Method for operating and managing a re-fueling business

• US 7,673,657 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Megiddo, Nimrod
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUST, TIMOTHY LEWIS
• Application Number:
  US12/055,801
• Publication Number:
  US 20090005902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/2, 141/67, 141/83, 141/94, 141/95, 141/98, 141/192, 141/198, 141/232
• US Class Current: 141/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for operating and managing a re-fueling business. The method includes contracting with a customer to fuel a fuel consuming vehicle for the customer, providing a locking device with a fuel tank of the vehicle, the locking device being unlockable by the re-fueling business and the customer, and transporting a fuel containing structure from the re-fueling business to various locations of the customer'"'"'s vehicle whenever a fueling of the vehicle is desirable to the business and the customer, the locations being remote of the business, unlocking the locking device of the fuel tank upon arrival at the locations, filling the fuel tank with an amount of fuel from the fuel containing structure upon the transporting of the fuel container to the locations, and re-locking the locking device after filling the fuel tank with the amount of fuel.

Claims

1. A method for operating and managing a re-fueling business, the method comprising:

contracting with a customer to fuel a fuel consuming automobile that said customer drives to and between various locations that include at least a first location and a second location;

providing a locking device with a fuel tank of said automobile, said locking device being unlockable by the re-fueling business and the customer;

transporting a fuel containing structure from the re-fueling business to both said first and said second locations whenever a fueling of said automobile is desirable to the business and said customer, said locations being remote of the business;

unlocking said locking device of said fuel tank upon arrival at said locations;

filling said fuel tank with an amount of fuel from said fuel containing structure upon said transporting of said fuel container to said locations, and re-locking said locking device after filling said fuel tank with said amount of fuel; and

providing said automobile of said customer with a transceiver that is in communication with a computing resource located at the business, and communicating location information pertaining to said locations and fuel information fuel level of said fuel tank from said transceiver to said computing resource.

2. The method of claim 1, further including providing a meter to said customer, and indicating to said customer a total amount of fuel supplied to said automobile during said filling.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said locations include a home parking area and an office parking area of said customer, said home parking area and said office parking area being remote of each other.

4. The method of claim 1, further including determining a desirable time for said transporting and said filling, said desirable time based on said location information and said fuel information.

5. The method of claim 2, further including linking said meter to a credit card of said customer, and charging said credit card based upon said total amount of fuel supplied during said filling.

6. The method of claim 5, further including negotiating and setting a charge limit on said credit card, wherein charges on said credit card remain at or under said limit during said filling.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said fuel container is disposed in association with a truck, and said truck is responsible for said transporting of said fuel container.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said contracting including at least one of restricting said transporting to specific locations of said various locations.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said transceiver is disposed with a GPS system of said automobile.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said transporting and said filling occurs on multiple occasions, the method further including logging numbers of said fillings at said various locations, creating a fueling pattern for said customer based on said logging, and creating an optimal re-fueling strategy for said customer based on said fueling pattern.