Method for automated refuelling

• US 5,628,351 A
• Filed: 06/05/1995
• Issued: 05/13/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: Musil, David I., West, Al, Williams, Owen R., Ramsey, William D. Jr., Loen, Andrew E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Douglas, Steven O.
• Application Number:
  US08/461,280
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/59, 141/98, 141/94, 141/114, 141/231, 141/312, 141/368, 141/382, 141/388, 141/392, 141/387, 186/36, 137/234.6, 340/450.2, 340/471, 340/941, 340/928, 340/933, 340/937, 340/942, 340/943
• US Class Current: 141/98
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0436 according to a spatial coordinate system
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0459 by interrogating a transponder
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0463 optically
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0469 by interrogating a transponder
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2007/0473 optically
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0401 arrangements for automatically fuelling vehicles, i.e. without human intervention
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/145 by wireless communication means, e.g. RF, transponders or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/3802 With vehicle guide or support, e.g., service station

Abstract

A method for automated refuelling is provided, the method comprising the steps of: providing the vehicle with a radio frequency transponder effective to communicate information sufficient to establish a position of a fuel inlet on the vehicle; receiving the communicated information at location where the vehicle is to be refuelled when the vehicle is located at the location where the vehicle is to be refuelled; when the vehicle is located at the location where the vehicle is to be refuelled, determining the position and orientation of the vehicle within the location; determining from the position and orientation of the vehicle and the communicated information, an expected location of the fuel inlet; after the vehicle is driven to an automated refuelling apparatus, initiating refuelling by moving a fuel dispenser to adjacent the expected location of the fuel inlet; providing a sensor on the fuel dispenser to determine the location of the fuel inlet relative to the fuel dispenser; repositioning the fuel dispenser based on a signal from the sensor on the fuel dispenser to a position from which the vehicle can be refuelled from the dispenser; and refuelling the vehicle from the repositioned fuel dispenser. This method, and the apparatus useful in the practice of this method, do not require accurate initial positioning of the vehicle by the driver, or extensive modifications to the vehicle. The refuelling operation is not commenced until engine operation of the vehicle is discontinued, and the refuelling operation can be discontinued when the vehicle engine is restarted.

Claims

1. A method for automatic refuelling of a vehicle comprising the steps of:

providing the vehicle with a radio frequency transponder effective to communicate information sufficient to establish a position of a fuel inlet on the vehicle;

receiving said information at the location where the vehicle is to be refuelled when the vehicle is located at the location where the vehicle is to be refuelled;

when the vehicle is located at the location where the vehicle is to be refuelled, determining the position and orientation of the vehicle within the location;

determining from the determined position and orientation of the vehicle and the communicated information, an expected location of the fuel inlet;

moving a fuel dispenser to adjacent the determined expected location of the fuel inlet;

providing a sensor on the fuel dispenser to determine the location of the fuel inlet relative to the fuel dispenser;

repositioning the fuel dispenser based on a signal from the sensor on the fuel dispensing head to a position from which the vehicle can be refuelled from the fuel dispenser; and

refuelling the vehicle from the repositioned fuel dispenser.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transponder is a passive transponder.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transponder is an active transponder.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein it is determined whether or not the vehicle engine is operating by signal generated from a loop antenna that is effective to detect an electromagnetic field generated by the vehicle'"'"'s alternator when the alternator is operating and the refuelling step is not started unless it is determined that the vehicle engine is not operating.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle'"'"'s position and orientation is determined by a plurality of acoustic range-finding sensors.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle'"'"'s position and orientation is determined by a digitalized visual image.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the sensor to determine the location of the fuel inlet relative to the fuel dispenser is a camera, and a visual image from the camera is digitalized and an outline of a fuel inlet is identified from the digitalized image.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein it is determined that the vehicle engine is not operating by signal generated from a loop antenna that is effective to detect a magnetic field generated by the vehicle'"'"'s alternator when the alternator is operating.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor to determine the location of the fuel inlet relative to the fuel dispenser is a magnetic flux sensor, and a magnet is fixed to the vehicle in the vicinity of the fuel inlet.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor to determine the location of the fuel inlet relative to the fuel dispenser is a camera, and a visual image from the camera is digitalized and an outline of a fuel inlet is identified from the digitalized image.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor to determine the location of the fuel inlet relative to the fuel dispenser is a transponder receiver and a transponder is fixed to the vehicle in the vicinity of the fuel inlet.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein it is determined that the vehicle engine is not operating by a sensor that detects electromagnetic waves generated by an operating vehicle'"'"'s ignition.