Texas Instruments Corporation

Mobil Oil Corporation

Dresser, Inc.

Exxonmobile Oil Corporation

Karen Scott Guthrie

Joseph A Giordano

Andreas Hagl

Thomas J Flaxl

Joseph Bernard Pearson

Don Charles McCall

Anne A Tip

Loek d'Hont

Robert Allen Lorentzen

George A Holodak

Alex J Weyer

Lloyd G Sargent

Steven L Clapper

Geeta Bholanath Nadkarni

Jeffrey L Turner

Samuel S Hendricks

Deborah T Wilkins

Carl R Jacobs

Bernard Barink

Thomas L Mays

Scott D Larson

A system and method for providing a fuel dispenser with radio frequency customer identification capabilities. The system and method determines whether a transponder containing customer identification data is within range of a dispenser, the dispenser requiring activation by the customer to initiate a transaction and including a reader associated therewith for emitting radio frequency signals within the dispenser range, and for receiving customer identification data from the transponder responsive to the emitted radio frequency signals received by the transponder. When the transponder is within range of the dispenser, an in-range indication is provided to the customer. A determination is made whether the dispenser has been activated by the customer following a determination that the transponder is within the dispenser range. Upon activation of the dispenser following the determination that the transponder is within the dispenser range, the customer identification data received by the reader is associated with a transaction at the activated dispenser, whereupon the transaction at the activated dispenser is permitted and charged to the customer according to the customer identification data. The system easily retrofits onto an existing, conventional fuel dispenser.

Dispensing system and method with radio frequency customer identification

A point-of-sale (POS) processing system includes a host and a plurality of portable POS terminals. A local controller may be provided intermediate the host and the POS terminals, so that the POS terminals communicate with the host via the local controller. Each POS terminal includes a main portion and an extension portion. The main portion may be supported by a harness for strapping the main portion to a dealer's body. The extension portion may be small in size and light in weight so that it can be easily held with one hand. The main portion includes a two-way communication subsystem, a processor, and at least one data interface. The extension portion includes a reading device (e.g., a magnetic strip reader) for reading financial account data from an account authorization device (e.g., a credit card, debit card or prepay card). It further includes an input device (e.g., a keypad) for inputting a security code access key (e.g., a PIN), and a device for generating encrypted data representative of the security code access key. The main portion may also include a printer for printing receipts generated as a result of a sale transaction.

Portable point-of sale terminal with device for inputting security code

Growing community of inventors

Oak Hill, VA, United States of America

Karen Scott Guthrie