Preventing unauthorized delivery of liquid product to a liquid product storage tank

• US 7,185,683 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 03/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pilot Travel Centers LLC (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Flying J Inc.
• Inventors: Hillam, John D., Peterson, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Douglas; Steven O.
• Application Number:
  US11/062,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20060157149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/94, 141/95, 141/192, 141/198, 141/104, 700/231, 700/232, 700/236, 700/237, 700/241, 700/244, 700/282, 700/283, 700/240, 705/28
• US Class Current: 141/198
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/085 Testing or calibrating apparatus therefore testing or calibrating apparatus for measuring volume flow in general G01F25/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/222 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/3209 relating to spillage or leakage, e.g. spill containments, leak detection leak detectors for underground fuel dispensing systems G01M3/2892
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, systems, and computer program products to prevent a delivery vehicle from making an unauthorized delivery of liquid product to a liquid product storage tank at a retail store facility. A retail system and/or a centralized inventory management system can monitor one or more tanks at the retail facility for liquid product delivery from the carrier. The retail system and/or the centralized inventory management system can automatically interrupt delivery of liquid product when the delivery vehicle begins to delivery the liquid product to an unauthorized tank.

Claims

1. In a system having a centralized inventory management system and at least one retail facility, a method for interrupting delivery of a liquid product to the at least one retail facility, the method comprising:

monitoring one or more tanks at the at least one retail facility for liquid product delivery from a delivery vehicle;

identifying delivery of the liquid product to an unauthorized tank of the at least one retail facility; and

automatically terminating delivery of the liquid product when a control signal is sent to the delivery vehicle from at least one of (i) the retail facility, and (ii) the centralized inventory management system to interrupt delivery of the liquid product into the unauthorized tank.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically terminating delivery further comprises sending the control signal to the delivery vehicle via a wireless communication protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising shutting down a common air flow solenoid on the delivery vehicle to stop delivery of the liquid product.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically shutting off at least one pump dispenser in fluid communication with said unauthorized tank to prevent delivery of the liquid product to a customer of the at least one retail facility.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring a water level within said one or more tanks at the at least one retail facility;

identifying that a water float within one or more of said one or more tanks has risen above a predetermined threshold; and

when said water float has risen above said predetermined threshold, automatically terminating delivery of the liquid product by sending said control signal to the delivery vehicle via a wireless communication protocol.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, when said water float has risen above said predetermined threshold, automatically shutting off at least one pump dispenser in fluid communication with one or more of said one or more tanks to prevent delivery of the liquid product to a customer of the at least one retail facility.

7. A system to prevent a delivery vehicle from delivering liquid product to an unauthorized storage tank in a retail facility having a plurality of storage tanks, the system comprising:

a centralized inventory management system connected to at least one computer in the retail facility;

at least one sensor located in each storage tank of the plurality of storage tanks in the retail facility, said at least one sensor being electronically connected to the centralized inventory management system; and

a valve on the delivery vehicle electronically connected to the centralized inventory management system, the valve capable of interrupting the flow of liquid product during a delivery;

wherein the centralized inventory management system monitors said at least one sensor in each of the plurality of storage tanks while liquid product is being delivered into any of said plurality of storage tanks, and wherein the centralized inventory management system sends a control signal to the delivery vehicle to close said valve when the liquid product is being delivered into an unauthorized tank of said plurality of storage tanks.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each storage tank of said plurality of storage tanks comprises at least one sensor, said at least one sensor performs a real-time measurement of the amount of liquid product in each of said plurality of storage tanks.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said valve is connected to a solenoid that receives the signal and operates said valve.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the delivery vehicle is connected to the centralized inventory management system via a wireless communication protocol.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said control signal is sent automatically by the centralized inventory management system.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the centralized inventory management system activates an alarm at the retail facility and an operator then manually closes said valve to stop said delivery.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the centralized inventory management system further sends a signal to at least one liquid product dispenser connected to said unauthorized tank, the signal shutting down said at least one liquid product dispenser so that no liquid product can be dispensed from said unauthorized tank.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein said at least one sensor further measures an amount of water in each of said plurality of storage tanks, and the centralized inventory;

and management system interrupts the delivery of the liquid product when the amount of water in any of said plurality of storage tanks exceeds a predetermined value.

15. In a retail facility having a plurality of storage tanks for liquid product, the retail facility being connected to a centralized inventory management system, a method for interrupting a delivery of liquid product from a delivery vehicle into an unauthorized storage tank, the method comprising:

monitoring a level of liquid product in each of the plurality of storage tanks;

identifying delivery of liquid product to an unauthorized tank; and

automatically terminating delivery of the liquid product when a control signal is sent from at least one of the retail facility and the centralized management system to the delivery vehicle.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein monitoring the level of liquid product in each of the plurality of storage tanks includes collecting data from a sensor located in each of the plurality of storage tanks to obtain an accurate, real-time measurement of the level of liquid product with each of the plurality of storage tanks.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said collected data is collected at a rate of at least 10 times per second for each said sensor, and wherein said collected data is processed to minimize the effects of wave motion in each of the plurality of storage tanks to generate the accurate measurement of the level of liquid product in each of the plurality of storage tanks.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising shutting down a common air flow solenoid on the delivery vehicle to stop delivery of the liquid product.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising automatically shutting off at least one pump dispenser in fluid communication with said unauthorized tank to prevent delivery of the liquid product to a customer of the retail facility.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the delivery vehicle is connected to the centralized management system via a wireless protocol.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

monitoring a water level within said unauthorized tank at the retail facility; and

automatically interrupting delivery of the liquid product into said unauthorized tank by sending said control signal to the delivery vehicle when said water level rises to a predetermined value.