Automated fuel dispenser
First Claim
1. An automatic document controlled dispensing system with remote stations and a communication connection with a regional computer, comprising in combination:
- reading means at a remote station for reading verification data from a credit document inserted into a terminal console,verification means at the remote station coupled to said reading means and receiving therefrom the verification data from the terminal console and verifying the authenticity of an inserted credit document,means responsive to the verification of a document for setting up an authorization request message for an authenticated document,means for transmitting the authorization request message to the regional computer and for transmitting a credit authorization message or a refuse credit authorization message from the regional computer to a selected remote station, andmeans for dispensing an article selected in response to the credit authorization message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated fuel dispensing system provides semiattended operation utilizing a computerized credit authorization and billing technique by means of a direct connection to a regional credit center over communication lines. A control console for multiple pump dispensers interconnects with a local central controller for providing preliminary verification checks and generating an authorization request message for transmission to a central computer at the regional credit center. This initial verification is to identify a particular user with a credit document inserted into the control console. Following receipt of an authorization message from the central computer in response to an authorization request, a user selects one of the pump dispensers by actuating a push button at the control console; he then dispenses the amount of fuel desired. Following completion of the fuel dispensing routine, billing information is assembled in the local central controller as a message for transmission to the regional computer for credit billing to a particular account number. In addition to credit documents, the control console accepts currency and cash cards having a pre-established value for control of the dispensing of fuel up to the limit of the currency value or cash card value.
107 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An automatic document controlled dispensing system with remote stations and a communication connection with a regional computer, comprising in combination:
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reading means at a remote station for reading verification data from a credit document inserted into a terminal console, verification means at the remote station coupled to said reading means and receiving therefrom the verification data from the terminal console and verifying the authenticity of an inserted credit document, means responsive to the verification of a document for setting up an authorization request message for an authenticated document, means for transmitting the authorization request message to the regional computer and for transmitting a credit authorization message or a refuse credit authorization message from the regional computer to a selected remote station, and means for dispensing an article selected in response to the credit authorization message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An automatic document controlled dispensing system with remote stations and a communication connection with a regional computer, comprising in combination:
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reading means at a remote station for reading verification data from a credit document inserted into a terminal console, verification means at the remote station coupled to said reading means and receiving therefrom the verification data from the terminal console and verifying the authenticity of an inserted credit document, means responsive to the verification of a document for setting up an authorization request message for an authenticated document, means for transmitting the authorization request message to the regional computer and transmitting a credit authorization message or a refuse credit authorization message from the regional computer to a selected remote station, means for dispensing an article selected in response to the credit authorization message, and means for printing a receipt at the terminal console identifying the value of a dispensed article. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An automatic document controlled dispensing system with remote stations and a communication connection with a regional computer, comprising in combination:
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reading means at a remote station for reading verification data from a credit document inserted into a terminal console, verification means at the remote station coupled to said reading means and receiving therefrom the verification data from the terminal console and verifying the authenticity of an inserted credit document, means responsive to the verification of a document for setting up an authorization request message for an authenticated document, means for transmitting the authorization request message to the regional computer and transmitting a credit authorization message from the regional computer to a selected remote station, means for dispensing an article selected in response to the credit authorization message, means at the terminal console for receiving currency and generating a currency closure signal, and means responsive to the current closure signal to generate a currency total signal and actuate said means for dispensing. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. An automatic document controlled dispensing system with remote stations and a communication connection with a regional computer, comprising in combination:
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reading means at a remote station for reading verification data from a credit document inserted into a terminal console, verification means at the remote station coupled to said reading means and receiving therefrom the verification data from the terminal console and verifying the authenticity of an inserted credit document, means responsive to the verification of a document for setting up an authorization request message for an authenticated document, means for transmitting the authorization request message to the regional computer and transmitting a credit authorization message from the regional computer to a selected remote station, means for dispensing an article selected in response to the credit authorization message, means for receiving a fixed value credit document and generating a value signal therefor, and means responsive to the value signal to actuate said means for dispensing. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. An automatic credit card controlled fuel dispensing system with remote stations and a communication connection with a regional computer, comprising in combination:
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a card reader at terminal console for a remote station, the card reader responsive to verification data on a credit card and providing a verification data signal, verification means at the remote station coupled to said card reader and receiving therefrom the verification data signal from the terminal console and verifying the authenticity of an inserted credit card, means responsive to the verification of a credit card for setting up an authorization request message for an authenticated credit card, means for transmitting the authorization message to the regional computer and transmitting a credit authorization message from the regional computer to a selected remote station, a plurality of fuel dispensing terminals connected in sets to one terminal console at a remote station and controlled therefrom, and means at said terminal console for selecting one of the fuel dispensing terminals for dispensing of a quantity of fuel in response to a credit authorization message. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. In an automatic document controlled dispensing system with remote stations and a communication connection with a regional computer, the method comprising the steps of:
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verifying the authenticity of a credit document inserted into said system at a terminal console, setting up an authorization request message for transmission to the regional computer in response to the verification of a credit document, transmitting the authorization request message to the regional computer upon a verification of the authenticity of the inserted credit document, transmitting a credit authorization message or a refuse credit message from the regional computer to a selected remote station in response to an authorization request message, monitoring the value of a selected article dispensed from the system in response to a credit authorization message and generating a monitored value message, and transmitting the monitored value message to the regional computer for recording therein. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. In an automatic document controlled dispensing system with remote stations and a communication connection with a regional computer, the method comprising the steps of:
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reading coded data from the presented document, comparing the coded data with a verification code inserted and stored in a terminal console for verification of the authenticity of the presented document, transmitting an authorization request message to the regional computer upon a verification of the authenticity of the read presented document, transmitting a credit authorization message or a refuse credit message from the regional computer to a selected remote station in response to an authorization request message, selecting an article to be dispensed from the system in response to a credit authorization message, and generating a dispensed article value message for transmission to the regional computer for recordal therein. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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28. In an automatic document controlled dispensing system with remote stations and a communication connection with a regional computer, the method comprising the steps of:
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verifying the authenticity of a credit document inserted into said system at a terminal console, transmitting an authorization request message to the regional computer upon a verification of the authenticity of the inserted credit document, transmitting a credit authorization message or a refuse credit message from the regional computer to a selected remote station in response to an authorization request message, selecting an article to be dispensed from the system in response to a credit authorization message, and generating the receipt at the terminal console identifying the value of an article selected and dispensed. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. In an automatic credit card controlled fuel dispensing system with remote stations and a communication connection with a regional computer, the method comprising the steps of:
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reading coded data from a credit card presented to a terminal console at a remote station, verifying the authenticity of the credit card inserted into said system at the terminal console from the read coded data, setting up an authorization request message for transmission to the regional computer in response to an authenticated credit card, transmitting the authorization request message to the regional computer, transmitting a credit authorization message from the regional computer to a selected terminal console, selecting a fuel dispenser from one of a plurality of said dispensers connected in sets to one terminal console at a remote station and controlled therefrom, and actuating a fuel dispenser in response to a selection signal to thereby allow the dispensing of fuel. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification