Fraud detection through tank monitor analysis

• US 6,463,389 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2000
• Issued: 10/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Marconi Commerce Systems, Inc. (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Dickson, Timothy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hilten, John S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BHAT, ADITYA S
• Application Number:
  US09/495,024
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: 702/35, 702/45, 141/94
• US Class Current: 702/35
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0476 Vapour recovery systems
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0496 Performance test devices therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/32 Arrangements of safety or warning devices; Means for preventing unauthorised delivery of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/007 comprising means to prevent fraud

Abstract

A fraud detection system within a fuel dispenser includes the ability to measure the amount of fuel dispensed through the fuel dispenser. The measurement is compared to a value independently created representing what the amount of fuel dispensed should approximate. If the values are not comparable, an alarm may be generated to indicate that the fuel dispenser has been modified to perpetrate fraud upon the customers. In particular, a reference used in the comparison is created using on an output from a storage tank sensor. The storage tank sensor, during the dispensing of fuel provides an independent number related to the amount of fuel actually dispensed that can be compared to the reported amount of fuel dispensed.

Claims

1. A method of detecting fraud in a fuel dispenser, wherein the fraud comprises reporting an amount of fuel in excess of the amount of fuel actually dispensed in a fueling transaction, said method comprising:

a) reporting an amount of fuel alleged to be dispensed on the fuel dispenser to create a displayed amount;

b) comparing the reported amount to a reference related to an output from a storage tank sensor; and

c) determining if the reported amount is within a confidence interval of said reference to estimate a likelihood that the reported amount exceeds the amount of fuel actually dispensed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of comparing the reported amount to a reference comprises calculating said reference by analyzing how much fuel was extracted from the storage tank during the fueling transaction.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of calculating the reference comprises calculating the reference from historically created data.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein calculating the reference from historically created data comprises collating data from a plurality of storage tank sensors.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein calculating the reference from historically created data comprises collating data from a plurality of fueling environments, each including a plurality of fuel dispensers.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of comparing the reported amount to a reference is performed by the fuel dispenser.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of comparing the reported amount to a reference comprises the fuel dispenser comparing the reported amount to historically created data.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of comparing the reported amount to a reference is performed by a central station computer.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of comparing the reported amount to a reference is performed by a computer remote from a fueling environment in which the fuel dispenser is located.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the storage tank sensor passing data bearing on a volume of fuel extracted from the storage tank to said computer remote from the fueling environment and said fuel dispenser passing data bearing on the reported amount such that the computer remote from the fueling environment can perform the step of comparing.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising making a plurality of comparisons between the reported amount and a reference generated bearing on the output from the storage tank sensor during a single fueling transaction.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an alarm if the step of determining if the reported amount is within a confidence interval estimates that the reported amount exceeds the amount of fuel actually dispensed.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an alarm if the step of comparing fails to be performed due to a failure to report the reference.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an alarm if the step of comparing fails to be performed due to a failure to convey the reported amount.

15. A method of detecting fraud in a fueling environment, wherein the fraud comprises reporting by a fuel dispenser an amount in excess of the amount of fuel actually dispensed in a fueling transaction, said method comprising:

a) averaging reported amounts for a plurality of fueling transactions occurring in the fueling environment;

b) reporting the average reported amounts to a computer remote from the fueling environment;

c) comparing the average reported amounts to a reference related to outputs generated by a storage tank sensor; and

d) determining if the average reported amounts are within a confidence interval of said reference to estimate a likelihood that the reported amounts exceed the amount of fuel actually dispensed.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of comparing the average reported amounts to a reference comprises calculating said reference by analyzing outputs generated by the storage tank sensor during a plurality of fueling transactions.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of calculating the reference comprises calculating the reference from historically created data.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein calculating the reference from historically created data comprises collating data from a plurality of fueling environments, each including a plurality of storage tank sensors.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of comparing the average reported amounts to a reference is performed by a computer remote from the fueling environment.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising generating an alarm if the fueling environment fails to report the average reported amounts.

21. A fuel dispenser configured to detect fraud in a fueling transaction wherein the fraud comprises reporting an amount of fuel exceeding the amount of fuel actually dispensed in a fueling transaction, said fuel dispenser comprising:

a) a fuel delivery path to deliver fuel to a vehicle;

b) a user interface for reporting an amount of fuel allegedly dispensed; and

c) a control system for controlling said fuel delivery path and receiving an output from a storage tank sensor, wherein said control system determines a reference from said output and compares said reference to a reported amount of fuel alleged to be dispensed through the fuel delivery path during the fueling transaction and wherein said control system determines if the reported amount is within a confidence interval of said reference to estimate a likelihood that the reported amount exceeds the amount of fuel actually dispensed.

22. The fuel dispenser of claim 21 wherein said user interface is a visual display.

23. The fuel dispenser of claim 21 wherein said reference is calculated from historically created data.

24. The fuel dispenser of claim 23 wherein said historically created data is accumulated over a plurality of fueling transactions.

25. The fuel dispenser of claim 21 wherein said control system makes a plurality of comparisons during a single fueling transaction between concurrently reported amounts of fuel dispensed and a reference derived from the output of the storage tank sensor.

26. A central station computer configured to detect fraud in a fueling transaction wherein the fraud comprises reporting an amount of fuel exceeding the amount of fuel actually dispensed in a fueling transaction, said central station computer configured to:

receive a reported amount of fuel alleged to be dispensed on a fuel dispenser;

compare the reported amount to a reference related to an output from a storage tank sensor; and

determine if the reported amount is within a confidence interval of said reference to estimate a likelihood that the reported amount differs from an amount of fuel actually dispensed.

27. The central station computer of claim 26 wherein said computer is further configured to determine the reference from outputs from a plurality of storage tank sensors.

28. The central station computer of claim 26 wherein said computer is further configured to perform a plurality of comparisons during a single fueling transaction.

29. The central station computer of claim 26 wherein said reference is determined with historically created data generated by the storage tank sensor.

30. A computer remote from a fueling environment configured to detect fraud in a fuel dispenser wherein the fraud comprises reporting an amount of fuel differing from the amount of fuel actually dispensed in a fueling transaction, said computer configured to:

receive data related to a reported amount of fuel alleged to be dispensed on a fuel dispenser;

compare the data related to a reported amount to a reference related to an output from an storage tank sensor; and

determine if the data related to a reported amount is within a confidence interval of said reference to estimate a likelihood that the reported amount differs from an amount of fuel actually dispensed.

31. The computer of claim 30 wherein the data related to a reported amount of fuel alleged to be dispensed on a fuel dispenser comprises a fueling environment average.

32. The computer of claim 30 wherein the data related to a reported amount of fuel alleged to be dispensed on a fuel dispenser comprises an average reported amount from a single fuel dispenser accumulated over a plurality of fueling transactions.

33. The computer of claim 30 wherein said reference is determined by comparing data from a plurality of fueling environments.

34. The computer of claim 30 wherein said computer is configured to generate an alarm if said computer does not receive the data.

35. A fuel dispenser configured to assist in fraud detection in a fueling transaction, wherein the fraud comprises reporting an amount of fuel dispensed exceeding an amount of fuel actually dispensed in the fueling transaction, said fuel dispenser comprising:

a) a fuel delivery path to a vehicle;

b) a user interface for reporting an amount of fuel allegedly dispensed; and

c) a control system for controlling said fuel delivery path and conveying a reported amount of fuel dispensed to a computer remote from the fuel dispenser for comparison to a reference derived from an output from a storage tank sensor, said comparison being performed by said computer remote from the fuel dispenser.

36. A computer readable medium including software configured to evaluate the existence of fraud inferentially in a fueling transaction, wherein the fraud comprises reporting an amount of fuel exceeding an amount of fuel actually dispensed in a fueling transaction, said software evaluating the existence of fraud by:

receiving data related to a reported amount of fuel dispensed in a fueling transaction;

receiving data related to an output from a storage tank sensor to create reference; and

comparing said reference to said data related to the reported amount of fuel dispensed to determine if the reported amount is within a confidence interval of said reference to estimate a likelihood that the reported amount exceeds the amount of fuel actually dispensed.

37. A method of detecting fraud in fueling transaction, wherein the fraud comprises overcharging consumers for more fuel than was actually dispensed during a given fueling transaction, said method comprising:

a) dispensing fuel through a fuel dispenser;

b) reporting amounts of fuel to consumers to create reported amounts;

c) totaling the reported amounts for a given time period to create a total reported amount of fuel allegedly dispensed; and

d) comparing said total reported amount of fuel allegedly dispensed to a reference derived from an output of a storage tank sensor reflecting a total amount of fuel actually drained from a storage tank for the given amount of time to estimate if the total reported amount is within a confidence interval of said reference to estimate a likelihood that the total reported amount exceeds the amount of fuel actually dispensed.