System and method for regulating fuel transactions

• US 10,198,891 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2008
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epona LLC
• Original Assignee: Epona LLC
• Inventors: Betancourt, Ernest Blas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Kira
• Application Number:
  US12/134,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20090306997A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,896 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery

Abstract

A method and system for regulating fuel transactions is provided. Fuel consumption data may be received corresponding to a first and second vehicle location. The difference between the first and second fuel consumption is determined to obtain an overall or combined fuel consumption value. In some examples, the fuel consumption data is transferred from a vehicle data system to a carrier data system located remotely from the vehicle. The data is processed at the carrier data system and the overall fuel consumption is transmitted to a fueling point to limit the amount of fuel transferred to the vehicle. In some arrangements, the limit may be adjusted to include additional factors such as additional distance to travel to the fueling point, anticipated distance to be traveled in subsequent legs of the trip, etc.

Claims

1. A method for regulating fuel transactions, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a carrier data system through a wireless communication network, vehicle operation data from an engine control module of a vehicle;

processing, by the carrier data system, the vehicle operation data to determine a first fuel consumption corresponding to a first fueling location of the vehicle;

processing additional vehicle operation data, by the carrier data system, a second fuel consumption corresponding to a second fueling location of the vehicle;

determining, by the carrier data system, a difference between the first fuel consumption and the second fuel consumption, the difference being an overall fuel consumption of the vehicle corresponding to a distance travelled between the first fueling location and the second vehicle fueling location;

determining, by the carrier data system, that an additional distance will be travelled between the first fueling location and the second fueling location and prior to fueling the vehicle;

adjusting the determined overall fuel consumption to include fuel consumption associated with the additional distance to be travelled prior to fueling the vehicle; and

transmitting, through a communication network connecting the carrier data system and a fueling station control system, a fuel limit command specifying the adjusted overall fuel consumption amount to the fueling station control system, the fuel limit command causing the fueling station control system to automatically shut off a transfer fuel to the vehicle upon reaching the adjusted overall consumption amount.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second fueling locations are predetermined locations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fueling location corresponds to a start of a leg of a trip.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier data system is located remotely from the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second fuel consumption are volumetric measures of fuel consumed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second fuel consumption includes data received from a data bus.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the fuel limit command includes:

determining a location of the vehicle using geographic positioning data generated by a geographic position system; and

transmitting the fuel limit command to the fueling station control system ahead of the vehicle reaching a fuel station associated with the fueling station control system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein first and second fuel consumption data is received at the carrier data system at regular intervals in a day.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein first and second fuel consumption data is received at the carrier data system on demand.

10. The method of claim 1, further including transmitting the adjusted overall fuel consumption limit from the carrier data system to the fueling station.

11. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

obtain, by a carrier data system through a wireless communication network, vehicle operation data from an engine control module of a vehicle;

process, by the carrier data system from the engine control module of the vehicle, the vehicle operation data to determine a first fuel consumption corresponding to a first fueling location of the vehicle;

process, by a carrier data system, additional vehicle operation data to determine a second fuel consumption corresponding to a second fueling location of the vehicle;

determine, by the carrier data system, a difference between the first fuel consumption and the second fuel consumption, the difference being an overall fuel consumption of the vehicle corresponding to a distance travelled between the first fueling location and the second fueling location;

determine, by the carrier data system, that an additional distance will be travelled between the first fueling location and the second location and prior to fueling the vehicle;

adjust the determined overall fuel consumption to include fuel consumption associated with the additional distance to be travelled prior to fueling the vehicle; and

transmitting, through a communication network connecting the carrier data system and a fueling station control system, a fuel limit command specifying the adjusted overall fuel consumption to the fueling station control system, the fuel limit command causing the fueling station control system to automatically shut off a transfer fuel to the vehicle upon reaching the adjusted overall consumption amount.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the first and second fueling locations are predetermined locations.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the first fueling location is a location at a start of a leg of a trip.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, wherein the carrier data system is located remotely from the vehicle.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, wherein first and second fuel consumption data is received at the carrier data system at predetermined times in a day.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 11, wherein first and second fuel consumption data is received at the carrier data system on demand.

17. A method of regulating fuel transactions, comprising:

obtaining, by a carrier data system through a wireless communication network, vehicle operation data from an engine control module of a vehicle;

processing, by the carrier data system from the engine control module of the vehicle, the vehicle operation data to determine a first fuel consumption data for the vehicle;

processing, by the carrier data system, additional vehicle operation data to determine a second fuel consumption data for the vehicle;

processing, by the carrier data system, the first and second fuel consumption data to determine a combined fuel consumption;

receiving, by the carrier data system, transportation information including at least a location of the vehicle;

comparing, at the carrier data system, the received transportation information with a projected route of the vehicle;

adjusting the combined fuel consumption based on a result of the comparison of the received transportation information with the projected route of the vehicle to determine a combined fuel consumption limit; and

transmitting, through a communication network connecting the carrier data system and a fueling station control system, a fuel limit command specifying the combined fuel consumption limit the fueling station control system, the fuel limit command causing the fueling station control system to automatically shut off a transfer fuel to the vehicle upon reaching the combined fuel consumption amount.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the transportation information further includes an odometer reading.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the carrier data system is located remotely from the vehicle.

20. The method of claim 17, further including limiting an amount of fuel transferred to the vehicle based on the combined fuel consumption limit.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the first fuel consumption data corresponds to a first predetermined location.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the second fuel consumption data is corresponds to a second predetermined location.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the second predetermined location corresponds to the fueling point.