Fuel transaction system for enabling the purchase of fuel and non-fuel items on a single authorization

• US 6,116,505 A
• Filed: 07/21/1998
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Gilbarco Incorporated (Vontier Corp.)
• Inventors: Withrow, Benjamin S.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL GUNYOUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/119,857
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 235/381, 235/380, 235/378, 235/383, 235/385, 235/451, 235/472.01, 235/472.02, 235/492, 235/483, 235/375, 902/26, 902/27, 902/39
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

A fueling transaction system that holds open a customer account after a pay-at-the-pump transaction is authorized. If the customer wishes to select non-fuel goods and services within the associated convenience store or restaurant, she may do so within a pre-programmed allotment of time. If the customer does not wish to purchase non-fuel items or fails to do so within the system time constraints, the system will simply time-out and close the customer'"'"'s transaction. The initial customer account information or necessary identification may be provided through the customer'"'"'s card using the dispenser'"'"'s card reader or via the customer'"'"'s transponder in an RFID environment. After the initial pre-authorization, the dispenser provides the customer with a code or other indicia linking a subsequent transaction within a convenience store or restaurant to the authorized fueling transaction. The code may be presented to the customer in any manner, but is preferably provided as a code number or scanable bar code printed by the dispenser printer. The printed code is then tendered by the customer or scanned to effect the purchase of a customer'"'"'s products and links the purchase amount to the previously authorized card or account. The system contemplated in the present invention may be modified to include a self-service or other substantially dedicated scanning or checkout area to expedite pre-authorized customer transactions.

Claims

1. A fuel transaction system for enabling the purchase of fuel and non-fuel items at different locations from a single authorization, comprising:

a. a dispenser adapted to receive information from a customer, and

b. a remote terminal located apart from said dispenser and adapted to receive information from the customer, and

c. a control system operatively associated with said dispenser and said terminal and adapted to;

(i) obtain authorization to make a purchase on an account associated with the customer based on information received at the dispenser;

(ii) determine an amount of fuel delivered by said dispenser;

(iii) associate items to be purchased at the remote terminal with said authorization based on information received at said remote terminal from the customer; and

(iv) account for fuel delivered by said dispenser and the items to be purchased at said remote terminal relative to said authorization and the account associated with the customer,

(v) wherein the customer may provide sufficient information to obtain authorization for a purchase at said dispenser and effect purchase of goods or services a the remote terminal on the same authorization obtained via said dispenser.

2. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein the information received from the customer at the fuel dispenser and remote terminal is possessed by the customer prior to any transaction.

3. The transaction system of claim 2 wherein said dispenser further includes a card reader associated with said control system and adapted to read the information received at the fuel dispenser from a card via said card reader.

4. The transaction system of claim 2 wherein said dispenser further includes communication electronics associated with said control system and adapted to communicate with a remote communication device associated with the customer, said communication electronics adapted to read the information received at the fuel dispenser from a remote communication device via said communication electronics.

5. The transaction system of claim 2 wherein said dispenser further includes an input device associated with said control system and adapted to receive the information received at the fuel dispenser from customer input.

6. The transaction system of claim 5 wherein said input device is a touch or key pad.

7. The transaction system of claim 2 wherein said dispenser further includes a biometric reader associated with said control system and adapted to read biometric the information received at the fuel dispenser from a customer'"'"'s person via said biometric reader.

8. The transaction system of claim 2 wherein said dispenser further includes a biometric reader associated with said control system and adapted to read biometric the information received at the fuel dispenser from a customer'"'"'s person via said biometric reader.

9. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein the information received at the dispenser is the same as the information received at the remote terminal.

10. The transaction system of claim 9 wherein said control system further includes a central controller communicably linked said dispenser and terminal controllers.

11. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein the information received at the dispenser is held by the customer and used to obtain authorization to make a purchase, and the information to be received at the terminal is provided to the customer at the dispenser for presentment at the remote terminal.

12. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein the information received at the dispenser and the information received at the remote terminal are related.

13. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein said dispenser is further adapted to provide authorization information associated with the obtained authorization to the customer;

the information received from the customer at the fuel dispenser is used to obtain the authorization to make a purchase on an account associated with the customer; and

the information received from the customer at the point of sale terminal is or includes the authorization information provided to the customer at the dispenser.

14. The transaction system of claim 13 wherein said dispenser includes a card reader associated with said control system and adapted to write the authorization indicia to a card, and said terminal further includes a card reader associated with said control system and adapted to read the authorization information written to a card at the dispenser via said card reader at the terminal.

15. The transaction system of claim 13 wherein said dispenser includes communication electronics associated with said control system and adapted to write the authorization indicia to a remote communication device associated with the customer, and said terminal includes communication electronics associated with said control system and adapted to read the authorization information written to a remote communications device at the dispenser via said communication electronics at the terminal.

16. The transaction system of claim 13 wherein said dispenser includes an output device associated with said control system and adapted to provide the authorization indicia to the customer, and said terminal further includes an input device associated with said control system and adapted to receive the authorization information, which was provided to the customer at the dispenser.

17. The transaction system of claim 16 wherein said output device is a printer adapted to provide print indicia including the authorization information.

18. The transaction system of claim 17 wherein said input device is a scanner adapted to read the print indicia.

19. The transaction system of claim 18 wherein said printer and control system cooperate to print the print indicia as a scannable code and said input device and said control system cooperate to read said scannable code.

20. The transaction system of claim 19 wherein said scannable code is a bar code.

21. The transaction system of claim 16 wherein said input device is a keyboard for entering the authorization information, which was provided to the customer at the dispenser.

22. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein said control system includes communicably linked controllers in said dispenser and said terminal.

23. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein said terminal is associated with a restaurant point of sale.

24. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein said terminal is associated with a convenience store point of sale.

25. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein said terminal is associated with a vending machine.

26. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein said control system is configured to obtain the authorization based on identification information from the customer.

27. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein said control system is configured to obtain the authorization based on financial information from the customer.

28. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein said control system is configured to contact a host authorization network to obtain authorization for a given account.

29. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein said control system is configured to provide a receipt accounting for fuel delivered at the dispenser and items purchased at the remote terminal.

30. The transaction system of claim 1 wherein the information received from the customer at the fuel dispenser and remote terminal is possessed by the customer prior to any transaction.

31. The transaction system of claim 1 further comprising means for providing authorization information associated with the obtained authorization to the customer while at the dispenser wherein the information received from the customer at the fuel dispenser is used to obtain the authorization to make a purchase on an account associated with the customer;

and the information received from the customer at the point of sale terminal is or includes the authorization information provided to the customer at the dispenser.

32. A fuel transaction system for enabling the purchase of fuel and non-fuel items at different locations from a single authorization, said system comprising:

a. a dispenser associated with means for receiving information from a customer near the dispenser;

b. a remote terminal located apart from said dispenser and associated with means for receiving information from the customer near the terminal; and

c. means for obtaining authorization to make a purchase on an account associated with the customer based on information received at the dispenser;

d. means for determining an amount of fuel delivered by said dispenser;

e. means for associating items to be purchased at the remote terminal with authorization based on information received at said remote terminal from the customer; and

f. means for accounting for fuel delivered by said dispenser and the items to be purchased at said remote terminal relative to said authorization and the account associated with the customer,

wherein the customer may provide sufficient information to obtain authorization for a purchase at said dispenser and effect purchase of goods or services at the remote terminal on the same authorization obtained via said dispenser.

33. A method for enabling the purchase of fuel and non-fuel items at different locations from a single authorization, the method comprising:

a. receiving information from a customer via a dispenser;

b. obtaining authorization to make a purchase on an account associated with the customer based information received at the dispenser;

c. determining an amount of fuel delivered by the dispenser;

d. associating items to be purchased at a remote terminal with the authorization based on information received at the remote terminal from the customer; and

e. accounting for fuel delivered by the dispenser and the items to be purchased at the remote terminal relative to the authorization and the account associated with the customer;

f. wherein the customer may provide sufficient information to obtain authorization for a purchase at the dispenser and effect purchase of goods or services at the remote terminal on the same authorization obtained via the dispenser.

34. A fuel transaction system for enabling the purchase of fuel and non-fuel items at different locations from a single authorization, comprising:

a. a dispenser adapted to receive information provided by a customer; and

b. a remote terminal located apart from said dispenser and adapted to receive information from the customer;

c. a control system operatively associated with said dispenser and terminal, and adapted to;

i. obtain authorization for a customer'"'"'s account based on information received at the dispenser;

ii. total amount of fuel delivered at the dispenser;

iii. associate items selected at a remote location for purchase by the customer with said authorization based on information received at the terminal;

iv. total amount of items selected at the terminal and the amount of fuel purchased at the dispenser; and

v. account for the purchase of fuel and selected items with said authorization.

35. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 34 wherein said information received at the dispenser and the remote terminal includes identification indicia, said associated authorization at the terminal being based on the received identification indicia.

36. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 35 wherein said identification received at the dispenser and the remote terminal is carried on a transponder and is received by an interrogator.

37. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 35 wherein said identification received at the dispenser and the remote terminal is carried on a card and is read by a card reader.

38. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 35 wherein said identification received at the dispenser and the remote terminal is entered into a keypad.

39. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 34 wherein the dispenser provides authorization indicia to the customer and said information received at the remote terminal includes said authorization indicia provided to the customer, said associated authorization at the remote terminal being based on the authorization indicia provided to the customer.

40. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 39 wherein the authorization indicia provided to the customer is stored in a transponder and is received by an interrogator at the remote terminal.

41. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 39 wherein the authorization indicia provided to the customer is printed on a receipt and received at the remote terminal.

42. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 39 wherein the authorization indicia provided to the customer is stored on a card and is read by a card reader at the remote terminal.

43. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 39 wherein the authorization indicia provided to the customer is displayed at the dispenser and at the remote terminal.

44. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 39 wherein the authorization indicia is scannable indicia and is read by a scanner at the remote terminal.

45. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 44 wherein the scannable indicia is a code and the scanner at the remote terminal is a code reader.

46. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 45 wherein the code is a bar-code and the code reader is a bar-code reader.

47. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 34 wherein said remote terminal is one of the group consisting of a vending machine interface, a quick-service restaurant, or a point-of-sale in the associated store.

48. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 34 wherein the customer is provided with incentives to increase customer loyalty.

49. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 48 wherein said incentives include discounts for non-fuel purchases made on the same authorization obtained at the dispenser and made within the associated store or restaurant.

50. A fuel transaction system as claimed in claim 48 wherein said incentives include loyalty points awarded on the basis of prior fuel and non-fuel purchases and are redeemable within the associated store or restaurant.

51. A fuel transaction system for enabling the purchase of fuel and non-fuel items at different locations from a single authorization, comprising:

a. a dispenser having means for receiving information from a customer;

b. a remote terminal located apart from said dispenser and having means for receiving information from the customer;

c. means for obtaining authorization to make a purchase on an account associated with the customer based on information received at the dispenser;

d. means for determining an amount of fuel delivered by said dispenser;

e. means for associating items to be purchased at the remote terminal with said authorization based on information received at said remote terminal from the customer; and

f. means for accounting for fuel delivered by said dispenser and the items to be purchased at said remote terminal relative to said authorization and the account associated with the customer;

g. wherein the customer may provide sufficient information to obtain authorization for a purchase at said dispenser and effect purchase of goods or services at the remote terminal on provide sufficient information to obtain authorization for a purchase at said dispenser and effect purchase of goods or services at the remote terminal on the same authorization obtained via said dispenser.