Fuel dispenser flow meter fraud detection and prevention

• US 9,302,899 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Williams, Rodger K., Payne, Edward A., Scott, Christopher E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, JAMEL E
• Application Number:
  US14/311,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20140299222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: B67D 7/16 Arrangements of liquid meters
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/20 of rotary type
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/075 with magnetic or electromagnetic coupling to the indicating device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A method of conducting a fueling transaction at a fuel dispenser. The fuel dispenser includes a flow meter operatively connected to internal fuel flow piping. The method comprises the step of providing a displacement sensor for generating information representative of an amount of fuel delivered through the flow meter. The displacement sensor comprises at least one transponder operatively connected to the flow meter. The method also comprises providing at least one interrogator electronics configured for remote electronic communication with the at least one transponder and authorizing the fueling transaction. Finally, the method comprises communicating with the at least one transponder using the at least one interrogator electronics during the fueling transaction. Fuel dispensers and flow meter assemblies comprising displacement sensors having transponders and/or capacitive sensing elements are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a fueling transaction at a fuel dispenser, said fuel dispenser comprising a flow meter operatively connected to internal fuel flow piping, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a displacement sensor for generating information representative of an amount of fuel delivered through said flow meter, said displacement sensor comprising at least one transponder operatively connected to said flow meter;

providing at least one interrogator electronics configured for remote electronic communication with said at least one transponder;

authorizing said fueling transaction;

communicating with said at least one transponder using said at least one interrogator electronics during said fueling transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one transponder is coupled for rotation with a shaft of said flow meter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said communicating step comprises interrogating said at least one transponder during each rotation of said flow meter shaft.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising encoding rotation of said flow meter shaft based on responsive signals from said at least one transponder to generate said information representative of an amount of fuel delivered through said flow meter.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of determining at least one of the rate of rotation, direction of rotation, and the position of said flow meter shaft.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a unique ID is stored in a memory of said at least one transponder.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said communicating step comprises requesting said unique ID from said at least one transponder upon initiation of said fueling transaction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said displacement sensor further comprises a capacitive sensor which generates said information representative of an amount of fuel delivered through said flow meter.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a control system of said fuel dispenser is configured to compare said information representative of an amount of fuel delivered through said flow meter with the number of times said at least one interrogator electronics has interrogated said at least one transponder during said fueling transaction.

10. A fuel dispenser, comprising:

a housing;

internal fuel flow piping;

a flow meter operatively connected with said internal fuel flow piping;

a displacement sensor for generating information representative of an amount of fuel delivered through said flow meter, said displacement sensor comprising at least one transponder operatively connected to said flow meter; and

at least one interrogator electronics configured for remote electronic communication with said at least one transponder.

11. The fuel dispenser of claim 10, wherein said flow meter comprises a shaft, and wherein said at least one transponder is coupled for rotation with said shaft.

12. The fuel dispenser of claim 11, wherein said at least one interrogator electronics is configured to interrogate said at least one transponder during rotation of said flow meter shaft.

13. The fuel dispenser of claim 10, further comprising a control system in electronic communication with said at least one interrogator electronics.

14. The fuel dispenser of claim 13, wherein said control system periodically instructs said at least one interrogator electronics to detect the presence of said at least one transponder.

15. The fuel dispenser of claim 10, wherein said at least one interrogator electronics is configured to interrogate said at least one transponder upon initiation of a fueling transaction.

16. The fuel dispenser of claim 15, wherein fuel dispensing is not authorized if said at least one interrogator electronics does not receive an expected signal from said at least one transponder.

17. The fuel dispenser of claim 16, wherein said expected signal comprises identifying indicia of said flow meter.

18. The fuel dispenser of claim 10, further comprising an optical displacement sensor.

19. A fuel dispenser, comprising:

a housing;

internal fuel flow piping;

a flow meter operatively connected with said internal fuel flow piping;

a capacitive displacement sensor operatively connected to said flow meter for generating information representative of an amount of fuel delivered through said flow meter; and

capacitive sensing electronics in communication with said capacitive displacement sensor.

20. The fuel dispenser of claim 19, further comprising at least one transponder coupled for rotation with a shaft of said flow meter and at least one interrogator electronics configured for remote electronic communication with said at least one transponder.

21. The fuel dispenser of claim 19, wherein said capacitive displacement sensor comprises a reader having a plurality of conductive pads defined thereon and an arm coupled for rotation with a shaft of said flow meter.

22. A flow meter assembly, comprising:

a flow meter comprising a shaft;

a displacement sensor for generating information representative of an amount of fuel delivered through said flow meter, said displacement sensor comprising at least one transponder operatively connected to said flow meter; and

at least one interrogator electronics configured for remote electronic communication with said at least one transponder.

23. The flow meter assembly of claim 22, said displacement sensor further comprising a pulser.

24. The flow meter assembly of claim 22, wherein said at least one interrogator electronics is configured to interrogate said at least one transponder during a fueling transaction to generate said information representative of an amount of fuel delivered through said flow meter.

25. The flow meter assembly of claim 22, wherein said at least one transponder comprises a plurality of transponders.

26. A flow meter assembly, comprising:

a flow meter comprising a shaft;

a displacement sensor for generating information representative of an amount of fuel delivered through said flow meter, said displacement sensor comprising a first capacitive sensing element operatively connected to said flow meter;

a second capacitive sensing element proximate said first capacitive sensing element; and

capacitive sensing electronics in electrical communication with said first and second capacitive sensing elements.

27. The flow meter assembly of claim 26, said displacement sensor further comprising a pulser.