Unattended automated system for selling and dispensing fluids, with change-dispensing capability

• US 6,055,521 A
• Filed: 11/13/1998
• Issued: 04/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gary Community Investment Co.
• Original Assignee: JTW Operations Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, James, Ramsey, Furman D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US09/192,621
• Time in Patent Office: 529 Days
• Field of Search: 194/215, 194/217, 194/344, 194/346, 222/2, 364/479.02, 453/2, 705/413, 700/232
• US Class Current: 705/413
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/06 Energy or water supply
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/24 with change-giving

Abstract

A system for selling and dispensing of fluids, with change-making capability permits and the unattended sale and dispensing of motor fuels. The system may be incorporated either directly into a motor fuel pump or it may be incorporated into a module that may be installed either in a motor fuel pump or on a fueling island in association with the motor fuel pump. A cash acceptor is provided that accepts either currency or coin as a payment for a motor fuel purchase and the system further includes a change dispenser for disbursing change to a purchaser. The change dispenser includes two different change payout mechanisms that give cash back to a purchaser as change for a motor fuel purchaser. The change is dispensed in currency, or coin, or a combination of both. A controller is provided that links the cash acceptor, fuel pump and change dispenser together so that the value of cash deposited with the system is identified and the motor fuel pump is enabled.

Claims

1. A system for dispensing preselected quantities of motor fuel in return for a cash payment from a purchaser, comprising;

a motor fuel pump;

a cash acceptor for accepting and identifying values of cash deposited with the cash acceptor in the form of currency or coins by the purchaser;

a change dispenser for dispensing change to said purchaser when said purchaser pumps a quantity of motor fuel from said fuel pump of a value less than the value of said cash inserted by said purchaser with said cash acceptor, the change dispenser including at least two supplies of different denominations of cash, and at least two different change payout mechanisms operable to payout cash as change to said customer in currency or coin, or a combination of currency and coin and,

control means operatively linking said motor fuel pump, cash acceptor and change dispenser together and for generating enabling signals to said motor fuel pump upon deposit of cash with said cash acceptor by said purchaser and identification of said value of said deposited cash by said acceptor.

2. The system of claim 1, further including a console that houses said cash acceptor and said change dispenser.

3. The system of claim 1, further including a sorter for sorting coins deposited by a purchaser with said cash acceptor as payment for fuel according to denomination and a recycling assembly for diverting certain of said coin denominations sorted by said sorter for use as change by at least one of said coin payout mechanisms.

4. The system of claim 1, including at least first and second coin dispensers for respectively dispensing first and second denomination coins as change, said system further including a sorter for sorting coins deposited by a purchaser with said cash acceptor according to denomination, said sorter directing coins of said first denomination for use by said first coin dispenser as change and said sorter directing coins of said second denomination to an accumulation area.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said cash acceptor includes a sorter assembly for sorting coins deposited by a purchaser with said cash acceptor console as payment for fuel according to denomination and a coin accumulation vault, the coin sorter assembly including a plurality of coin paths for directing certain of said deposited coins to the coin accumulation vault and others of said deposited coins to said change dispenser for use thereof as change dispensed by said system as change.

6. The system of claim 1, further including an electronic card payment acceptor for accepting a payment from said purchaser by way of credit and debit cards and means for disabling operation of said cash acceptor, the card payment acceptor including a card reader for reading information resident on said credit and debit cards and a card validator for validating said credit and debit cards and initiating a disabling signal by said card payment acceptor to thereby enable operation of said fuel pump for a credit purchase of motor fuel while disabling operation of said cash acceptor for a cash purchase of said motor fuel.

7. The system of claim 1, further including means for identifying the values of two different sets currencies and coins, one set being local currency and coins and the other set being a preselected foreign currency and coins, and said customer console includes means for converting the value of cash deposited by a purchaser with said customer console in said preselected foreign currency and coin into an equivalent value of local currency and coin.

8. The system of claim 1, further including coin denomination rejection means for rejecting preselected denomination coins deposited with said cash acceptor.

9. The system of claim 1, further including a timing means activated by said purchaser depositing cash into said cash acceptor, said timing means including means for sending a disabling signal to said control means after a predetermined amount of time has elapsed after said purchaser deposits cash into said cash acceptor and no fuel is pumped, said disabling signal thereby disabling said motor fuel pump.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said control means is disposed at a location remote from said motor fuel pump so as to permit the remote monitoring of cash acceptance and change dispensing by said system.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said cash acceptor includes currency acceptance means for identifying respective denominations of currency deposited with said cash acceptor.

12. The system of claim 11, further including currency denomination rejection means for rejecting a preselected denomination of currency deposited with said cash acceptor.

13. The system of claim 1, further including a fueling island supporting said fuel pump, cash acceptor and change dispenser.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said fuel pump is disposed within a first housing located on said fueling island and said cash acceptor and change dispenser are disposed together within a second housing located on said fueling island.

15. The system of claim 13, further including a console that houses said cash acceptor and change dispenser.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said control means is housed within said console.

17. A system for dispensing preselected quantities of motor fuel in return for a cash payment from a purchaser, comprising;

a motor fuel pump;

a cash acceptor for accepting and identifying values and denominations of cash inserted into the cash acceptor in the form of currency or coins by the purchaser;

a change dispenser for dispensing change to said purchaser when said purchaser pumps a quantity of motor fuel from said fuel pump in an amount less than said cash amount inserted by said purchaser into said cash acceptor, the change dispenser including at least two supplies of different denominations of cash, and at least first and second change payout mechanisms being operable to payout cash as change to said customer respectively in currency or coin or a combination of currency and coin as needed;

a coin sorter for sorting coins deposited with said cash acceptor by denomination, the sorter directing certain denomination coins to a coin accumulation area of said system and directing at least one preselected denomination of coins back to said second change payout mechanism for use by said change dispenser in dispensing change to said purchaser.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said coin accumulation area includes a vault, the coin sorter including at least one first coin path for directing said certain denomination coins deposited with said cash acceptor to said vault and at least one second coin path for directing said one preselected denomination of said deposited coins to said second change dispenser.

19. An automated module for use in association with a motor fuel pump, the module converting said motor fuel pump into a motor fuel vending pump that accepts cash as payment from a purchaser and selectively dispenses change due the purchaser resulting from a specific purchase of motor fuel by said purchaser, the module comprising:

a cash acceptor for accepting and identifying values of at least two different denominations of cash deposited with said cash acceptor in the form of currency or coins by said purchaser;

a change dispenser for dispensing cash as change to said purchaser when said purchaser pumps a quantity of motor fuel from said fuel pump of a value less than the value of said cash deposited with said cash acceptor by said purchaser, the change dispenser including at least two different change payout mechanisms operable to payout cash as change to said customer in the form of currency, coin or a combination of currency and coin equal to the difference between said value of cash deposited with said cash acceptor and said value of motor fuel pumped from said motor fuel pump by said purchaser; and

,

control means for operatively linking said motor fuel pump, said cash acceptor and said change dispenser together to enable operation of said motor fuel pump, said control means being capable of generating enabling signals to said motor fuel pump upon deposit of cash with cash acceptor by said purchaser and identification of said value of said deposited cash.

20. The module of claim 19, wherein said cash acceptor includes a sorter assembly for sorting coins deposited by a purchaser with said cash acceptor console as payment for fuel according to denomination and a coin accumulation vault, the coin sorter assembly including a plurality of coin paths for directing certain of said deposited coins to the coin accumulation vault and others of said deposited coins to said change dispenser for use thereof as change dispensed by said system as change.

21. The module of claim 19, further including means for identifying the values of two different sets currencies and coins, one set being local currency and coins and the other set being a preselected foreign currency and coins, and said customer console includes means for converting the value of cash deposited by a purchaser with said customer console in said preselected foreign currency and coin into an equivalent value of local currency and coin.

22. The module of claim 19, wherein said control means operatively links said module to a plurality of motor fuel pumps.

23. The module of claim 19, wherein said control means is operable from a location remote from said motor fuel pump.

24. The module of claim 19, further including a sorter for sorting coins deposited by a purchaser with said cash acceptor payment for fuel according to denomination.

25. The module of claim 24, further including a coin diverting assembly for diverting certain of said coin denominations sorted by said sorter as change with at least a selected one of said coin payout mechanisms.

26. The module of claim 19, wherein said cash acceptor includes currency acceptance means for identifying respective denominations of currency deposited with said cash acceptor, and said system further including currency denomination rejection means for rejecting a preselected denomination of currency deposited with said cash acceptor.

27. The module of claim 19, further including coin denomination rejection means for rejecting preselected denomination coins deposited with said cash acceptor.

28. The module of claim 19, wherein said module is housed within a housing located proximate to said motor fuel pump.

29. The module of claim 28, wherein said housing and motor fuel pump are mounted on a fueling island.