Method and System for Managing and Monitoring Fuel Transactions

• US 20150042810A1
• Filed: 10/27/2014
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epona LLC
• Original Assignee: Epona LLC
• Inventors: Betancourt, Ernest Blas
• Granted Patent: US 9,600,847 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/150
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

Fueling transactions (and other types of transactions) may be verified for legitimacy and validity by recording audio, video and/or images of the transaction as it occurs. The recordings may then be indexed according to one or more transaction parameters such as a driver identifier, a vehicle or transportation unit identifier, an invoice number, a fueling station and the like. A carrier associated with a driver and/or vehicle or other transportation unit may specify which transactions are to be recorded. Accordingly, the fueling station may automatically determine whether to record a transaction upon receiving a transaction initiation request. Transaction recordings may be made based on transaction recordation parameters defined by a carrier and stored and indexed based on transaction storing parameters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a fueling station system at a fueling station, a triggering event corresponding to a transaction including fueling of a transportation unit;

in a case where the triggering event is detected;

determining, by the fueling station system, a carrier associated with the transportation unit;

determining whether at least one of;

video, audio and image recording of the transaction is desired, wherein the determination is made based on the determined carrier;

in response to determining that the at least one of;

video, audio and image recording of the transaction is desired, initiating automatic recording of the transaction by the fueling station system; and

storing and indexing the at least one of;

video, audio and image recording according to one or more transaction attributes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether at least one of:

video, audio and image recording of the transaction is desired includes;

notifying a carrier information system of the transaction, the carrier information system corresponding to the carrier associated with the transportation unit; and

receiving, from the carrier information system, an indication as to whether at least one of;

video, audio and image recording of the transaction is desired.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication received from the carrier information system includes transaction recording parameters including a type of recording desired.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein storing and indexing the at least one of:

video, audio and image recording includes transmitting the at least one of;

video, audio and image recording to at least one of;

the carrier and a recording database through a communication network, wherein the recording database is different from the carrier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the at least one of:

video, audio and image recording of the transaction is desired includes determining transaction recording parameters including a number of perspectives to record.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the at least one of:

video, audio and image recording of the transaction is desired includes determining transaction recording parameters including a number of frames per second to be recorded in a video.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the at least one of:

video, audio and image recording of the transaction is desired includes comparing the one or more transaction attributes with one or more parameters of a recordation rule specified by the carrier.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more parameters of the recordation rule includes a time range.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more parameters of the recordation rule includes at least one of:

a driver identifier and a transportation unit identifier.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein indexing the at least one of:

video, audio and image recording includes indexing according to one or more of;

a fuel dispenser and a point of sale system through which the transaction is performed.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the triggering event comprises detecting entry of a device into a sensor range of a fuel dispenser.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the device comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and wherein the fuel dispenser includes a short range sensor configured to detect RFID tags.

13. A method comprising:

receiving, by a carrier information system, notification of a transaction initiation request for a fueling transaction associated with a transportation unit, wherein the notification is received from a fueling station system;

in a case where the notification of the transaction initiation request is received, determining, by the carrier information system, whether to record the fueling transaction corresponding to the transaction initiation; and

in response to determining to record the fueling transaction;

determining one or more transaction recording parameters; and

transmitting a request to initiate recording of the transaction to the fueling station system, the request including the one or more recording parameters.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more recording parameters includes a type of recording to make.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more recording parameters includes a number of perspectives to record.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the request to record the transaction further comprises one or more indexing parameters defining a manner in which a transaction recording is to be indexed.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein in response to determining not to record the transaction, notifying the fueling station system that recording of the transaction is not desired.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein determining, by the carrier information system, whether to record a fueling transaction corresponding to the transaction initiation request includes:

determining one or more attributes of the fueling transaction from the notification of the transaction initiation request; and

determining one or more recordation rules matching the one or more attributes of the fueling transaction, wherein determining whether to record the fueling transaction includes determining whether the one or more attributes of the transaction satisfies the one or more recordation rules.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more recordation rules specifies a range of times during which recordings are desired.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to;

detect, at a fueling station, a triggering event corresponding to a transaction including fueling of a transportation unit;

in a case where the triggering event is detected;

determine a carrier associated with the transportation unit;

determine whether at least one of;

video, audio and image recording of the transaction is desired, wherein the determination is made based on the determined carrier;

in response to determining that the at least one of;

video, audio and image recording of the transaction is desired, initiate automatic recording of the transaction at the fueling station; and

index the at least one of;

video, audio and image recording according to one or more transaction attributes.