Conducting fuel dispensing transactions

• US 9,087,427 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Issued: 07/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC (Dover Corporation)
• Inventors: Weston, Timothy Martin, Tang, Weiming
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Tsan-Yu J
• Application Number:
  US11/862,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20090089214A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,854 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3823 combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery

Abstract

Fuel dispensing transactions may be accomplished by a variety of systems and techniques. A fuel dispensing device may include a payment module, a data entry device, and a customer display. The payment module may receive a first communication from a point of sale device requesting an encrypted response and receive a second communication from the point of sale device requesting an unencrypted response. The module may match the first communication to a first corresponding library entry, match the second communication to a second corresponding library entry, determine a user response based on one of the first corresponding library entry or the second corresponding library entry, where the user response defines one of the encrypted response based on the first corresponding library entry or the unencrypted response based on the second corresponding library entry, and use the corresponding library entry to generate a visual customer display requesting the user response.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for conducting a fuel dispenser transaction comprising:

receiving a first communication at a fuel dispenser payment module initiated by a point of sale device, the first communication comprising a request to display a first visual customer display requesting a first response for a fuel dispenser user comprising confidential information, the fuel dispenser payment module comprising at least one processor;

receiving a second communication at the fuel dispenser payment module initiated by the point of sale device, the second communication comprising a request to display a second visual customer display requesting a second response for a fuel dispenser user comprising non-confidential information;

matching, by the processor, the request to display the first visual customer display to a first corresponding library entry stored in at least one memory module communicably coupled to the fuel dispenser payment module, and displaying a third visual customer display including the first corresponding library entry in place of displaying the first visual customer display requested to be displayed by the first communication;

matching, by the processor, the request to display the second visual customer display to a second corresponding library entry stored in the at least one memory module, and displaying a fourth visual customer display including the second corresponding library entry in place of displaying the second visual customer display requested to be displayed by the second communication;

determining, by the processor, that a response has been made by the fuel dispenser user;

determining, by the processor, that the response made by the fuel dispenser user is associated with one of the third visual customer display or the fourth visual customer display; and

transmitting the response made by the fuel dispenser user to the point of sale device from the fuel dispenser payment module in a secure mode if the response made by the fuel dispenser user is determined to be associated with the third visual customer display, and transmitting the response made by the fuel dispenser user to the point of sale device from the fuel dispenser payment module in an unsecure mode if the response made by the fuel dispenser user is determined to be associated with the fourth visual customer display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response made by the fuel dispenser user corresponds to a first input at a fuel dispenser keypad defined by a first row location and a first column location, the method further comprising translating the first input to a second input at a point of sale keypad location defined by a second row location and a second column location, the second input identical to the first input, at least one of the second row location and second column location different from the first row location and second column location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication comprises a request to display a fifth visual customer display, the method further comprises matching, by the processor, the request to display the fifth visual customer display to the second corresponding library entry, and the method further comprises generating, by the processor, the visual customer display based on the second corresponding library entry in place of the second communication comprising the request to display the fifth visual customer display.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first communication comprises a first reference code associated with text to be displayed,

the second communication comprises a second reference code associated with text to be displayed,

matching, by the processor, the request to display the first visual customer display to a first corresponding library entry in the fuel dispenser payment module comprises matching, by the processor, the first reference code associated with text to be displayed as the third visual customer display to a reference code in the first corresponding library entry, and

matching, by the processor, the request to display second visual customer display to a second corresponding library entry in the fuel dispenser payment module comprises matching, by the processor, the second reference code associated with text to be displayed as the fourth visual customer display to a reference code in the second corresponding library entry.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising authorizing transmission of the response made by the fuel dispenser user through a fuel dispenser data entry device.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing entry of data by the fuel dispenser user through a fuel dispenser data entry device based on a failure to match the request to display the first visual customer display in a first corresponding library entry stored in at least one memory module communicable coupled to the fuel dispenser payment module.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting in the secure mode includes encrypting the first response made by the fuel dispenser user prior to transmission to the point of sale device from the fuel dispenser payment module.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein, when transmitting in the unsecure mode, the second response made by the fuel dispenser user is not encrypted prior to transmission to the point of sale device from the fuel dispenser payment module.

5. An article comprising a tangible computer-readable medium storing a computer program containing instructions for conducting a fuel dispensing transaction, the computer-readable instructions operable when executed by a processor to:

receive a first communication at a fuel dispenser payment module initiated by a point of sale device, the first communication comprising a request to display a first visual customer display requesting a first response for a fuel dispenser user comprising confidential information, the fuel dispenser payment module comprising at least one processor;

receive a second communication at the fuel dispenser payment module initiated by the point of sale device, the second communication comprising a request to display a second visual customer display requesting a second response for a fuel dispenser user comprising non-confidential information;

match, by the processor, the request to display the first visual customer display to a first corresponding library entry stored in at least one memory module communicably coupled to the fuel dispenser payment module, and display a third visual customer display including the first corresponding library entry in place of displaying the first visual customer display requested to be displayed by the first communication;

match, by the processor, the request to display the second visual customer display to a second corresponding library entry stored in the at least one memory module, and display a fourth visual customer display including the second corresponding library entry in place of displaying the second visual customer display requested to be displayed by the second communication;

determine, by the processor, that a response has been made by the fuel dispenser user;

determine, by the processor, that the response made by the fuel dispenser user is associated with one of the third visual customer display or the fourth visual customer display; and

transmit the response made by the fuel dispenser user to the point of sale device from the fuel dispenser payment module in a secure mode if the response made by the fuel dispenser user is determined to be associated with the third visual customer display, and transmit the response made by the fuel dispenser user to the point of sale device from the fuel dispenser payment module in an unsecure mode if the response made by the fuel dispenser user is determined to be associated with the fourth visual customer display.

6. The article of claim 5, wherein the computer-readable instructions are further operable to receive the response made by the fuel dispenser user at the fuel dispenser payment module from a data entry device.

7. The article of claim 5, wherein the computer-readable instructions are further operable to:

receive a third communication at the payment module from the point of sale device, the third communication defining a pass-through command; and

use the third communication to generate a visual customer display reflective of the pass-through command.

8. The article of claim 5, wherein the confidential information comprises at least one of the following:

a personal identification number (PIN);

a driver identification code;

a payment card number;

a payment card expiration date;

a zip code of a payment card billing address; and

a card verification code.

9. The article of claim 5, wherein the non-confidential information comprises at least one of the following:

a zip code of a payment card billing address;

an odometer value; and

a customer loyalty number.

10. The article of claim 7, wherein the pass-through command comprises at least one of the following:

an error message;

a greeting message;

an information message; and

a product solicitation.

11. The article of claim 6, wherein the data entry device comprises at least one of the following:

a keypad;

a card reader; and

a barcode scanner.

12. The article of claim 11, wherein the response made by the fuel dispenser user corresponds to a first input at the keypad defined by a first row location and a first column location, the software further operable to translate the first input to a second input at a point of sale keypad location defined by a second row location and a second column location, the second input identical to the first input, at least one of the second row location and second column location different from the first row location and second column location.

13. The article of claim 11, wherein the computer-readable instructions are further operable to:

enable a secure mode of the keypad based on the first corresponding library entry; and

display a symbolic representation of the first response during an entry of the user response in the secure mode.

14. The article of claim 5, wherein the second communication comprises a request to display a fifth visual customer display, the computer-readable instructions being further operable to:

match the request to display the fifth visual customer display to the second corresponding library entry.

15. The article of claim 5, wherein the first communication comprises a first reference code associated with text to be displayed and the second communication comprises a second reference code associated with text to be displayed, the computer-readable instructions being further operable to:

match the first reference code associated with text to be displayed as the third visual customer display to a reference code in the first corresponding library entry; and

match the second reference code associated with text to be displayed as the fourth visual customer display to a reference code in the second corresponding library entry.

16. A fuel dispenser device comprising:

a payment module comprising at least one processor and at least one memory, the memory storing a compatibility module operable when executed by the processor to;

receive a first communication at a fuel dispenser payment module initiated by a point of sale device, the first communication comprising a request to display a first visual customer display requesting a first response for a fuel dispenser user comprising confidential information, the fuel dispenser payment module comprising at least one processor;

receive a second communication at the fuel dispenser payment module initiated by the point of sale device, the second communication comprising a request to display a second visual customer display requesting a second response for a fuel dispenser user comprising non-confidential information;

match, by the processor, the request to display the first visual customer display to a first corresponding library entry stored in at least one memory module communicably coupled to the fuel dispenser payment module, and display a third visual customer display including the first corresponding library entry in place of displaying the first visual customer display requested to be displayed by the first communication;

match, by the processor, the request to display the second visual customer display to a second corresponding library entry stored in the at least one memory module, and display a fourth visual customer display including the second corresponding library entry in place of displaying the second visual customer display requested to be displayed by the second communication;

determine, by the processor, that a response has been made by the fuel dispenser user;

determine, by the processor, that the response made by the fuel dispenser user is associated with one of the third visual customer display or the fourth visual customer display; and

transmit the response made by the fuel dispenser user to the point of sale device from the fuel dispenser payment module in a secure mode if the response made by the fuel dispenser user is determined to be associated with the third visual customer display and transmit the response made by the fuel dispenser user to the point of sale device from the fuel dispenser payment module in an unsecure mode if the response made by the fuel dispenser user is determined to be associated with the fourth visual customer display;

a data entry device adapted to receive the response made by the user from the fuel dispenser user; and

a customer display adapted to visually present the visual customer display to the fuel dispenser user.

17. The fuel dispensing device of claim 16, wherein the compatibility module when executed by the processor is further adapted to:

receive a third communication from the point of sale device, the third communication defining a pass-through command; and

use the third communication to generate a visual customer display of the pass-through command.

18. The fuel dispensing device of claim 16, wherein the confidential information comprises at least one of the following:

a personal identification number (PIN);

a driver identification code;

a payment card number;

a payment card expiration date;

a zip code of a payment card billing address; and

a card verification code.

19. The fuel dispensing device of claim 16, wherein the non-confidential information response comprises at least one of the following:

a zip code of a payment card billing address;

an affirmative response;

a negative response;

an odometer value; and

a customer loyalty number.

20. The fuel dispensing device of claim 17, wherein the pass-through command comprises at least one of the following:

an error message;

a greeting message;

an information message; and

a product solicitation.

21. The fuel dispensing device of claim 16, wherein the data entry device comprises at least one of the following:

a keypad;

a card reader; and

a barcode scanner.

22. The fuel dispensing device of claim 21, wherein the response made by the fuel dispenser user corresponds to a first input at the keypad defined by a first row location and a first column location, the compatibility module when executed by the processor is further adapted to translate the first input to a second input at a point of sale keypad location defined by a second row location and a second column location, the second input identical to the first input, at least one of the second row location and second column location different from the first row location and second column location.

23. The fuel dispensing device of claim 21, wherein the compatibility module when executed by the processor is further adapted to enable a secure mode of the keypad based on the first corresponding library entry, the customer display being adapted to display a symbolic representation of the first response during an entry of the user response in the secure mode.

24. The fuel dispensing device of claim 16, wherein the second communication comprises a second text to be displayed as the fourth visual customer display, the compatibility module when executed by the processor is further adapted to:

match the second text to be displayed as the fourth visual customer display to text in the second corresponding library entry.

25. The fuel dispensing device of claim 16, wherein the first communication comprises a first reference code associated with text to be displayed and the second communication comprising a second reference code associated with text to be displayed, the compatibility module when executed by the processor is further adapted to:

match the first reference code associated with text to be displayed as the third visual customer display to a reference code in the first corresponding library entry; and

match the second reference code associated with text to be displayed as the fourth visual customer display to a reference code in the second corresponding library entry.