Systems and methods wherein a consumable item parameter is exchanged between a consumable item and a consuming device

• US 7,072,839 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2001
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Edith H., Willner, Barry E., Yu, Philip S., Moskowitz, Paul A., Grey, William, Dinkin, Samuel, Greene, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fisher, Michael J.
• Application Number:
  US09/790,090
• Publication Number:
  US 20020116204A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,959 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 5/02 Supplying fuel to vehicles; General disposition of plant in filling stations apparatus for transferring measured quantities of petrol, oil, or the like from storage space to vehicles B67D
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0442 interface for orders and payments
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/08 Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided wherein a consumable item parameter is exchanged between a consumable item and a consuming device. According to one embodiment, a consumable item parameter request is transmitted to a device associated with a consumable item, and the consumable item parameter is then received. The device may comprise, for example, the consumable item or a device associated with dispensing the consumable item. The device may also comprise, for example, a device associated with a consumption of the consumable item, a device adapted to control a consumption of the consumable item, or a device that consumes the consumable item.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating fuel consumption, comprising:

transmitting an ambient condition parameter request from a consuming device to a fuel dispenser;

receiving the ambient condition parameter from the fuel dispenser;

receiving fuel from the fuel dispenser; and

adjusting at least one consumption parameter based on the ambient condition parameter such that a way in which the fuel is consumed by the consuming device is adjusted.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ambient condition parameter request includes at least one of:

(i) a requesting device identifier, (ii) a customer identifier, (iii) a fuel provider identifier, (iv) a third party identifier, (v) an ambient condition parameter identifier, (vi) a payment identifier, or (vii) a fuel identifier.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the ambient condition parameter comprises information usable to improve consumption of the fuel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the ambient condition parameter comprises information usable to at least:

(i) select the fuel, (ii) select a condition associated with the fuel, (iii) select a quantity associated with the fuel, or (iv) select a price associated with the fuel.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the consuming device comprises at least one of:

(i) a device powered by the fuel, (ii) a vehicle, or (iii) a device adapted to transform the fuel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying that the fuel dispenser is authorized to provide the ambient condition parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based on said receiving, arranging for an exchange of payment with at least one of;

(i) a customer, (ii) a provider, or (iii) a third party.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said arranging is performed via a payment identifier, the payment identifier being further associated with a payment in exchange for the fuel.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the ambient condition parameter is performed via at least one of:

(i) a wireless device, (ii) a Bluetooth device, (iii) a communication port, (iv) a storage device, (v) an optical device, (vi) a magnetic device, or (vii) a device adapted to detect a material.

10. A computer-implemented method of facilitating fuel consumption, comprising:

transmitting via a wireless device an ambient condition parameter request to a device associated with dispensing fuel;

receiving the ambient condition parameter, the ambient condition parameter comprising information usable to improve a consumption of the fuel;

receiving the fuel; and

improving consumption of the fuel based on the ambient condition parameter.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;

transmit an ambient condition parameter request from a consuming device to a fuel dispenser;

receive the ambient condition parameter from the fuel dispenser;

receive fuel from the fuel dispenser; and

adjust at least one consumption parameter based on the ambient condition parameter such that a way in which the fuel is consumed by the consuming device is adjusted.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the ambient condition parameter request includes at least one of:

(i) a requesting device identifier, (ii) a customer identifier, (iii) a fuel provider identifier, (iv) a third party identifier, (v) an ambient condition parameter identifier, (vi) a payment identifier, or (vii) a fuel identifier.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the ambient condition parameter comprises information usable to improve consumption of the fuel.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the ambient condition parameter comprises information usable to at least:

(i) select the fuel, (ii) select a condition associated with the fuel, (iii) select a quantity associated with the fuel, or (iv) select a price associated with the fuel.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the consuming device comprises at least one of:

(i) a device powered by the fuel, (ii) a vehicle, or (iii) a device adapted to transform the fuel.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein execution of the instructions further cause the processor to:

verify that the fuel dispenser is authorized to provide the ambient condition parameter.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein execution of the instructions further cause the processor to:

based on said receiving, arrange for an exchange of payment with at least one of;

(i) a customer, (ii) a provider, or (iii) a third party.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the exchange is performed via a payment identifier, the payment identifier being further associated with a payment in exchange for the fuel.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the ambient condition parameter is received via at least one of:

(i) a wireless device, (ii) a Bluetooth device, (iii) a communication port, (iv) a storage device, (v) an optical device, (vi) a magnetic device, or (vii) a device adapted to detect a material.

20. A medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method of facilitating fuel consumption, said method comprising:

transmitting an ambient condition parameter request from a consuming device to a fuel dispenser;

receiving the ambient condition parameter from the fuel dispenser;

receiving fuel from the fuel dispenser; and

adjusting at least one consumption parameter based on the ambient condition parameter such that a way in which the fuel is consumed by the consuming device is adjusted.