FUEL DISPENSER

• US 20090048711A1
• 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:
  US12/190,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048711A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/237
• 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 method of operating a fuel dispenser comprising receiving an input signal to activate the fuel dispenser, detecting vehicle specific information regarding at least one of a required fuel grade, a capacity of the vehicle fuel tank, volume of fuel necessary to fill the vehicle fuel tank and data necessary to identify a user and authorize a transaction and pumping a volume of fuel equal to or less than the volume of fuel necessary to fill the vehicle tank.

Claims

1. A method of operating a fuel dispenser comprising:

a. receiving an input signal to activate the fuel dispenser;

b. detecting vehicle specific information regarding at least one of a required fuel grade, a capacity of the vehicle fuel tank, volume of fuel necessary to fill the vehicle fuel tank and data necessary to identify a user and authorize a transaction; and

c. pumping a volume of fuel equal to or less than the volume of fuel necessary to fill the vehicle tank.

2. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a fuel dispenser having:

a. a housing;

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

c. at least one touch display mounted in said housing and operatively coupled to said control electronics, said touch display being configured to allow a user to make selections for conducting a transaction; and

d. a nozzle operatively coupled to said fuel dispensing apparatus.

3. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 1, further comprising the step of requesting additional information to verify the identity of the user.

4. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving additional information from the vehicle as fuel is pumped to verify the remaining volume of fuel to be pumped to complete the transaction.

5. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring information transmitted by the vehicle during the fueling operation to complete the fueling transaction.

6. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 2, wherein a detector mounted in a fuel dispensing nozzle receives the vehicle specific information and transmits the information to control electronics within said dispenser.

7. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 2, said nozzle further comprising a detector for measuring the volume of fuel in the vehicle fuel tank.

8. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 7, wherein said fuel dispensing apparatus control electronics is configured to receive signals from said nozzle and use said signals to determine when to stop the pumping transaction.

9. A fuel dispenser comprising:

a. a housing;

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

c. at least one touch display mounted in said housing and operatively coupled to said control electronics, said touch display being configured to allow a user to make selections for conducting a transaction;

d. a nozzle operatively coupled to said fuel dispensing apparatus, and

e. a first detector operatively coupled to said fuel dispensing apparatus control electronics,

wherein

said first detector is configured to receive information from a vehicle to be fueled,

said information received from the vehicle is at least one of a required fuel grade, a capacity of the vehicle fuel tank, a volume of fuel necessary to fill the vehicle tank, and data necessary to identify a user and authorize a transaction, and

the fuel dispensed through said nozzle conforms to the information received from the vehicle.

10. The fuel dispenser of claim 9, wherein said first detector is mounted in said nozzle.

11. The fuel dispenser of claim 9, wherein said first detector is mounted in said housing.

12. The fuel dispenser of claim 9, wherein said first detector is a barcode reader.

13. The fuel dispenser of claim 9, wherein said first detector is a radio frequency identification reader.

14. The fuel dispenser of claim 9, further comprising a second detector configured to detect the amount of fuel necessary to fill the vehicle fuel tank while fuel is being pumped into the vehicle fuel tank.

15. A method of operating a fuel dispenser comprising:

a. providing a fuel dispenser having;

i. a housing,

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

iii. at least one touch display mounted in said housing and operatively coupled to said fuel dispensing apparatus control electronics, said at least one touch display being configured to allow a user to make selections for conducting a transaction,

iv. a nozzle operatively coupled to said fuel dispensing apparatus, and

v. a first detector configured to receive information from a vehicle to be fueled;

a. detecting the presence of a user;

b. activating said fuel dispenser at least one touch display in anticipation of conducting a fueling transaction;

c. detecting vehicle specific information regarding at least one of a required fuel grade, a capacity of the vehicle fuel tank, volume of fuel necessary to fill the vehicle tank, and data necessary to identify a user and authorize a transaction; and

d. monitoring output data received by said first detector from the vehicle to determine when to stop the fueling transaction.

16. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 15, wherein said output data is a real-time fuel level in the vehicle fuel tank during the fueling transaction.

17. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 16, further comprising the step of calculating the volume of fuel necessary to fill the vehicle tank.

18. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 15 wherein the step of detecting vehicle specific information further comprises the step of wirelessly receiving the vehicle specific information transmitted by the vehicle.

19. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 15, wherein the step of detecting vehicle specific information further comprises the step of receiving the vehicle specific information by reading a barcode coupled to the vehicle.