Imperial Oil Limited

Patrick Berstein

In a transaction terminal system including a central computer and a number of remote intelligent terminals in intermittent communication with the central computer, the central computer periodically updates local hot card files at the terminals from a master hot card file. Hot card data stored at the central computer includes additional data indicative of the likelihood of a particular hot card being presented in a particular locality such that this additional data can be used to select subsets of hot card data for downloading to individual terminals, the subsets including data on hot cards deemed most likely to be presented in the locality of each terminal concerned.

Transaction terminal system

A communications link between land vehicles and a stationary vehicle service installation is formed by a modulated optical link between transmitters mounted on the vehicles and receivers at the installation, the radiation and reception patterns of said transmitters and receivers being restricted so that communication is only possible between a particular receiver and the transmitter on a vehicle when that vehicle is within a restricted range of locations. To prevent interference between different receiver/transmitter pairs, the receivers are mounted at a different level from the transmitters, and the transmitters and receivers have asymmetric fields of radiation and reception.

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Thornhill, Canada

Patrick Berstein