System and Method for Processing Vehicle Transactions

• US 20100088127A1
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Epona LLC
• Original Assignee: Newfuel Acquisition Corp.
• Inventors: Betancourt, Deborah Anne, Kadakia, Kokesh P., Betancourt, Ernest Blas
• Granted Patent: US 9,792,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• 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 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

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:

receiving, at a carrier system, a transaction request for a prospective fuel transaction at a vehicle service station, wherein the transaction corresponds to a vehicle and a driver of the vehicle;

determining whether the transaction request is authorized; and

transmitting a first transaction authorization code to the vehicle, wherein the first transaction authorization code is configured to activate a service system at the vehicle service station associated with the requested transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the first transaction authorization code to the service station.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for transaction approval information from the vehicle service station, wherein the request includes identification information for the at least one of the vehicle and the driver of the vehicle; and

transmitting the first transaction authorization code to the vehicle service station in response to the request.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transmitting a confirmation message to at least one of the vehicle and a device associated with the driver of vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a transmission including the transaction request further includes one or more additional transaction requests, wherein the one or more additional transaction requests 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 includes determining whether a carrier organization associated with the vehicle has sufficient funds to complete the requested transaction.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the carrier system, a request to validate a second transaction authorization code, wherein the second transaction authorization code is user-entered at the service station;

determining, by the carrier system, that the second transaction authorization code matches the first transaction authorization code; and

in response to determining that the first and second transaction authorization codes match, notifying the service station that the first and second transaction authorization codes match.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the request to validate the second transaction authorization code includes identification information of the at least one of the vehicle and the driver of the vehicle.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

monitoring the transaction after the vehicle'"'"'s arrival at the vehicle service station;

determining whether the transaction has exceeded a pre-approved limit; and

in response to determining that the transaction has exceeded the pre-approved limit, notifying the driver of the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising, based on the determination, requesting deactivation of a service system being used for the transaction.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that the vehicle has moved out of a predefined service area; and

in response to determining that the vehicle has moved out of the predefined service area, ending the transaction.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting that the vehicle has entered the service station.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting that the vehicle has entered a predefined service area within the vehicle service station, wherein the predefined service area is smaller than an area of the vehicle service station.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the predefined service area comprises a fuel lane corresponding to a fuel pump.

15. A method comprising:

prompting, by a service station, a driver of a vehicle for a pre-authorization code corresponding to a requested transaction;

transmitting the pre-authorization code to a carrier information system for validation;

receiving a response from the carrier information system indicating that the pre-authorization code is valid; and

activating a service system corresponding to the requested transaction.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining that the vehicle has left a predefined service area corresponding to the requested transaction; and

in response to determining that the vehicle has left the predefined service area, deactivating the service system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining that the vehicle has left the predefined service area is performed using one or more short-range sensors at the service station.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining that the vehicle has left a predefined service area is based on detection of a radio frequency ID (RFID) tag corresponding to the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein prompting the driver of the vehicle for the pre-authorization code corresponding to the requested transaction is performed upon detecting that the vehicle has entered a predefined service area within the service station.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the detection is based on one or more short-range sensors.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the predefined service area is smaller than an area of the service station.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the predefined service area comprises a fuel lane corresponding to a fuel pump.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

prompting the driver for a start code different from the pre-authorization code;

receiving the start code; and

transmitting the start code along with the pre-authorization code to the carrier information system for validation.

26. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

obtaining identification information for at least one of;

the driver and the vehicle; and

transmitting the identification information for validation with the pre-authorization code to the carrier information system.

27. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to;

receive a transaction request for a prospective fuel transaction at a vehicle service station, wherein the transaction corresponds to a vehicle and a driver of the vehicle;

determine whether the transaction request is authorized; and

transmit a first transaction authorization code to the vehicle, wherein the first transaction authorization code is configured to activate a service system at the vehicle service station associated with the requested transaction.

21. The method of claim 29, wherein the one or more short-range sensors includes a BLUETOOTH sensor.

22. The method of claim 29, wherein the one or more short-range sensors includes an RFID sensor.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a request for transaction approval information from the vehicle service station, wherein the request includes identification information for the at least one of the vehicle and the driver of the vehicle; and

transmit the first transaction authorization code to the vehicle service station in response to the request.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

receive a request to validate a second transaction authorization code, wherein the second transaction authorization code is user-entered at the service station;

determine that the second transaction authorization code matches the first transaction authorization code; and

in response to determining that the first and second transaction authorization codes match, notify the service station that the first and second transaction authorization codes match.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the request to validate the second transaction authorization code includes identification information of the at least one of the vehicle and the driver of the vehicle.

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

monitor the transaction after the vehicle'"'"'s arrival at the vehicle service station;

determine whether the transaction has exceeded a pre-approved limit; and

in response to determining that the transaction has exceeded the pre-approved limit, notify the driver of the vehicle and deactivating a service system used for the transaction.

32. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory operatively coupled to the processor and storing computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause the apparatus to;

prompt, at a service station, a driver of a vehicle for a pre-authorization code corresponding to a requested transaction;

transmit the pre-authorization code to a carrier information system for validation;

receive a response from the carrier information system indicating that the pre-authorization code is valid; and

activate, at the service station, a service system corresponding to the requested transaction.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

determine that the vehicle has left a predefined service area corresponding to the requested transaction; and

in response to determining that the vehicle has left the predefined service area, deactivate the service system.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

determine that the vehicle has entered a predefined service area corresponding to the requested transaction, wherein the predefined service area is smaller than an area of the service station.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

prompt for a start code different from the pre-authorization code upon determining that the vehicle has entered the predefined service area;

receive the start code; and

transmit the start code along with the pre-authorization code to the carrier information system for validation.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a short-range sensor configured to detect a presence of the vehicle within the predefined service area.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the computer readable instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:

obtain identification information for at least one of;

the driver and the vehicle; and

transmit the identification information for validation with the pre-authorization code to the carrier information system.