FUEL DELIVERY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

• US 20140096057A1
• Filed: 09/28/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Franklin Fueling Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Franklin Fueling Systems Incorporated (EBW, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boucher, Randall S., Marston, Daniel H., Knapp, Andrew P., Nees, Jason A., Stetson, Barrett L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,352,951 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/771
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0442 interface for orders and payments
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/02 for transferring liquids other than fuel or lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/04 for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/06 Details or accessories
• 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: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/14 Digital output to display device ; Cooperation and interconnection of the display device with other functional units

Abstract

A console for a fuel delivery management system, including a processor, a touch-sensitive display, a plurality of ports configured to facilitate communications with a plurality of lines, tanks, containments, sensors and pumps, and a memory including a plurality of instructions which when executed by the processor cause the console to generate a home screen on the display, the home screen having a quick jump menu icon which when activated by a user, causes the processor to generate a navigation window on the home screen, the navigation window including a plurality of function icons, each corresponding to a function screen, wherein activation of one of the plurality of function icons causes the processor to generate a function screen including a graphic indication of a parameter of one of the plurality of lines, tanks, containments, sensors and pumps.

Claims

1. A fuel delivery management system, including:

a console having a processor, a touch-sensitive display, a plurality of ports configured to facilitate communications with a plurality of lines, tanks, containments, sensors and pumps, and a memory including a plurality of instructions which when executed by the processor cause the console to generate a home screen on the display, the home screen having a quick jump menu icon which when activated by a user, causes the processor to generate a navigation window on the home screen, the navigation window including a first plurality of function icons which is a subset of a plurality of system function icons, each corresponding to a function screen.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the navigation window further includes a left icon and a right icon, which when activated by the user cause the processor to populate the navigation window with a second plurality of function icons that is different from the first plurality of function icons.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of system function icons includes a tanks function icon, which when activated by the user causes the processor to display a tank function screen on the display, the tank function screen including a tank icon which provides a graphic depiction of a level of product contained in a corresponding tank.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the tank function screen further includes a numeric indicator associated with the tank icon which provides numeric information about the level of product contained in the corresponding tank.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein the tank icon further includes a manifold icon which provides an indication of a manifold connected to the corresponding tank.

6. The system of claim 3 wherein activation of the tank icon causes the processor to display a tank detail screen on the display, the tank detail screen including a detailed tank icon which provides a graphic depiction of the level of product contained in the corresponding tank, a first upper hash mark indicating a high fill alarm limit for the corresponding tank, a first lower hash mark indicating a low fill alarm limit for the tank, and a plurality of tabs, activation of which cause the processor to populate a content field of the tank detail screen with further information relating to the corresponding tank.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the detailed tank icon further includes a second upper hash mark indicating a high, high fill alarm limit for the corresponding tank, and a second lower hash mark indicating a low, low fill alarm limit for the corresponding tank.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the tank function screen and the tank detail screen each include the quick jump menu icon.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of system function icons includes a lines function icon, which when activated by the user causes the processor to display a line function screen on the display, the line function screen including a line icon which provides a graphic depiction of a pressure of fluid in a corresponding line.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the line function screen further includes a numeric indicator associated with the line icon which provides numeric information about the pressure of fluid in the corresponding line.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein activation of the line icon causes the processor to display a line detail screen on the display, the line detail screen including a detailed line icon which provides a graphic depiction of the pressure of fluid product in the corresponding line, and a control button, activation of which causes the processor to display a line control screen on the display, the line control screen including at least one test button, activation of which causes the console to perform a leak test on the corresponding line.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the line function screen and the line detail screen each include the quick jump menu icon.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of system function icons includes a sensors function icon, which when activated by the user causes the processor to display a sensor function screen on the display, the sensor function screen including a sensor icon which provides a graphic depiction of a status of a corresponding sensor.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the sensor function screen further includes the quick jump menu icon.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of system function icons includes a pumps function icon, which when activated by the user causes the processor to display a pump function screen on the display, the pump function screen including a pump icon which provides an indication of whether a corresponding pump is active or idle.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein activation of the pump icon causes the processor to display a pump detail screen on the display, the pump detail screen including a detailed pump icon which provides an indication of whether the corresponding pump is active or idle, a content field which provides further information relating to the corresponding pump, and a control button, activation of which causes the processor to display a pump control screen on the display, the pump control screen including a reset button for resetting the pump.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the pump function screen and the pump detail screen each include the quick jump menu icon.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the home screen further includes a status window which includes system status information and is displayed in one of a plurality of different ways, each corresponding to a different system status.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the status window may be activated by a user thereby causing the processor to display an alarm screen including a hint field that provides information about an active alarm and recommendations for addressing the alarm.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the home screen further includes a plurality of one-touch buttons, each one-touch button corresponding to a different user-selected function of the console and being programmable via a utilities function icon which is accessible using the navigation window.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the location of each one-touch button on the home screen is defined by the user.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein the home screen and each function screen corresponding to the plurality of system function icons includes a help button, activation of which from a currently active screen causes the processor to display a help screen on the display including information corresponding to the currently active screen.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the help screen further includes an index selection button, activation of which causes the processor to display a list of available help screens on the display.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the help screen further includes a plurality of links to other help screens having content that is related to the help screen.

25. A method for controlling a fuel delivery management system, including the steps of:

providing a console having a touch-sensitive display that generates screens in response to activation of icons on the display;

generating a home screen on the console, the home screen including a quick jump menu icon, activation of which results in generation of a navigation window including a plurality of function icons;

generating a function screen in response to activation of one of the plurality of function icons, the function screen including the quick jump menu icon and a system component icon corresponding to one of a line, tank, containment, sensor and pump in communication with the console;

generating a detail function screen in response to activation of the system component icon, the detail function screen including the quick jump menu icon and a detailed system component icon corresponding to the one of the line, tank, containment, sensor and pump corresponding to the system component icon; and

generating the navigation window on the display in response to activation of the quick jump menu icon displayed on one of the function screen and the detail function screen.

26. The method of claim 25 further including the step of displaying a status window on each of the home screen, the function screen and the detailed function screen, the status window including status information and being displayed in a first color when no system alarm condition is present and a second color that is different from the first color when a system alarm condition is present.

27. The method of claim 26 further including the step of cycling the status information in the status window to sequentially identify alarm conditions when more than one alarm condition exists simultaneously.

28. The method of claim 25 further including the step of displaying an alarm popup window on each of the home screen, the function screen and the detailed function screen when an alarm condition occurs, the alarm popup window including a details button that permits the user to view alarm information.

29. The method of claim 25 further including the step of displaying a plurality of one-touch buttons on the home screen, each one-touch button corresponding to a different user-selected function of the console and being programmable using one of the plurality of function icons of the navigation window.

30. The method of claim 25 further including the steps of displaying a help button on each of the home screen, the function screen and the detailed function screen, and displaying a help screen in response to activation of the help button, the help screen including information corresponding to the home screen, the function screen or the detailed function screen, depending upon which screen was active when the help button was activated.

31. A console for a fuel delivery management system, including:

a processor;

a touch-sensitive display;

a plurality of ports configured to facilitate communications with a plurality of lines, tanks, containments, sensors and pumps; and

a memory including a plurality of instructions which when executed by the processor cause the console to generate a home screen on the display, the home screen having a quick jump menu icon which when activated by a user, causes the processor to generate a navigation window on the home screen, the navigation window including a plurality of function icons, each corresponding to a function screen;

wherein activation of one of the plurality of function icons causes the processor to generate a function screen including a graphic indication of a parameter of one of the plurality of lines, tanks, containments, sensors and pumps.

32. The console of claim 31 wherein the plurality of instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to generate a FAST icon, activation of which causes the processor to verify that the correct lines, tanks, containments, sensors and pumps are connected for communications with the console in a factory programmed configuration.