VEHICLE TRANSACTION PROCESSING

• US 20160035013A1
• Filed: 07/30/2014
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NCR Voyix Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Plattenburg, Brian, Sirmans, Gregory James
• Granted Patent: US 10,872,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A vehicle pulls up to a fuel pump and a customer within the vehicle utilizes interfaces available within the vehicle to initiate a fuel transaction within the vehicle and to activate the fuel pump for dispensing fuel. The customer then exits the vehicle dispenses fuel and returns to the vehicle without interacting with the existing fuel pump interface and when the customer re-inserts the pump hose into a holster of the fuel pump, the fuel transaction is completed on behalf of the customer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

automatically detecting a vehicle at a facility;

facilitating an in-vehicle connection to a device at the facility by at least sending one or more automated informational messages sent to the vehicle identifying the device to the vehicle; and

transacting between the device and the vehicle over the in-vehicle connection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically detecting further includes transmitting a wireless signal to the vehicle that identifies for the vehicle the device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically detecting further includes capturing an image of a license plate for the vehicle and based on the license plate identifying the vehicle and a customer associated with the vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically detecting further includes reading a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag on the vehicle and based on the RFID tag identifying the vehicle and a customer associated with the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating further includes identifying a device identifier for an in-vehicle device associated with the in-vehicle connection and based on the device identifier identifying one or more of:

the in-vehicle device, the vehicle, and a customer associated with the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating further includes establishing the in-vehicle connection as a direct connection between the vehicle and the device at the facility.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein facilitating further includes establishing the in-vehicle connection as an indirect connection between the vehicle and the device at the facility that utilizes one or more intermediary devices during the in-vehicle connection.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transacting further includes automating a transaction between the vehicle and the device at the facility using a profile associated with a customer of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein transacting further includes identifying the device at the facility as a fuel pump and using preferences defined in the profile to automate the transaction by automatically supplying, during the transaction and on behalf of the customer, one or more of:

a fuel type, a method of payment, a loyalty account for the customer, and a reward rebate to be applied to a fuel purchase at the fuel pump.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein transacting further includes activating the fuel pump for the fuel type for dispensing into the vehicle before the customer exits the vehicle to dispense fuel.

11. A method, comprising:

automatically connecting to a fuel pump interface at a fuel station in response to at least one automated informational message being received that identifies a fuel pump having the fuel pump interface; and

interacting with the fuel pump interface within a vehicle that is proximate to the fuel pump to initiate a fuel transaction before a driver of the vehicle exits the vehicle to dispense fuel from the fuel pump into the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein automatically connecting further includes connecting to the fuel pump interface using one of:

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Bluetooth, Radio Frequency (RF), and WiFi.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein interacting further includes presenting fuel types and fuel prices received from the pump interface on a display within the vehicle for selection by the driver.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein interacting further includes presenting profile selections associated with the driver and relevant to the fuel transaction on a display within the vehicle for confirmation or changes by the driver.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein interacting further includes interacting with the driver for selections made within the vehicle and relevant to the fuel transaction.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein interacting further includes communicating the selections to the pump interface to activate the fuel pump for dispensing the fuel before the driver exits the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein interacting further includes indirectly interacting with the fuel pump interface through one or more intermediary devices.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising, completing the fuel transaction on behalf of the driver when a hose associated with the fuel pump is inserted into a holster of the fuel pump indicating the fuel transaction is to conclude.

19. A system comprising:

a fuel pump; and

an in-vehicle transaction facilitator configured and adapted to;

i) execute on one or more devices, ii) establish an in-vehicle connection between a pump interface of the fuel pump and a vehicle device of a vehicle situated at the fuel pump by at least sending one automated informational message to the vehicle device identifying the fuel pump, and iii) facilitate during the in-vehicle connection a fuel transaction between the fuel pump and the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the in-vehicle transaction facilitator is one or more of:

a cloud-based service, an on-site service situated at a fuel station having the fuel pump, an externally interfaced service interfaced to the fuel pump, and an internally integrated service of the fuel pump.