Transaction display on video/graphics in fuel dispensers

• US 5,719,781 A
• Filed: 06/02/1995
• Issued: 02/17/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Baker, Walter L. III, Leatherman, Russel D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elmore, Reba I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garland, Steven R.
• Application Number:
  US08/459,662
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 364/465, 364/479.01, 364/479.02, 364/479.06, 364/479.07, 364/479.11, 364/479.14, 364/464.23, 395/154, 395/155, 395/161, 395/216, 395/217, 235/381, 235/94 A, 455/66, 222/23, 222/25-28, 222/39, 222/52
• US Class Current: 700/232
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 1/16 the pattern of rectangular co-ordinates extending over the whole area of the screen, i.e. television type raster
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/125 wherein one of the images is motion video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing fuel at a retail site includes a fuel dispenser having a raster-scannable display of information to a customer, a first circuit to generate graphics information concerning fueling data for display on the raster-scannable display, a second circuit to generate user prompts for display on the raster-scannable display, a video signal source supplying video signals to the fuel dispenser to be displayed on the raster-scannable display, and a third circuit to direct fueling data from the first circuit, user prompts from the second circuit and video signals from the video signal source selectively to the raster-scannable display.

Claims

1. A system for dispensing fuel at a retail site comprising

a fuel dispenser having a raster-scannable display of information to a customer,

a first circuit to generate graphics information concerning fueling data for display on said raster-scannable display,

a second circuit to generate user prompts for display on said raster-scannable display,

a video signal source supplying video signals to said fuel dispenser to be displayed on said raster-scannable display, and

a third circuit to direct fueling data from said first circuit, user prompts from said second circuit and video signals from said video signal source selectively to said raster-scannable display as instructed by a circuit other than said third circuit,

said video signal source supplying the same video signals to at least one other similarly equipped dispenser.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said video signals are analog signals as directed to said raster-scannable display.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said fuel dispenser has a user-actuable portion to permit responses to the prompts to be communicated to said second circuit.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said dispenser has a fuel meter communicating data about fuel dispensed to said first and second circuits.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second circuit is associated with a reader for cards having magnetic stripes.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said second circuit has a communications link to an external card-verifying authority.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a printer and wherein said second circuit has a communications link to said printer.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said first, second and third circuits includes a microprocessor.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said third circuit converts either the video or the graphics signals to be compatible with the other, such as both RGB, both Composite video or both S-Video.

10. An apparatus for dispensing fuel at a retail site comprising

a fuel dispenser having a raster-scannable display of information to a customer.

a first circuit to generate graphics information concerning fueling data for display on said raster-scannable display,

a second circuit to generate user prompts for display on said raster-scannable display,

a video signal source supplying video signals to said fuel dispenser to be displayed on said raster-scannable display, and

a third circuit to direct fueling data from said first circuit, user prompts from said second circuit and video signals from said video signal source selectively to said raster-scannable display,

said third circuit selectively directing graphics information concerning fueling data, graphics information of user prompts or video signals or a combination of them to said raster-scannable display, as instructed by signals provided by said first circuit.

11. An apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said third circuit uses synchronization signals in the video signals to establish graphics information signals synchronized with the video signals.

12. An apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein said third circuit determines the placement of graphics information concerning fueling data from said first circuit and Ion said raster-scannable display with video information and said third circuit uses signals provided by said second circuit to the placement of graphics information concerning transactions on said raster-scannable display with video information as desired during a fueling operation.

13. An apparatus for dispensing fuel at a retail site comprising

a fuel dispenser having a liquid crystal raster-scannable display of information to a customer,

a first circuit to generate graphics information concerning fueling data for display on said liquid crystal raster-scannable display,

a second circuit to generate user prompts for display on said liquid crystal raster-scannable display,

a video signal source supplying video signals to said fuel dispenser to be displayed on said liquid crystal raster-scannable display, and

a third circuit to direct fueling data from said first circuit, user prompts from said second circuit and video signals from said video signal source selectively to said liquid crystal raster-scannable display.

14. An apparatus for dispensing fuel at a retail site comprising

a fuel dispenser having a raster-scannable display of information to a customer,

a first circuit including a microprocessor to generate graphics information concerning fueling data for display on said raster-scannable display,

a reader for cards having magnetic stripes,

a printer,

a second circuit including a microprocessor to generate user prompts for display on said raster-scannable display and associated with said reader for cards having magnetic stripes and said printer,

a communications link between said second circuit and an external card-verifying authority,

a fuel meter communicating data about fuel dispensed to said first and second circuits,

a user-actuable portion to permit responses to the prompts to be communicated to said second circuit,

a video signal source supplying analog video signals to said fuel dispenser to be displayed on said raster-scannable display as analog signals, and

a third circuit including a microprocessor to selectively direct graphics information concerning fueling data from said first circuit, graphics information of user prompts from said second circuit and video signals from said video signal source or a combination of them selectively to said raster-scannable display using synchronization signals in the video signals to establish graphics information signals synchronized with the video signals and converting either the video or the graphics signals to be compatible with the other, such as both RGB, both composite video or both S-Video.

15. A method of dispensing fuel at a retail site comprising

providing a fuel dispenser having a raster-scannable display of information,

generating graphics information concerning fueling transactions for display on the raster-scannable display with a first circuit,

generating graphics information concerning user prompts for display on said raster-scannable display with a second circuit,

supplying video signals to the fuel dispenser to be displayed on the raster-scannable display,

selectively directing graphics information concerning fueling transactions, user prompts or video signals or a combination thereof to the raster-scannable display with a third circuit as instructed by a circuit other than the third circuit, and

supplying the same video signals from a common source to at least one other similarly equipped dispenser.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the supplying step includes supplying the video signals as analog signals.

17. A method as claimed in claim 15 further comprising providing the fuel dispenser with a user-actuable portion and communicating responses through the portion to affect the graphics information.

18. A method as claimed in claim 15 further comprising communicating data about fuel dispensed from a fuel meter to affect the graphics information concerning fueling transactions.

19. A method as claimed in claim 15 comprising reading information on cards having magnetic stripes and processing the magnetic stripe information to affect the graphics information concerning user prompts.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19 comprising communicating magnetic stripe information to an external card-verifying authority.

21. A method as claimed in claim 15 comprising identifying synchronization signals in the video signals and establishing graphics information signals synchronized with the video signals.

22. A method as claimed in claim 15 comprising converting one of the video or graphics signals to be compatible with the other one of the video or graphics signals, such as both RGB, both Composite video or both S-Video.

23. A method of dispensing fuel at a retail site comprising

providing a fuel dispenser having a raster-scannable display of information,

generating graphics information concerning fueling transactions for display on the raster-scannable display,

generating graphics information concerning user prompts for display on said raster-scannable display,

supplying video signals to the fuel dispenser to be displayed on the raster-scannable display,

selectively directing graphics information concerning fueling transactions, user prompts or video signals or a combination of them to the raster-scannable display, and

detecting beginnings of video programs in the video signals;

and

starting to direct video signals to the raster-scannable display only at detected program beginnings.

24. A method of dispensing fuel at a retail site comprising

providing a fuel dispenser having a raster-scannable display of information, generating graphics information concerning fueling transactions for display on the raster-scannable display with a first circuit,

generating graphics information concerning user prompts for display on said raster-scannable display with a second circuit,

supplying video signals to the fuel dispenser to be displayed on the raster-scannable display,

selectively directing graphics information concerning fueling transactions, user prompts or video signals or a combination of them to the raster-scannable display with a third circuit as instructed by a circuit other than the third circuit,

determining the relative placement of graphics information concerning fueling transactions and the placement of graphics information concerning user prompts on the raster-scannable display with video information, and

effecting placement of the information concerning fueling data and the information concerning user prompts in relation to the video on the raster-scannable display on the basis of such determination as desired during a fueling operation.

25. A method of dispensing fuel at a retail site comprising

providing a fuel dispenser having a raster-scannable display of information, a card reader and a user-actuable portion,

generating graphics information concerning fueling transactions for display on the raster-scannable display with a first circuit,

communicating data about fuel dispensed from a fuel meter to affect the graphics information concerning fueling transactions,

generating graphics information concerning user prompts for display on said raster-scannable display with a second circuit,

communicating responses through the user-actuable portion to affect the graphics information concerning user prompts,

reading information on cards having magnetic stripes in the card reader and processing the magnetic stripe information to affect the graphics information concerning user prompts with the second circuit,

communicating magnetic stripe information to an external card-verifying authority,

supplying analog video signals from a single source to the fuel dispenser to be displayed on the raster-scannable display and to other similarly equipped dispensers, and

selectively directing graphics information concerning fueling transactions, graphics information concerning user prompts or video signals or a combination of them to the raster-scannable display with a third circuit as instructed by a circuit other than the third circuit.