Communications system and method, fleet management system and method, and method of impeding theft of fuel

A communications system for communications between a vehicle of a fleet of vehicles and a fuel management system, the vehicle having a fuel entry port, the fuel management system including a fuel pump, a fuel dispenser conduit in fluid communication with the fuel pump, an RFID interrogator in communication with the fuel pump and controlling operation of the fuel pump, and an antenna coupled to the RFID interrogator and supported proximate the fuel pump, the communications system comprising:

• a fuel dispenser conduit RFID configured to be supported by the fuel dispenser conduit;
• a fuel entry port antenna configured to be supported by the vehicle proximate the fuel entry port;
• a vehicle module configured to be supported by the vehicle, coupled to the fuel entry port antenna, the vehicle module being configured to read identification information from the fuel dispenser conduit RFID, using the fuel entry port antenna;
• and
• a vehicle RFID configured to be supported by the vehicle and in communication with the vehicle module, the vehicle RFID being configured to communicate with the fuel pump RFID interrogator to identify the vehicle to the fuel pump interrogator, and to communicate that the fuel dispenser conduit RFID device is in proximity with the fuel entry port antenna.

A fleet management system for use with a vehicle of a fleet of vehicles, the vehicle having a fuel entry port, the system comprising:

• a fuel management system including a fuel pump, a flexible hose having a first end in fluid communication with the fuel pump and having a second end, a nozzle in fluid communication with the second end, an RFID interrogator in communication with the fuel pump and controlling operation of the fuel pump;
• a nozzle RFID supported by the nozzle;
• a fuel entry port antenna configured to be supported by the vehicle proximate the fuel entry port;
• a vehicle module configured to be supported by the vehicle, and coupled to the fuel entry port antenna, the vehicle module being configured to read identification information from the nozzle RFID;
• and
• a vehicle RFID in serial communication with the vehicle module, the vehicle RFID being configured to communicate with the fuel pump RFID interrogator to identify the vehicle to the fuel pump interrogator, and to communicate whether the nozzle RFID device is in proximity with the fuel entry port antenna.

A communications system for communications between a vessel and a fluid management system, the vessel having a fluid entry port, the fluid management system including a fluid pump, a fluid dispenser conduit in fluid communication with the fluid pump, an RFID interrogator in communication with the fluid pump and controlling operation of the fluid pump, the communications system comprising:

• a fluid dispenser conduit RFID adapted to be supported by the fluid dispenser conduit;
• a fluid entry port antenna configured to be supported by a vessel proximate the fluid entry port;
• circuitry configured to be supported by the vessel, coupled to but spaced apart from the fluid entry port antenna, to determine if the fluid dispenser conduit RFID device is in proximity with the entry port antenna;
• and
• a vessel RFID configured to be coupled to the circuitry, the vessel RFID being configured to communicate with the fluid pump RFID interrogator to identify the vessel to the fluid pump interrogator, and to communicate if the fluid dispenser conduit RFID device is in proximity with the fluid entry port antenna.

A method comprising:

• supporting a RFID from a nozzle of a fuel dispenser;
• supporting a fuel entry port antenna from a vehicle, proximate a fuel entry port of the vehicle;
• establishing a first communication link between a vehicle and a fuel delivery system using the RFID and fuel entry port antenna;
• communicating from the vehicle to the fuel management system that the first communication link is established;
• delivering fuel from the fuel delivery system to the vehicle in response to the communicating;
• and
• suspending the delivering in response to a break in the first communication link.

A method of communication between a vehicle of a fleet of vehicles and a fuel management system, the vehicle having a fuel entry port, the fuel management system including a fuel pump, a fuel dispenser conduit in fluid communication with the fuel pump, an RFID interrogator in communication with the fuel pump and controlling operation of the fuel pump, and an antenna coupled to the RFID interrogator and supported proximate the fuel pump, the communications method comprising:

• supporting a fuel dispenser conduit RFID from the fuel dispenser conduit;
• supporting a fuel entry port antenna from the vehicle, proximate the fuel entry port;
• coupling a vehicle module to the fuel entry port antenna;
• reading identification information from the fuel dispenser conduit RFID;
• coupling a vehicle RFID to the vehicle module;
• and
• communicating from the vehicle RFID to the fuel pump RFID interrogator to identify the vehicle to the fuel pump interrogator, to communicate whether the fuel dispenser conduit RFID device is in proximity with the fuel entry port antenna.

A fleet management method for use with a vehicle of a fleet of vehicles, the vehicle having a fuel entry port, the method comprising:

• providing a fuel management system including a fuel pump, a flexible hose having a first end in fluid communication with the fuel pump and having a second end, a nozzle in fluid communication with the second end, an RFID interrogator in communication with the fuel pump and controlling operation of the fuel pump;
• supporting a nozzle RFID from the nozzle;
• supporting a fuel entry port antenna from the vehicle proximate the fuel entry port;
• supporting a vehicle module from the vehicle, coupling the vehicle module to the fuel entry port antenna, the vehicle module being configured to read identification information from the nozzle RFID;
• and
• coupling in serial communication a vehicle RFID with the vehicle module, and communicating from the vehicle RFID to the fuel pump RFID interrogator to identify the vehicle to the fuel pump interrogator, and to communicate that the nozzle RFID device is in proximity with the fuel entry port antenna.

A communications method for communications between a vessel and a fluid management system, the vessel having a fluid entry port, the fluid management system including a fluid pump, a fluid dispenser conduit in fluid communication with the fluid pump, an RFID interrogator in communication with the fluid pump and controlling operation of the fluid pump, the communications method comprising:

• supporting a fluid dispenser conduit RFID from the fluid dispenser conduit;
• supporting a fluid entry port antenna from the vessel proximate the fluid entry port;
• supporting circuitry from the vessel and coupling the circuitry to the fluid entry port antenna;
• coupling a vessel RFID to the circuitry;
• and
• communicating from the vessel RFID to the fluid pump RFID interrogator to identify the vessel to the fluid pump interrogator, and to indicate whether the fluid dispenser conduit RFID device is in proximity with the fluid entry port antenna.