Gilbarco Inc.

Marconi Commerce Systems Inc.

Other

Timothy E Dickson

David L Kaehler

John S McSpadden

Ray Hutchinson

Robert Shepard

Kenneth Orvin Marion

Anthony G Blake

A service station for the sale and dispensing of fuel into customers' vehicles and a method of optionally delivering a transaction accounting thereof to the customer, wherein the receipt station is located separately from the fuel dispensers. Costs to manufacture and maintain a plurality of fuel dispensers are reduced by migrating this function to a single station. Upon fueling, an indicia is associated with each transaction, and this indicia is input at the receipt station to retrieve the associated transaction data. In the preferred embodiment, the indicia is sensed automatically by the receipt station via a transponder mounted on the customer's vehicle or carried by the customer.

Multi-stage accounting system for a fueling environment

A fraud detection system within a fuel dispenser includes the ability to measure the amount of fuel dispensed through the fuel dispenser. The measurement is compared to a value independently created representing what the amount of fuel dispensed should approximate. If the values are not comparable, an alarm may be generated to indicate that the fuel dispenser has been modified to perpetrate fraud upon the customers. In particular, a reference used in the comparison is created bearing on a flow rate of the fuel being dispensed through the fuel dispenser. The flow rate is derived from a source independent of a pulser within the fuel dispenser providing the needed authenticity.

Fraud detection through flow rate analysis

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 is to provide a multistage ordering system for a fueling environment. The system may include a fuel dispenser having an order entry interface and associated first remote communications electronics adapted to communicate with a remote communications unit associated with the customer. An order receipt position apart from the fuel dispenser is provided and includes a second remote communications electronics adapted to communicate with a remote communications unit, a receipt position output indicating the customer who placed the order is at the order receipt location, and an intermediate location output indicating the customer is proximate said intermediate locating position. An intermediate locating position located along the path of travel between the fuel dispenser and the order receipt position is also provided. The intermediate locating position has a third remote communication electronics adapted to communicate with the remote communications unit. The control system is associated with each of the communications electronics. The control system is preferably adapted to communicate with the remote communications unit through the first communications electronics when the remote communications unit is proximate a fuel dispenser, associated customer order placed at the order entry interface, and communicate with the remote communications unit through the third remote communications electronics when the remote communications unit is proximate the intermediate locating position. When the customer is proximate the intermediate locating position, the control system provides an intermediate location output in order to determine the location of the customer between the dispenser and order receipt location. The control system will again communicate with the remote communications unit at the order receipt location when the customer arrives to pick up the order. The control system will identify the order at the receipt location for the particular customer who placed the order at the order entry interface of the fuel dispenser.

Multistage ordering system for a fueling and retail environment

A fraud detection system within a fuel dispenser includes the ability to measure the amount of fuel dispensed through the fuel dispenser. The measurement is compared to a value independently created representing what the amount of fuel dispensed should approximate. If the values are not comparable, an alarm may be generated to indicate that the fuel dispenser has been modified to perpetrate fraud upon the customers.

Fraud detection through general inference

A card reader module includes capabilities for receiving and decrypting an encrypted user PIN to facilitate off-line transaction authorization. In an off-line transaction, a transaction processing system need not communicate with an outside authorization network to obtain transaction authorization. Off-line transaction authorization is particularly relevant when a customer uses a secure payment device, such as a smart card. With a smart card, the transaction processing system, in cooperation with the smart card, compares a user-entered PIN, input through a keypad, with a user PIN stored on the smart card. If the input PIN matches the stored PIN, the transaction processing system authorizes the customer's transaction. Rather than including the keypad, the card reader module receives the PIN in encrypted format directly or indirectly from a separate keypad. To minimized fraud, the separate keypad encrypts the PIN before it is sent to the card reader module. The card reader module decrypts received PIN information for comparison to card-stored PIN information. Based on the comparison, the card reader module provides authorization information to other elements in the transaction processing system. Preferably, the card reader module is used in a fuel dispensing system. This allows off-line authorization of fueling transactions, based on verifying a user-entered PIN against a stored payment card PIN. By separating the PIN-entry keypad from the card reader module, the card reader module may be individually serviced, thereby reducing maintenance expenses, for the transaction processing system in which the card reader module is used.

Card reader module with pin decryption

The present invention relates to an in-vehicle interface allowing occupants of the vehicle to place orders from within the vehicle for items provided by a quick-serve restaurant before or after the vehicle reaches a typical order entry position associated with the quick-serve restaurant. Occupants in the vehicle are provided a menu on a display of an in-vehicle interface. The occupants may select any number of desired items to form an occupant order. The occupant order is stored and/or transmitted directly or indirectly to the quick-serve restaurant for processing. Financial information may be sent along with the customer order to effect payment for the occupant order. Preferably, the occupant order is transmitted directly to communication electronics in or associated with a fuel dispenser in an environment associated with a quick-serve restaurant. The dispenser electronics will forward the occupant order to the quick-serve restaurant for processing. Alternatively, the occupant order may be transmitted to the quick-serve restaurant via satellite or ground-based communication systems, which in effect relay information transmitted from the vehicle to communication electronics associated with the quick-serve restaurant.

In-vehicle ordering

A fraud detection system within a fuel dispenser includes the ability to measure the amount of fuel dispensed through the fuel dispenser. The measurement is compared to a value independently created representing what the amount of fuel dispensed should approximate. If the values are not comparable, an alarm may be generated to indicate that the fuel dispenser has been modified to perpetrate fraud upon the customers. In particular, a reference used in the comparison is created using on an output from a storage tank sensor. The storage tank sensor, during the dispensing of fuel provides an independent number related to the amount of fuel actually dispensed that can be compared to the reported amount of fuel dispensed.

Fraud detection through tank monitor analysis

A fraud detection system within a fuel dispenser includes the ability to measure the amount of fuel dispensed through the fuel dispenser. The measurement is compared to a value independently created representing what the amount of fuel dispensed should approximate. If the values are not comparable, an alarm may be generated to indicate that the fuel dispenser has been modified to perpetrate fraud upon the customers. In particular, a reference used in the comparison is created by referring to an independent measurement of time required to complete the fueling transaction.

Fraud detection through time analysis

A fraud detection system within a fuel dispenser includes the ability to measure the amount of fuel dispensed through the fuel dispenser. The measurement is compared to a value independently created representing what the amount of fuel dispensed should approximate. If the values are not comparable, an alarm may be generated to indicate that the fuel dispenser has been modified to perpetrate fraud upon the customers. In particular, a reference used in the comparison is created from data known to contain fraudulent information. If there is a match between the reported profile and the known fraudulent material an alarm may be generated.

Fraud detection through inference

A fraud detection system within a fuel dispenser includes the ability to measure the amount of fuel dispensed through the fuel dispenser. The measurement is compared to a value independently created representing what the amount of fuel dispensed should approximate. If the values are not comparable, an alarm may be generated to indicate that the fuel dispenser has been modified to perpetrate fraud upon the customers. In particular, a reference used in the comparison is created bearing on a vapor recovery system associated with the fuel dispenser. The vapor recovery system, by its collection of vapor during the fueling transaction provides an independent number related to the amount of fuel actually dispensed.

Fraud detection through vapor recovery analysis

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.

Growing community of inventors

Greensboro, NC, United States of America

Timothy E Dickson