Credit card automated system for vehicle service stations
First Claim
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1. An attendant-controlled system for automatic enablement and monitoring of fuel dispensers and transacting sales comprising:
- at least one manually operable fuel dispensing means for dispersement of fuel, each said fuel dispensing means including means for generating first coded data signals representative of the value of fuel dispensed;
credit card reader means operable for identifying indicia carried by a credit card and for generating second coded data signals indicative of said indicia;
attendant-operable keyboard means including;
(i) sale input means for generating third coded data signals representative of the value of at least one non-fuel sale keyed-in by the attendant;
(ii) print key means manually actuable for generating a print signal for commanding a receipt print-out of said value of fuel dispensed and/or said non-fuel sale; and
(iii) cash key means manually actuable for generating a cash signal for permitting a non-credit card sale;
receipt printer means for printing alphabetic and/or numeric information;
data transmission means connectable to a data bank capable of transmitting data signals thereto and capable of receiving fourth coded data signals from the data bank representative of credit authorization, said fourth coded data signals having a valid credit state or a non-valid credit state; and
processor control means interconnected to said fuel dispensing means, said credit reader means, said keyboard means, said receipt printer means and said data transmission means, said processor control means responsive to said second coded data signals for instructing said transmission means to transmit said second coded data signals to said data bank, and responsive to said print signal and a valid credit state of said fourth data signals for transmitting said first coded data signals and/or said third coded data signals to said printer means for instructing said printer means to print a receipt indicative of said value of dispensed fuel and/or said non-fuel sale, said processor control means responsive to a non-valid credit state of said fourth coded data signals for inhibiting said printing of said receipt responsive to said print signal, and said processor control means responsive to said cash signal despite a non-valid credit state of said fourth coded data signals for processing said first and said third coded data signals.
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Abstract
An attendant-controlled terminal, operating under the control of a conventional microprocessor, monitors and controls remote fuel pumping units, combines fuel sale information with information concerning additional sales keyboarded by the attendant, accepts customer account information recorded on a credit card, verifies that the identified account is in good standing, and prints a credit card receipt for signature by the customer, the receipt being printed in an optically-readable format compatible with conventional automated invoice processing equipment.
81 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An attendant-controlled system for automatic enablement and monitoring of fuel dispensers and transacting sales comprising:
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at least one manually operable fuel dispensing means for dispersement of fuel, each said fuel dispensing means including means for generating first coded data signals representative of the value of fuel dispensed; credit card reader means operable for identifying indicia carried by a credit card and for generating second coded data signals indicative of said indicia; attendant-operable keyboard means including; (i) sale input means for generating third coded data signals representative of the value of at least one non-fuel sale keyed-in by the attendant; (ii) print key means manually actuable for generating a print signal for commanding a receipt print-out of said value of fuel dispensed and/or said non-fuel sale; and (iii) cash key means manually actuable for generating a cash signal for permitting a non-credit card sale; receipt printer means for printing alphabetic and/or numeric information; data transmission means connectable to a data bank capable of transmitting data signals thereto and capable of receiving fourth coded data signals from the data bank representative of credit authorization, said fourth coded data signals having a valid credit state or a non-valid credit state; and processor control means interconnected to said fuel dispensing means, said credit reader means, said keyboard means, said receipt printer means and said data transmission means, said processor control means responsive to said second coded data signals for instructing said transmission means to transmit said second coded data signals to said data bank, and responsive to said print signal and a valid credit state of said fourth data signals for transmitting said first coded data signals and/or said third coded data signals to said printer means for instructing said printer means to print a receipt indicative of said value of dispensed fuel and/or said non-fuel sale, said processor control means responsive to a non-valid credit state of said fourth coded data signals for inhibiting said printing of said receipt responsive to said print signal, and said processor control means responsive to said cash signal despite a non-valid credit state of said fourth coded data signals for processing said first and said third coded data signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 20)
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16. An attendant-controlled system for automatic enablement and monitoring of fuel dispensers and transacting credit card sales comprising:
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a plurality of manually operable fuel dispensing means for dispensement of fuel by a customer, each said fuel dispensing means including means for generating first coded data signals representative of the quantity of fuel dispensed; credit card reader operable for identifying indicia carried by a credit card and for generating second coded data signals indicative of said indicia; attendant-operable keyboard means including; (i) sale input means for generating third coded signals representative of the amount of at least one non-fuel sale keyed-in by the attendant; (ii) print key means manually selectable for generating a print signal for commanding a receipt print-out including the value of fuel dispensed and/or said non-fuel sale; and (iii) fuel key means for commanding retrieval of said first coded data signals of a selected one of said plurality of fuel dispensing means; receipt printer means for printing at least numeric information responsive to print data input signals; data transmission means connectable to a data bank for transmitting data signals thereto and for receiving fourth coded data signals from the data bank representative of credit authorization, said fourth coded data signals having a valid credit state or a non-valid credit state; and processor control means interconnected to said fuel dispensing means, said credit card reader means, said keyboard means, said receipt printer means and said data transmission means, said processor control means responsive to said second coded data signals for communicating via said transmission means to said data bank for retrieving said fourth coded data signals, and responsive to actuation of said fuel key means for retrieving said first coded data signals, and responsive to said print signal and a valid credit state of said fourth data signals for formulating print data input signals from said first coded data signals of the selected dispensing means and from said third coded data signals, and for transmitting said print data input signals to said printer means for instructing said printer means to print a receipt indicative of the value of dispensed fuel and said non-fuel sale. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification