Point-of-sales interface for mechanical pumps

• US 5,831,861 A
• Filed: 07/12/1996
• Issued: 11/03/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Progressive International'L Electronics
• Original Assignee: Progressive International Electronics Inc.
• Inventors: Warn, Walter E., Carr, Fred K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US08/679,303
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 222/14, 222/26, 222/27, 222/28, 222/32, 222/36, 222/52, 364/130, 364/131, 364/132, 364/464.23, 364/479.01, 364/479.02, 364/479.07, 364/479.1, 364/479.11, 364/509, 364/510, 364/400, 377/21, 395/201, 395/216, 395/222, 395/228, 395/200.31, 395/200.33, 705/1, 705/16, 705/22, 705/28, 705/413
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/04 for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
• 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: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply

Abstract

A mechanical fuel pump control system for controlling mechanical fuel pumps through a PC-based Point-of-Sales system utilizing a mechanical pump controller and a mechanical pump configurator is disclosed. The pump control system includes a pump control circuit board having a microprocessor with read-only-memory for storing operating code and a read-and-write-memory device for calculating and storing response data. The pump control system uses a configuration circuit board to condition output signals including preset limits, pump authorization signal and close valve signal, and to condition input signals including a pulse signal, a handle signal, and a motor return signal. A relay board controls the pumping process. The pump control system allows the POS application software to integrate pump control with other functions including register function, scanning, and inventory control in the POS computer. A feature of the present invention is that it allows the same POS system to control electronic and mechanical pumps through appropriate configurators.

Claims

1. A fuel delivery system, comprising:

(a) at least one mechanical fuel pump means for delivering a variable volumetric flow of fuel into a vehicle tank;

(b) at least one electronic fuel pump means for delivering a variable volumetric flow of fuel into a vehicle tank;

(c) a computer means, functionally connected to said mechanical pump means and said electronic pump means, for initiating commands to said mechanical pump means and said electronic pump means and for receiving response data from said mechanical pump means and said electronic pump means;

(d) a fuel pump control means having a programmable data processor with a read-only-memory device for storing operating code and a read-and-write-memory device for calculating and storing response data, operatively connected between said mechanical pump means and said electronic pump means and said computer means, for

(1) retrieving commands from said read-only-memory device in a predetermined sequence and outputting said commands in a readable format to said mechanical pump means and said electronic pump means causing fuel to be dispensed;

(2) receiving response data from said mechanical pump means and said electronic pump means during the fueling process and storing said response data in said read-and-write-memory device;

(3) retrieving said response data from said read-and-write memory device and down-loading to said computer means on request;

(d) a first configuration means operatively connected to said mechanical pump means and to said fuel pump control means for conditioning output signals from said pump control means to said mechanical pump means including an authorize signal and a valve signal and conditioning input signals from said mechanical pump means to said fuel pump control means including a pulse signal, a handle signal and a motor return signal;

(e) a relay means connected between said first configuration means and said mechanical pump means including a first contact relay to receive said authorize signal and a second contact relay to receive said valve signal and processing circuits to process said pulse signal, said handle signal, and said motor return signal, for controlling said fuel pump means and sending response data to said first configuration means; and

(d) a second configuration means operatively connected to said electronic pump means and to said fuel pump control means for conditioning output signals from said fuel pump control means to said electronic pump means and conditioning signals form said electronic pump means to said fuel pump control means.

2. A fuel delivery system as defined in claim 1, wherein said first mechanical configuration means includes an output driver means for conditioning said authorize and valve signals and an input conditioning circuit for conditioning said pulse, handle, and motor return signals.

3. A fuel pump control system for controlling the dispensing process in at least one mechanical fuel pump means for delivering a variable volumetric fuel flow and at least one electronic fuel pump means for delivering a variable volumetric fuel flow through a POS computer means having POS application software programming for initiating commands to said mechanical pump means and said electronic pump means, and receiving responses from said mechanical pump means and said electronic pump means, comprising:

(a) a pump control means having a read-only-memory device for storing operating code and a read-and-write-memory device for calculating and storing response data, operatively connected between said fuel pump means and said POS computer means, for

(1) retrieving commands from said read-only-memory device in a predetermined sequence and outputting said commands in a readable format to said fuel pump means causing fuel to be dispensed;

(2) receiving response data from said fuel pump means during the fueling process and storing said response data in said read-and-write-memory device;

(3) retrieving said response data from said read-and-write-memory device and down-loading to said computer on request;

(b) a first configuration means operatively connected to said fuel pump control means and said mechanical pump means for conditioning output signals from said fuel pump control means including an authorize signal and a valve signal and conditioning input signals from said mechanical pump means including a pulser signal, a handle signal, and a motor return signal;

(c) a relay means connected to said mechanical pump means and said first configuration means including a first contact relay to receive said authorize signal and a second contact relay to receive said valve signal and processing circuits to process said pulse signal, said handle signal, and said motor return signal, for controlling said mechanical pump means and sending responses to said first configurator means;

(d) a second configuration means operatively connected to said electronic pump means and to said fuel pump control means for conditioning output signals from said fuel pump control means to said electronic pump means and conditioning signals from said electronic pump means to said fuel pump control means.

4. A method for controlling the dispensing process in at least one mechanical fuel pump and at least one electronic fuel pump through a PC-based POS means which initiates commands to said mechanical and electronic pumps and receives responses from said mechanical and electronic pumps, used in combination with a fuel pump controller means having a microprocessor with programmable memory devices for storing operating code to control said mechanical and electronic pumps and receiving response data from said mechanical and electronic pumps, a first configuration means for conditioning output signals from said fuel pump controller means to said mechanical pump and input signals from said mechanical pump to said pump controller means with a relay board means for processing said input and output signals, a second configuration means for conditioning output signals from said fuel pump controller means to said electronic pump and input signals from said electronic pump to said pump controller means, comprising the steps of:

(a) setting the price per unit of the fuel to be dispensed by sending a price per unit command from said POS means to said pump controller means formatted to include fueling position, read or write operation flag, and unit price for storage in said memory device in said pump controller means, and manually setting the unit price to be charged for the fuel in said mechanical pump;

(b) polling the status of said mechanical and electronic pumps by a status request command from said POS means through said pump controller means formatted to include fueling position, wherein said mechanical and electronic pumps respond with a status indicator response including pump is idle, pump handle has been lifted and service is requested, or pump is dispensing fuel;

(c) authorizing said mechanical and electronic pumps in response to a handle signal with an authorization command from said POS means through said pump controller means formatted to include fueling position and limit amount of fuel to be dispensed; and

(d) reading the sales information by a sales information command from said POS means to said pump controller means formatted to include fueling position and operational flag, wherein with a read operation flag said fuel pump responds including pump number and amount of fuel dispensed, or with a clear operation flag the sale flag is cleared.

5. A fuel delivery system having a plurality of different spaced apart POS locations which are networked together, where each POS location in the network may or may not include a different type dispenser from any one or more of the other POS locations, comprising:

(a) dispenser means for delivering a variable flow of fuel into a vehicle tank;

(b) POS means including a computer means, functionally connected to said dispenser means, for initiating commands to said dispenser means and receiving response data from said dispenser means;

(c) a fuel pump control means having a programmable data processor with read-only-memory device for storing operating code and a read-and-write-memory device for calculating and storing response data, operatively connected between said dispenser means and said computer means, for

(1) retrieving commands from said read-only-memory device in a predetermined sequence and outputting said commands in a readable format to said dispenser means causing fuel to be dispensed;

(2) Receiving response data from said dispenser means during the fueling process and storing said response data in said read-and-write-memory device;

(3) retrieving said response data from said read-and-write memory device and down-loading to said computer means on request;

(d) configuration means operatively connected between said dispenser means and said fuel pump control means for conditioning output signals from said fuel pump control means to said dispenser means and conditioning input signals from said dispenser means to said fuel pump control means; and

(e) network means operatively connecting said computer means in said POS means for transmitting and receiving said response data between said spaced apart POS locations.

6. A fuel delivery system as recited in claim 5, wherein said dispenser means includes electronic dispensers.

7. A fuel delivery system as recited in claim 5, wherein said dispenser means includes mechanical dispensers.