Methods and devices for fuel dispenser electronic communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12312232-B2
Application number	US-202016803594-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2020
Priority date	Jun 14, 2016
Publication date	May 27, 2025
Grant date	May 27, 2025

Abstract

Various exemplary methods and devices for fuel dispenser electronic communication are provided. In general, a fuel dispenser can be configured to electronically communicate with a network cloud to access cloud technology services. The communication can be direct, e.g., without the fuel dispenser communicating with the cloud network through an intermediary such as a fuel dispenser forecourt controller. The fuel dispenser can include a communication module configured to electronically communicate with the network cloud. The communication module can be on board the dispenser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fuel dispenser, comprising:
a first compartment having therein a pump for dispensing an amount of fuel in a fueling session for a customer; and
a second compartment having therein electronics for facilitating payment for the fuel and for facilitating the dispensing of the fuel, the electronics including a controller configured to control the pomp to regulate the dispensing of the fuel, a communication link, a payment system configured to receive customer payment information from a mobile phone to be authorized by a network cloud for payment of fuel, and a cloud communication module configured to facilitate wireless electronic communication directly between the fuel dispenser and the network cloud without communicating with an intermediary controller at a fueling site at which the fuel dispenser is located;
wherein the cloud communication module is configured to transmit data indicative of the received customer payment information directly to the network cloud without communicating with the intermediary controller and is configured to directly transmit metric data to the network cloud without communicating with the intermediary controller, the metric data including at least one of data received by the cloud communication module from the payment system via the communication link and data received by the cloud communication module from the controller via the communication link;
wherein the metric data includes fuel usage data from the controller that is indicative of the amount of fuel that has been dispensed from the fuel dispenser, and payment data from the payment system that is indicative of a total amount of payment for fuel that has been dispensed from the fuel dispenser.

2. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to provide instructions to the pump to regulate the dispensing of the fuel, the instructions being based on a control signal received from the network cloud in response to the network cloud having authorized the customer payment information.

3. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the payment system includes a mobile payment terminal that is configured to receive the customer payment information from the mobile phone.

4. The fuel dispenser of claim 3 , wherein the payment system includes a card reader attached to the fuel dispenser that is configured to receive second customer payment information to be authorized by the network cloud for payment of fuel; and
the cloud communication module is configured to transmit data indicative of the received second customer payment information directly to the network cloud without communicating with the intermediary controller.

5. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a display screen configured to display media thereon, the media being displayed having been received by the cloud communication module from the network cloud.

6. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the communication link includes first and second communication links each configured to facilitate electronic communication between the cloud communication module and the payment system and between the cloud communication module and the controller.

7. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the communication link is wired.

8. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the cloud communication module is configured to, in response to the transmission of the data indicative of the received customer payment information directly to the network cloud, receive a control signal indicative of the customer payment information received by the payment system having been authorized by the network cloud as payment for the fuel.

9. A fuel dispenser, comprising:
a first compartment having therein a pump for dispensing an amount of fuel in a fueling session for a customer; and
a second compartment having therein electronics for facilitating payment for the fuel and for facilitating the dispensing of the fuel, the electronics including a controller configured to control the pump to regulate the dispensing of the fuel, a communication link, a payment system configured to receive customer payment information from a mobile phone to be authorized by a network cloud for payment of fuel, and a cloud communication module configured to facilitate wireless electronic communication directly between the fuel dispenser and the network cloud without communicating with an intermediary controller at a fueling site at which the fuel dispenser is located;
wherein the cloud communication module is configured to transmit data indicative of the received customer payment information directly to the network cloud without communication with the intermediary controller and is configured to directly transmit metric data to the network cloud without communicating with the intermediary controller, the metric data including at least one of data received by the cloud communication module from the payment system via the communication link and data received by the cloud communication module from the controller via the communication link;
wherein the metric data includes status data from the controller that is indicative of a status of the fuel dispenser, fuel usage data from the controller that is indicative of the amount of fuel that has been dispensed from the fuel dispenser, and payment data from the payment system that is indicative of a total amount of payment for fuel that has been dispensed from the fuel dispenser.

10. The fuel dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to provide instructions to the pump to regulate the dispensing of the fuel, the instructions being based on a control signal received from the network cloud in response to the network cloud having authorized the customer payment information.

11. A fuel dispensing method, comprising:
transmitting data wirelessly from a cloud communication module of a fuel dispenser to a network cloud, the data being indicative of customer payment information received at a payment system of the fuel dispenser from a mobile phone, and the transmission of the data being directly to the network cloud without communicating with an intermediary controller at a fueling site at which the fuel dispenser is located; and
transmitting metric data from the cloud communication module to the network cloud without communicating with the intermediary controller, the metric data including at least one of data received by the cloud communication module from the payment system via a communication link of the fuel dispenser and data received by the cloud communication module from an electronic controller of the fuel dispenser via the communication link;
wherein the metric data includes fuel usage data from the electronic controller that is indicative of the amount of fuel that has been dispensed from the fuel dispenser, and payment data from the payment system that is indicative of a total amount of payment for fuel that has been dispensed from the fuel dispenser.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising receiving, at the fuel dispenser, a control signal from the network cloud in response to the network cloud having authorized the customer payment information; and
providing, using the electronic controller, instructions to the pump to regulate the dispensing of the fuel, the instructions being based on the control signal.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the payment system includes a mobile payment terminal that receives the customer payment information from the mobile phone.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the payment system includes a card reader attached to the fuel dispenser that receives second customer payment information to be authorize

Assignees

• Wayne Fueling Systems Llc

Inventors

• Fieglein Henry

Classifications

• G07F13/025

  wherein the volume is determined during delivery · CPC title

• G07F9/023

  Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising · CPC title

• G06Q20/34

  using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards · CPC title

• G06Q20/20

  Point-of-sale [POS] network systems · CPC title

• G06Q20/145

  Payments according to the detected use or quantity · CPC title