System and Method for Processing Vehicle Transactions

• US 20080208701A1
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epona LLC
• Original Assignee: Newfuel Acquisition Corp.
• Inventors: Betancourt, Ernest Blas, Betancourt, Deborah Anne, Kadakia, Kokesh P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,830,637 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A method and system for processing a transaction request prior to a vehicle arriving at a service station is provided. Upon entering a wireless service area of a back office system associated with a service station, a driver and/or truck may request certain transactions. The back office system may communicate with a carrier information system associated with the driver and/or truck to validate and authorize the transaction. If the transaction is authorized, the back office system may send authorization to the service station. Once the driver and/or truck arrives at the point of sale, they may proceed directly to performing the requested transaction. A receipt may be automatically generated at the point of sale and transmitted to the carrier information system through the back office.

Claims

1. A method for processing vehicle transactions, the method comprising:

prior to a vehicle'"'"'s arrival at a vehicle service station, receiving, at a back office system, from a communication device, a transaction request corresponding to the vehicle for a transaction at the vehicle service station;

determining whether the transaction request is authorized based on carrier information determined from a carrier information system; and

transmitting a transaction authorization message to the vehicle service station in response to determining that the transaction request is authorized.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of extracting transaction information from the transaction request, wherein the transaction information includes at least one of vehicle related information and driver related information.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

detecting entry of the communication device into a wireless service area served by the back office system; and

transmitting a greeting message to the communication device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the greeting message includes a list of services available at the service station.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a transmission including the transaction request further includes one or more additional service requests, wherein the one or more additional request includes at least one of a product purchase request, cash advance and a shower reservation request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the transaction request is authorized based on carrier information determined from a carrier information system includes determining whether the carrier has sufficient funds to complete the requested transaction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein step of determining whether the transaction request is authorized based on carrier information determined from a carrier information system includes validating information received from the communication device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction request is received upon a manual confirmation by a driver of the vehicle.

9. A method for requesting authorization of a transaction, the method comprising:

detecting, by a mobile data processing device corresponding to a moving vehicle, a wireless service area corresponding to a back office system, wherein the back office system is associated with at least one service station;

generating a transaction request associated with a desired transaction.

wirelessly transmitting a transaction request to the back office system prior to arriving at the at least one service station, wherein the transaction request includes vehicle related information; and

wirelessly receiving a response from the back office system prior to arriving at the at least one service station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of detecting the wireless service area corresponding to the back office system includes receiving a service broadcast message from the back office system.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the transaction request is automatically generated in response to detecting the wireless service area.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the transaction request is generated in response to manual confirmation by a driver of the vehicle.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the vehicle related information is determined from an engine control module of the vehicle through a short-range wireless connection.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the transaction request to one or more additional back office systems within a predefined proximity of the vehicle.

15. A method for processing a transaction for a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, at a point of sale, an authorization message from a back office system, wherein the authorization message includes transaction information associated with the transaction;

receiving a request to activate a service system at the point of sale;

determining whether the request corresponds to the received transaction information; and

in response to determining that the request corresponds to the received transaction information, activating the service system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the service system includes a fuel dispenser.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the service system includes an air dispenser.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the service system includes an oil dispenser.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of receiving a request to activate the service system includes receiving, at the service system, user input corresponding to an authorization code.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the request to activate the service system is received from the service system.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the request includes vehicle related information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the vehicle related information is obtained by the service system from the vehicle.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of determining whether the request corresponds to the received transaction information includes comparing the vehicle related information with the transaction information.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the request is received after the vehicle arrives at the point of sale.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

upon completion of the transaction corresponding to the transaction information, transmitting a receipt for the transaction to the back office system.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising receiving payment information from the back office system in response to transmitting the receipt to the back office system.

27. A system for authorizing and processing transaction requests, the system comprising:

a processor;

a communication system configured to implement a wireless service area; and

memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the system to perform a method comprising;

receiving, at a back office system, a transaction request for a transaction at a vehicle service station from a communication device associated with a vehicle, wherein the transaction request is received prior to the vehicle'"'"'s arrival at the vehicle service station;

extracting transaction information from the transaction request, the transaction information including at least one of driver information and vehicle information, wherein the transaction information is digitally signed by at least one of a driver and the vehicle;

determining whether the transaction request is authorized based on carrier information determined from a carrier information system and the extracted transaction information, wherein the carrier information system is associated with the vehicle;

transmitting a transaction authorization message to the vehicle service station in response to determining that the transaction request is authorized; and

transmitting an authorization code to the communication device associated with the vehicle, wherein the authorization code activates the vehicle service station.