Customer-sensitive dispenser using proximity sensing devices

• US 6,690,275 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Blalock, Dolan F., Miller, Paul D., Long, Joseph D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland, Donnie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/074,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20020074344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 340/525, 340/565, 340/566, 340/5.91, 340/5.1, 340/691.6, 340/691.3, 700/231, 700/235, 700/234, 235/381, 235/384, 221/2, 221/8, 222/23, 141/94, 345/902-905, 345/10, 345/11, 345/327
• US Class Current: 340/525
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/902 Menu display

Abstract

The present invention provides a fuel dispenser capable of sensing the proximity or location of a customer relative to the fuel dispenser without requiring direct customer contact and controlling the display or aspects of the display accordingly to conserve energy, reduce heat generation or draw the customer'"'"'s attention to the display once the customer is within a relative proximity to the fuel dispenser.

Claims

1. A fuel dispenser providing dual mode display control based on customer proximity to draw a customer'"'"'s attention to the display for a fueling transaction, comprising:

a housing and delivery hardware for delivery fuel to a vehicle;

a display associated with said housing having a first and second mode, wherein said display provides information to the customer related to the fueling transaction;

a proximity sensor associated with said display and adapted to sense proximity of a customer relative to said display; and

a control system coupled with said display and said proximity sensor that is adapted to operate said display in the first mode when a customer is not relatively proximate to said housing and operate said display in the second mode when a customer is relatively proximate to said housing to draw the customer'"'"'s attention to said display to inform the customer that said display provides information related to the fueling transaction.

2. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein said first mode for said display is an inactive state and said second mode for said display is an active state.

3. The fuel dispenser of claim 2, wherein said first mode for said display provides a dimmer display and said second mode for said display provides a brighter display.

4. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein said first mode for said display provide a brighter display and said second mode for said display provides a dimmer display.

5. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein said display is a liquid crystal display.

6. The fuel dispenser of claim 5, wherein said liquid crystal display includes a back-light, wherein said control system is adapted operate said back-light at a reduced power level in said first mode and at an increased power level in said second mode.

7. The fuel dispenser of claim 5, wherein said liquid crystal display includes a back-light, wherein said control system is adapted operate said back-light at an increase power level in said first mode and at a reduced power level in said second mode.

8. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein said display is a graphic display.

9. The fuel dispenser of claim 8, wherein said graphic display displays video information from a video source.

10. The fuel dispenser of claim 9, wherein said with video source is supplied to said graphic display by said control system for generating said video information on said graphic display.

11. The fuel dispenser of claim 5, wherein said control system is associated with a video source for generating video information on said display and a graphics generator for generating graphics for display on said display wherein said control system controls display of video and graphics on said display.

12. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein said proximity sensor is placed proximate to said display.

13. The fuel dispenser of claim 12, wherein said proximity sensor is comprised of a plurality of proximity sensors.

14. The fuel dispenser of claim 13, wherein said display contains a first side and a second side opposite said first side, wherein one of said proximity sensors is placed on said first side of said display, and wherein a second of said proximity sensors is placed on said second side of said display.

15. The fuel dispenser of claim 12, wherein said proximity sensor is placed proximate the top of said display.

16. The fuel dispenser of claim 12, wherein said proximity sensor is placed proximate the bottom of said display.

17. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein said first mode is an energy conservation mode and said control system operates said display in said first mode when a customer is not proximate said display and in said second mode when a customer is relatively proximate said housing.

18. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein said display displays text, said text having a text point size being one size in said first mode and a larger size in said second mode.

19. A fuel dispenser providing dual mode display control based on customer proximity, comprising:

a housing and delivery hardware for delivery fuel to a vehicle;

a display attached to said housing having a first and second mode;

a proximity sensor associated with said display and adapted to sense proximity of a customer relative to said display; and

a control system coupled with said display and said proximity sensor that is adapted to operate said display in the first mode when a customer is not relatively proximate to said housing and operate said display in the second mode when a customer is relatively proximate to said housing, wherein said display displays text, said text having a text point size being one size in said first mode and a larger size in said second mode.

20. A method of operating a display associated with a fuel dispenser in two modes, comprising:

sensing a customer proximate to a display associated with the fuel dispenser without requiring customer contact;

determining a location of the customer relative to said display;

operating said display in a first mode to optimize the viewing angle for the first location; and

operating said display in a second mode to optimize the viewing angle for the second location.

21. A method of operating a display associated with a fuel dispenser in two modes, comprising:

sensing a customer proximate to a display associated with the fuel dispenser without requiring customer contact;

determining a location of the customer relative to said display;

operating said display in a first mode if the customer is at a first location;

operating said display in a second mode if the customer is at a second location; and

displaying text having a text point size being one size in said first mode and displaying text having a larger size than said one side in said second mode.

22. A method of operating a display associated with a fuel dispenser in two modes to draw a customer'"'"'s attention to the display for a fueling transaction, comprising:

sensing a customer proximate to a display associated with the fuel dispenser without requiring customer contact;

determining a location of the customer relative to said display;

operating said display in a first mode if the customer is at a first location;

operating said display in a second mode if the customer is at a second location to draw the attention of the customer to said display; and

displaying information to the customer on said display related to the fueling transaction.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said first mode for said display is an inactive state and said second mode for said display is an active state.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said first mode for said display provides a dimmer display and said second mode for said display provides a brighter display.

25. The method of claim 23, said first mode for said display provides a brighter display and said second mode for said display provides a dimmer display.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of displaying video information from a video source on said display.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein operating said display in a first mode includes operating said display to optimize the viewing angle for the first location for said first mode and operating said display in a second mode includes operating said display to optimize the viewing angle for the second location for said second mode.

28. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of displaying text having a text point size being one size in said first mode and displaying text having a larger size than said one side in said second mode.