Fuel Dispenser Utilizing Wi-Fi Direct User Interface
AssigneeGilbarco Inc.
InventorsEdward Asbell Payne, Rodger K. Williams, Christopher J. Whitley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A fuel dispenser comprises fuel flow piping defining a flow path from a source of fuel toward a fueling nozzle. A plurality of fuel handling components are disposed along the fuel flow piping. Control electronics are in operative communication with the fluid handling components. The fuel dispenser includes network circuitry operative to create a wireless peer to peer network with an adjacent vehicle. After creation of such network, the control electronics receive transaction information from the vehicle in electronic form via the network circuitry, and cause at least one function of the fuel dispenser to be controlled for a transaction based on the transaction information.
Claims18
A fuel dispenser comprising:
- fuel flow piping defining a flow path from a source of fuel toward a fueling nozzle;
- a plurality of fuel handling components disposed along said fuel flow piping;
- control electronics in operative communication with said fluid handling components;
- and
- said fuel dispenser including network circuitry operative to create a wireless peer to peer network with an adjacent vehicle and, after creation of such network, receive transaction information from the vehicle in electronic form via the network circuitry, said control electronics causing at least one function of the fuel dispenser to be controlled for a transaction based on said transaction information.
A fuel dispensing environment comprising:
- a plurality of fuel dispensers, each of the dispensers having:
- fuel flow piping defining a flow path from a source of fuel toward a fueling nozzle;
- a plurality of fuel handling components disposed along said fuel flow piping;
- control electronics in operative communication with said fluid handling components;
- and
- an infrastructure to vehicle network device in communication with each of said fuel dispensers, said device including network circuitry operative:
- to create a wireless peer to peer network with vehicles in the forecourt and associate each such vehicle with one of said fuel dispensers, and
- after creation of such network to receive transaction information from the vehicle in electronic form via the network circuitry and to cause the control electronics of the fuel dispenser to control at least one function of the fuel dispenser based on said transaction information.
A method utilized at a fuel dispenser to establish a wireless peer to peer network between the fuel dispenser and a vehicle, said method comprising steps of:
- (a) communicating with said vehicle when within communication range of said fuel dispenser to obtain location information therefrom;
- (b) determining based on said location information whether said vehicle is in a dispensing location adjacent to said fuel dispenser;
- (c) if said vehicle is in said dispensing location, establishing said network with said vehicle;
- (d) wirelessly receiving transaction information from the vehicle in electronic form;
- and
- (e) causing at least one function of the fuel dispenser to be controlled for a transaction based on said transaction information.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.