CONDUCTING FUEL DISPENSING TRANSACTIONS

• US 20090089214A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Tang, Weiming, Weston, Timothy Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,087,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/73
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3823 combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• 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

Fuel dispensing transactions may be accomplished by a variety of systems and techniques. A fuel dispensing device may include a payment module, a data entry device, and a customer display. The payment module may receive a first communication from a point of sale device requesting an encrypted response and receive a second communication from the point of sale device requesting an unencrypted response. The module may match the first communication to a first corresponding library entry, match the second communication to a second corresponding library entry, determine a user response based on one of the first corresponding library entry or the second corresponding library entry, where the user response defines one of the encrypted response based on the first corresponding library entry or the unencrypted response based on the second corresponding library entry, and use the corresponding library entry to generate a visual customer display requesting the user response.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for conducting a fuel dispenser transaction comprising:

receiving a first communication at a payment module from a point of sale device, the first communication requesting an encrypted response;

receiving a second communication at the payment module from the point of sale device, the second communication requesting an unencrypted response;

matching the first communication to a first corresponding library entry in the payment module;

matching the second communication to a second corresponding library entry in the payment module;

determining a user response based on one of the first corresponding library entry or the second corresponding library entry, the user response defining one of the encrypted response based on the first corresponding library entry or the unencrypted response based on the second corresponding library entry;

using one of the first or the second corresponding library entry to generate a visual customer display requesting the user response; and

transmitting the user response to the point of sale device from the payment module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user response corresponds to a first input at a fuel dispenser keypad defined by a first row location and a first column location, the method further comprising translating the first input to a second input at a point of sale keypad location defined by a second row location and a second column location, the second input identical to the first input, at least one of the second row location and second column location different from the first row location and second column location.

3. The method of claim 1, the first communication comprising a first text to be displayed as the visual customer display and the second communication comprising a second text to be displayed as the visual customer display, wherein matching the first communication to a first corresponding library entry in the payment module comprises matching the first text to be displayed as the visual customer display to text in the first corresponding library entry, and matching the second communication to a second corresponding library entry in the payment module comprises matching the second text to be displayed as the visual customer display to text in the second corresponding library entry.

4. The method of claim 1, the first communication comprising a first reference code associated with text to be displayed as the visual customer display and the second communication comprising a second reference code associated with text to be displayed as the visual customer display, wherein matching the first communication to a first corresponding library entry in the payment module comprises matching the first reference code associated with text to be displayed as the visual customer display to a reference code in the first corresponding library entry, and matching the second communication to a second corresponding library entry in the payment module comprises matching the second reference code associated with text to be displayed as the visual customer display to a reference code in the second corresponding library entry.

5. Software for conducting a fuel dispensing transaction, the software comprising computer-readable instructions stored on a tangible medium, operable when executed to:

receive a first communication at a payment module from a point of sale device requesting an encrypted response;

receive a second communication at the payment module from the point of sale device requesting an unencrypted response;

match the first communication to a first corresponding library entry in the payment module;

match the second communication to a second corresponding library entry in the payment module;

determine a user response based on one of the first corresponding library entry or the second corresponding library entry, the user response defining one of the encrypted response based on the first corresponding library entry or the unencrypted response based on the second corresponding library entry;

use the corresponding library entry to generate a visual customer display requesting the user response; and

transmit the user response to the point of sale device from the payment module.

6. The software of claim 5 further operable to receive the user response at the payment module from a data entry device.

7. The software of claim 5 further operable to:

receive a third communication at the payment module from the point of sale device, the third communication defining a pass-through command; and

use the third communication to generate a visual customer display of the pass-through command.

8. The software of claim 5, wherein the encrypted response comprises at least one of the following:

a personal identification number (PIN);

a driver identification code;

a payment card number;

a payment card expiration date;

a zip code of a payment card billing address; and

a card verification code.

9. The software of claim 5, wherein the unencrypted response comprises at least one of the following:

a zip code of a payment card billing address;

an odometer value; and

a customer loyalty number.

10. The software of claim 7, wherein the pass-through command comprises at least one of the following:

an error message;

a greeting message;

an information message; and

a product solicitation.

11. The software of claim 6, wherein the data entry device comprises at least one of the following:

a keypad;

a card reader; and

a barcode scanner.

12. The software of claim 11, wherein the user response corresponds to a first input at the keypad defined by a first row location and a first column location, the software further operable to translate the first input to a second input at a point of sale keypad location defined by a second row location and a second column location, the second input identical to the first input, at least one of the second row location and second column location different from the first row location and second column location.

13. The software of claim 11 further operable to:

enable a secure mode of the keypad based on the first corresponding library entry; and

display a symbolic representation of the encrypted response during an entry of the user response in the secure mode.

14. The software of claim 5, the first communication comprising a first text to be displayed as the visual customer display and the second communication comprising a second text to be displayed as the visual customer display, the software further operable to:

match the first text to be displayed as the visual customer display to text in the first corresponding library entry; and

match the second text to be displayed as the visual customer display to text in the second corresponding library entry.

15. The software of claim 5, the first communication comprising a first reference code associated with text to be displayed as the visual customer display and the second communication comprising a second reference code associated with text to be displayed as the visual customer display, the software further operable to:

match the first reference code associated with text to be displayed as the visual customer display to a reference code in the first corresponding library entry; and

match the second reference code associated with text to be displayed as the visual customer display to a reference code in the second corresponding library entry.

16. A fuel dispensing device comprising:

a payment module adapted to;

receive a first communication from a point of sale device requesting an encrypted response;

receive a second communication from the point of sale device requesting an unencrypted response;

match the first communication to a first corresponding library entry;

match the second communication to a second corresponding library entry;

determine a user response based on one of the first corresponding library entry or the second corresponding library entry, the user response defining one of the encrypted response based on the first corresponding library entry or the unencrypted response based on the second corresponding library entry;

use the corresponding library entry to generate a visual customer display requesting the user response; and

transmit the user response to the point of sale device;

a data entry device adapted to receive the user response from a fuel dispenser customer; and

a customer display adapted to visually display at least one of the first corresponding library entry, the second corresponding library entry, and the user response to the fuel dispenser customer.

17. The fuel dispensing device of claim 16, the payment module further adapted to:

receive a third communication from the point of sale device, the third communication defining a pass-through command; and

use the third communication to generate a visual customer display of the pass-through command.

18. The fuel dispensing device of claim 16, wherein the encrypted response comprises at least one of the following:

a personal identification number (PIN);

a driver identification code;

a payment card number;

a payment card expiration date;

a zip code of a payment card billing address; and

a card verification code.

19. The fuel dispensing device of claim 16, wherein the unencrypted response comprises at least one of the following:

a zip code of a payment card billing address;

an affirmative response;

a negative response;

an odometer value; and

a customer loyalty number.

20. The fuel dispensing device of claim 17, wherein the pass-through command comprises at least one of the following:

an error message;

a greeting message;

an information message; and

a product solicitation.

21. The fuel dispensing device of claim 16, wherein the data entry device comprises at least one of the following:

a keypad;

a card reader; and

a barcode scanner.

22. The fuel dispensing device of claim 21, wherein the user response corresponds to a first input at the keypad defined by a first row location and a first column location, the payment module further adapted to translate the first input to a second input at a point of sale keypad location defined by a second row location and a second column location, the second input identical to the first input, at least one of the second row location and second column location different from the first row location and second column location.

23. The fuel dispensing device of claim 21, the payment module further adapted to enable a secure mode of the keypad based on the first corresponding library entry, the customer display adapted to display a symbolic representation of the encrypted response during an entry of the user response in the secure mode.

24. The fuel dispensing device of claim 16, the first communication comprising a first text to be displayed as the visual customer display and the second communication comprising a second text to be displayed as the visual customer display, the payment module further adapted to:

match the first text to be displayed as the visual customer display to text in the first corresponding library entry; and

match the second text to be displayed as the visual customer display to text in the second corresponding library entry.

25. The fuel dispensing device of claim 16, the first communication comprising a first reference code associated with text to be displayed as the visual customer display and the second communication comprising a second reference code associated with text to be displayed as the visual customer display, the payment module further adapted to:

match the first reference code associated with text to be displayed as the visual customer display to a reference code in the first corresponding library entry; and

match the second reference code associated with text to be displayed as the visual customer display to a reference code in the second corresponding library entry.