Signature pulse generator and method of detecting tampering with a fueling operation
AssigneeMarconi Commerce Systems Inc.
InventorsHoward M. Myers, John J. Ronchetti, Sr., Randall O. Watkins
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for detecting tampering with a fuel dispenser digital pulse stream during dispensing of a fuel. The method includes generating a digital pulse stream indicative of the volume and flow rate of fuel dispensed wherein the pulse stream includes an identifying pulse anomaly; storing a digital pulse stream signature in a memory device wherein the stored signature includes the identifying pulse anomaly; comparing the incoming digital pulse stream with the stored digital pulse stream; and allowing fuel delivery to continue if the incoming digital pulse stream generated by the pulse generator is substantially similar to the stored digital pulse stream signature.
Claims7
A fuel dispenser for dispensing fuel comprising:
- a. a fuel flow line,
- b. a meter operatively related to said flow line to measure a volume or flow rate of fuel passing through said flow line,
- c. a signal generator associated with one of said flow line or said meter that generates a signal with a portion of the signal including an identifying signature;
- and
- d. a signal analyzer that analyzes the signal to determine if the identifying signature is an expected signature.
A fuel dispenser comprising:
- a. a pulse generator adapted to generate a digital pulse stream related to the volume or flow rate of fuel dispensed a portion of said pulse stream including an identifying signal;
- and
- b. dispenser electronics in communication with said pulse generator including a memory device for:
- i. storing an expected digital pulse stream signature in said memory device;
- ii. receiving the incoming digital pulse stream generated by said pulse generator;
- iii. comparing the incoming digital pulse stream with the stored expected digital pulse stream signature;
- and
- iv. allowing fuel delivery to continue if the incoming digital pulse stream is substantially similar to the stored expected digital pulse stream signature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.