US 2025/0083945 A1Published application

Fleet fuel management system

AssigneeFuelLoc LLC

InventorsWilliam McNamara, Paul A. Sullivan, Timothy Callow

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A fleet fueling system may be implemented with controllers electronically interfacing with fuel dispensers at dispensing stations and communicating via a wide area network with one or more computing device implementing multiple subsystems. Hardware components and subsystems may be configured to avoid operating errors and provide end-to-end functionality, including one or more of: avoiding damage to movable readers that can collect information about assets positioned at fuel dispensing stations, selectively authorizing fuel to be dispensed based on the types and amount of fuel those assets are authorized to receive, quickly and reliably entering information about assets, providing analytics relating to fuel usage per asset, predicting future fuel needs at each of multiple fuel dispensing sites and scheduling fuel deliveries based on predicted needs, and detecting or correcting operating errors in the system.

Claims20

Dependent claims

At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions configured for execution on at least one processor associated with a controller for a fuel dispensing station and that, when executed on the at least one processor, perform a method, the method comprising:

obtaining identifying information about an asset positioned for fueling at the fuel dispensing station via a reader at the fuel dispensing station;
transmitting the identifying information to an asset management subsystem implemented by a remote computing device;
after transmitting the identifying information to the asset management subsystem, receiving information about the asset from the asset management subsystem, the information about the asset indicating an identifier for the asset;
determining, based at least in part on the information about the asset, whether to enable a fuel dispenser at the fuel dispensing station to dispense fuel to the asset by determining, based on the identifier indicated by the information about the asset, whether the asset is calibrated;
selectively generating control signals to the fuel dispenser at the fuel dispensing station based on the determination, wherein the control signals are configured to enable the fuel dispenser to dispense fuel to the asset;
and
communicating the control signals to the fuel dispenser.

4 more elements

A controller for a fuel dispensing station having a fuel dispenser comprising a housing enclosing a pump and electronics configured to turn on and off the pump and to provide a signal indicating an amount of fuel dispensed by the pump, the controller providing an interface to a fueling system and comprising:

at least one reader mechanically coupled to the fuel dispensing station and configured to read information from an asset positioned for fueling at the fuel dispensing station;
a communication interface configured for communication between the fuel dispensing station and an asset management subsystem implemented by a remote computing device;
a fuel dispenser communication interface to the electronics of the fuel dispenser;
and
a processor, configured to:
obtain identifying information about the asset via the at least one reader;
transmit the identifying information about the asset to the asset management subsystem via the communication interface;
after transmitting the identifying information to the asset management subsystem, receive information about the asset from the asset management subsystem via the communication interface;
determine, based at least in part on the information about the asset, whether to enable the fuel dispenser to dispense fuel to the asset;
selectively generate control signals to the fuel dispenser based on the determination, wherein the control signals are configured to enable the fuel dispenser to dispense fuel to the asset;
communicate the control signals through the fuel dispenser communication interface;
transmit status signals via the communication interface;
and
receive a command over the communication interface indicating an error correction action.

11 more elements

at least one reader mechanically coupled to the fuel dispensing station and configured to read information from an asset positioned for fueling at the fuel dispensing station;
a communication interface configured for communication between the fuel dispensing station and an asset management subsystem implemented by a remote computing device;
a fuel dispenser communication interface to the electronics of the fuel dispenser;
and
a processor, configured to:
obtain identifying information about the asset via the at least one reader;
transmit the identifying information about the asset to the asset management subsystem via the communication interface;
after transmitting the identifying information to the asset management subsystem, receive information about the asset from the asset management subsystem via the communication interface, the information about the asset indicating a mileage for the asset;
determine whether to enable the fuel dispenser to dispense the fuel to the asset based on the information about the asset by determining whether the mileage indicated by the information about the asset is authorized;
selectively generate control signals to the fuel dispenser based on the determination, wherein the control signals are configured to enable the fuel dispenser to dispense fuel to the asset;
and
communicate the control signals through the fuel dispenser communication interface.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/954,724Filed 21 Nov 2024
Priority: 16 Feb 2017
Published: 13 Mar 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B67D 7/145
Responsive to input of recorded programmed information, e.g. on punched cards: by wireless communication means, e.g. RF, transponders or the like
B67D 7/00
Apparatus or devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers or reservoirs
B67D 7/04
Apparatus or devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers or reservoirs into vehicles or into portable containers, e.g. for…: for…
G05B 19/042
Program control other than numerical control, i.e. in sequence controllers or logic controllers: using digital processors

Family

Application62/459,982Us provisional application · filed 16 Feb 2017
Application16/486,812Continuation · filed 16 Aug 2019
Application17/693,249Division · filed 11 Mar 2022
Application18/954,724Division
Application17/693,249Continuation
US 11,339,048 B2Related patent
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US 2019/0367353 A1Published application
US 2022/0194777 A1Published application
US 2025/0083945 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.