RETAIL FUELING ENVIRONMENT UTILIZING POWERED COMMUNICATION OVER LEGACY CABLING

• US 20140114473A1
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: McNinch, Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 9,495,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/241
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/06 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks

Abstract

Various systems and methods are provided for facilitating powered communications over legacy cabling. This can be implemented in a fuel dispensing environment where the fuel dispenser can include a diode coupler communicatively coupled to the legacy cabling for receiving powered communications from one or more backroom components over the legacy cabling during a power outage, and a broadband communications modem for communicating with the one or more backroom components, wherein the diode coupler provides power from the powered communications to the broadband communications modem. Relays can be used at the fuel dispenser and/or backroom components to determine whether to use the powered communications or legacy communications based on whether power is available at the components communicating over the legacy cabling. In addition, failsafe protection of legacy communication circuits is provided when powered communications are active.

Claims

1. A system for controlling a fuel dispenser, comprising:

a coupler communicatively coupled to legacy cabling for receiving powered communications from one or more backroom components over the legacy cabling during a power outage; and

a broadband communications modem for communicating with the one or more backroom components, wherein the coupler provides power from the powered communications to the broadband communications modem.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a relay for passing signals received over the legacy cabling to a legacy interface when the relay is closed; and

a microprocessor for generating a control signal that causes the relay to close when sufficient power is available to facilitate legacy communications over the legacy cabling.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor terminates the control signal during at least a portion of the power outage to cause the relay to open.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the portion of the power outage correlates to receiving the powered communications over the legacy cabling.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the microprocessor determines to terminate the control signal based at least in part on detecting the power outage.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the microprocessor detects the power outage based at least in part on receiving an indication of the power outage from a microprocessor of the one or more backroom components via the broadband communications modem.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the microprocessor detects the power outage based at least in part on detecting a switch from receiving power from a coupler to receiving power from a super capacitor for at least a period of time.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the power outage disrupts power to the microprocessor causing termination of the control signal.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor generates the control signal based on communications with one or more microprocessors of the one or more backroom components.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the communications include a determined state of a connection between the broadband communications modem and a backroom broadband communications modem of the backroom components.

11. The system of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor generates the control signal based at least in part on one or more components installed at a site of the fuel dispenser.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more components correspond to wiring or power sources at the site.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein the microprocessor generates the control signal based at least in part on instructions received from a point-of-sale terminal or a forecourt controller remotely located from the fuel dispenser.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the broadband communications modem is a wireless modem that wirelessly communicates with a backroom broadband communications modem.

15. A system for communicating with one or more fuel dispensers, comprising:

a direct current (DC) power supply;

a legacy interface for communicating using legacy cabling;

a relay for controlling whether to pass signals from the DC power supply or signals from the legacy interface to one or more fuel dispensers over the legacy cabling based at least in part on a received control signal; and

a microprocessor for communicating the control signal to the relay.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a broadband communications modem for communicating data with the one or more fuel dispensers.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a filter/splitter for combining signals from the broadband communications modem with the signals passed by the relay for communicating over the legacy cabling.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the microprocessor detects a power outage, and communicates the control signal to the relay causing the relay to pass signals from the DC power supply.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the microprocessor further indicates the power outage to the one or more fuel dispensers via the broadband communications modem.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the DC power supply powers the broadband communications modem and the microprocessor during the power outage.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein a super capacitor powers the broadband communications modem and the microprocessor during at least a portion of the power outage.

22. The system of claim 15, further comprising receiving the received control signal from a remotely located point-of-sale terminal or forecourt controller.