Data line monitoring system

• US 5,208,742 A
• Filed: 04/30/1990
• Issued: 05/04/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Progressive International'L Electronics
• Original Assignee: Progressive International Electronics Inc.
• Inventors: Warn, Walter E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUIR, PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US07/516,668
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 364/131, 364/132, 364/133, 364/178, 364/478, 364/479, 364/229.41, 364/229.5, 364/138, 340/825.06
• US Class Current: 700/2
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/08 Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/228 using digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/08 Counting total of coins inserted

Abstract

The present invention relates to a data signal monitoring system for monitoring data signals in a data wire without interrupting data signal flow. In the illustrative embodiment, the data signal monitoring system is connected to the data wires between a fuel dispenser and the the dispenser control console. The design is such that the data signals flow into the monitoring system without interrupting the communication between console and dispenser. The monitoring system interprets the data and analyzes pump status and commands. The data signal monitoring system translates the physical signals in the wire into serial signals which are sent to a microprocessor in the monitoring system for processing. The microprocessor then controls other electrical devices from information extracted from the communication between the pump and console. Such electrical devices include a price sign displaying the price of the fuel and an audio message system which is activated when the pump nozzle handle is lifted.

Claims

1. A data signal monitoring system having microprocessor for monitoring data signals in a data wire without interrupting data signal flow, where said microprocessor then controls other devices from information extracted from said data wire, comprising:

(a) a configuration circuit, attached to said data wire to be monitored, having opto-coupler means for coupling and isolating said data wire from said data signal monitoring system allowing data signals to be monitored without interruption, where said opto-coupler generates computer logic signals corresponding to said data signals;

(b) a microprocessor including plural input-output ports, programmable read and write only memory, programmable read and write variable memory, said microprocessor having bus means connecting said configuration circuit with at least one of said microprocessor ports for receiving said computer logic signals from said configuration circuit;

(c) a programmable switch selector having bus connection to at least one of said microprocessor ports for instructing said microprocessor as to which of said computer logic signals to select and process, and which of said computer logic signals to discard, where said microprocessor generates output signals corresponding to said selected and processed signals; and

(d) a converter means having bus connection to at least one of said input-out ports, for transforming said output signals to signals readable by an electrical device to be controlled, whereby said microprocessor controls said device from information extracted from said data wire.

2. A data signal monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said opto-coupler means includes a light emitting diode and transistor for transforming said data signals into transistor-transistor logic signals.

3. A data signal monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said data wire is between a fuel dispenser and a fuel dispenser control unit.

4. A data signal monitoring system as recited in claim 3, wherein:

said data signal being selected and processed are data signals corresponding to price per gallon of the fuel.

5. A data signal monitoring system as recited in claim 3 wherein said data signals being selected and processed are data signals corresponding to said dispenser authorization.

6. A data signal monitoring system as recited in claim 3, wherein:

a first said configuration circuit is attached to said data wire for monitoring data signals sent to said dispenser from said dispenser control system, and a second configuration circuit is attached to said data wire for monitoring data signals sent from said dispenser to said dispenser control unit.

7. A data signal monitoring system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said converter means includes a RS-232 circuit for transforming said microprocessor output signal to a RS-232 signal for controlling said electrical device.

8. A microprocessor controlled method for monitoring data signals in a data wire without interrupting data signal flow, comprising the steps of:

(a) feeding the data signals into a configuration circuit connected to said data wire, said configuration circuit having an opto-coupler with light emitting diode and transistor for coupling said microprocessor to said data wire for allowing the current to be monitored without interrupting data signal flow in said wire;

(b) sampling said data signals by said light emitting diode and transferring this information to said transistor for generating computer logic signals corresponding to said data signal;

(c) feeding said computer logic signals to said microprocessor having ROM and RAM memory through an input-output port;

(d) causing said microprocessor to parse said computer logic signals including to select and decode designated data signals, and discard undesired data signals, where selection is controlled by a programmable switch control input unit, and further causing said microprocessor to generate output signals corresponding to selected and processed data signals; and

(e) feeding said microprocessor output signals to an electrical apparatus to be controlled, where said microprocessor controls said apparatus from information extracted from said data wire.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein:

step (a) is practiced by connecting said configuration circuit to a data wire between a fuel dispenser and a dispenser control unit.

10. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein:

step (a) is practiced by connecting said configuration circuit to a data wire between a fuel dispenser and a dispenser control unit, and step (d) is practiced by programming said switch control unit to cause said microprocessor to process data signals corresponding to price per gallon of the fuel, and to discard other data signals.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein:

step (a) is practiced by connecting said configuration circuit to a data wire between a fuel dispenser and a dispenser control unit, and step (d) is practiced by programming said switch control unit to cause said microprocessor to process data signals corresponding to pump activation, and to discard other data signals, where said microprocessor causes an audio message system to be activated.

12. A data signal monitoring system having microprocessor for monitoring data signals in a data wire between at least one fuel dispenser and dispenser control system without interrupting data signal flow, where said microprocessor then controls the display on a fuel price display sign from information on fuel price extracted from the data wire, comprising:

(a) a configuration circuit, connected to said data wire, having opto-coupler means with light emitting diode for sampling said data signals and a transistor for generating computer logic signals corresponding to said data signal which allows said data signal to be monitored without interrupting signal flow in said data wire;

(b) a microprocessor having plural input-output ports, programmable read and write only memory, programmable read and write variable memory, said microprocessor having bus connection to said configuration circuit with at least one of said microprocessor ports for receiving said computer logic signals;

(c) a programmable switch selector means having bus connection to at least one of said microprocessor ports for instructing said microprocessors to select and process said computer logic signals corresponding to fuel price, and to discard all other computer logic signals, where said microprocessor generates output signals corresponding to said selected signals;

(d) a converter means having bus connection to at least one of said microprocessor port for transforming said microprocessor output signals to signals readable by said fuel price display sign, whereby said microprocessor controls display on said fuel price signage from information extracted from said data wire.

13. A data signal monitoring system having microprocessor for monitoring data signals in a data wire between at least one fuel dispenser and dispenser control system without interrupting data signal flow, where said microprocessor activates an audio message system when the nozzle of the dispenser is lifted and the pump activated, comprising:

(a) a configuration circuit, connected to said data wire, having opto-coupler means with light emitting diode for sampling said data signals and a transistor for generating computer logic signals corresponding to said data signals which allows said data signals to be monitored without interrupting signal flow in said data wire;

(b) a microprocessor having plural input-output ports, programmable read and write only memory, programmable read and write variable memory, said microprocessor having bus connection to said configuration circuit with at least one of said microprocessor ports for receiving said computer logic signals;

(c) a programmable switch selector means having bus connection to at least one of said microprocessor ports for instructing said microprocessor to select and process said computer logic signals corresponding to pump activation, and to discard all other logic signals, where said microprocessor generates output signals corresponding to said selected signals;

(d) a converter means having bus connection to at least one of said microprocessor parts for transforming said microprocessor output signals to signals readable by said audio message system, whereby said microprocessor causes activation of said audio message system from information extracted from said data wire.