Methods and devices for mobile payment transactions with a product dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11763302-B2
Application number	US-202117155704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2021
Priority date	Feb 5, 2018
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

Various exemplary methods and devices for product dispenser electronic communication with a mobile device are provided. In general, a mobile device can request a secure connection with a product dispenser detected in the proximity of the mobile device. The mobile device can transmit request data to a network cloud server to authorize a mobile payment application executed on the mobile device, and can receive response data from the network cloud server indicating that the payment application has been authorized to process a payment for a product dispensable from the product dispenser. The mobile device and the product dispenser establish a secure connection using a secure key included in the response data, regardless of whether or not the product dispenser has established a connection with a network cloud server.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel purchasing method, comprising:
providing a user interface on a display of a mobile device, wherein the user interface shows information including fuel grades available for dispensing from a fuel dispenser;
receiving, via the user interface, a user selection of one of the fuel grades available for dispensing from the fuel dispenser;
receiving, via the user interface, a user authorization of an amount of fuel having the selected one of the fuel grades to be dispensed from the fuel dispenser;
communicating from the mobile device to a network cloud server a payment amount for the user authorized amount of fuel having the selected one of the fuel grades;
receiving, at the mobile device from the network cloud server, authorization for the payment amount and a secure key;
determining, by the mobile device and based on the amount of fuel and the selected one of the fuel grades, a request to begin the dispensing of the amount of fuel having the selected one of the fuel grades;
encrypting, by the mobile device and using the secure key, the request; and
in response to receiving the authorization, transmitting the encrypted request from the mobile device to the fuel dispenser, thereby triggering the fuel dispenser to dispense the amount of fuel having the selected one of the fuel grades.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel dispenser cannot directly communicate with the network cloud server.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel dispenser does not allow manual user input thereto to select fuel grade.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fuel dispenser does not accept physical payment for fuel dispensable from the fuel dispenser.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to receiving the authorization, communicating the payment amount to the fuel dispenser.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising establishing a secure connection between the fuel dispenser and the mobile device that allows secure communication between the fuel dispenser and the mobile device;
wherein the user interface is provided on the display of the mobile device after the secure connection is established; and
the amount of fuel and the selected one of the fuel grades is communicated over the secure connection.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device comprises one of a phone, a tablet, a laptop, a smartwatch, and a device integrated into an automotive vehicle.

8. A fuel purchasing system, comprising:
a mobile device comprising:
a display configured to provide thereon a user interface configured to
show information including fuel grades available for dispensing from a fuel dispenser,
receive a user selection of one of the fuel grades available for dispensing from the fuel dispenser, and
receive a user authorization of an amount of fuel having the selected one of the fuel grades to be dispensed from the fuel dispenser;

a first communication mechanism configured to communicate to a network cloud server a payment amount for the user authorized amount of fuel having the selected one of the fuel grades and configured to receive from the network cloud server authorization for the payment amount and a secure key;
a data processor configured to determine a request to begin the dispensing of the amount of fuel having the selected one of the fuel grades and to encrypt the request using the secure key; and
a second communication mechanism configured to transmit the encrypted request from the mobile device to the fuel dispenser, thereby triggering the fuel dispenser to dispense the amount of fuel having the selected one of the fuel grades.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising the fuel dispenser;
wherein the fuel dispenser cannot directly communicate with the network cloud server.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising the fuel dispenser;
wherein the fuel dispenser does not allow manual user input thereto to select fuel grade.

11. The system of claim 8 , further comprising the fuel dispenser;
wherein the fuel dispenser does not accept physical payment for fuel dispensable from the fuel dispenser.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second communication mechanism is configured to, in response to receiving the authorization, communicate the payment amount to the fuel dispenser.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the second communication mechanism is configured to, before the user interface shows the information, communicate to the fuel dispenser a request for a secure connection with the fuel dispenser; and
the amount of fuel and the selected one of the fuel grades is communicated over the secure connection.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the mobile device comprises one of a phone, a tablet, a laptop, a smartwatch, and a device integrated into an automotive vehicle.

15. A fuel purchasing method, comprising:
transmitting, from a mobile device to a network cloud, a request for fuel payment authorization;
receiving, at the mobile device, a response from the network cloud indicating that the mobile device is authorized for fuel payment, the response including a secure key; and
in response to receiving the response, transmitting, from the mobile device to a fuel dispenser, a request to begin fueling, the request being encrypted with the secure key by the mobile device, and the request allowing the fuel dispenser to begin dispensing fuel.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the transmission of the request for fuel payment authorization, the receipt of the response, and the transmission of the request to begin fueling occur whether or not the fuel dispenser has established a connection with the network cloud.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, prior to the transmission of the request for fuel payment authorization, establishing a secure connection between the mobile device and the fuel dispenser; and
after establishing the secure connection, receiving at the mobile device from the fuel dispenser information regarding the fuel dispenser;
where the request for fuel payment authorization includes the information regarding the fuel dispenser.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the request to begin fueling includes a total amount of payment for fuel authorized by the network cloud.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the fuel dispenser does not accept physical payment for fuel dispensable from the fuel dispenser.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the mobile device comprises one of a phone, a tablet, a laptop, a smartwatch, and a device integrated into an automotive vehicle.

Assignees

• Wayne Fueling Systems Llc

Inventors

• Fieglein Henry
• Pulsifer Eli
• Carlsson Richard

Classifications

• H04L67/146

  Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding · CPC title

• H04L67/141

  Setup of application sessions (admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70) · CPC title

• H04L67/125

  involving control of end-device applications over a network · CPC title

• H04L67/10 Primary

  in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network (software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46) · CPC title

• H04L67/04

  specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability · CPC title