Gilbarco Inc.

Marconi Commerce Systems Inc.

David L Kaehler

Timothy E Dickson

John S McSpadden

Ray Hutchinson

Robert Shepard

Edward A Payne

Joseph D Long

Steven N Terranova

Richard R Sobota

Anthony G Blake

A meter coupled in close proximity to an underground storage tank fuel pipe that delivers fuel from the underground storage tank to fuel dispensers in a service station environment. The meter measures the total amount of fuel drawn from the underground storage tank. The meter may be placed in a submersible turbine pump or in the main conduit that carries fuel to the fuel dispensers. The meter measurement is compared to the meter measurements in the individual fuel dispensers that receive the fuel drawn from the underground storage tank to determine if a discrepancy exists. A discrepancy may be indicative of meter tampering, meter calibration issues, and/or a leak in the fuel pipeline between the underground storage tank and the fuel dispensers. A leak detection test may be automatically performed if such discrepancy exists and/or an alarm condition generated and communicated.

Underground storage tank metering system in a service station environment

The present invention relates to a system and a method for compensating for predicted meter drift is a positive displacement meter comprising a pulser connected to the meter for generating a pulse stream indicative of a current volume delivered through the meter; and a pulse processor in electronic communication with the pulse generator. The pulse processor adds or subtracts pulses indicative of the inverse of the predicted meter drift to or from the pulse stream to create a corrected pulse stream. The amount of inverse applied is determined by the value of the current cumulative volume passed by the meter.

Meter calibration and drift compensation device

A fuel dispensing system for providing dual-stage preconditioning and authentication for enhancing a fueling transaction. The system includes a fuel dispenser associated with a control system and a receiver adapted to receive signals, including a first indicia, from a remote communications unit of a customer. The receiver is operatively associated with the control system and enables the control system to retrieve the first indicia and precondition the dispenser for fueling. The control system is adapted to receive second indicia subsequent to receiving the first indicia, and authenticate a transaction involving the remote communications unit by determining the requisite authentication data based on the first indicia and correlating the authentication data with the second indicia. Authentication occurs when the second indicia and the requisite transaction indicia correlate. Various security and encryption techniques may be used when receiving the first and second indicia.

Preconditioning a fuel dispensing system using a transponder

A system for assisting handicapped individuals in operating gasoline dispensers which includes a transponder in which data is stored according to the specific gasoline requirements of the individual. A transceiver is located proximate the gasoline dispenser and interrogates the transponder to obtain such stored data, and generates a signal which is a function of the stored data that is transmitted to a computer which receives the signal and generates predetermined control signals for operating the gasoline dispenser. The system may also include a warning signal device activated by the transponder to notify an attendant that the handicapped individual is approaching and this device may include a read-out device which displays predetermined personal information relating to the handicapped individual.

System for enabling handicapped individuals to use gasoline dispensers

A fuel dispenser includes fuel delivery components located in a service station, a card reader for reading customer credit or debit cards, a customer data input mechanism, and a video infeed line for infeeding a video signal including advertising of a product available for sale at the service station and data about the advertisement in a closed-captioning portion of the video signal. The dispenser also includes a video display screen arranged to receive the video signal and display the advertisement as a visible video program, a memory of information about products that may be advertised, and a data controller adapted to control data for the card reader and capable of reading data from the closed-captioning portion of the video program for use in a manner independent of affecting the way the visible video program is displayed. The data may, for example be used to count the number of times a particular video program is shown; trigger a product price display on the video display screen from the memory when an advertisement of a selected product is being displayed, or indicate data input options to enable the customer to purchase the advertised product.

Video identification for forecourt advertising

An apparatus for installation in a retail setting for selling fuel and other products ordered by a customer interacting with an operator. A video control system interfaces an external audio/video signal source with an audio/video signal source from an other product ordering apparatus operator. The external audio/video source transmits advertising and promotional materials to a video display located on a card reader equipped fuel dispenser. Additionally, customers can signal and communicate through audio/video signals with the operator to order other merchandise. Total transaction costs for fuel and non-fuel products is provided and paid for at the fuel dispenser.

Audio and audio/video operator intercom for a fuel dispenser

A fuel dispensing installation that includes first and second fuel tanks containing first and second fuels of different octane levels. The tanks are provided with first and second octane level sensors mounted in the first and second fuel tanks respectively for measuring fuel octane levels and generating output signals indicative of the octane levels of the first and second fuels. Conduits from the first and second tanks transport the fuel to one or more fuel dispensers. The fuel dispensers include a blending system for blending the first and second fuels to form at least one blended fuel having an intermediate octane. A site controller in electronic communication with the blending system receives the output signals and controls the blending system to permit the dispensing of one or more blended fuels based on the measured octane levels of the first and second fuels.

Fuel blending using blend component octane levels

Fuel dispenser/operator intercom system

In a gasoline dispenser system, a dispenser head includes a PIN PAD for permitting a customer to privately enter their personal Identification Number into the PIN PAD at a location remote from the dispenser head, for permitting the PIN number to be transmitted to a receiver in the dispenser head, for processing via a point-of-sale authorization controller, to either authorize or deny a transaction between the customer and associated service station.

Growing community of inventors

Greensboro, NC, United States of America

David L Kaehler