Fueling Facility Communication

• US 20090129403A1
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Published: 05/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dresser Incorporated (Nagano Keiki Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tier One, Inc.
• Inventors: Tooley, Thomas P., Harrell, Daniel C.
• Application Number:
  US11/943,384
• Publication Number:
  US 20090129403A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/467
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/02 by volume

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices may provide for communications at a fueling facility. In one general aspect, a system, device, or technique for a fuel dispenser may include the ability to receive a signal including information in a first communication protocol and information in a second communication protocol, separate the signal into the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol, and process the signals in the first and second communication protocols.

Claims

1. A fuel dispenser, comprising:

a management module for controlling the functions of the fuel dispenser;

a multiplexing device coupled to the management module, the multiplexing device adapted to;

receive a composite signal comprising a first set of information in a first communication protocol and a second set of information in a second communication protocol;

demultiplex the composite signal into the first and the second set of information; and

transmit the first and the second set of information to the management module;

a device manager coupled to the management module, the device manager adapted to;

receive commands generated by the management module in response to the first and second sets of information;

translate at least one of the commands into a first operational command for a first fuel dispenser component, the first operational command formatted according to a third communication protocol;

translate at least one of the commands into a second operational command for a second fuel dispenser component, the second operational command formatted according to a fourth communication protocol;

the first fuel dispenser component coupled to the device manager, the first fuel dispenser component adapted to receive and perform the first operational command; and

the second fuel dispenser component coupled to the device manager, the second fuel dispenser component adapted to receive and perform the second operational command.

2. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first communication protocol is RS-485 and the second communication protocol is Ethernet.

3. The fuel dispenser of claim 2, wherein the third communication protocol is RS-485 and the fourth communication protocol is Ethernet.

4. The fuel dispenser of claim 2, wherein the third communication protocol is not RS-485 and the fourth communication protocol is not Ethernet.

5. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the multiplexing device uses frequency-division multiplexing.

6. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the composite signal is received over a twisted pair of wires.

7. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the first fuel dispenser component is a card reader and the second fuel dispenser component is a display.

8. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the multiplexing device is further adapted to receive a composite signal comprising information in more than two communication protocols.

9. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein the management module comprises a point-of-sale module for providing point-of-sale operations at the fuel dispenser.

10. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, the device manager further adapted to receive commands generated by the management module based upon content and instructions stored in a memory associated with the management module.

11. A communication method for a fuel dispenser comprising:

receiving a composite signal comprising information in a first communication protocol and information in a second communication protocol;

separating the composite signal into the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol; and

processing the separated first and second communication protocol signals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein processing the first and second communication protocols comprises sending the separated first and second communication protocol to a management module.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein processing the first and second communication protocols further comprises:

generating operational commands by the management module in response to the information in the first and second communication protocols;

sending the operational commands to the device manager for translation of at least one of the commands into a third communication protocol compatible with a first fuel dispenser component and at least one of the commands into a fourth communication protocol compatible with a second fuel dispenser component.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first fuel dispenser component is a card reader.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second fuel dispenser component is a display.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first communication protocol is RS-485 and the second communication protocol is Ethernet.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the composite signal comprising information in the first communication protocol and information in the second communication protocol is a multiplexed signal generated using frequency-division multiplexing.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein separating the composite signal comprises demultiplexing the signal into the first and second communication protocols.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the composite signal is received across a twisted pair of wires.

20. A communication method for a fueling facility, comprising:

generating a first set of information in a first communication protocol and a second set of information in a second communication protocol at a facility manager;

combining the first set of information and the second set of information into a combined signal at the facility manager;

transmitting the combined signal from the facility manager to a fuel dispenser;

receiving the combined signal at the fuel dispenser;

separating the combined signal into the first set of information in the first communication protocol and the second set of information in the second communication protocol; and

processing the first and second set of information at the fuel dispenser.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first communication protocol is RS-485 and the second communication protocol is Ethernet.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein combining the first and second set of information comprises multiplexing the first and second set of information into a combined signal.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein separating the first and second set of information comprises demultiplexing the combined signal into the first and second set of information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the combined signal is multiplexed using frequency-division multiplexing.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the combined signal is transmitted from the facility manager to the fuel dispenser across a twisted pair of wires.