System for monitoring fluid distribution and associated methods

• US 6,047,250 A
• Filed: 10/17/1997
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Quantum Technology Management Limited (Quantum Controls BV)
• Original Assignee: Quantum Technology Management Limited (Quantum Controls BV)
• Inventors: Beaudoin, Benoit, Childs, Stephen D., Hendricks, John R., Moore, Sandy N., Biron, Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LINH M
• Application Number:
  US08/954,315
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 455/4.1, 340/870.02
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/065 with radiation as transfer means to the indicating device, e.g. light transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/063 using electrical means
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/068 with electrical means G01F15/063 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 1/272 using photoelectric means
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 3/06 for printing or separately displaying result of count display systems G09
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link

Abstract

A system and associated methods for monitoring fluid distribution for heavy duty vehicles are provided. The system advantageously includes a first handheld RF data communications terminal. The handheld data terminal preferably includes a portable housing readily adapted to be positioned in the hand of a driver of a heavy duty vehicle and a first RF transceiver connected to the portable housing for transmitting and receiving RF data communications to thereby interface with a heavy duty vehicle driver to collect data from customer fluid delivery locations. The system also includes at least one heavy duty vehicle adapted to transport fluid and a second vehicle data communications terminal preferably mounted to the at least one heavy duty vehicle. The second data communications terminal preferably includes a second RF transceiver for transmitting and receiving RF data communications. The system additionally includes at least one fluid storage tank positioned at a customer fluid delivery location for receiving and storing fluid transported by the heavy duty vehicle. The fluid storage tank includes a tank identifier for identifying the tank and adapted to be received by the data collection device of the first handheld data collection terminal. The system further includes a main office data monitoring and dispatching data terminal is associated with a main office.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring fluid distribution for a fleet of heavy duty vehicles adapted to transport fluid, the system comprising:

a plurality of first handheld RF data communications terminals, each of said plurality of handheld terminals including a portable housing readily adapted to be positioned in the hand of a driver of a heavy duty vehicle, a first RF transceiver connected to said portable housing for transmitting and receiving RF data communications, a first processor mounted in said housing for processing data communications, a first user interface connected to said processor and to an external surface of said portable housing for interfacing with a heavy duty vehicle driver, and a data collection device connected to said processor and to said portable housing for collecting data from customer fluid delivery locations;

a fleet of heavy duty vehicles adapted to transport fluid;

a plurality of second vehicle data communications terminals each mounted to one of the fleet of heavy duty vehicles, each of said plurality of second vehicle data communications terminals including a second RF transceiver for transmitting and receiving RF data communications, a second processor for processing data communications, and a second user interface for interfacing with a driver of a heavy duty vehicle;

at least one fluid storage tank positioned at a customer fluid delivery location for receiving and storing fluid transported by the heavy duty vehicle, the fluid storage tank including tank identifying means for identifying the tank and adapted to be received by said data collection device of each of said plurality of first handheld data collection terminals; and

a main office data monitoring and dispatching terminal associated with a main office for monitoring and dispatching fuel distribution data to the fleet of heavy duty vehicles, said main office terminal including a third RF transceiver for transmitting and receiving data communications to and from each of the plurality of second vehicle data communication terminals, a third processor connected to said third RF transceiver for processing data communications, and a third user monitoring and dispatching interface for monitoring fluid distribution data and for providing dispatching instructions from a main office user.

2. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said second processor of each of said plurality of second vehicle data communications terminals comprises a central processor, and wherein each of said plurality of second vehicle data communications terminals further includes data storing means in communication with said second RF transceiver for storing data and a printer connected to said central processor for printing data.

3. A system as defined in claim 2, wherein each of said second vehicle data communication terminals further includes a twisted pair data communications network and data communications protecting means connected to said twisted pair data communications network for providing protective data communications in potentially explosive environments from said twisted pair network to at least one valve or at least one meter associated with said heavy duty vehicle to which said second vehicle data communications terminal is mounted.

4. A system as defined in claim 3, wherein said data communications protecting means includes a fiber optics data communications module, said fiber optic data communications module including at least one light emitter for emitting optical metering data and at least one light receiver for receiving the optical metering data.

5. A system as defined in claim 4, wherein each of said plurality of second vehicle data communications terminals further comprises at least one fiber optic channel connected to said fiber optic data communications module, at least one fluid delivery valve connected to the at least one fiber optic channel, and at least one meter connected to the at least one fiber optic channel.

6. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said second processor of each of said plurality of vehicle data communication terminals includes odometer monitoring means for monitoring the odometer of the heavy duty vehicle, engine controlling means for controlling the vehicle engine, temperature monitoring means form monitoring at least one system temperature, and horn controlling means for controlling the horn of the vehicle.

7. A system as defined in claim 3, wherein said data communications protecting means comprises first data communications protecting means, and wherein the at least one fluid storage tank further includes a fourth RF transceiver and second data communications protecting means connected to said fourth RF transceiver and at least one meter for providing protective data communications between said fourth RF transceiver and the at least one meter in a potentially explosive environment.

8. A system as defined in claim 7, wherein said second data communications protecting means includes a fiber optic module, said fiber optic module including at least one optical emitter for emitting optical metering data and at least one optical receiver responsive to the at least one optical emitter for receiving optical metering data.

9. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein said third processor includes accounting means for accounting customer order data, the customer order data including fluid product-type pricing;

and wherein said third processor includes dispatching means for providing dispatching instruction data to a vehicle driver.

10. A system as defined in claim 9, wherein said dispatching means includes trip delivery organizing means for organizing individual trips for predetermined ones of said fleet of heavy duty vehicles responsive to customer location, fluid product-type, and required delivery date to thereby define fleet routing instructions.

11. A system as defined in claim 10, wherein the fleet routing instructions include individual vehicle routing instructions, the individual routing instructions being transmitted from said third RF transceiver to said second RF transceiver of each of said plurality of vehicle data communication terminals and being transmitted from said second RF transceiver to said first RF transceiver of each of said plurality of first handheld data communications terminals.

12. A system as defined in claim 11, wherein said first processor of each of said plurality of first handheld data communications terminal includes vehicle inspecting means responsive to the individual routing instructions for providing vehicle inspecting instructions to a vehicle driver, the vehicle inspecting instructions being transmitted to said vehicle data communications terminal of a corresponding one of said fleet of heavy duty vehicles responsive to the vehicle driver.

13. A system for monitoring fluid distribution for heavy duty vehicles adapted to transport fluid, the system comprising:

a first handheld RF data communications terminal including a portable housing readily adapted to be positioned in the hand of a driver of a heavy duty vehicle, a first RF transceiver connected to said portable housing for transmitting and receiving RF data communications, a first processor mounted in said housing for processing data communications, a first user interface connected to said first processor and to an external surface of said portable housing for interfacing with a heavy duty vehicle driver, and a data collection device connected to said processor and to said portable housing for collecting data from customer fluid delivery locations;

at least one heavy duty vehicle adapted to transport fluid;

a second vehicle data communications terminal mounted to the at least one heavy duty vehicle, the second data communications terminal including a second RF transceiver for transmitting and receiving RF data communications, a second processor for processing data communications, and a second user interface for interfacing with a driver of a heavy duty vehicle;

at least one fluid storage tank positioned at a customer fluid delivery location for receiving and storing fluid transported by the heavy duty vehicle, the fluid storage tank including tank identifying means for identifying the tank and adapted to be received by said data collection device of said first handheld data collection terminal; and

a main office data monitoring and dispatching terminal associated with a main office for monitoring and dispatching fuel distribution data to the at least one heavy duty vehicle, said main office terminal including a third RF transceiver for transmitting and receiving data communications to and from the vehicle data communication terminal, a third processor connected to said third RF transceiver for processing data communications, and a third user monitoring and dispatching interface for monitoring fluid distribution data and for providing dispatching instructions from a main office user.

14. A system as defined in claim 13, wherein said second processor of said second vehicle data communications terminal comprises a central processor, and wherein said second vehicle data communications terminals further includes data storing means in communication with said second RF transceiver for storing data and a printer connected to said central processor for printing data.

15. A system as defined in claim 14, wherein said second vehicle data communication terminal further includes a twisted pair data communications network and data communications protecting means connected to said twisted pair data communications network for providing protective data communications in potentially explosive environments from said twisted pair network to at least one valve or at least one meter associated with said heavy duty vehicle to which said second vehicle data communications terminal is mounted.

16. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein said data communications protecting means includes a fiber optics data communications module, said fiber optic data communications module including at least one light emitter for emitting optical metering data and at least one light receiver for receiving the optical metering data.

17. A system as defined in claim 16, wherein said second vehicle data communications terminal further comprises at least one fiber optic channel connected to said fiber optic data communications module, at least one fluid delivery valve connected to the at least one fiber optic channel, and at least one meter connected to the at least one fiber optic channel.

18. A system as defined in claim 17, wherein said second processor of each of said vehicle data communication terminal includes odometer monitoring means for monitoring the odometer of the heavy duty vehicle, engine controlling means for controlling the vehicle engine, temperature monitoring means form monitoring at least one system temperature, and horn controlling means for controlling the horn of the vehicle.

19. A system as defined in claim 18, wherein said data communications protecting means comprises first data communications protecting means, and wherein the at least one fluid storage tank further includes a fourth RF transceiver and second data communications protecting means connected to said fourth RF transceiver and at least one meter for providing protective data communications between said fourth RF transceiver and the at least one meter in a potentially explosive environment.

20. A system as defined in claim 19, wherein said second data communications protecting means includes a fiber optic module, said fiber optic module including at least one optical emitter for emitting optical metering data and at least one optical receiver responsive to the at least one optical emitter for receiving optical metering data.

21. A system as defined in claim 20, wherein said third processor includes accounting means for accounting customer order data, the customer order data including fluid product-type pricing;

and wherein said third processor includes dispatching means for providing dispatching instruction data to a vehicle driver.

22. A system as defined in claim 21, wherein said dispatching means includes trip delivery organizing means for organizing individual trips for predetermined ones of said fleet of heavy duty vehicles responsive to customer location, fluid product-type, and required delivery date to thereby define fleet routing instructions.

23. A system as defined in claim 22, wherein the fleet routing instructions include individual vehicle routing instructions, the individual routing instructions being transmitted from said third RF transceiver to said second RF transceiver of each of said plurality of vehicle data communication terminals and being transmitted from said second RF transceiver to said first RF transceiver of each of said plurality of first handheld data communications terminals.

24. A system as defined in claim 23, wherein said first processor of each of said plurality of first handheld data communications terminal includes vehicle inspecting means responsive to the individual routing instructions for providing vehicle inspecting instructions to a vehicle driver, the vehicle inspecting instructions being transmitted to said vehicle data communications terminal of a corresponding one of said fleet of heavy duty vehicles responsive to the vehicle driver.

25. A method of monitoring fluid distribution for heavy duty vehicles, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a first handheld RF data communications terminal, the first handheld RF data communications terminal including a first RF transceiver for transmitting and receiving data communications and a data collection device for collecting data from customer fluid delivery locations;

providing a second vehicle data communications terminal mounted to at least one heavy duty vehicle, each of the second data communications terminals including a second RF transceiver for transmitting and receiving RF data communications;

providing at least one fluid storage tank positioned at a customer fluid delivery location for receiving and storing fluid transported by the heavy duty vehicle, the fluid storage tank including a tank identifier for identifying the tank and adapted to be received by the data collection device of the first handheld data collection terminal; and

providing a main office data monitoring and dispatching terminal associated with a main office for monitoring and dispatching fuel distribution data to the at least one heavy duty vehicles, the main office terminal including a third RF transceiver for transmitting and receiving data communications to and from the vehicle data communication terminal.

26. A method as defined in claim 25, further comprising collecting tank identifying data from the at least one tank with the first handheld RF data communications terminal.

27. A method as defined in claim 26, further comprising transmitting the tank identifying data to the second vehicle data communications terminal.

28. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein the at least one tank further includes a tank meter for metering fluid flowing to and from the tank and a fourth RF transceiver associated with the at least one tank and responsive to the tank meter, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting metering data from the fourth RF transceiver to the first RF transceiver of the first handheld data communications terminal.

29. A method as defined in claim 28, further comprising transmitting metering data from the first RF transceiver to the second RF transceiver of the second vehicle data communications terminal.

30. A method as defined in claim 29, further comprising transmitting metering data from the second RF transceiver to the third RF transceiver of the main office data monitoring and dispatching terminal.

31. A method of monitoring fluid distribution for heavy duty vehicles, the method comprising the steps of:

collecting tank identifying data from at least one fluid storage tank positioned at a customer fluid delivery location with a handheld RF data communications terminal;

transmitting the tank identifying data to a vehicle RF data communications terminal mounted to a heavy duty vehicle adapted to transport fluid thereon; and

transmitting the tank identifying data from the vehicle data communications terminal to a main office monitoring and dispatching terminal, the main office monitoring and dispatching terminal including an RF data communications transceiver associated therewith for transmitting and receiving RF data communications.

32. A method as defined in claim 31, wherein the at least one fluid storage tank includes a tank meter for metering fluid flowing to and from the tank and an RF transceiver associated with the at least one tank and responsive to the tank meter, and wherein the method further comprises transmitting metering data from the RF transceiver to the handheld RF data communications terminal.

33. A method as defined in claim 32, further comprising transmitting metering data from the handheld data communications terminal to the vehicle RF data communications terminal.

34. A method as defined in claim 33, further comprising transmitting metering data from the vehicle data communications terminal to the main office monitoring and dispatching terminal.

35. A method of monitoring fluid distribution for heavy duty vehicles, the method comprising the steps of:

providing at least one fluid storage tank at a customer fluid delivery location, the at least one fluid storage tank including a tank meter for metering fluid flowing to and from the tank and an RF transceiver associated with the at least one tank and responsive to the tank meter;

transmitting metering data from the RF transceiver to a handheld RF data communications terminal;

transmitting metering data from the handheld data communications terminal to a vehicle RF data communications terminal mounted to a heavy duty vehicle adapted to transport fluid thereon; and

transmitting metering data from the vehicle data communications terminal to a main office monitoring and dispatching terminal, the main office monitoring and dispatching terminal including an RF data communications transceiver associated therewith for transmitting and receiving data communications.

36. A method as defined in claim 35, further comprising collecting tank identifying data from at least one tank with the handheld RF data communications terminal and transmitting the tank identifying data to the vehicle RF data communications terminal.

37. A method as defined in claim 36, further comprising transmitting the tank identifying data from the vehicle RF data communications terminal to the main office monitoring and dispatching terminal.