Fuel dispenser with power distribution system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11482863-B2
Application number	US-202017020152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2020
Priority date	Oct 10, 2016
Publication date	Oct 25, 2022
Grant date	Oct 25, 2022

Abstract

A fuel dispenser includes a power distribution system having an alternating current (AC) power supply and an AC to direct current (DC) power converter configured to convert a portion of the AC power to DC power for one or more DC peripheral components associated with the fuel dispenser. The power distribution system also includes processing circuitry configured to power down at least one of the DC peripheral components in response to an actuator, cause an indicator to be activated indicating that the DC peripheral components are de-energized and the AC power supply is active, power up the at least one direct current peripheral component in response to the actuator when the direct current peripherals are de-energized, and cause the indicator to be activated to indicate that both the DC peripheral components and the AC power supply are active.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel dispenser power distribution system comprising:
an alternating current power supply configured to receive alternating current power from a power source and supply alternating current power to one or more alternating current loads associated with the fuel dispenser;
an alternating current to direct current power converter configured to convert a portion of the alternating current power to direct current power for one or more direct current peripheral components associated with the fuel dispenser; and
processing circuitry configured to:
establish secured communication with a remote server;
power down one or more direct current peripheral components in response to receiving a remote power down communication when the one or more direct current peripheral components are energized;
cause an indicator to be activated to indicate that the direct current peripheral components are de-energized and the alternating current loads are energized;
power up the one or more direct current peripheral components in response to receiving a remote power up communication when the direct current peripheral components are de-energized; and
cause the indicator to be activated to indicate that both the direct current peripheral components are energized and the alternating current power supply is active.

2. The fuel dispenser power distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
record power quality information or energy consumption associated with the one or more direct current peripheral components; and
cause the power quality information or energy consumption associated with the one or more direct current peripheral components to be displayed on a user interface.

3. The fuel dispenser power distribution system of claim 2 , wherein the user interface comprises only one light element to display the power quality information or energy consumption associated with the one or more direct current peripheral components.

4. The fuel dispenser power distribution system of claim 3 , wherein the power quality information comprises real time power quality information displayed on the one light element.

5. The fuel dispenser power distribution system of claim 3 ,
wherein the power quality information comprises historical dispenser power state information displayed on the one light element as a blink code.

6. The fuel dispenser power distribution system of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
cause the power quality information or energy consumption associated with the one or more direct current peripheral components to be transmitted to a remote computing device.

Assignees

• Gilbarco Inc

Inventors

• Carapelli Giovanni
• Long Joseph
• Mcninch Wayne

Classifications

• H02J13/14

  the power network being locally controlled, e.g. home energy management systems [HEMS] · CPC title

• H02J13/10

  characterised by displaying of information or by user interaction, e.g. supervisory control and data acquisition [SCADA] systems · CPC title

• H02J4/25

  for transfer of electric power between AC and DC networks, e.g. for supplying the DC section within a load from an AC mains system · CPC title

• H02J2105/12

  supplying households or buildings · CPC title

• Y04S20/12

  Energy storage units, uninterruptible power supply [UPS] systems or standby or emergency generators, e.g. in the last power distribution stages · CPC title