Fuel dispenser commerce

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10990942-B2
Application number	US-201816166567-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2018
Priority date	Apr 10, 2003
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

Systems and processes may provide for commerce at a fuel dispenser. In one general aspect, a system and process at a fuel dispenser may have the ability to present a user interface including data regarding at least one merchant remote from the fuel dispenser's fueling facility and to determine if ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant has been received. If ordering data corresponding to the remote merchant has been received, the system and process may have the ability to present a user interface regarding payment data. The system and process may also have the ability to determine if payment data has been received and, if payment data has been received, generate a message regarding the ordering data for a remote merchant computer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of coordinating fuel dispenser operations, the method comprising:
identifying an operation that is to be performed by at least one of a plurality of fuel dispensers in electronic communication with one another;
determining whether only one of the plurality of fuel dispensers is to perform the operation or whether two or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers are to perform the operation;
in response to determining that only one of the fuel dispensers is to perform the operation, causing the one of the fuel dispensers to perform the operation; and
in response to determining that two or more of the fuel dispensers are to perform the operation at the same time, coordinating timing of the performance of the operation by the two of more fuel dispensers.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of fuel dispensers is in electronic communication with a central controller during normal operation of the fuel dispensers and is out of electronic communication with the central controller during abnormal operation of the fuel dispensers, the causing and the coordinating occurring regardless of whether the fuel dispensers are in normal operation or are in abnormal operation.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein when the fuel dispensers are in abnormal operation, the fuel dispensers are configured to electronically communicate with one another using a local communication link that is not routed through the central controller; and
when the fuel dispensers are in normal operation, the fuel dispensers are configured to electronically communicate with one another using the local communication link and are configured to electronically communicate with one another using a second communication link that is routed through the central controller.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether only one of the plurality of fuel dispensers is to perform the operation or whether two or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers are to perform the operation includes identifying which of the plurality of fuel dispensers have been pre-identified as being required to perform coordinated operations with the one of the plurality of fuel dispensers fuel dispenser.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether only one of the plurality of fuel dispensers is to perform the operation or whether two or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers are to perform the operation includes evaluating current operational conditions of the fuel dispensers.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether only one of the plurality of fuel dispensers is to perform the operation or whether two or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers are to perform the operation includes identifying which one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers are idle and selecting the one or more idle fuel dispensers to perform the operation.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying that the operation is to be performed at only one of the fuel dispensers includes one of receiving an input signal at only one of the fuel dispensers, receiving input from a sensor, and receiving a request from one of the plurality of fuel dispensers.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein coordinating the timing includes attempting to perform the operation at the only one of the fuel dispensers and subsequently attempting to perform the operation at another one of the plurality of fuel dispensers.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the at least one of the plurality of fuel dispensers, data from a sensor, wherein the identifying of the operation is based at least in part on the received data.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the data received from the sensor is image data captured by the sensor.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data received from the sensor is indicative of a possible drive-off without payment for fuel dispensed by the at least one of the plurality of fuel dispensers.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the data received from the sensor is indicative of a fuel leak.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the at least one of the plurality of fuel dispensers, a request from another one of the plurality of the fuel dispensers, wherein the identifying of the operation is performed by the at least one of the plurality of fuel dispensers, and the request is a request that the at least one of the plurality of fuel dispensers perform the operation.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the at least one of the plurality of fuel dispensers, a user command, wherein the identifying of the operation is based at least in part on the user command.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a message to each of the plurality of fuel dispensers that is in active operation, wherein the message contains the identified operation.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
after the providing of the message to each of the plurality of fuel dispensers that is in active operation, determining whether one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers has not been provided the message; and
providing the network message to the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers determined to have not been provided the message.

Assignees

• Wayne Fueling Systems Llc

Inventors

• Harrell Daniel C

Classifications

• G07F9/023 Primary

  Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising · CPC title

• G06Q20/12 Primary

  specially adapted for electronic shopping systems · CPC title

• B67D7/348

  by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder (B67D7/145 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G07F13/025

  wherein the volume is determined during delivery · CPC title

• G06Q20/202

  Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR · CPC title