HANDS-FREE FUELING CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20100265033A1
• Filed: 04/17/2009
• Published: 10/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 4Refuel Holdings Ltd. (Finning International Incorporated), Fleet Data Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: 4Refuel Holdings Ltd. (Finning International Incorporated), Fleet Data Systems, LLC
• Inventors: CHEUNG, BYRON C.
• Application Number:
  US12/426,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20100265033A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.640
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery

Abstract

Roughly described, a fueling control system includes a nozzle module for use with a particular fuel dispensing nozzle, a vehicle module for use with a particular fuel tank inlet, and a site controller. The nozzle module, in response to predefined user activation behavior such as removal of the nozzle from an on-hook position and insertion into the inlet of a fuel tank, wirelessly transmits a wake-up signal and an identification of the particular nozzle. The vehicle module, in response to detection of the wake-up signal, awakens from a low power mode to an active mode, detects the transmitted nozzle identification, and wirelessly requests authorization for the particular nozzle to dispense fuel. The site controller, in response to detection of the nozzle identification, authorizes dispensing of fuel through the particular nozzle.

Claims

1. A fueling control system, comprising a nozzle module for use with a particular fuel dispensing nozzle, a vehicle module for use with a particular fuel tank inlet, and a site controller,

wherein the nozzle module, in response to predefined user activation behavior, wirelessly transmits a wake-up signal and an identification of the particular nozzle;

wherein the vehicle module, in response to detection of the wake-up signal;

awakens from a low power mode to an active mode,

detects the transmitted nozzle identification, and

wirelessly requests authorization for the particular nozzle to dispense fuel;

and wherein the site controller, in response to detection of the nozzle identification, authorizes dispensing of fuel through the particular nozzle.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the wake-up signal includes the identification of the particular nozzle.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle module, in response to the predefined user activation behavior, also wirelessly transmits an identification of the nozzle module,

wherein the vehicle module, also in response to detection of the wake-up signal, detects and wirelessly re-transmits the nozzle module identification;

and wherein the site controller, in response to detection of the nozzle module identification, verifies the authority of the nozzle module before authorizing dispensing of fuel through the particular nozzle.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle module, also in response to detection of the wake-up signal, wirelessly transmits an identification of the vehicle module,

and wherein the site controller, in response to detection of the vehicle module identification, verifies the authority of the vehicle module before authorizing dispensing of fuel through the particular nozzle.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle module, in response to the predefined user activation behavior, also wirelessly transmits an identification of the nozzle module,

wherein the vehicle module, also in response to detection of the wake-up signal:

detects and wirelessly re-transmits the nozzle module identifications; and

wirelessly transmits an identification of the vehicle module,

and wherein the site controller, in response to detection of the nozzle module identification and the vehicle module identification, verifies the authority of the nozzle module and the vehicle module before authorizing dispensing of fuel through the particular nozzle.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle module transmits a beacon signal in response to detection of the wake-up signal;

wherein the site controller detects the beacon signal, and in response thereto, transmits a synchronization signal;

and wherein the vehicle module detects the synchronization signal, and in response thereto, transmits a data signal during a time slot after the synchronization signal which is allocated to the particular nozzle, the data signal including the nozzle module identification and the vehicle module identification,

wherein the authorization request for the particular module by the vehicle module comprises the data signal transmitted during the time slot allocated to the particular nozzle.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission of the nozzle identification by the nozzle module has a shorter range than the transmission of the nozzle identification by the vehicle module.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle module is battery powered.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle module is powered by a battery dedicated to the vehicle module.

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the nozzle module comprises a switch having a first position when the particular nozzle is on-hook, the particular nozzle having a first angle to the vertical when on-hook, the switch further having a second position when the particular nozzle tilts away from the vertical by more than a predetermined tilt angle relative to the first angle, the predetermined tilt angle exceeding 45 degrees,

and wherein the user activation behavior comprises tilting the particular nozzle by more than the predetermined angle.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle module transmits a beacon signal in response to detection of the wake-up signal;

wherein the site controller detects the beacon signal, and in response thereto, transmits a synchronization signal;

and wherein the vehicle module detects the synchronization signal, and in response thereto, transmits a data signal during a time slot after the synchronization signal which is allocated to the particular nozzle,

wherein the authorization request for the particular module by the vehicle module comprises the data signal transmitted during the time slot allocated to the particular nozzle.

12. A fueling control module, for attachment to a fuel dispensing nozzle, comprising:

a switch having a first position when the nozzle is on-hook, the nozzle having a first angle to the vertical when the nozzle is on-hook, the switch further having a second position when the nozzle tilts away from the vertical by more than a predetermined tilt angle relative to the first angle, the predetermined tilt angle exceeding 45 degrees; and

a transmitter that wirelessly transmits an identifier of the nozzle in response to the switch transitioning from the first position to the second position.

13. A fueling dispenser control module, for use in association with a particular fuel dispensing nozzle, comprising:

a power control section having a power source input and a power providing output; and

a transmitter section having a power input connected to receive power from the power providing output of the power control section,

wherein the power control section provides power from the power source input to the power providing output in response to predefined user activation behavior, and shuts off power to the power providing output in response to a shutdown signal from the transmitter section;

and wherein the transmitter section, in response to receipt of power from the power providing output of the power control section;

wirelessly transmits an identification of the particular nozzle and an identification of the fueling dispenser control module; and

thereafter,

asserts the shutdown signal to the power control section.

14. A module according to claim 13, wherein the transmitter section transmits the nozzle identification and the module identification a predetermined number of times, and then asserts the shutdown signal before making any further wireless transmissions.

15. A module according to claim 13, further comprising a battery, dedicated to the fueling dispenser control module, connected to the power source input of the power control section.

16. A fueling control module, comprising a power control section having a power source input and a power providing output;

and

a transceiver section having a power input connected to receive power from the power providing output of the power control section,

wherein the power control section provides power from the power source input to the power providing output in response to detection of a wirelessly received wake-up signal;

and wherein the transceiver section, in response to receipt of power from the power providing output of the power control section;

obtains a nozzle identification from the wake-up signal, and

wirelessly requests authorization for the identified nozzle to dispense fuel.

17. A module according to claim 16, wherein the transceiver section further obtains a nozzle module identification from the wake-up signal, and

transmits the nozzle module identification with the wireless request for authorization for the identified nozzle to dispense fuel.

18. A module according to claim 17, wherein the transceiver section further transmits an identification of the fueling control module with the wireless request for authorization for the identified nozzle to dispense fuel.

19. A module according to claim 16, wherein the transceiver section transmits a beacon signal in response to receipt of power from the power providing output of the power control section;

wherein the transceiver section receives a synchronization signal after transmitting the beacon signal;

and wherein the transceiver section transmits a data signal in response to the synchronization signal, during a time slot after the synchronization signal which is allocated to the identified nozzle,

wherein the authorization request for the identified nozzle comprises the data signal transmitted during the time slot allocated to the identified nozzle.

20. A module according to claim 19, wherein the transceiver section further obtains a nozzle module identification from the wake-up signal, and

wherein the data signal includes both the nozzle module identification and an identification of the fueling control module.

21. A module according to claim 19, for use with a protocol in which N time slots each of predefined duration are allocated to N potential transmitters in sequence, the sequence repeating M times, N>

1 and M>

1, a particular one of the time slots being the one allocated to the identified nozzle,

wherein the transceiver section transmits the data signal during the particular time slot during each of the repetitions of the sequence.

22. A module according to claim 21, wherein the power control section shuts off power to the power providing output in response to a shut-down signal,

and wherein the transceiver section asserts the shut-down signal after transmitting the data signal for the M′

th time after the synchronization signal, and before making any further transmissions.

23. A module according to claim 16, further comprising a battery, dedicated to the fueling control module, connected to the power source input of the power control module.

24. A method for controlling the filling of fuel tanks from a plurality of fuel dispensers, comprising the steps of:

in response to detection of a wirelessly transmitted beacon signal, transmitting a synchronization signal;

during a sequence of N time slots each of predefined duration following the transmission of the synchronization signal, detecting a data transmission during an i′

th one of the time slots, N>

1 and 0<

i<

=N, each of the fuel dispensers corresponding to a respective one of the time slots including the i′

th time slot; and

authorizing the fuel dispenser corresponding to the i′

th time slot in response to the step of detecting a data transmission during the i′

th time slot.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein the data detected during the i′

th time slot includes an identification of a dispenser fuel control module,

further comprising the step of verifying authority of the identified dispenser fuel control module to request authorization to dispense fuel through the fuel dispenser corresponding to the i′

th time slot, before the step of authorizing.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein the data detected during the i′

th time slot includes an identification of a vehicle fuel control module,

further comprising the step of verifying authority of the identified vehicle fuel control module to request authorization to dispense fuel, before the step of authorizing.

27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the data detected during the i′

th time slot further includes an identification of a dispenser fuel control module,

further comprising the step of verifying authority of the identified dispenser fuel control module to request authorization to dispense fuel through the fuel dispenser corresponding to the i′

th time slot, before the step of authorizing.

28. A method according to claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

during the sequence of N time slots, detecting a data transmission during a j′

th one of the time slots, 0<

j<

=N, a j′

th one of the fuel dispensers corresponding to the j′

th time slot; and

authorizing the fuel dispenser corresponding to the j′

th time slot in response to the step of detecting a data transmission during the j′

th time slot.

29. A method according to claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

during a second repetition of the sequence of N time slots, detecting a data transmission during a j′

th one of the time slots, 0<

j<

=N, a j′

th one of the fuel dispensers corresponding to the j′

th time slot; and

authorizing the fuel dispenser corresponding to the j′

th time slot in response to the step of detecting a data transmission during the j′

th time slot.