JP2021075322A - Gas station system - Google Patents

Abstract

To prevent not only erroneous refueling for a vehicle but erroneous refueling for a portable container while suppressing cost required for equipment investment lower.SOLUTION: A gas station system 1 comprises: an oil supplying apparatus 2; a camera 3 for photographing a vehicle V or a portable container C as equipment to be oil-fed for the oil supplying apparatus, and an oil supply nozzle 2b removed from the oil supplying apparatus; a server 5 which, when an image photographed by the camera is a vehicle, specifies the adaptable oil kind for the vehicle; and a control device 4 which determines whether the equipment to be oil-fed is a vehicle or a portable container from the image photographed by the camera, and compares, when the equipment to be oil-fed is a portable container, the adaptable oil kind for the portable container or, when the equipment to be oil-fed is a vehicle, the adaptable oil kind specified from the photographed image by the server, with the oil kind of the nozzle photographed by the camera, and outputs an oil unfeedable signal when both the kinds does not match. A notification part 2c which, when the adaptable oil kind specified from the photographed image by the control device does not match the oil kind of the nozzle removed from the oil supplying apparatus, notifies of the effect.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a gas station system and relates to a technique for preventing erroneous fuel oil supply to a vehicle or a portable container.

At self-service gas stations, when a gas station refuels a vehicle, the gas station staff checks to see if the nozzle is plugged into the vehicle's fuel port and if the customer is acting unsafely. When safety is confirmed, a refueling permit is issued from the self-service console (hereinafter referred to as "SSC"), and the refueling customer can start refueling. On the other hand, in the case of a full-service gas station where gas station staff perform refueling work, the gas station customer specifies the oil type, and the gas station staff supplies the fuel oil of the specified oil type to the vehicle.

However, if the refueling customer mistakenly specifies the fuel oil type (compatible oil type) to be refueled to his vehicle, the gas station staff will not notice the order mistake and the fuel of the wrong oil type will be fueled. May supply oil. Due to the recent labor shortage, the number of foreign gas station staff and unfamiliar gas station staff is increasing, so the above mistakes are likely to occur.

Also, if there is a vehicle that can use either gasoline or light oil even if it is the same model, refueling even if the refueling customer picks up a nozzle of an oil type different from the compatible oil type. There is a risk that the staff will not notice this and will give permission to refuel, resulting in incorrect refueling. Even if the gas station staff themselves refuel, there is a risk of erroneous refueling without noticing the wrong oil type.

If the type of fuel oil to be supplied is incorrect, the engine may stop while driving, which may result in a serious accident. In addition, if you make a mistake in refueling, the trust of the gas station will be lost, and the gas station may be closed, which may affect the lives of the local community.

Therefore, Patent Document 1 proposes a refueling device that prevents erroneous refueling by sucking vapor from the tip of a refueling nozzle and determining the oil type of an automobile fuel tank.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 6-345196

The invention described in Patent Document 1 is effective in preventing erroneous refueling of a vehicle, but a refueling device having a sensor and a suction pump must be newly installed in place of the existing refueling device, and the cost required for capital investment. There was a problem that the number increased.

On the other hand, at gas stations, not only vehicles are refueled, but also portable containers are refueled. At self-service gas stations, gas stations are allowed to refuel plastic containers by themselves, and at full-service gas stations, gas stations staff are allowed to refuel carry-on cans with gasoline. Is obligatory.

However, when refueling a plastic container with light oil at a self-service gas station, even if the refueling customer accidentally picks up the gasoline nozzle, the gas station staff does not notice this and grants refueling permission. Therefore, there is a risk of incorrect refueling. Even in this case, it is very dangerous because it may lead to a serious accident or incident. In addition, if gasoline can be refueled in a carrying can at a self-service gas station, it may lead to an incident using gasoline.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional technique, and it is possible to prevent not only erroneous refueling of a vehicle but also erroneous refueling of a portable container while keeping the cost required for capital investment low. The purpose is to provide a gas station system that can be used.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a refueling station system, in which a refueling device, a vehicle or a portable container as a refueling target device of the refueling device, and a refueling nozzle removed from the refueling device are photographed. When the image taken by the camera is a vehicle, the server that identifies the compatible oil type of the vehicle and the image taken by the camera determine whether the device to be refueled is a vehicle or a portable container, and refuel. When the target device is a portable container, the compatible oil type of the portable container, when the target device for refueling is a vehicle, the compatible oil type specified by the server from the captured image and the nozzle photographed by the camera. It is characterized by being provided with a control device that outputs a refueling impossible signal when the two oil types do not match with each other.

According to the present invention, the compatible oil type of the refueling target device and the refueling target device is specified from the image taken by the camera, and whether or not the oil type of the nozzle removed by the refueling customer or the gas station staff is the same as the compatible oil type. If there is an error in the oil type, a signal that refueling is not possible is output. Therefore, not only erroneous refueling to the vehicle but also erroneous refueling to the portable container can be reliably prevented. Further, the cost required for capital investment can be kept low by using the existing refueling device instead of newly installing the refueling device having a special configuration.

In the gas station system, when the compatible oil type specified by the control device from the photographed image and the oil type of the nozzle removed from the gas station do not match, a notification unit for notifying the fact is provided. It can inform refueling passengers and gas station staff that the wrong nozzle has been removed.

The gas station system can be installed in a full-service type or self-service type gas station, and the system can be shared even if the form of the gas station is different, and capital investment can be kept low.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent not only erroneous refueling of a vehicle but also erroneous refueling of a portable container while keeping the cost required for capital investment low.

It is an overall block diagram which shows one Embodiment of the gas station system which concerns on this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the control device shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the 1st operation of the gas station system shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the 2nd operation of the gas station system shown in FIG.

Next, a mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a gas station system according to the present invention, in which the gas station system 1 includes a refueling device 2, a camera 3 for photographing a vehicle V or a portable container C as a refueling target device, and the like. It is composed of a control device 4 that controls a notification unit 2C provided in the refueling device 2 based on an image taken by the camera 3, and a server 5 that can communicate with the control device 4 and constitutes a cloud. Although a portable container for gasoline is shown as a portable container in FIG. 1, the portable container C in the present embodiment also includes a plastic container for light oil.

The refueling device 2 is provided with a display 2a for displaying refueling data and the like, a refueling system provided in a normal refueling device such as a refueling nozzle 2b, and a notification unit 2c for calling attention to gas station staff and refueling customers. It also has an NG button 2d that is pressed by the gas station staff when refueling is not possible.

When the sensor (not shown) detects the vehicle V stopped in the vicinity of the refueling device 2 or the portable container C placed in the vicinity of the refueling device 2, the camera 3 photographs the vehicle V or the portable container C and captures an image. Has a function of transmitting the image to the control device 4 and a function of constantly photographing and monitoring the refueling nozzle 2b, and when the removal of the refueling nozzle 2b is detected from the photographed image, the photographed image is transmitted to the control device 4. The captured image may be a still image or a moving image. One camera 3 may be installed at a gas station as long as it can photograph the vehicle V or the portable container C in the vicinity of each refueling device 2 and each refueling nozzle 2b of each refueling device 2. It may be installed every two. Alternatively, the one already existing at the gas station may be used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 4 includes an appearance image storage unit 4a, a captured image receiving unit 4b, a refueling target device identification unit 4c, a nozzle oil type storage unit 4d, a nozzle oil type identification unit 4e, and the like. It is composed of a gas station form storage unit 4f and a refueling permission determination unit 4g.

The appearance image storage unit 4a stores the appearance image of the vehicle V and the portable container C, and the refueling target device identification unit 4c is received by the captured image receiving unit 4b based on the information stored in the appearance image storage unit 4a. It is specified whether the device to be refueled is the vehicle V or the portable container C from the captured image.

When the refueling target device is the vehicle V, the refueling target device specifying unit 4c transmits the captured image received by the captured image receiving unit 4b to the server 5, and the server 5 identifies the compatible oil type of the vehicle V. To. On the other hand, when the target of the refueling device is the portable container C, the type of the portable container C is specified by referring to the appearance image storage unit 4a. As described above, there are two types of portable container C, a carrying can for gasoline and a plastic container for light oil.

The nozzle oil type storage unit 4d stores information such as colors and characters for each oil type of the refueling nozzle 2b, and the nozzle oil type identification unit 4e takes a picture based on the information stored in the nozzle oil type storage unit 4d. The oil type of the removed refueling nozzle 2b is specified from the captured image received by the image receiving unit 4b.

The gas station form storage unit 4f stores the form (self-service method or full-service method) of each gas station. The refueling permission determination unit 4g was removed from the compatible oil type of the refueling target device (vehicle V or portable container C) obtained from the server 5 or the refueling target device identification unit 4c and the nozzle oil type identification unit 4e. It is determined whether or not the oil types of the refueling nozzles 2b match.

The server 5 includes a database of the automobile industry association and the imported automobile industry association that stores the vehicle appearance information and the oil type information in association with each other, a database of the Land Transport Bureau that stores the vehicle number and the oil type information in association with each other, and the like. As described above, the compatible oil type of the vehicle V is specified based on the appearance information from the refueling target device specifying unit 4c. This server 5 can be shared by each of the gas stations A to C.

Next, the first operation of the gas station system 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In the step where the route in FIG. 3 branches, the downward direction corresponds to Yes and the horizontal direction corresponds to No.

In step S1 of the camera 3, when a customer visits a gas station and the sensor detects a vehicle V stopped near the refueling device 2 or a portable container C placed near the refueling device 2 (step S1; Yes). ), The vehicle V or the portable container C is photographed, and the photographed data is output to the control device 4 (step S2).

When the shooting data is input from the camera 3 in step S11 of the control device 4 (step S11; Yes), the control device 4 is the vehicle V or the portable container C to be refueled from the shooting data in step S12. If the shooting data is the vehicle V (step S12; Yes), the appearance information of the vehicle V is output to the server 5 as the vehicle information (step S13). The case where the equipment to be refueled is the portable container C will be described later.

When vehicle information is input from the control device 4 in step 31 of the server 5 (step S31; Yes), the server 5 identifies a compatible oil type of the vehicle V and outputs it to the control device 4 as oil type information (step S31; Yes). Step S32), the operation is terminated.

In step S3 of the camera 3, when the refueling customer removes the refueling nozzle 2b and the camera 3 detects that the nozzle has come off from the captured image (step S3; Yes), the captured image at that time is output to the control device 4 as shooting data (step S3; Yes). Step S4).

In step S14 of the control device 4, the compatible oil type of the vehicle V is input from the server 5 (step S14; Yes), and in step S15, after the shooting data of the refueling nozzle 2b is input from the camera 3 (step S15; Yes). ), In step S16, it is determined whether or not the compatible oil type of the vehicle V matches the oil type of the removed refueling nozzle 2b, and if these do not match (step S16; Yes), the camera 3 is signaled that refueling is not possible. Is output, and a light lighting instruction signal is output to the notification unit 2c (step S17), and the process returns to step S15.

In step S41 of the notification unit 2c, when a light lighting instruction is input from the control device 4 (step S41), the light is turned on (step S42), and the erroneous refueling nozzle 2b is removed from the refueling customer or the gas station staff. Notify that.

When a refueling disabled signal is input from the control device 4 in step S5 of the camera 3, the process returns to step S3 and the removal of the refueling nozzle 2b is monitored again.

After that, through steps S3 and S4 of the camera 3 and step S15 of the control device 4, when the correct refueling nozzle 2b is removed in step S16 (step 16; No), the control device 4 turns off the light to the notification unit 2c. The instruction signal is output (step S18), and the operation is terminated.

In step S43 of the notification unit 2c, when the light extinguishing instruction signal is input from the control device 4 (step S43; Yes), the light is extinguished (step S44), and the operation ends. The camera 3 also ends the operation because the refueling disabled signal is not input in step S5 (step S5; No).

On the other hand, in step S12 of the control device 4, the equipment to be refueled is the portable container C (step S12; No), the refueling nozzle 2b is removed through steps S3 and S4 of the camera 3, and step S19 of the control device 4 When the shooting data of the refueling nozzle 2b is input from the camera 3 (step S19; Yes), in step S20, the form of the gas station is self-service and the oil type of the removed refueling nozzle 2b is gasoline. It is determined whether or not it is.

If you are trying to refuel the portable container C at a self-service gas station (step S20; Yes), it is illegal, so a refueling disabled signal is output to the camera 3 and a light is turned on in the notification unit 2c. The instruction signal is output (step S21), and the process returns to step S19.

After that, through steps S3 and S4 of the camera 3 and step S19 of the control device 4, it is determined in step S20 of the control device 4 that the form of the refueling station is self-service and the oil type that comes off the nozzle is not gasoline. Then (step S20; No), the control device 4 determines in step S22 whether or not the compatible oil type of the portable container C specified from the imaging data in step S11 and the oil type off the nozzle match. If these match (step S22; No), a light extinguishing instruction signal is output to the notification unit 2c (step S18), and the operation ends.

After that, in step S43 of the notification unit 2c, a light extinguishing instruction signal is input from the control device 4 (step S43; Yes), the light is extinguished (step S44), and the operation is terminated. The camera 3 also ends the operation because the refueling disabled signal is not input in step S5 (step S5; No).

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the compatible oil type of the refueling target device and the refueling target device is specified from the image taken by the camera 3, and the oil type of the refueling nozzle 2b removed by the refueling customer or the gas station staff. When the compatible oil types of the equipment to be refueled do not match, a refueling failure signal is transmitted and a notification to that effect is sent via the notification unit 2c. Therefore, not only erroneous refueling to the vehicle V but also erroneous refueling to the portable container C Can be reliably prevented. In addition to transmitting a refueling impossibility signal, erroneous refueling can be prevented more reliably by preventing the refueling nozzles 2b other than the refueling nozzle 2b corresponding to the compatible oil type from coming off. Further, in constructing the gas station system 1, the existing gas station 2 can be used instead of newly installing the gas station 2 having a special configuration, so that the cost required for capital investment can be kept low. it can.

Next, the second operation of the gas station system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. Even in the step where the route in FIG. 4 branches, the downward direction corresponds to Yes and the horizontal direction corresponds to No. In this second operation, the operations of steps S51 to S53 in the control device 4 are added to the first operation. Therefore, in the following description of the second operation, the description of what is common to the first operation will be omitted.

In step S12 of the control device 4, if the device to be refueled is the portable container C (step S12; No), the control device 4 outputs a light lighting instruction signal to the notification unit 2c (step S51), and step S52. In, the gas station staff is urged to confirm the type of the portable container C by visually recognizing the lighting of the light of the notification unit 2c, and waits until the elapsed time T after instructing the lighting of the light reaches the predetermined time t1. After that, when the predetermined time t1 elapses (step S52; Yes) and the gas station staff does not press the NG button 2d (step S53; No), a light extinguishing instruction signal is output to the notification unit 2c (step S54). ), The shooting data of the refueling nozzle 2b is input from the camera 3 to the control device 4. When the gas station staff presses the NG button 2d (step S53; Yes), the light extinguishing instruction signal is output (step S18), and the operation is terminated.

According to this, before removing the refueling nozzle 2b, the refueling station staff can confirm the type of the portable container C, so that the refueling container C can be refueled with gasoline at the self-service refueling station. It is possible to reliably prevent erroneous refueling.

Regardless of whether it is a self-service method or a full-service method, when refueling a carrying can, be sure to notify the gas station staff and confirm the identity and purpose of the refueling customer before refueling the carrying can. It is possible to prevent dangerous acts such as refueling with gasoline. In addition, even unfamiliar staff can prevent confirmation mistakes.

1 Gas station system 2 Gas station system 2 Refueling device 2a Display 2b Refueling nozzle 2c Notification unit 2d NG button 3 Camera 4 Control device 5 Server V Vehicle C Portable container

Claims (3)

Refueling device and
A camera that photographs a vehicle or a portable container as a device to be refueled by the refueling device, and a refueling nozzle removed from the refueling device.
When the image taken by the camera is a vehicle, a server that identifies the compatible oil type of the vehicle and
It is determined from the image taken by the camera whether the equipment to be refueled is a vehicle or a portable container, and if the equipment to be refueled is a portable container, the compatible oil type of the portable container and the equipment to be refueled are vehicles. Is provided with a control device that compares the compatible oil type specified by the server from the captured image with the oil type of the nozzle photographed by the camera, and outputs a refueling impossible signal when the two do not match. Characterized gas station system. The first aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the control device includes a notification unit for notifying when the compatible oil type specified from the photographed image and the oil type of the nozzle removed from the refueling device do not match. Described gas station system. The gas station system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gas station system is installed in a full-service or self-service gas station.

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