Fluid register system

• US 4,482,964 A
• Filed: 01/23/1984
• Issued: 11/13/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1980
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gull, Inc. (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Exxon Research and Engineering Company (Exxon Mobil Corporation)
• Inventors: Stephens, Walter R., Berstein, Patricio
• Primary Examiner(s): Wise, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US06/573,105
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• Field of Search: 364/465, 364/571, 364/510, 377/21, 222/30
• US Class Current: 700/283
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/085 Testing or calibrating apparatus therefore testing or calibrating apparatus for measuring volume flow in general G01F25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/14 responsive to input of recorded programmed information, e.g. on punched cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

A system and data network for a fluid register system used for the delivery of fluid commodities to customers at various delivery sites features a portable data capsule containing pricing information; an electrical fluid delivery volume measurement device; and a vehicular mounted calculator for retrieving the pricing data from said data capsule and calculating a billing amount for each fluid delivery with respect to a fluid delivery volume measurement.

Claims

1. A data network for accounting for a number of fluid commodity deliveries, comprising:

a portable two-way memory capsule;

a first data station for entering data and information into, and retrieving information and data from, said portable two-way memory capsule; and

a second data station for entering data and information into, and retrieving data and information from said portable two-way memory capsule, said second data station being operatively associated with a fluid commodity delivery means for dispensing plural deliveries of a fluid commodity.

2. The data network of claim 1 wherein said first data station is disposed at a home office location.

3. The data network of claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of said second data stations, each associated with a respective fluid commodity delivery means, and a plurality of memory capsules, at least one memory capsule for each of said second data stations.

4. The data network of claim 3 wherein each of said memory capsules comprise a non-volatile memory.

5. The data network of claim 1 wherein said memory capsule comprises a non-volatile memory.

6. The data network of claim 5 wherein said non-volatile memory of said memory capsule is erasable.

7. The data network of claim 1 wherein said first data station comprises a printing means for printing data and information associated with said memory capsule.

8. The data network of claim 1 wherein said second data station comprises a printing means for printing data and information associated with said memory capsule.

9. The data network of claim 8 wherein said printing means is provided with an interlock device which senses the insertion of a ticket into said printer, and in response thereto allows the delivery of the fluid commodity to proceed.

10. The data network of claim 1 wherein said first data station has a display for displaying data and information associated with said memory capsule.

11. The data network of claim 1 wherein said second data station has a display for displaying data and information associated with said memory capsule.

12. The data network of claim 1 wherein said second data station is electrically connected to a volume measuring device comprised by said delivery means.

13. The data network of claim 1 wherein said second data station is electrically connected to a fluid flow control comprised by said delivery means.

14. The data network of claim 1 wherein said second data station is provided with an interlock device to prevent unauthorized deliveries of fluid commodities.

15. The data network of claim 14 wherein said interlock device comprises a motion sensor for sensing vehicle movement.

16. The data network of claim 14 wherein said interlock device comprises a vehicle power train interlocking means.

17. The data network of claim 14 wherein said interlock device comprises a vehicle braking system interlocking means.

18. The data network of claim 14 wherein said interlock device comprises a vehicle ignition system interlocking means.

19. The data network of claim 14 wherein said interlock device comprises a capsule sensing means for sensing that said capsule is in proper communication with said second data station.

20. The data network of claim 11 wherein said second data station is provided with a keyboard for entering and retrieving data and information associated with said memory capsule.

21. The data network of claim 11 wherein said first data station is provided with a keyboard and capsule reader for respectively entering and retrieving data and information associated with said memory capsule.

22. A method of measurement and calibration of a fluid commodity delivery system comprising the steps of:

(a) loading or unloading a known volumetric quantity of a fluid commodity to or from the system;

(b) electronically measuring said known quantity and providing a first electrical output respective of said known quantity;

(c) determining at least one calibration coefficient for said known quantity in response to said electrical output;

(d) electronically storing said calibration coefficient;

(e) electronically measuring an unknown quantity and providing a second electrical output respective of said unknown quantity;

(f) retrieving said stored calibration coefficient;

(g) electronically calculating a true quantity for said unknown quantity in accordance with said retrieved calibration coefficient and said second electrical output.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein more than one unknown quantity is measured, and wherein steps (e), (f) and (g) are repeated for each subsequent measurement of an unknown quantity.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

(g) Displaying said measured quantity of said known quantity and if different than a true quantity, then

(h) Entering a true quantity for said known quantity into a calculator for determining said calibration coefficients in accordance with step (b).

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of:

(g) displaying the true electronically calibrated quantity for said unknown quantity.

26. A fluid commodity delivery system, comprising:

a calculator means;

a fluid flow sensor for providing electrical signals to said calculator means in response to the fluid flow of a fluid commodity being delivered;

converting means electrically communicating with said fluid flow sensor for receiving and converting said electrical signals to a visual representation of the delivered volume of said fluid commodity; and

calibration means connected to said converter means via a plug and socket connection and electrically communicating with said converter means for storing and providing calibration coefficients for said electrical signals to correct said visual representation to a true delivered volume of said fluid commodity, said calibrating means having a switch for operating said calibrating means in one of two modes, a first mode for adjusting said calibration coefficients and a second mode for supplying said calibration coefficients to said calculator means.

27. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 26, wherein said converting means further comprises a calculator means, a keyboard and a digital display, and wherein said visual representation of said delivered volume is a digital readout upon said display.

28. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 27, wherein said calibrating means further comprises a non-volatile memory for storing said calibration coefficients, said coefficients being adjustable to a new value through said keyboard of said converting means.

29. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 28 wherein said calibration means non-volatile memory stores a plurality of calibration coefficients.

30. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 28 wherein said calibration means non-volatile memory stores a temperature correction factor corresponding to each said fluid commodity.

31. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 26, wherein said calibrating means has means for preventing unauthorized personnel from having access to said switch.

32. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 26, wherein said fluid flow sensor comprises a fluid temperature sensing means.

33. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 26, wherein said fluid flow sensor comprises a rotor having magnetizable material circumferentially disposed about the periphery thereof, and at least one magnetic sensing head disposed adjacent to said rotor for providing electrical signal pulses in response to relative movement of said rotor with respect to said magnetic sensing head.

34. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 33, wherein there are two magnetic sensing heads in said fluid sensor.

35. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 34, wherein said two magnetic sensing heads are disposed on opposite sides of said rotor.

36. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 35, wherein said rotor is connected to an impeller which rotates in response to flow of said fluid commodity, and thus rotates said rotor with respect to said magnetic heads.

37. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 26, wherein said calibration means is a modular unit.

38. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 26, further comprising printing means electrical communicating with said calibration means for printing a hard copy of said calibration coefficients.

39. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 37 wherein said modular calibration means is separate from said calculator means.

40. The fluid commodity delivery system of claim 39 where said separation of the calibrator means and calculator means permits removal of said calculator without recalibration of said sensor means.