Unmanned fueling facility
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A remotely attended fuel dispenser comprising:
- a fuel dispenser located at a satellite site, said fuel dispenser being adapted to accept a credit card input via electronic communication lines for charging a monetary amount to a purchaser'"'"'s account or for directly debiting said purchaser'"'"'s account;
a first video camera mounted in said fuel dispenser for taking video images of said purchaser while said purchaser is at said fuel dispenser;
means for converting said video images of said first video camera to a digital presentation;
means for transmitting said digital presentation of said video images of said first video camera to a location which is remote from said satellite site;
means located at said remote location for converting said digital presentation of said video images of said first video camera to video images;
video display means located at said remote location for receiving and monitoring said video images of said first video camera;
a second video camera located at said remote location for taking video images of an attendant at said remote location;
means for converting said video images of said second video camera to a digital presentation;
means for transmitting said digital presentation of said video images of said second video camera to said satellite site;
means located at said satellite site for converting said digital presentation of said video images of said second video camera to video images;
means for transmitting said video images of said second video camera to said fuel dispenser for viewing by said purchaser;
video display means located at said fuel dispenser for receiving and monitoring said video images of said second video cameras;
means for maintaining voice communication between said purchaser and said attendant while viewing each other'"'"'s image;
a third video camera located at said satellite site for taking video images of said satellite site;
means for converting said video images of said third video camera to a digital presentation;
means for transmitting said digital presentation of said video images of said third video camera to a location which is remote from said satellite site;
means located at said remote location for converting said digital presentation of said video images of said third video camera to video images;
video display means located at said remote location for receiving and monitoring said video images of said third video camera; and
a video recorder for recording said video images captured by said first, second and third video cameras.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vehicle fueling facility is unmanned but remotely monitored. The fueling system, made up of fuel dispensers (with credit/debit card and cash acceptors) and product storage tank(s) is located at a satellite site. The satellite site includes security video cameras which monitor overall activity at the site. An additional video camera is installed in each fuel dispenser head to monitor activities of a customer at that fuel dispenser. The outputs of all security and dispenser video cameras are transmitted to a remote (attended) monitoring site for viewing by an attendant. Still another video camera is trained on the attendant at the remote site so that the attendant'"'"'s face can be transmitted back to a video monitor located in the fuel dispenser for viewing by the customer. The video surveillance system enables an attendant, who is physically situated at the remote location (i.e., a remote monitoring site which may be several miles from the satellite fueling facility), to visually monitor activity at the fueling facility (i.e., to view images captured by security and dispenser cameras at the satellite site), to transmit video of the attendant to a video monitor located on a fuel dispenser at the satellite site for viewing by a customer, to thereby maintain interactive audio/visual communication with a customer at the fueling facility, and to maintain a temporary audio/video record of activities at the site. Thus, the video/audio intercommunication system enables customers and attendants to maintain interactive visual and voice communication with each other during a refueling operation.
51 Citations
3 Claims
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1. A remotely attended fuel dispenser comprising:
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a fuel dispenser located at a satellite site, said fuel dispenser being adapted to accept a credit card input via electronic communication lines for charging a monetary amount to a purchaser'"'"'s account or for directly debiting said purchaser'"'"'s account;
a first video camera mounted in said fuel dispenser for taking video images of said purchaser while said purchaser is at said fuel dispenser;
means for converting said video images of said first video camera to a digital presentation;
means for transmitting said digital presentation of said video images of said first video camera to a location which is remote from said satellite site;
means located at said remote location for converting said digital presentation of said video images of said first video camera to video images;
video display means located at said remote location for receiving and monitoring said video images of said first video camera;
a second video camera located at said remote location for taking video images of an attendant at said remote location;
means for converting said video images of said second video camera to a digital presentation;
means for transmitting said digital presentation of said video images of said second video camera to said satellite site;
means located at said satellite site for converting said digital presentation of said video images of said second video camera to video images;
means for transmitting said video images of said second video camera to said fuel dispenser for viewing by said purchaser;
video display means located at said fuel dispenser for receiving and monitoring said video images of said second video cameras;
means for maintaining voice communication between said purchaser and said attendant while viewing each other'"'"'s image;
a third video camera located at said satellite site for taking video images of said satellite site;
means for converting said video images of said third video camera to a digital presentation;
means for transmitting said digital presentation of said video images of said third video camera to a location which is remote from said satellite site;
means located at said remote location for converting said digital presentation of said video images of said third video camera to video images;
video display means located at said remote location for receiving and monitoring said video images of said third video camera; and
a video recorder for recording said video images captured by said first, second and third video cameras.
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2. A remotely attended fuel dispenser comprising:
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a fuel dispenser located at a satellite site said fuel dispenser being adapted to receive a cash payment and return change therefor;
a first video camera mounted in said fuel dispenser for taking video images of said purchaser while said purchaser is at said fuel dispenser;
means for converting said video images of said first video camera to a digital presentation;
means for transmitting said digital presentation of said video images of said first video camera to a location which is remote from said satellite site;
means located at said remote location for converting said digital presentation of said video images of said first video camera to video images;
video display means located at said remote location for receiving and monitoring said video images of said first video camera;
a second video camera located at said remote location for taking video images of an attendant at said remote location;
means for converting said video images of said second video camera to a digital presentation;
means for transmitting said digital presentation of said video images of said second video camera to said satellite site;
means located at said satellite site for converting said digital presentation of said video images of said second video camera to video images;
means for transmitting said video images of said second video camera to said fuel dispenser for viewing by said purchaser;
video display means located at said fuel dispenser for receiving and monitoring said video images of said second video cameras;
means for maintaining voice communication between said purchaser and said attendant while viewing each other'"'"'s image;
a third video camera located at said satellite site for taking video images of said satellite site;
means for converting said video images of said third video camera to a digital presentation;
means for transmitting said digital presentation of said video images of said third video camera to a location which is remote from said satellite site;
means located at said remote location for converting said digital presentation of said video images of said third video camera to video images;
video display means located at said remote location for receiving and monitoring said video images of said third video camera; and
a video recorder for recording said video images captured by said first, second and third video cameras.
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3. A remotely attended service station comprising:
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a fuel dispenser located at a satellite site, said fuel dispenser having communication lines and adapted to accept a credit card input via said communication lines for charging a monetary amount to a purchaser'"'"'s account or directly debiting said purchaser'"'"'s account or adapted to receive a cash payment and return change therefor;
a first video camera mounted in said fuel dispenser for taking video images of said purchaser while said purchaser is at said fuel dispenser;
means for converting said video images of said first video camera to a digital presentation;
means for transmitting said digital presentation of said video images of said first video camera to a location which is remote from said satellite site;
means located at said remote location for converting said digital presentation of said video images of said first video camera to video images;
video display means located at said remote location for receiving and monitoring said video images of said first video camera;
a second video camera located at said remote location for taking video images of an attendant at said remote location;
means for converting said video images of said second video camera to a digital presentation;
means for transmitting said digital presentation of said video images of said second video camera to said satellite site;
means located at said satellite site for converting said digital presentation of said video images of said second video camera to video images;
means for transmitting said video images of said second video camera to said fuel dispenser for viewing by said purchaser;
video display means located at said fuel dispenser for receiving and monitoring said video images of said second video cameras;
means for maintaining voice communication between said purchaser and said attendant while viewing each other'"'"'s image;
a third video camera located at said satellite site for taking video images of said satellite site;
means for converting said video images of said third video camera to a digital presentation;
means for transmitting said digital presentation of said video images of said third video camera to a location which is remote from said satellite site;
means located at said remote location for converting said digital presentation of said video images of said third video camera to video images;
video display means located at said remote location for receiving and monitoring said video images of said third video camera; and
a video recorder for recording said video images captured by said first, second and third cameras.
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Specification
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Current AssigneeShell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
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Original AssigneeShell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
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InventorsMohr, Clyde Ray
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Primary Examiner(s)Britton, Howard
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Assistant Examiner(s)DIEP, NHON THANH
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Application NumberUS08/977,010Time in Patent Office1,149 DaysField of SearchH04/N.718, H04/N.947, 348/143, 348/180, 348/151, 348/152, 348/156, 348/15, 348/14US Class Current348/150CPC Class CodesG07G 3/003 Anti-theft control theft al...H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a...
