Anomaly detection and controlling fuel dispensing operations using fuel volume determinations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11993507-B2
Application number	US-202318357879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2023
Priority date	Jul 19, 2022
Publication date	May 28, 2024
Grant date	May 28, 2024

Abstract

A system determines that a fuel dispensing operation may be anomalous. In response, the system accesses fuel inventory data that indicates fuel levels in a fuel tank within a threshold period. The system determines a measure amount of fuel that left the fuel tank based on the fuel inventory data. The system determines a calculated amount of dispensed fuel associated with one or more fuel dispensing operations within the threshold period. The system compares the measured amount of fuel that left the fuel tank with the calculated amount of dispensed fuel. The system determines that the measured amount of fuel that left the fuel tank is more than the calculated amount of dispensed fuel. In response, the system confirms that the fuel dispensing operation is anomalous and communicates an electronic signal to the fuel dispensing terminal that causes the fuel dispensing terminal to stop dispensing fuel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a memory configured to store fuel inventory data that indicates levels of fuel in a fuel tank within a threshold period;
a processor, operably coupled to the memory, and configured to:
access the fuel inventory data;
determine an actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank based at least in part upon the fuel inventory data;
determine a calculated amount of dispensed fuel associated with one or more fuel dispensing operations within the threshold period;
compare the actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank with the calculated amount of dispensed fuel;
determine that the actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank is more than the calculated amount of dispensed fuel; and
in response to determining that the actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank is more than the calculated amount of dispensed fuel:
confirm that a fuel dispensing operation from among the one or more fuel dispensing operations is anomalous; and
communicate an electronic signal to a fuel dispensing terminal that causes the fuel dispensing terminal to stop dispensing fuel, wherein the fuel dispensing terminal is associated with the fuel dispensing operation.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to communicate a service message that indicates the fuel dispensing operation at the fuel dispensing terminal needs attention.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is further configured to determine that the fuel dispensing operation at the fuel dispensing terminal is potentially anomalous;
accessing the fuel inventory data is in response to determining that the fuel dispensing operation at the fuel dispensing terminal is potentially anomalous; and
determining that the fuel dispensing operation at the fuel dispensing terminal is potentially anomalous comprises:
perform the following operations at at least one predetermined time interval from among a plurality of predetermined time intervals within a threshold wait period, wherein the threshold wait period is associated with a unit time parameter:
determine an identifier value associated with a volume of fuel dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal;
determine a measured fuel volume per unit time parameter associated with fuel dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal based at least in part upon the determined identifier value, a unit parameter, and the unit time parameter;
compare the measured fuel volume per unit time parameter with a threshold fuel volume per unit time parameter; and
determine that the measured fuel volume per unit time parameter is less than the threshold fuel volume per unit time parameter.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
determining the calculated amount of dispensed fuel associated with the one or more fuel dispensing operations within the threshold period in response to accessing fuel interaction data that indicates an identifier value associated with an aggregated fuel requests made within the threshold period by one or more users during one or more fuel dispensing operations; and
determining the calculated amount of dispensed fuel is based at least in part upon the fuel interaction data.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein: the processor is further configured, before confirming that the fuel dispensing operation at the fuel dispensing terminal is anomalous, to determine that the fuel dispensing operation is associated with a particular fuel grade; and
determining the calculated amount of dispensed fuel associated with the one or more fuel dispensing operations within the threshold period is in response to accessing fuel interaction data associated with the particular fuel grade, wherein the fuel interaction data indicates an amount charged for the calculated amount of dispensed fuel with respect to the particular fuel grade.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the processor is further configured to determine that the fuel dispensing operation at the fuel dispensing terminal is potentially anomalous;
accessing the fuel inventory data is in response to determining that the fuel dispensing operation at the fuel dispensing terminal is potentially anomalous;
determining that the fuel dispensing operation at the fuel dispensing terminal is potentially anomalous comprises:
perform the following operations at at least one predetermined time interval from among a plurality of predetermined time intervals within a threshold wait period, wherein the threshold wait period is associated with a unit time parameter;
determine an identifier value associated with a volume of fuel dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal;
determine a measured aggregate fuel volume associated with the fuel dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal based at least in part upon the determined identifier value and a unit parameter;
determine a measured fuel volume per unit time parameter associated with the fuel dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal by dividing the measured aggregate fuel volume by the unit time parameter;
compare the measured fuel volume per unit time parameter with a threshold fuel volume per unit time parameter; and
determine that the measured fuel volume per unit time parameter is less than the threshold fuel volume per unit time parameter.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining that the actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank is more than the calculated amount of dispensed fuel comprises determining that a discrepancy between the actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank and the calculated amount of dispensed fuel is more than a predetermined fuel volume.

8. A system comprising:
a memory configured to store fuel inventory data that indicates levels of fuel in a fuel tank within a threshold period;
a processor, operably coupled to the memory, and configured to:
access the fuel inventory data;
determine an actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank based at least in part upon the fuel inventory data;
determine a calculated amount of dispensed fuel associated with one or more fuel dispensing operations within the threshold period;
compare the actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank with the calculated amount of dispensed fuel;
determine that the actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank is more than the calculated amount of dispensed fuel; and
in response to determining that the actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank is more than the calculated amount of dispensed fuel:
confirm that a fuel dispensing operation from among the one or more fuel dispensing operations is anomalous; and
communicate a service message that indicates the fuel dispensing operation at a fuel dispensing terminal needs attention, wherein the fuel dispensing terminal is associated with the fuel dispensing operation.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
in response to determining that the actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank is more than the calculated amount of dispensed fuel:
communicate an alert message that indicates a discrepancy between the actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank and the calculated amount of dispensed fuel; and
allow for the fuel dispensing operation to continue for a second threshold period.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the alert message is sent to law enforcement officer.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to communicate an electronic signal to the fuel dispensing terminal that causes the fuel dispensing terminal to stop dispensing fuel.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining that the actual amount of fuel that left the fuel tank is more th

Assignees

• 7 Eleven Inc

Inventors

• Ragan Boonchai Matthew
• Akula Sravan Kumar Ayyappa
• Rothenberg Joshua Michael
• Hoxha Jake Ylli
• Gandra Srikanth
• Albert Scott

Classifications

• G06Q10/08778

  for managing mis-shipments, lost items or stolen goods · CPC title

• B67D7/3218 Primary

  relating to emergency shut-off means · CPC title

• B67D7/221

  using electrical or electro-mechanical means (B67D7/224 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B67D7/3281

  Details · CPC title

• B67D7/04 Primary

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