FUEL DISPENSER

• US 20090048709A1
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: DeLine, Jonathan E.
• Application Number:
  US12/190,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048709A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/232
• 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 7/14 responsive to input of recorded programmed information, e.g. on punched cards
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/145 by wireless communication means, e.g. RF, transponders or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/346 by reading a code
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1041 PIN input keyboard gets new key allocation at each use
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 the arrangements being full-front touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 3/00 Alarm indicators, e.g. bells

Abstract

A fuel dispenser comprises a housing, a fuel dispensing apparatus mounted within the housing, the fuel dispensing apparatus having control electronics, at least one touch display mounted in the housing and operatively coupled to the control electronics, the touch display being configured to allow a user to make selections for conducting a transaction, a nozzle operatively coupled to the fuel dispensing apparatus and a camera operatively coupled to the fuel dispensing apparatus control electronics. The at least one of the camera and the touch display being configured to detect the presence of a user without the user physically touching the fuel dispenser, and in response to detecting the presence of the user, the fuel dispenser control electronics activates the at least one display so that instructions are presented to the user.

Claims

1. A fuel dispenser comprising:

a. a housing;

b. a fuel dispensing apparatus mounted within said housing, said fuel dispensing apparatus having control electronics;

c. at least one touch display mounted in said housing and operatively coupled to said control electronics, said touch display being configured to allow a user to make selections for conducting a transaction; and

d. a nozzle operatively coupled to said fuel dispensing apparatus,

wherein

said fuel dispenser is configured to detect the presence of a user without the user physically touching the fuel dispenser, and

in response to detecting the presence of the user, said fuel dispensing apparatus control electronics activates said at least one display.

2. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, said fuel dispenser being further configured to present instructions to the user for carrying out a transaction at said fuel dispenser when said user physically contacts said fuel dispenser.

3. The fuel dispenser of claim 2, wherein said transaction is a fuel dispensing transaction.

4. The fuel dispenser of claim 2, wherein said transaction is a purchase from a convenience store associated with said fuel dispenser.

5. The fuel dispenser of claim 2, where said transaction is a purchase from an unrelated internet site.

6. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, wherein said at least one touch display is a capacitive type touch display that is configured to detect the presence of a user.

7. The fuel dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a camera for detecting the presence of the user.

8. The fuel dispenser of claim 7, wherein said touch display is a capacitive-type touch display configured to assist in detecting the presence of the user.

9. A fuel dispenser comprising:

a. a housing;

b. a fuel dispensing apparatus mounted within said housing, said fuel dispensing apparatus having control electronics;

c. at least one touch display mounted in said housing and operatively coupled to said control electronics, said touch display being configured to allow a user to make selections for conducting a transaction;

d. a nozzle operatively coupled to said fuel dispensing apparatus; and

e. a camera operatively coupled to said fuel dispensing apparatus control electronics,

wherein

at least one of said camera and said touch display is configured to detect the presence of a user without the user physically touching the fuel dispenser, and in response to detecting the presence of the user, said fuel dispenser control electronics activates said at least one display so that instructions are presented to the user.

10. The fuel dispenser of claim 9, wherein said instructions are for completing a fuel dispensing transaction.

11. The fuel dispenser of claim 9, wherein said instructions are for completing a purchase from a convenience store associated with said fuel dispenser.

12. The fuel dispenser of claim 9, wherein said dispenser apparatus control electronics are configured to deactivate said at least one display once the user is no longer detected in the proximity of said fuel dispenser.

13. The fuel dispenser of claim 9, further comprising a detector operatively coupled to said fuel dispenser apparatus control electronics and configured to detect if said nozzle is brought into close proximity to said at least one touch display.

14. The fuel dispenser of claim 13, wherein said fuel dispenser blanks out said at least one touch display when said nozzle is detected in close proximity to said at least one touch display so as to prevent the user from touching said at least one touch display with said nozzle.

15. A method of operating a fuel dispenser, said method comprising the steps of:

a. detecting the presence of a customer who has not physically touched said fuel dispenser;

b. monitoring at least one input device coupled to said fuel dispenser;

c. turning on a backlight of a display that is part of said fuel dispenser when the user engages said fuel dispenser;

d. capturing an input from said at least one input device;

e. determining an identity of the user based on said input; and

f. displaying data on said display that is specifically configured based on the identity of the user.

16. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 15, wherein the step of capturing input comprises capturing a video image of the user.

17. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 15, wherein the step of determining an identity of the user further comprises using a facial recognition program to determine the identity of the user.

18. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 16, further comprising the step of authorizing a transaction based on the determination of the identity of the user.

19. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 16, wherein the step of determining an identity of the user further comprises using video recognition techniques to identify specific characteristics of the user, which are used in specifically configuring the data displayed on said dispenser display.

20. The method of operating a fuel dispenser of claim 15, wherein the step of displaying data specifically configured based on the identity of the user further comprises displaying reminders for future events.