Vehicle identification and verification system
First Claim
1. A vehicle identification system including a vehicle apparatus and a monitoring terminal apparatus and being for use with a monitoring system having a wire for electrically connecting the vehicle to a monitoring terminal, the monitoring system, when said monitoring terminal apparatus is not present, generating monitoring signals on the wire, the identification system comprising:
- a memory mounted on the vehicle containing unique identifying information;
identification apparatus comprised by the monitoring terminal apparatus and connected between the monitoring terminal and the wire for generating identification signals and outputting them on the wire; and
interface apparatus connected between the wire and the memory, the interface apparatus, when the monitoring terminal apparatus is not present, being responsive to the monitoring signals for isolating the memory from the monitoring signals, and the interface apparatus, when the monitoring terminal apparatus is present, being responsive to the identification signals for allowing the memory to receive the identification signals.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A unique vehicle ID number and other verification information is stored in a small memory mounted on a tank truck. When the truck is connected to a loading terminal by means of a cable which is used by an existing overfill/ground system, an interface circuit connected between the memory and the cable prevents signals which are normally found on the cable leads from damaging the memory circuits. When information must be read from the memory, a special identification and verification system connected to the overfill/grounding circuits modifies some of the normal signals on the cable in order to activate the on-board memory and retrieve the stored information without disabling the overfill and ground proving capabilities.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A vehicle identification system including a vehicle apparatus and a monitoring terminal apparatus and being for use with a monitoring system having a wire for electrically connecting the vehicle to a monitoring terminal, the monitoring system, when said monitoring terminal apparatus is not present, generating monitoring signals on the wire, the identification system comprising:
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a memory mounted on the vehicle containing unique identifying information; identification apparatus comprised by the monitoring terminal apparatus and connected between the monitoring terminal and the wire for generating identification signals and outputting them on the wire; and interface apparatus connected between the wire and the memory, the interface apparatus, when the monitoring terminal apparatus is not present, being responsive to the monitoring signals for isolating the memory from the monitoring signals, and the interface apparatus, when the monitoring terminal apparatus is present, being responsive to the identification signals for allowing the memory to receive the identification signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A vehicle identification and verification system including a vehicle apparatus and a monitoring terminal apparatus and being for use with an overfill and grounding system having a multiwire cable for electrically connecting the vehicle to an overfill and ground monitoring terminal, the over fill and grounding system, when the monitoring terminal apparatus is not present, generating monitoring signals on the cable wires, the identification and verification system comprising:
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a memory mounted on the vehicle containing a unique serial number; identification apparatus comprised by the monitoring terminal apparatus and connected between the overfill and ground monitoring terminal and the cable for generating identification signals and for generating modified monitoring signals; and interface apparatus connected between the cable and the memory, the interface apparatus, when the monitoring terminal apparatus is not present, being responsive to the monitoring signals for isolating the memory from the monitoring signals, the interface apparatus, when the monitoring terminal apparatus is present, being responsive to the modified monitoring signals for connecting the memory to the cable to receive the identification signals. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A tank truck vapor tightness certification verification system including a vehicle apparatus and a monitoring terminal apparatus and being for use with an overfill and grounding system having a multiwire cable for electrically connecting the tank truck to an overfill and ground monitoring terminal, the overfill and grounding system, when the monitoring terminal apparatus is not present, generating fluctuating overfill protection and ground proving signals on the cable wires, the verification system comprising:
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a memory mounted on the vehicle and containing a unique serial number, the memory being connected to one of the cable wires; identification apparatus connected between the overfill and ground monitoring terminal and the cable for generating memory read signals and for generating modified ground proving signals; and interface apparatus connected between the cable and the memory and responsive to the modified ground proving signals for connecting the memory to ground, said interface apparatus, when the monitoring terminal apparatus is not present, being responsive to the ground proving signals for disconnecting the memory from ground. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for identifying a vehicle for use with an overfill and grounding system having a multiwire cable for electrically connecting the vehicle to an over fill and ground monitoring terminal, the overfill and grounding system generating monitoring signals on the cable wires, the method comprising the steps of:
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A) mounting on the vehicle a memory containing a unique serial number; B) connecting identification apparatus between the overfill and ground monitoring terminal and the cable, the identification apparatus generating identification signals and modified monitoring signals; C) when the vehicle is connected to an alternative monitoring terminal in which the identification apparatus is not present, isolating the memory from the cable in response to the monitoring signals; and D) when the vehicle is connected to the monitoring terminal in which the identification apparatus is present, connecting the memory to the cable to receive the identification signals in response to the modified monitoring signals.
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26. A vehicle identification and ground verification system for a vehicle in electrical communication with a loading terminal via a single conductor, the identification system comprising:
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a vehicle ID unit located on the vehicle and in contact with the conductor, the ID unit, in response to an ID acquisition signal on the conductor, providing an ID output on the conductor indicative of unique information which identifies the vehicle; a vehicle ground proving device located on the vehicle and in contact with the conductor, the ground proving device detecting a ground monitoring signal on the conductor and outputting on the conductor a ground output indicative of the presence of a ground connection between the vehicle and the loading terminal; a vehicle test apparatus on the loading terminal which generates the ground monitoring signal and the ID acquisition signal and outputs them on the conductor, the test apparatus detecting the ground output and the ID output and inhibiting a transfer of material from the loading terminal to the vehicle when the ground output indicates the absence of a ground connection between the vehicle and the loading terminal, the test apparatus also inhibiting a transfer of material from the loading terminal to the vehicle when the unique information indicated by the ID output does not correspond to that of an authorized vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification