Multimedia video/graphics in fuel dispensers
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for dispensing fuel at a retail site including at least two fueling positions comprising:
- a fuel dispenser having a first raster-scannable display of information to a customer and a dispenser circuit associated with said fuel dispenser to generate digital graphics information concerning transactions for display on said first raster-scannable display,a second raster-scannable display of information to a customer and an additional circuit associated with said second raster-scannable display to generate digital graphics information concerning transactions for display on said second raster-scannable display,a single video signal source supplying continuously free-running video signals to said fuel dispenser to be displayed on said first raster-scannable display and to said second raster-scannable display, andwherein said dispenser and additional circuit selectively direct graphics information concerning transactions or video signals from said single video signal source or a combination of them to their associated raster-scannable displays.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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 circuit generates graphics information concerning transactions for display on the raster-scannable display. A video signal source supplies video signals to the fuel dispenser to be displayed on the raster-scannable display, and the fuel dispenser circuit means is capable of selectively directing graphics information concerning transactions or video signals or a combination of them to the raster-scannable display.
-
Citations
27 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for dispensing fuel at a retail site including at least two fueling positions comprising:
-
a fuel dispenser having a first raster-scannable display of information to a customer and a dispenser circuit associated with said fuel dispenser to generate digital graphics information concerning transactions for display on said first raster-scannable display, a second raster-scannable display of information to a customer and an additional circuit associated with said second raster-scannable display to generate digital graphics information concerning transactions for display on said second raster-scannable display, a single video signal source supplying continuously free-running video signals to said fuel dispenser to be displayed on said first raster-scannable display and to said second raster-scannable display, and wherein said dispenser and additional circuit selectively direct graphics information concerning transactions or video signals from said single video signal source or a combination of them to their associated raster-scannable displays. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. An apparatus for dispensing fuel at a retail site comprising:
-
a. a plurality of fuel dispensers each having 1) a raster-scannable display of information to a customer associated with each fueling position, 2) a first circuit associated with each dispenser and associated with a reader for cards having magnetic stripes and having a first communication link to an external card-verifying authority to generate graphics information concerning transactions for display on the associated raster-scannable display for the associated fuel dispenser, 3) a second circuit associated with each raster-scannable display and having a communication link to said first circuit, 4) a fuel meter communicating data about fuel dispensed to said first circuit and 5) a user-actuable portion to permit responses to be communicated to said first circuit, and b. a single video signal source supplying continuously free-running video signals to said second circuit in each of said fuel dispensers for display on each raster-scannable display, wherein said second circuit of each dispenser 1) uses synchronization signals in the video signals to establish graphics information signals synchronized with the video signals, 2) selectively directs graphics information concerning transactions or the analog video signals from said single video signal source or a combination of them to said associated raster-scannable display as instructed by signals provided by said first circuit, 3) uses signals provided by said first circuit to determine the relative placement of graphics information concerning transactions and video information on each raster-scannable display, and 4) includes an beginning-of-program detector for the video signals and starts directing video signals to each raster-scannable display only at detected program beginnings.
-
-
16. A method of dispensing fuel at a retail site comprising:
-
providing a first fuel dispenser having a raster-scannable display of information, providing a second fuel dispenser having a raster-scannable display of information, generating graphics information concerning transactions for display on each raster-scannable display, supplying continuously free-running video signals from a single video signal source to the fuel dispensers to be displayed on each raster-scannable display, and selectively directing graphics information concerning transactions or video signals from said single video signal source or a combination of them to the raster-scannable display associated with each fuel dispenser. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method of dispensing fuel at a retail site comprising:
-
a. providing a first fuel dispenser having a first raster-scannable display of information, a first circuit and a first user actuable portion, b. providing a second fuel dispenser having a second raster-scannable display of information, a second circuit and a second user actuable portion, c. communicating responses through one of the user-actuable portions of one of the dispensers to the circuit, d. reading information on cards having magnetic stripes, processing the magnetic stripe information in a first portion of the circuit and communicating magnetic stripe information to an external card-verifying authority, e. communicating data about fuel dispensed from a fuel meter to the circuit, f. supplying continuously free-running video signals from a single video signal source to each of the fuel dispensers to be displayed on each raster-scannable display, g. in each fuel dispenser, 1) identifying synchronization signals in the video signals and generating graphics information in the circuit concerning transactions for display on the dispenser'"'"'s raster-scannable display synchronized with the video signals, 2) determining the relative placement of graphics information concerning transactions on the dispenser'"'"'s raster-scannable display with video information, 3) selectively directing graphics information concerning transactions or video signals from said single video signal source or a combination of them to the dispenser'"'"'s raster-scannable display, and 4) displaying the selectively directed graphics information or video information or a combination of them on the dispenser'"'"'s raster-scannable display at the determined relative placements.
-
Specification