Fuel delivery control system

• US 4,250,550 A
• Filed: 03/09/1979
• Issued: 02/10/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Veeder Industries Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Veeder Industries Incorporated (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Fleischer, Donald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wise, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US06/018,992
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 364/465, 364/710, 222/14-23, 222/25, 222/26, 222/28, 222/32-36
• US Class Current: 705/413
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/14 responsive to input of recorded programmed information, e.g. on punched cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A gasoline station with self-service and attendant-operated fuel dispensing areas and a fuel delivery control system with a central control station for activating each self-service dispenser and registering the amount of fuel delivered thereby, an auxiliary control station at the attendant-operated area for remote attendant activation of each self-service dispenser and voice annunciator means for voice annunciation of the cost amount of each completed self-service delivery for facilitating attendant collection of payment.

Claims

1. In a hybrid fuel delivery system having separate self-service and attendant-operated fuel delivery areas with a plurality of separate self-service and attendant-operated fuel delivery dispensers respectively and a fuel delivery control system having a first central station control system electrically connected to each self-service dispenser and comprising register means selectively operable for registering the amount of a completed fuel delivery by each self-service dispenser and first control means with a first set of manually operable switches and selectively manually operable thereby to selectively activate each self-service dispenser for self-service delivery of fuel and selectively operate the register means to register the amount of a completed fuel delivery by each self-service dispenser, the improvement wherein the fuel delivery control system further comprises a second remote station control system having remote sound annunciator means selectively operable for audibly annunciating the amount of a completed fuel delivery at the separate self-service and attendant-operated areas and second control means electrically connected to the central station control means and having a second remote set of manually operable switches and selectively manually operable thereby to selectively remotely operate the central station control means, in place of said first set of switches, to selectively activate each self-service dispenser for self-service delivery of fuel, the remote station control means being operable by the central station control means after completion of a fuel delivery by each self-service fuel dispenser to operate the sound annunciator means to audibly annunciate the amount of the respective completed fuel delivery at the self-service and attendant-operated areas.

2. A hybrid fuel delivery system according to claim 1 wherein the sound annunciator means comprises speaker means and voice synthesizer means connected for operating the loudspeaker means to audibly annunciate the amount of a completed fuel delivery in linguistic form.

3. A hybrid fuel delivery system according to claim 2 wherein the speaker means comprises separate speakers adjacent the separate self-service and attendant-operated fuel delivery areas respectively.

4. In a fuel delivery control system for a fuel delivery system having a vehicle self-service fueling area with a plurality of self-service fuel delivery dispensers for self-service delivery of fuel by a plurality of self-service customers, the fuel delivery control system having a central station control system adapted to be electrically connected to each self-service dispenser and comprising register means selectively operable for registering the amount of a completed fuel delivery by each self-service dispenser and first control means with a first set of manually operable switches manually operable thereby to selectively activate each self-service dispenser for self-service delivery of fuel and selectively operate the register means to register the amount of a completed fuel delivery by each self-service dispenser, the improvement wherein the fuel delivery control system further comprises a second remote station control system having remote sound annunciator means selectively operable for audibly annunciating in linguistic form the amount of a completed fuel delivery and second control means connected to the central station control means and having a second remote set of manually operable switches and selectively manually operable thereby to selectively remotely operate the central station control means, in place of said first set of switches, to selectively activate each self-service dispenser for self-service delivery of fuel, the remote station control means being operable by the central station control means after the completion of a fuel delivery by each self-service fuel dispenser to operate the sound annunciator means to audibly annunciate the amount of the respective completed fuel delivery in linguistic form.

5. A fuel delivery control system according to claim 4 wherein the sound annunciator means comprises speaker means and voice synthesizer means connected for operating the speaker means to audibly annunciate in linguistic form the amount of a completed fuel delivery and the identification of the respective self-service dispenser.

6. In a hybrid fuel delivery system having separate self-service and attendant-operated fuel delivery areas with a plurality of separate self-service and attendant-operated fuel delivery dispensers respectively and a fuel delivery control system having a self-service control system electrically connected to each self-service dispenser and comprising annunciator means operable for annunciating the amount of a completed fuel delivery by each self-service dispenser and control means for operating the annunciator means and having a set of manually operable switches and selectively manually operable thereby to selectively activate each self-service dispenser for self-service delivery of fuel, the improvement wherein the annunciator means comprises sound annunciator means operable for audibly annunciating in linguistic form the amount of a completed fuel delivery and the identification thereof by identification of the corresponding dispenser and wherein the control means is automatically operable after the completion of a fuel delivery by each self-service fuel dispenser to operate the sound annunciator means to audibly annunciate in linguistic form the amount and identification of the respective completed fuel delivery.

7. In a fuel delivery control system for a fuel delivery system having a vehicle self-service area with a plurality of self-service fuel delivery dispensers for self-service delivery of fuel by a plurality of self-service customers, the fuel delivery control system having a self-service control system electrically connected to each self-service dispenser and comprising annunciator means operable for annunciating the amount of a completed fuel delivery by each self-service dispenser and control means with a set of manually operable switches and selectively manually operable thereby to selectively activate each self-service dispenser for self-service delivery of fuel and for operating the annunciator means to annunciate the amount of a completed fuel delivery by each self-service dispenser, the improvement wherein the annunciator means comprises sound annunciator means operable for audibly annunciating in linguistic form the amount of a completed fuel delivery and wherein the control means is automatically operable after the completion of a fuel delivery by each self-service fuel dispenser to operate the sound annunciator means to audibly annunciate in linguistic form the amount of the respective completed fuel delivery, the sound annunciator means comprising speaker means and voice synthesizer means connected to the speaker means for said annunciation of the amount of a completed fuel delivery.

8. A fuel delivery control system according to claim 7 wherein the speaker means comprises at least one speaker at the vehicle self-service area for said audible annunciation to self-service customers.

9. A fuel delivery control system according to claim 7 or 8 wherein the speaker means comprises at least one speaker remote from the vehicle self-service area for said audible annunciation at a remote station for assisting attendant collection of payment for the self-service delivery.

10. A fuel delivery control system according to claim 7 or 8 wherein the annunciator means is operable by the control means for sound annunciation of the status of the fuel delivery system.

11. A fuel delivery control system according to claim 10 wherein the annunciator means is operable by the control means for sound annunciation of said status with a steady audible tone.

12. A fuel delivery control system according to claim 7 or 8 wherein each self-service dispenser is operable by a self-service customer to request a self-service delivery and wherein the annunciator means is operable by the control means to audibly annunciate in linguistic form a dispenser activation request by a self-service customer.