System for monitoring fluid distribution and associated methods

• US 6,370,488 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2000
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• 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): WACHSMAN, HAL D
• Application Number:
  US09/503,999
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 702/188, 702/45, 702/49, 702/50, 702/55, 702/100, 702/183, 702/FOR.103, 702/FOR.104, 702/FOR.127, 702/FOR.128, 702/FOR.139, 702/FOR.170, 702/FOR.171, 705/413, 705/FOR.104, 700/236, 700/240, 700/244, 700/9, 700/282, 700/283, 340/870.02, 340/823.35, 340/870.28, 340/870.11, 340/539, 340/603, 340/606, 340/609, 340/612, 340/825.06, 340/825.15, 340/825.17, 340/825.69, 455/4.1, 455/405, 235/381, 235/375, 235/376, 738/610.2, 738/610.3, 377/21, 137/561.R, 137/625.11, 346/14.MR, 346/33.R, 346/37
• 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 preferably includes a first handheld radio frequency (“RF”) data communications terminal having a portable housing readily adapted to be positioned in the hand of a heavy duty vehicle driver and a first RF transceiver connected to the portable housing to collect data from customer fluid delivery locations. The system also preferably includes at least one heavy duty fluid transport vehicle and a vehicle data communications terminal mounted to the at least one heavy duty vehicle having a second EF transceiver. The system additionally preferably 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 having a tank identifier for identifying the tank and adapted to be received by the data collection device of the first data communications terminal.

Claims

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

a 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 portable 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 first-processor and to said portable housing for collecting data from customer fluid delivery locations;

a vehicle data communications terminal positioned to be mounted to at least one heavy duty vehicle, the vehicle 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 identifier positioned to be mounted to a fluid storage tank at a customer fluid delivery location to identify the fluid storage tank and adapted to be received by said data collection device of said at least one handheld RF data communications terminal; and

a main office data monitoring and dispatching terminal at least portions of which are positioned in a main office to monitor and dispatch 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 main office 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 said vehicle data communications terminal comprises a central processor, and wherein said vehicle data communications terminal further includes data storage in communication with said second RF transceiver to store data and a printer connected to said central processor for printing data.

3. A system as defined in claim 2, wherein said 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 data communications network to at least one valve or at least one meter associated with the at least one heavy duty vehicle to which said vehicle data communications terminal is to be mounted.

4. A system as defined in claim 3, wherein said data communications protecting means includes a fiber optic 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 said 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.

6. A system as defined in claim 5, wherein said second processor of said vehicle data communications terminal includes odometer monitoring means for monitoring the odometer of the at least one heavy duty vehicle, engine controlling means for controlling the heavy duty vehicle engine, temperature monitoring means for monitoring at least one system temperature, and horn controlling means for controlling the horn of the heavy duty vehicle.

7. A system as defined in claim 6, wherein said data communications protecting means comprises first data communications protecting means, and wherein the 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 tank meter for providing protective data communications between said fourth RF transceiver and the at least one tank 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 8, 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 the heavy duty vehicle comprises one of a fleet of heavy duty vehicles, and 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.

11. A system as defined in claim 10, wherein each of the heavy duty vehicles of the fleet of heavy duty vehicles includes a vehicle data communications terminal defining a plurality of vehicle data communications terminals, and wherein the handheld RF data communications terminal comprises one of a plurality of handheld RF data communications terminals, and wherein said trip delivery organizing means further includes 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 handheld RF data communications terminals.

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

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

data from collecting stationary fluid storage tank identifying data from at least one stationary fluid storage tank positioned at a customer fluid delivery location with a handheld data communications terminal, the at least one stationary fluid storage tank including a tank meter for metering fluid flowing to and from the at least one stationary fluid storage tank and a tank transceiver associated with the at least one stationary fluid storage tank and responsive to the tank meter;

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

transmitting the stationary fluid storage 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 a data communications transceiver associated therewith for transmitting and receiving data communications; and

transmitting metering data from the tank transceiver to the handheld data communications terminal.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising transmitting metering data from the handheld data communications terminal to the vehicle data communications terminal.

15. A method as defined in claim 14, further comprising transmitting metering data from the vehicle data communications terminal to the main office monitoring and dispatching terminal.