Fluid management controller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10589979-B2
Application number	US-201815928782-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2018
Priority date	Oct 2, 2017
Publication date	Mar 17, 2020
Grant date	Mar 17, 2020

Abstract

A fluid management controller includes a processor, a wireless interface, and a memory. The wireless interface is configured to communicate between the processor and one or more fluid management components. The processor is configured to authorize control of the one or more fluid management components over the wireless interface. The memory is encoded with instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide dispense authorizations to the one or more fluid management components and record fluid dispense information from the one or more fluid management components in the memory.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fluid management system comprising:
plurality of fluid management components, the plurality of fluid management components including:
a tank level monitor configured to monitor a fluid level of a fluid tank;
a pump controller configured to control activation of a pump; and
a dispensing meter;

a user interface device; and
a fluid management controller configured to communicate wirelessly with plurality of fluid management components, authorize the plurality of fluid management components to initiate a dispense event, and collect data received from each of the plurality of fluid management components;
wherein the fluid management controller is configured to receive log-in information from the dispensing meter and to compare the log-in information to work order information for the dispense event, wherein the work order information fluid type information and authorized user information;
wherein the fluid management controller is configured to authorize the plurality of fluid management components to initiate the dispense event based on the comparison between the log-in information and the work order information;
wherein the fluid management controller is further configured to collect fluid level data regarding the fluid level from the tank level monitor;
wherein the pump controller is configured to activate the pump in response to the fluid management controller initiating the dispense event; and
wherein the fluid management controller is further configured to collect data regarding the dispense event from the dispensing meter.

2. The fluid management system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a wireless network, wherein the fluid management controller is configured to communicate wirelessly with the plurality of fluid management components and the user interface device over the wireless network.

3. The fluid management system of claim 1 , wherein the data regarding the dispense event collected from the dispensing meter includes at least one of an identity of a user completing the dispense event and a time of the dispense event.

4. The fluid management controller of claim 3 , wherein the dispense data further includes a volume of fluid dispensed.

5. The fluid management system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid management controller includes a processor, a memory, a wireless transceiver, and is contained within a single housing.

6. The fluid management system of claim 5 , wherein the fluid management controller is configured to host a wireless personal area network that includes the plurality of fluid management components.

7. The fluid management system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid management controller comprises:
a processor;
a wireless transceiver configured to enable wireless communication between the fluid management controller and the plurality of fluid management components; and
a computer readable memory encoded with instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the fluid management controller to authorize at least one of the plurality of fluid management components to initiate a dispense event, and collect data received from the at least one of the plurality of fluid management component.

8. The fluid management controller of claim 7 , further comprising:
a housing enclosing the processor, the computer readable memory, and at least a portion of the wireless transceiver.

9. The fluid management controller of claim 8 , wherein the wireless transceiver includes at least one antenna external to the housing.

10. The fluid management controller of claim 7 , further comprising a plurality of connectors selected from the group consisting of a wired network connector, a universal serial bus connector, a high-defmition multimedia interface connector, an external memory connector, and a power connector.

11. The fluid management controller of claim 7 , wherein the processor and the computer readable memory are configured on a single circuit board.

12. A method comprising:
receiving, at a fluid management controller, log-in information from a dispensing meter;
comparing, by the fluid management controller, the log-in information with work order information, the work order information including fluid type information and authorized user information;
authorizing, by the fluid management controller, a first dispense event based on the comparison of the log-in information and the work order information, wherein authorizing includes activating, by the fluid management controller, a pump controller to thereby activate a pump, the pump driving fluid to the dispensing meter;
collecting, by the fluid management controller, first fluid data regarding the first dispense event from a plurality of fluid management components, the plurality of fluid management components including the pump controller, the dispensing meter, and a tank level monitor, wherein the fluid management controller is configured to communicate wirelessly with the plurality of fluid management components; and
providing access, by the fluid management controller, to the first fluid data by a user interface device.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first fluid data is stored in a memory of the fluid management controller, and wherein the method further comprises:
accessing, by the user interface device, the first fluid data from the memory of the fluid management controller through a web browser.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
collecting, by the fluid management controller, second fluid data regarding a second dispense event from the at least one fluid management component.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
aggregating, by the fluid management controller, the first fluid data and the second fluid data as aggregated data; and
providing access to the user interface device, by the fluid management controller, to the aggregated data.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the fluid management controller over a wireless network, the aggregated data to a local management system.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
hosting, by the fluid management controller, a wireless personal area network that includes the at least one fluid management component.

Assignees

• Graco Minnesota Inc

Inventors

• Paar Benjamin J
• Kahler Bradley G
• Igo Chad G
• Sieckert Gregory D

Classifications

• B67D7/14

  responsive to input of recorded programmed information, e.g. on punched cards · CPC title

• B67D7/34

  Means for preventing unauthorised delivery of liquid · CPC title

• B67D7/08

  Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred (arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00) · CPC title

• B67D7/16

  Arrangements of liquid meters · CPC title

• B67D7/04

  for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants · CPC title