System at a vehicle for debiting at automatic fuelling

• US 5,862,222 A
• Filed: 11/27/1996
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Staffan Gunnarsson
• Original Assignee: Staffan Gunnarsson
• Inventors: Gunnarsson, Staffan
• Primary Examiner(s): CANGIALOSI, SALVATORE A
• Application Number:
  US08/737,802
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 380/24, 340/825.33, 340/825.34, 340/825.35, 342/42, 342/51
• US Class Current: 705/77
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0453 recognising the fuel to be dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0459 by interrogating a transponder
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0401 arrangements for automatically fuelling vehicles, i.e. without human intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/145 by wireless communication means, e.g. RF, transponders or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

System for automatic fuelling of a vehicle and debiting for fuel obtained. A transponder is provide on the vehicle for the positioning of a fuelling robot and includes coded information to be utilized for the debiting function.

Claims

1. System for debiting for costs of automatic fuelling of vehicles, said system comprising:

a transponder carried by a vehicle adjacent a fuel filling point of the vehicle for providing a position signal for positioning of a fuelling robot, a fuelling robot including a movable arm and a sensor for receiving the transponder position signal for positioning the robot arm relative to the fuel filling point of the vehicle, wherein the transponder contains coded information for use in debiting related to the filling, and wherein said coded information includes a code carried by the transponder and read by said sensor from the transponder and wherein said code is matched with verification data contained in a registration unit carried by the fuelling robot for identification of the driver of the vehicle and for enabling fuelling and debiting to be carried out when said coded information and said verification data correlate in a predetermined way.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein said driver identification is made by recognition of a driver PIN code.

3. System according to claim 2, wherein the sensor includes a keypad for entering of a PIN code.

4. System according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit includes an optical sensor responsive to a card carried by the driver and bearing a driver identification code.

5. System according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit includes a sensor for receiving and interpreting signals from a code transmitter carried by the driver, wherein the code transmitter provides coded visual signals.

6. System according to claim 1, wherein the transponder emits a synchronising/measuring sequence signal having a predetermined controlled frequency and phase for measurement of the position of the transponder relative to the fuelling robot, and wherein the transponder also emits a data sequence signal that includes account information for debiting an account for fuel delivered.

7. System according to claim 6, wherein the transponder includes a write/read memory and a payment authorization code that is stored in the write/read memory in the data sequence signal of the transponder, and wherein the transponder data sequence signal is encrypted with information from a unique and not changeable code carried by the transponder.

8. System according to claim 1, wherein the transponder includes a data field that contains information about an initial prepaid amount, and wherein after fuelling the vehicle the initial prepaid amount is modified by rewriting of a correspondingly changed remaining prepaid amount in the data field.

9. System according to claim 1, wherein the transponder is includes means for receiving a random number and a hardware algorithm for calculating a number and emitting information, and means for reading the emitted information and for confirming the information from the transponder independent of variation of the information from one instant to another.

10. System according to claim 1, including a portable communication unit for writing information to and reading information from the transponder, and wherein the portable communication unit communicates with the transponder and with a remote data center.

11. System according to claim 10, wherein the portable communication unit transfers encrypted information between the transponder and the remote data center independent of any encryption key in the portable communication unit.

12. System according to claim 1, wherein said driver identification is made by recognition of biometrical properties of the driver.

13. System according to claim 1, wherein said driver identification is made by recognition of an object carried by the driver.

14. System according to claim 2, wherein the sensor includes a microphone and voice recognition means for receiving and analyzing speech.

15. System according to claim 2, wherein the sensor includes a fingerprint detector.

16. System according to claim 2, wherein the sensor includes a hand palm sensor.

17. System according to claim 4, wherein the driver identification code is a bar code.

18. System according to claim 4, wherein the driver identification code is a dot code.

19. System according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit includes a sensor for receiving and interpreting signals from a code transmitter carried by the driver, wherein the code transmitter provides coded infrared signals.

20. System according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit includes a sensor for receiving and interpreting signals from a code transmitter carried by the driver, wherein the code transmitter provides coded radio signals.

21. System according to claim 20, wherein the radio signals are microwave signals.

22. System according to claim 1, wherein the registration unit includes a sensor for receiving and interpreting signals from a code transmitter carried by the driver, wherein the code transmitter provides coded ultrasonic signals.

23. System according to claim 6, wherein the transponder includes a write/read memory and a payment authorization code that is stored in the write/read memory in the data sequence signal of the transponder, and wherein the transponder data sequence signal is encrypted with information corresponding with an encryption key.

24. System according to claim 6, wherein the transponder includes a write/read memory and a payment authorization code that is stored in the write/read memory in the data sequence signal of the transponder, and wherein the transponder data sequence signal is encrypted with information from a unique and not changeable random number code carried by the transponder.