Pump and customer access terminal interface computer converter to convert traditional pump and customer access terminal protocols to high speed ethernet protocols
First Claim
1. A retail petroleum station site architecture comprising:
- at least one point-of-sale (POS) controller, said POS controller providing at least one function selected from the group consisting of cash register, dispenser control, transaction card processing, and scanning;
at least one new generation fuel dispenser including a customer access terminal(CAT) and a dispenser control unit, said new generation fuel dispenser having at least one feature which is unsupported by said POS controller, the unsupported feature including at least one of either a customer access terminal control function or a dispenser control function of a said new generation fuel dispenser; and
a site forecourt controller coupled between said POS controller and said new generation fuel dispenser, said site forecourt controller including means for interfacing said POS controller with said new generation fuel dispenser, said interfacing means providing a protocol and electrical signal interface between a first protocol and electrical signal requirement of said POS controller and a second protocol and electrical signal requirement of said new generation fuel dispenser.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A fuel station site architecture includes at least one point-of-sale (POS) controller, at least one new generation fuel dispenser having advanced features, and a site forecourt controller coupled between the POS controller and the fuel dispenser. The site forecourt controller includes a device for interfacing the POS controller with the fuel dispenser by providing a protocol and electrical signal interface between a first protocol and electrical signal requirement of the POS controller and a second protocol and electrical signal requirement of the fuel dispenser, wherein the second protocol and electrical signal requirement include requirements for features which may not be supported by a prescribed POS controller.
123 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A retail petroleum station site architecture comprising:
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at least one point-of-sale (POS) controller, said POS controller providing at least one function selected from the group consisting of cash register, dispenser control, transaction card processing, and scanning;
at least one new generation fuel dispenser including a customer access terminal(CAT) and a dispenser control unit, said new generation fuel dispenser having at least one feature which is unsupported by said POS controller, the unsupported feature including at least one of either a customer access terminal control function or a dispenser control function of a said new generation fuel dispenser; and
a site forecourt controller coupled between said POS controller and said new generation fuel dispenser, said site forecourt controller including means for interfacing said POS controller with said new generation fuel dispenser, said interfacing means providing a protocol and electrical signal interface between a first protocol and electrical signal requirement of said POS controller and a second protocol and electrical signal requirement of said new generation fuel dispenser. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A retail petroleum station site architecture comprising:
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at least one point-of-sale (POS) controller, said POS controller providing at least one function selected from the group consisting of cash register, dispenser control, transaction card processing, and scanning;
at least one new generation fuel dispenser including a customer access terminal(CAT)and a dispenser control unit, said new generation fuel dispenser having at least one feature which is unsupported by said POS controller, the unsupported feature including at least one of either a customer access terminal control function or a dispenser control function of said new generation fuel dispenser; and
a site forecourt controller coupled between said POS controller and said new generation fuel dispenser, said site forecourt controller including means for interfacing said POS controller with said new generation fuel dispenser, said interfacing means providing a protocol and electrical signal interface between a first protocol and electrical signal requirement of said POS controller and a second protocol and electrical signal requirement of said new generation fuel dispenser, wherein the interfacing means of said site forecourt controller includes a customer access terminal emulator, the customer access terminal emulator being responsive to said POS controller for translating a first set of legacy POS customer access terminal commands received from said POS controller into a second set of POS customer access terminal commands suitable for use by the customer access terminal of said new generation fuel dispenser, the second set of POS customer access terminal commands including suitable commands for handling the customer access terminal control function of the at least one feature which is unsupported by said POS controller, wherein the customer access terminal emulator further being responsive to the customer access terminal of said new generation fuel dispenser for translating a second set of POS customer access terminal messages received from the customer access terminal of said new generation fuel dispenser into a first set of legacy POS customer access terminal messages suitable for use by said POS controller, wherein the interfacing means of said forecourt site controller further includes a dispenser emulator, the dispenser emulator being responsive to said POS controller for translating a first set of legacy POS dispenser control commands received from said POS controller into a second set of POS dispenser control commands suitable for use by the dispenser control unit of said new generation fuel dispenser, the second set of POS dispenser control commands including suitable commands for handling the dispenser control function of the at least one feature which is unsupported by said POS controller, wherein the dispenser emulator further being responsive to the dispenser control unit of said new generation fuel dispenser for translating a second set of POS dispenser control messages received from the dispenser control unit of said new generation fuel dispenser into a first set of legacy POS dispenser control messages suitable for use by said POS controller. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A method for upgrading a retail petroleum station site architecture comprising:
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providing at least one point-of-sale (POS) controller, the POS controller capable of at least one function selected from the group consisting of cash register, dispenser control, transaction card processing, and scanning;
providing at least one new generation fuel dispenser including a customer access terminal (CAT) and a dispenser control unit, the new generation fuel dispenser having at least one feature which is unsupported by the POS controller, the unsupported feature including at least one of either a customer access terminal control function or a dispenser control function of the new generation fuel dispenser; and
providing a site forecourt controller coupled between the POS controller and the new generation fuel dispenser, the site forecourt controller including means for interfacing the POS controller with the new generation fuel dispenser, the interfacing means providing a protocol and electrical signal interface between a first protocol and electrical signal requirement of the POS controller and a second protocol and electrical signal requirement of the new generation fuel dispenser. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for upgrading a retail petroleum station site architecture comprising:
- providing at least one point-of-sale (POS) controller, the POS controller providing at least one function selected from the group consisting of cash register, dispenser control, transaction card processing, and scanning;
providing at least one new generation fuel dispenser including a customer access terminal (CAT) and a dispenser control unit, the new generation fuel dispenser having at least one feature which is unsupported by the POS controller, the unsupported feature including at least one of either a customer access terminal control function or a dispenser control function of the new generation fuel dispenser; and
providing a site forecourt controller coupled between the POS controller and the new generation fuel dispenser, the site forecourt controller including means for interfacing the POS controller with the new generation fuel dispenser, the interfacing means providing a protocol and electrical signal interface between a first protocol and electrical signal requirement of the POS controller and a second protocol and electrical signal requirement of the new generation fuel dispenser,wherein the interfacing means of the site forecourt controller includes a customer access terminal emulator, the customer access terminal emulator being responsive to the POS controller for translating a first set of legacy POS customer access terminal commands received from the POS controller into a second set of POS customer access terminal commands suitable for use by the customer access terminal of the new generation fuel dispenser, the second set of POS customer access terminal commands including suitable commands for handling the customer access terminal control function of the at least one feature which is unsupported by the POS controller, wherein the customer access terminal emulator further being responsive to the customer access terminal of the new generation fuel dispenser for translating a second set of POS customer access terminal messages received from the customer access terminal of the new generation fuel dispenser into a first set of legacy POS customer access terminal messages suitable for use by the POS controller, wherein the interfacing means of the forecourt site controller further includes a dispenser emulator, the dispenser emulator being responsive to the POS controller for translating a first set of legacy POS dispenser control commands received from the POS controller into a second set of POS dispenser control commands suitable for use by the dispenser control unit of the new generation fuel dispenser, the second set of POS dispenser control commands including suitable commands for handling the dispenser control function of the at least one feature which is unsupported by the POS controller, wherein the dispenser emulator further being responsive to the dispenser control unit of the new generation fuel dispenser for translating a second set of POS dispenser control messages received from the dispenser control unit of the new generation fuel dispenser into a first set of legacy POS dispenser control messages suitable for use by the POS controller. - View Dependent Claims (20)
- providing at least one point-of-sale (POS) controller, the POS controller providing at least one function selected from the group consisting of cash register, dispenser control, transaction card processing, and scanning;
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21. A computer program for upgrading a retail petroleum station site architecture, the architecture including a point-of-sale (POS) controller, a new generation fuel dispenser, and a site forecourt controller coupled between the POS controller and the new generation fuel dispenser, the computer program stored on a computer-readable medium and comprising:
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instructions for implementing within the site forecourt controller an interface between the POS controller with the new generation fuel dispenser, the interface providing a protocol and electrical signal interface between a first protocol and electrical signal requirement of the POS controller and a second protocol and electrical signal requirement of the new generation fuel dispenser;
instructions for implementing a customer access terminal emulator, the customer access terminal emulator being responsive to the POS controller for translating a first set of legacy POS customer access terminal commands received from the POS controller into a second set of POS customer access terminal commands suitable for use by a customer access terminal of the new generation fuel dispenser, the second set of POS customer access terminal commands including suitable commands for handling a customer access terminal control function of at least one feature which is unsupported by the POS controller, wherein the customer access terminal emulator further being responsive to the customer access terminal of the new generation fuel dispenser for translating a second set of POS customer access terminal messages received from the customer access terminal of the new generation fuel dispenser into the first set of legacy POS customer access terminal messages suitable for use by the POS controller; and
instructions for implementing a dispenser emulator, the dispenser emulator being responsive to the POS controller for translating a first set of legacy POS dispenser control commands received from the POS controller into a second set of POS dispenser control commands suitable for use by a dispenser control unit of the new generation fuel dispenser, the second set of POS dispenser control commands including suitable commands for handling a dispenser control function of at least one feature which is unsupported by the POS controller, wherein the dispenser emulator further being responsive to the dispenser control unit of the new generation fuel dispenser for translating a second set of POS dispenser control messages received from the dispenser control unit of the new generation fuel dispenser into a first set of legacy POS dispenser control commands suitable for use by the POS controller. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. A site forecourt controller for use in upgrading a retail petroleum station site architecture, the architecture including a point-of-sale (POS) controller and a new generation fuel dispenser, said site forecourt controller comprising:
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means for interfacing the POS controller with the new generation fuel dispense, said interface means providing a protocol and electrical signal interface between a first protocol and electrical signal requirement of the POS controller and a second protocol and electrical signal requirement of the new generation fuel dispenser;
means for implementing a customer access terminal emulator, the customer access terminal emulator being responsive to the POS controller for translating a first set of legacy POS customer access terminal commands received from the POS controller into a second set of POS customer access terminal commands suitable for use by a customer access terminal of the new generation fuel dispenser, the second set of POS customer access terminal commands including suitable commands for handling a customer access terminal control function of at least one feature which is unsupported by the POS controller, wherein the customer access terminal emulator further being responsive to the customer access terminal of the new generation fuel dispenser for translating a second set of POS customer access terminal messages received from the customer access terminal of the new generation fuel dispenser into a first set of legacy POS customer access terminal messages suitable for use by the POS controller; and
means for implementing a dispenser emulator, the dispenser emulator being responsive to the POS controller for translating a first set of legacy POS dispenser control commands received from the POS controller into a second set of POS dispenser control commands suitable for use by a dispenser control unit of the new generation fuel dispenser, the second set of POS dispenser control commands including suitable commands for handling a dispenser control function of at least one feature which is unsupported by the POS controller, wherein the dispenser emulator further being responsive to the dispenser control unit of the new generation fuel dispenser for translating a second set of POS dispenser control messages received from the dispenser control unit of the new generation fuel dispenser into a first set of legacy POS dispenser control messages suitable for use by the POS controller. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A fuel station site architecture comprising:
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at least one point-of-sale (POS) controller;
at least one new generation fuel dispenser having advanced features; and
a site forecourt controller coupled between said POS controller and said fuel dispenser, said site forecourt controller for interfacing said POS controller with said fuel dispenser by providing a protocol and electrical signal interface between a first protocol and electrical signal requirement of said POS controller and a second protocol and electrical signal requirement of said fuel dispenser, wherein the second protocol and electrical signal requirement include requirements for features which may not be supported by a prescribed POS controller. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification