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant data has been received;

if ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant data has been received, presenting a user interface regarding payment data;

determining if payment data has been received; and

if payment data has been received, generating a message regarding the ordering data for a remote merchant computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein data regarding a remote merchant comprises merchant product data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the payment data is acceptable if payment data has been received.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the payment data is acceptable comprises validating a portion of the payment data.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the payment data is acceptable comprises determining whether the transaction amount is below a predesignated amount.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a message comprising merchant data from a remote merchant computer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether to present data regarding a remote merchant.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether to present data regarding a remote merchant comprises determining whether a fueling session has reached a predesignated state.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether to present data regarding a remote merchant comprises evaluating data regarding a fueling facility customer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant data has been received comprises:

generating a user interface for obtaining ordering data regarding the remote merchant data; and

determining whether user input related to the user interface has been received.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface for presenting data regarding at least one merchant remote from the fueling facility comprises data regarding two or more merchants.

12. A fuel dispenser at a fueling facility, the fuel dispenser comprising:

a display operable to present a user interface comprising data regarding at least one merchant remote from the fueling facility and to present a user interface regarding payment data; and

a computer operable to;

determine if ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant data has been received,

if ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant has been received, facilitate the presentation of the user interface regarding payment data,

determine if payment data has been received, and

if payment data has been received, generate a message regarding the ordering data for a remote merchant computer.

13. The fuel dispenser of claim 12, wherein the computer is further operable to determine whether the payment data is acceptable if payment data has been received.

14. The fuel dispenser of claim 12, further comprising a communication interface, the communication interface operable to receive a message comprising merchant data from a remote merchant computer.

15. The fuel dispenser of claim 12, wherein the computer is further operable to determine whether to present data regarding a remote merchant.

16. The fuel dispenser of claim 15, wherein the computer is operable to evaluate data regarding a fueling facility customer to determine whether to present data regarding a remote merchant.

17. The fuel dispenser of claim 12, wherein, to determine if ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant data has been received, the computer is further operable to:

generate a user interface for obtaining ordering data regarding the remote merchant data; and

determine whether user input related to the user interface has been received.

18. A fuel dispenser at a fueling facility, the fuel dispenser comprising:

means for presenting a user interface comprising data regarding at least one merchant remote from the fueling facility;

means for determining if ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant data has been received;

means for presenting a user interface regarding payment data if ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant data has been received;

means for determining if payment data has been received; and

means for generating a message regarding the ordering data for a remote merchant computer if payment data has been received.

19. The fuel dispenser of claim 18, further comprising means for determining whether the payment data is acceptable if payment data has been received.

20. The fuel dispenser of claim 18, further comprising means for receiving a message comprising merchant data from a remote merchant computer.

21. The fuel dispenser of claim 18, wherein determining if ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant data has been received comprises:

generating a user interface for obtaining ordering data regarding the remote merchant data; and

determining whether user input related to the user interface has been received.

22. A method performed by a fuel dispenser at a fueling facility, the method comprising:

receiving merchant data from a computer of at least one merchant remote from the fueling facility;

determining whether to present data regarding a remote merchant;

if data regarding a remote merchant should be presented, presenting a user interface comprising data regarding a remote merchant;

determining if user-input regarding the remote merchant data has been received;

if user input regarding the remote merchant data has been received, generating a user interface for obtaining ordering data;

determining whether ordering data has been received;

if ordering data has been received, presenting a user interface regarding payment data;

determining if payment data has been received;

if payment data has been received, determining whether the payment data is acceptable; and

generating a message regarding the ordering data for a remote merchant computer if the payment data is acceptable.