Retail fueling environment utilizing powered communication over legacy cabling

• US 9,495,822 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: McNinch, Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): Fotakis, Aristocratis
• Application Number:
  US14/057,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20140114473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/06 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Various systems and methods are provided for facilitating powered communications over legacy cabling. This can be implemented in a fuel dispensing environment where the fuel dispenser can include a diode coupler communicatively coupled to the legacy cabling for receiving powered communications from one or more backroom components over the legacy cabling during a power outage, and a broadband communications modem for communicating with the one or more backroom components, wherein the diode coupler provides power from the powered communications to the broadband communications modem. Relays can be used at the fuel dispenser and/or backroom components to determine whether to use the powered communications or legacy communications based on whether power is available at the components communicating over the legacy cabling. In addition, failsafe protection of legacy communication circuits is provided when powered communications are active.

Claims

1. A system incorporated into a fuel dispenser for controlling the fuel dispenser and operatively connected to one or more backroom components via legacy cabling, the system comprising:

a coupler communicatively coupled to the legacy cabling for receiving powered communications from the one or more backroom components over the legacy cabling during a power outage;

a broadband communications modem for communicating with the one or more backroom components, wherein the coupler provides power from the powered communications to the broadband communications modem during the power outage but is otherwise powered by a mains power source at the fuel dispenser; and

a legacy interface connected to the legacy cabling for legacy communications when the powered communications over the legacy cabling is not occurring, wherein the legacy interface is disconnected from the legacy cabling when the powered communications over the legacy cabling is occurring.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a relay for passing signals received over the legacy cabling to the legacy interface when the relay is closed; and

a microprocessor for generating a control signal that causes the relay to close when sufficient power is available to facilitate the legacy communications over the legacy cabling.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor terminates the control signal during at least a portion of the power outage to cause the relay to open.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the portion of the power outage correlates to receiving the powered communications over the legacy cabling.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the microprocessor determines to terminate the control signal based at least in part on detecting the power outage.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the microprocessor detects the power outage based at least in part on receiving an indication of the power outage from a microprocessor of the one or more backroom components via the broadband communications modem.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the microprocessor detects the power outage based at least in part on detecting a switch from receiving power from a coupler to receiving power from a super capacitor for at least a period of time.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the power outage disrupts power to the microprocessor causing termination of the control signal.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor generates the control signal based on communications with one or more microprocessors of the one or more backroom components.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the communications include a determined state of a connection between the broadband communications modem and a backroom broadband communications modem of the backroom components.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor generates the control signal based at least in part on one or more components installed at a site of the fuel dispenser.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more components correspond to wiring or power sources at the site.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor generates the control signal based at least in part on instructions received from a point-of-sale terminal or a forecourt controller remotely located from the fuel dispenser.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the broadband communications modem is a wireless modem that wirelessly communicates with a backroom broadband communications modem.