Automatic product-dispensing system
First Claim
1. A document-controlled automatic dispensing system for controlling the dispensing of products from a plurality of dispensers, including in combination:
- document reading means for reading data from a document inserted therein to control the dispensing system;
means for selecting a particular one of said plurality of dispensers from which products are to be dispensed in response to insertion of a document in said reading means;
validity check means coupled with said reading means for verifying the validity of documents inserted therein and further coupled with said dispensers for enabling said dispensers for the dispensing of products therefrom in response to a predetermined output from said validity check means indicative of a valid document;
first storing means uniquely associated with each of said plurality of dispensers and enabled by said selecting means for temporarily storing identifying data from a document inserted in said document reading means;
second storing means uniquely associated with each of said plurality of dispensers for temporarily storing data representative of the quantity of product dispensed therefrom;
switch means for each dispenser operated upon termination of the dispensing of product therefrom;
transaction recording means; and
data transfer means coupled with said first and second data storing means and with said switch means and responsive to operation of said switch means for transferring said temporarily stored data from said first and second data storing means to said transaction recording means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic fuel-dispensing system for dispensing fuel at unattended fueling sites includes a number of fuel pumps capable of dispensing different types of fuel. A common control console is used to control the operation of the fuel pumps and to record the data relative to the customer identification, site location and quantity of fuel used. The control console includes a card reader, and a customer inserts a card which uniquely identifies him into the reader, enters an odometer reading, and selects a pushbutton for the fuel pump from which he desires to obtain fuel. If a validity check of the card against preset validity check data fails, a red invalid panel indicator illuminates on the control console; and no product can be withdrawn from the selected dispenser. If the inserted card passes the validity checks, the odometer reading and customer identification data is stored in a RAM memory uniquely associated with the selected dispenser. The card then may be removed from the reader which is then ready for the next fueling operation for another customer, even though fuel in the meantime is being withdrawn from the first-selected dispenser. Upon completion of fueling, the customer hangs up the dispensing hose to turn off the pump, and the control console is signaled to indicate fueling is completed. The customer identification, quantity of product withdrawn, identity of product, and other optional output data then is automatically transferred under control of the control console to a teletypewriter or output interface for further processing. A single card reader and control console may simultaneously control the dispensing of fuel from all of the pumps which are controlled by it, and each of the transaction records are separately transferred to the output teleprinter or interface automatically without interference.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. A document-controlled automatic dispensing system for controlling the dispensing of products from a plurality of dispensers, including in combination:
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document reading means for reading data from a document inserted therein to control the dispensing system; means for selecting a particular one of said plurality of dispensers from which products are to be dispensed in response to insertion of a document in said reading means; validity check means coupled with said reading means for verifying the validity of documents inserted therein and further coupled with said dispensers for enabling said dispensers for the dispensing of products therefrom in response to a predetermined output from said validity check means indicative of a valid document; first storing means uniquely associated with each of said plurality of dispensers and enabled by said selecting means for temporarily storing identifying data from a document inserted in said document reading means; second storing means uniquely associated with each of said plurality of dispensers for temporarily storing data representative of the quantity of product dispensed therefrom; switch means for each dispenser operated upon termination of the dispensing of product therefrom; transaction recording means; and data transfer means coupled with said first and second data storing means and with said switch means and responsive to operation of said switch means for transferring said temporarily stored data from said first and second data storing means to said transaction recording means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification