# US 12,118,861 B2 · Virtual payment system and method for dispensing fuel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,118,861 B2 - Document ID: US12118861B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/891,396 - Filed: 2022-08-19 - Published: 2022-12-22 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-12-03 - Assignees: AvaLAN Wireless Systems, Inc. - Applicants: AvaLAN Wireless Systems, Inc. - Inventors: Michael Derby; Jason Hennig - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12118861B2 ## CPC - G06Q 20/0855: {involving a third party} - G07F 9/002: {Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines} - B67D 7/04: for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants - B67D 7/145: {by wireless communication means, e.g. RF, transponders or the like} - G06Q 20/027: {involving a payment switch or gateway} - G06Q 20/08: Payment architectures - G06Q 20/145: {Payments according to the detected use or quantity} - G06Q 20/16: Payments settled via telecommunication systems - G06Q 20/204: {comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit} - G06Q 20/3278: {RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices} - G06Q 20/351: {Virtual cards} - G06Q 30/0241: Advertisements - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - G06Q 50/06: Energy or water supply - G07F 13/025: {wherein the volume is determined during delivery} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) - B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F) ## Abstract A virtual payment facilitator is disclosed that includes a VPN server for establishing a VPN with a point-of-sale device over a public network, a second VPN server for establishing a VPN between with a remote payment authorizer, and a virtual controller interposed between the first and second VPN servers configured to issue control commands to the point-of-sale device. The virtual payment facilitator may also include a database configured to store data relating to the point-of-sale device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system, comprising: a fuel dispenser operable to dispense fuel at a fuel dispensing facility; and a virtual payment facilitator comprising a first server communicably coupled to a first network and configured to provide a fuel dispensing command to the fuel dispenser via at least one first network interface instance associated with the fuel dispenser and provided by the first server, a second server communicably coupled to a second network, the second server configured to provide a plurality of second network interface instances associated with a plurality of payment authorization entities communicably coupled to the virtual payment facilitator, and a virtual forecourt dispenser controller communicatively coupled to the fuel dispenser via the at least one first network interface instance and to a payment authorization entity via at least one second network interface instance of the plurality of second network interface instances provided by the second server, the at least one second network interface instance associated with the payment authorization entity, wherein the virtual forecourt dispenser controller is configured to issue the fuel dispensing command to the fuel dispenser via the first network, wherein the virtual payment facilitator is communicatively coupled to the payment authorization entity via the second network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual forecourt dispenser controller is communicatively coupled to the fuel dispenser via a first virtual private network established between the first server and the fuel dispenser and the virtual payment facilitator is communicatively coupled to the payment authorization entity via a second virtual private network established between the payment authorization entity and the second server, the second virtual private network different than the first virtual private network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first network is a local area network configured at the fuel dispensing facility. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual payment facilitator further comprises at least one firewall for preventing unauthorized access to the virtual payment facilitator over at least one of the first network and the second network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the fuel dispensing command is issued responsive to an authorization provided by the authorization entity via the second virtual private network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The system of claim 2, wherein the virtual payment facilitator further comprises a database, the database configured to store data comprising fuel dispenser identification data. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the database is further configured to store fuel volume data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the virtual payment facilitator further comprises an IP address tracking module configured to retrieve the fuel dispenser identification data from the database, to compare the fuel dispenser identification data to an IP address embedded within a signal received by the first virtual private network, and to update the database based upon the comparison. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual payment facilitator is located remotely from the fuel dispensing facility. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the first server is a first virtual private network server, the at least one first network interface instance is at least one first virtual private network interface instance, the second server is a second virtual private network server, and the at least one second network interface instance is at least one second virtual private network interface instance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the fuel dispenser further comprises a current-loop-over-ethernet device and a network appliance communicatively coupled to the current-loop-over-ethernet device within the fuel dispenser and to the virtual payment facilitator via the first network. ### Claim 12 The system of 11, wherein the first server is further configured to provide the first network interface instance associated with the fuel dispenser via the first network based on an IP address of the network appliance. ### Claim 13 The system of 11, wherein the first server is further configured to dynamically assign an IP address to the network appliance and the virtual payment facilitator is further configured to compare a source IP address associated with a registration number of the network appliance with the assigned IP address of the network appliance and to update a database of fuel dispenser identification data based on the comparing. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13, further comprising a mobile computing device communicatively coupled to the payment authorization entity and configured to transmit a purchase request thereto, the virtual forecourt dispenser controller is further configured to generate a query to the database responsive to receiving the purchase request via the at least one second network interface, the query including dispenser identification information and an IP address of the network appliance.