FUEL DISPENSER

• US 20090048708A1
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: DeLine, Jonathan E.
• Application Number:
  US12/190,773
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048708A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/232
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/08 Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/14 responsive to input of recorded programmed information, e.g. on punched cards
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/145 by wireless communication means, e.g. RF, transponders or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/346 by reading a code
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1041 PIN input keyboard gets new key allocation at each use
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 the arrangements being full-front touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/00 Alarm indicators, e.g. bells

Abstract

A fuel dispenser comprising a housing having at least one display, a fuel dispensing apparatus mounted within the housing, the fuel dispensing apparatus having control electronics, and at least one directional speaker operatively coupled to the fuel dispensing apparatus control electronics and configured to project a directed cone of sound over a limited area proximate the fuel dispenser housing to prevent users of adjacent fuel dispensers from hearing communications projected over the at least one directional speaker.

Claims

1. A fuel dispenser comprising:

a. a housing having at least one display;

b. a fuel dispensing apparatus mounted within said housing, said fuel dispensing apparatus having control electronics;

c. at least one directional speaker operatively coupled to said fuel dispensing apparatus control electronics and configured to project a directed cone of sound over a limited area proximate said fuel dispenser housing to prevent users of adjacent fuel dispensers from hearing communications projected over said at least one directional speaker.

2. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, said fuel dispenser further comprising a detector for detecting an approximate location of a user operating said fuel dispenser.

3. The fuel dispenser of claim 2, wherein said detector is a camera.

4. The fuel dispenser of claim 2, wherein said detector comprises an infrared motion detector.

5. The fuel dispenser of claim 2, said detector comprising said at least one display, said at least one display having touch electronics, said at least one touch display being configured to detect an approximate location of said user.

6. The fuel dispenser of claim 5, said detector further comprising at least one camera.

8. The fuel dispenser of claim 2, wherein said at least one directional speaker directed cone moves in relation to movement of the user.

9. The fuel dispenser of claim 8, further comprising at least one servo motor coupled to said at least one directional speaker for moving said at least one directional speaker in correlation with movement of the user.

10. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein said at least one directional speaker is mounted in said fuel dispenser housing.

11. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein said at least one directional speaker is mounted above said fuel dispenser housing and projects said directed cone of sound toward the ground.

7. The fuel dispenser of claim 7, said detector further comprising at least one proximity sensor.

12. A fuel dispenser comprising:

a. a housing;

b. a fuel dispensing apparatus mounted within said housing, said fuel dispensing apparatus having control electronics;

c. a touch display mounted in said housing and operatively coupled to said control electronics, said touch display configured to detect the presence and general location of a user of said fuel dispenser; and

d. a directional speaker operatively coupled to said fuel dispensing apparatus control electronics and configured to project sound over a limited area proximate said fuel dispenser to prevent adjacent users from eavesdropping on audio communications projected from said dispenser directional speaker.

13. The fuel dispenser of claim 12, wherein said directional speaker is mounted on a moveable bracket that allows said speaker to move in response to movement by the user so that said limited area generally tracks the movement of the user.

14. The fuel dispenser of claim 12, wherein said directional speaker is operatively coupled to a site controller located apart from said fuel dispenser.

15. The fuel dispenser of claim 14, wherein said site controller allows an operator to direct audio messages over said directional speaker.

16. The fuel dispenser of claim 12, said fuel dispenser further comprising a detector for detecting the approximate location of a user operating said fuel dispenser.

17. The fuel dispenser of claim 16, wherein said detector is a camera.

18. The fuel dispenser of claim 16, wherein said detector comprises an infrared motion detector.

19. The fuel dispenser of claim 12, said fuel dispenser further comprising a second display.

20. The fuel dispenser of claim 12, said fuel dispenser further comprising a printer capable of printing on letter sized paper.