Fuel oil and propane monitoring, delivery and sale system and method

• US 8,079,245 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Independent Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: EnerTrac Incorporated (DataOnline LLC)
• Inventors: Owens, Steven C., Gibbs, Richard H., Hunt, Peter B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, ROSE MARY
• Application Number:
  US12/038,895
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 73/17.3, 73/17.4
• US Class Current: 73/1.73
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/802 Particular electronic circuits for digital processing equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/804 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/806 Particular electronic circuits for handling non-digital processing equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/808 containing circuits handling parameters other than liquid level
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/20 of apparatus for measuring liquid level

Abstract

A residential fuel measurement system for optimizing the fuel delivery including a sensor and transmission system with methods of use. The sensor includes a photo sensitive sensor for measuring the position of the existing fuel tank indicator. A transmission system transmits the position to central receiving station. Receiving station receives information, and other related information from third party sources and calculates a plurality of reports including fuel delivery routing, calibration, alarms and billing information.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating a tank sensor having an existing fuel level indicator, the method comprising the steps of:

optically sensing the position of the existing fuel level indicator before a delivery of fuel;

measuring the position of the existing fuel level indicator after the delivery of fuel; and

performing a calibration at least partially based on the measurements and an amount of fuel delivered.

2. The method of claim 1, further including determining a fuel level of the tank, before the delivery of fuel, based on the amount of fuel delivered.

3. The method of claim 1, further including determining a fuel level of the tank after performing the calibration.

4. The method of claim 1, further including transmitting calibration data after performing the calibration.

5. The method of claim 1, further including;

measuring the position of the existing fuel level indicator after removing a portion of fuel from the tank, after the delivery of fuel; and

determining the fuel level of the tank.

6. A method, comprising:

receiving a first indication of a position of a fuel level indicator of a tank at a first time, the first indication being a frequency of a timer;

adding an amount of fuel to the tank;

receiving a second indication of the position of the fuel level indicator at a second time, after the amount of fuel is added to the tank;

calibrating the fuel level indicator based on the first indication, the second indication, and the amount;

receiving a third indication of the position of the fuel level indicator at a third time, after a portion of the fuel is removed from the tank; and

determining a fuel level of the tank based on the third indication.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the first indication includes optically sensing the position of the fuel level indicator at the first time.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein a relationship between the first indication and the second indication is linear.

9. The method of claim 6, further including calibrating the fuel level indicator based on an ambient temperature.

10. The method of claim 6, further including transmitting the fuel level of the tank based on the third indication.

11. The method of claim 6, further including installing an optical sensor on the fuel level indicator prior to receiving the first indication.

12. A method, comprising:

sensing a first position of a fuel level indicator of a tank at a first time;

producing a first frequency based on the first position;

adding an amount of fuel to the tank;

sensing a second position of the fuel level indicator at a second time, after the amount of fuel is added to the tank; and

calibrating the fuel level indicator based on the first position, the second position, and the amount.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising producing a second frequency, different from the first frequency, based on the second position.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein calibrating the fuel level indicator includes determining the slope between a first point, based on the first position and a fuel level of the tank at the first time, and a second point, based on the second position and a fuel level of the tank at the second time.

15. The method of claim 12, further including:

sensing a third position of the fuel level indicator at a third time, after a portion of the fuel is removed from the tank; and

determining a fuel level of the tank based on the third position.

16. The method of claim 15, further including transmitting the fuel level of the tank based on the third indication.

17. The method of claim 12, further including installing an optical sensor on the fuel level indicator prior to sensing the first position.

18. A method for calibrating a fuel oil monitoring system, including:

sensing a first frequency indicative of a first data representative of a volume of fuel in a fuel tank, and transmitting the first data to a database;

adding an amount of fuel to the fuel tank, and transmitting second data representative of the amount of fuel to the database;

sensing third data representative of the volume of fuel in the fuel tank after adding the amount, and transmitting the third data to a database;

calculating a relationship based on the first data, the second data, and the third data;

sensing fourth data representative of a volume of fuel in the fuel tank after calculating the relationship, and transmitting the fourth data to the database; and

determining the volume of fuel in the fuel tank after calculating based on the relationship and the fourth data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the system includes a degree day calculator, the degree day calculator configured to calculate a predicted volume of fuel in the fuel tank.

20. The method of claim 18, further including:

calculating a predicted volume of fuel in the fuel tank;

comparing the predicted volume with the determined volume; and

producing an alarm when the difference between the predicted volume and the determined volume is greater than a predetermined amount.