SMART FUEL DISPENSER FOR EFFICIENT FUEL DELIVERY

• US 20180022596A1
• Filed: 07/21/2016
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Global Technologies International Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Grice, Jonathan Keener, Parker, Emil Paul, Gurdal, Alper Sitki
• Granted Patent: US 10,138,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/04 for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/145 by wireless communication means, e.g. RF, transponders or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/302 using electrical or electro-mechanical means B67D7/307 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence

Abstract

A fuel dispenser may include a transceiver for wireless communication with a transceiver on a vehicle in order to receive vehicle information about a vehicle in response to a transceiver on the vehicle coming into a wireless communication range of the transceiver of the fuel dispenser. The vehicle information may be used to identify at least one fuel type that is suitable for the vehicle and the fuel dispenser may be prevented from dispensing a fuel type other than the at least one identified fuel type. The vehicle may also request a specific amount of fuel. A fuel transaction is complete when the amount of fuel dispensed reaches the requested amount or when an automatic shut-off mechanism is triggered.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a fuel dispenser including a fuel dispenser controller and a transceiver in electronic communication with the fuel dispenser controller, wherein the fuel dispenser controller is configured to receive information about a vehicle in response to a transceiver on the vehicle coming into a wireless communication range of the transceiver of the fuel dispenser.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transceivers communicate using a communication protocol selected from near-field communication, active radio frequency identification, passive radio frequency identification, and short range wireless.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transceiver on the fuel dispenser is a near-field communication transceiver secured to a fuel dispenser nozzle and the transceiver on the vehicle is a near-field communication transceiver secured to the vehicle behind a fuel door of the vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the fuel dispenser includes a plurality of fuel dispenser nozzles, each dispenser nozzle dispensing a different fuel type, and each dispenser nozzle securing a transceiver in electronic communication with the fuel dispenser controller and capable of establishing wireless communication with the transceiver on the vehicle.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the transceiver on each of the fuel dispenser nozzles is a near-field communication transceiver, and wherein the transceiver on the vehicle is a near-field communication transceiver.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the transceiver on the vehicle is secured behind a fuel door of the vehicle.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a fuel dispenser having a controller, information about a vehicle in response to the vehicle coming into a communication range of the controller;

using the information to identify at least one fuel type that is suitable for the vehicle; and

preventing the fuel dispenser from dispensing a fuel type other than the at least one identified fuel type.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving information about a vehicle, includes the controller receiving the information via wireless communication between a transceiver secured to the vehicle transceiver and a transceiver on the fuel dispenser.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

the fuel dispenser controller receiving a fuel amount requested by the vehicle; and

the fuel dispenser controller setting the requested fuel amount as a limit on the amount of fuel to be dispensing to the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

dispensing fuel to the vehicle until either the amount of dispensed fuel is equal to the requested amount of fuel or an automatic shut-off is triggered.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the transceivers communicate using a communication protocol selected from near-field communication, active radio frequency identification, passive radio frequency identification, and short range wireless.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein using the vehicle information to identify at least one fuel type that is suitable for the vehicle, includes searching a vehicle database to identify a suitable fuel type associated with the vehicle information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the vehicle information includes a make and model of the vehicle.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the vehicle information includes a unique vehicle identification number of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein the vehicle information includes a request for a specific type of fuel and a specific amount of fuel.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein the vehicle information includes a current use of the vehicle selected from towing, heavy cargo, and high altitude;

and

the fuel dispenser controller recommending a fuel type from among the suitable fuel types that is preferred for the current use of the vehicle.

17. The method of claim 7, wherein the vehicle is selected from an automobile, airplane, boat, and military vehicle.

18. The method of claim 7, further comprising;

the fuel dispenser controller selecting an advertisement from among multiple advertisements on the basis of one or more parameter of the vehicle information received via communication with the vehicle; and

producing the selected advertisement on one or more output device of the fuel dispenser, wherein the one or more output device is selected from a display screen, speaker, or a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more parameter of the vehicle information is selected from a make of the vehicle, a model of the vehicle, and an age of the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

the fuel dispenser controller transmitting transaction details to the vehicle via the first and second transceivers in response to completion of a fuel dispensing transaction.