Fuel pump with fuel mileage calculation option

A method of calculating specific fuel consumption of a motor fuel at a fuel dispensing pump and reporting a resulting calculation to a user of the fuel dispensing pump, comprising the steps of:

• providing a fuel dispensing pump connected to a computer and having a keypad having a plurality of individual keys communicably connected to the computer, a display screen communicably connected to the computer, a printer including a supply of paper, wherein the printer is communicably connected to the computer, a fuel measuring element communicably connected to the computer, and an authorizing device communicably connected to the computer;
• automatically querying the user of the fuel pump as to whether the user desires that a specific fuel consumption calculation related to the current refueling be performed;
• automatically querying the user of the fuel pump as to whether the user desires that a specific fuel consumption calculation related to the current refueling and all prior refuelings be performed;
• requiring that the user respond to the queries by depressing keys of the keyboard;
• entering a travel parameter into the computer by depressing keys of the keyboard;
• storing in memory data corresponding to the travel parameter entered into the computer and data corresponding to the quantity of fuel dispensed and measured;
• calculating specific fuel consumption using measured quantity of fuel dispensed and the travel parameter entered into the computer only responsive to an affirmative response to the query;
• and
• printing values derived from the resulting calculation by the printer.

Apparatus for calculating specific fuel consumption of a motor fuel at a fuel dispensing pump and reporting a resulting calculation to a user of the fuel dispensing pump, comprising:

• a fuel dispensing pump having a fuel measuring element disposed to measure fuel dispensed and to generate a data signal corresponding to the amount of dispensed fuel measured, wherein said fuel measuring element is automatically communicably connected to a computer disposed within said fuel dispensing pump;
• a data input device having a manual data entry element communicably connected to said computer and adapted to receive at least one travel parameter from a user;
• and
• an output device communicably connected to said computer,
• wherein said computer has software installed therein disposed to calculate specific fuel consumption responsive to entry of said at least one travel parameter into said data input device and to reception of said data signal corresponding to the amount of dispensed fuel measured.