Anomaly detection and controlling operations of fuel dispensing terminal during operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12006203-B2
Application number	US-202217869656-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2022
Priority date	Jul 19, 2022
Publication date	Jun 11, 2024
Grant date	Jun 11, 2024

Abstract

A system detects a fuel dispensing operation that indicates fuel is being dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal. The system determines an identifier value associated with a volume of fuel dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal. The system determines a measured volume per unit time parameter associated with the fuel dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal by dividing the determined identifier value by a unit parameter. The system compares the measured volume per unit time parameter with a threshold volume per unit time parameter. In response to determining that the measured volume per unit time parameter is less than the threshold volume per unit time parameter, the system communicates an electronic signal to the fuel dispensing terminal that instructs the fuel dispensing terminal to stop dispensing fuel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a memory configured to store:
a threshold volume per unit time parameter associated with fuel to be dispensed from a fuel dispensing terminal during a fuel dispensing operation, wherein the threshold volume per unit time parameter is configurable; and
a value indicating a threshold wait period;

a processor operably coupled with the memory, and configured to:
detect a first fuel dispensing operation that indicates fuel is being dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal;
perform the following operations at at least one predetermined time interval from among a plurality of predetermined time intervals within the 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, wherein the identifier value is a cost of the volume of fuel dispensed;
determine a measured 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, wherein the unit parameter is a fuel cost per unit fuel volume;
compare the measured volume per unit time parameter with the threshold volume per unit time parameter;
determine that the measured volume per unit time parameter is less than the threshold volume per unit time parameter; and
in response to determining that the measured volume per unit time parameter is less than the threshold volume per unit time parameter, communicate an electronic signal to the fuel dispensing terminal that instructs the fuel dispensing terminal to stop dispensing fuel.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to determining that the measured volume per unit time parameter is less than the threshold volume per unit time parameter, determine that the first fuel dispensing operation is associated with an anomaly that indicates a discrepancy between the measured volume per unit time parameter and the threshold volume per unit time parameter.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to determining that the measured volume per unit time parameter is less than the threshold volume per unit time parameter:
determine a timestamp window associated with the first fuel dispensing operation;
retrieve a video feed that shows the fuel dispensing terminal during the timestamp window, wherein the video feed is captured by a camera facing a space where the fuel dispensing terminal is located;
create a file for the first fuel dispensing operation; and
store the video feed in the created file.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
retrieve user information associated with the first fuel dispensing operation, wherein:
the user information is retrieved from a data card used in conjunction with initiating the first fuel dispensing operation; and
the user information comprises at least one of a name, an address, or a number associated with a user; and

store the user information in the created file.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to communicate an alert message that indicates the first fuel dispensing operation is associated with an anomaly that indicates a discrepancy between the measured volume per unit time parameter and the threshold volume per unit time parameter.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
detect a second fuel dispensing operation that indicates fuel is being dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal, wherein the second fuel dispensing operation is detected within a certain threshold period after the first fuel dispensing operation;
perform the following operations at at least one predetermined time interval from among the plurality of predetermined time intervals within the threshold wait period:
determine a second identifier value associated with a second volume of fuel dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal;
determine a second measured volume per unit time parameter associated with fuel dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal based at least in part upon the second identifier value, the unit parameter, and the unit time parameter;
compare the second measured volume per unit time parameter to the threshold volume per unit time parameter;
determine that the second measured volume per unit time parameter is less than the threshold volume per unit time parameter;
in response to determining that the second measured volume per unit time parameter is less than the threshold volume per unit time parameter:
communicate a second electronic signal to the fuel dispensing terminal that instructs the fuel dispensing terminal to stop dispensing fuel; and
communicate an alert message that indicates the first fuel dispensing operation and the second fuel dispensing operation are associated with an anomaly.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine an average volume per unit time parameter associated with fuel dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal in a plurality of previous fuel dispensing operations;
compare the average volume per unit time parameter with the measured volume per unit time parameter;
determine that the average volume per unit time parameter exceeds the measured volume per unit time parameter by at least a threshold value; and
in response to determining that the average volume per unit time parameter exceeds the measured volume per unit time parameter by at least the threshold value, determine that the first fuel dispensing operation is associated with an anomaly that indicates a discrepancy between the measured volume per unit time parameter and the threshold volume per unit time parameter.

8. A method comprising:
detecting a first fuel dispensing operation that indicates fuel is being dispensed from a fuel dispensing terminal;
performing 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:
determining an identifier value associated with a volume of fuel dispensed from the fuel dispensing terminal, wherein the identifier value is a cost of the volume of fuel dispensed;
determining a measured 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, wherein the unit parameter is a fuel cost per unit fuel volume;
comparing the measured volume per unit time parameter with a threshold volume per unit time parameter, wherein:
the threshold volume per unit time parameter associated with fuel to be dispensed from a fuel dispensing terminal during a fuel dispensing operation; and
the threshold volume per unit time parameter is configurable;

determining that the measured volume per unit time parameter is less than the threshold volume per unit time parameter; and
in response to determining that the measured volume per unit time parameter is less than the threshold volume per unit time parameter, communicating an electronic signal to the fuel dispensing terminal that instructs the fuel dispensing terminal to stop dispensing fuel.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, in response to determining that the measured volume per unit time parameter is less than the threshold volume per unit time parameter, determining that the first fuel dispensing operation is associated with an

Assignees

• 7 Eleven Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B67D7/3281

  Details · CPC title

• B67D7/3218

  relating to emergency shut-off means · CPC title

• B67D7/221

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

• G05B19/042

  using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B2219/45076

  Gas, fuel refilling · CPC title