RU2515003C1 - Method of fuelling at filling station and filling station - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: transport.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to filling stations. Transport facility is provided with radio frequency mark and registered by loading required data on vehicle to data base. Client is assigned a radio frequency mark. At stop of vehicle with client at filling station both are identified by reader. In the case of positive identification money is discounted from client account for ordered fuel portion and vehicle is primed. In the case of interruption of data from at least one radio identification marks fuel feed is terminated. Filling station comprises territory with entrance and exit, filling columns, operator station equipped with controller, fuel tanks, platform for fuel drain/fill from tank truck, emergent tank, cleaning structures, process lines, systems of control, fuel level measurement, lightning protection and grounding. Filling station controller is electrically connected with data base by reader while data base is connected with registration device, bank and user system.

EFFECT: accelerated service, ruled out fuel theft at filling station.

5 cl, 1 dwg

Description

The invention relates to the design, equipment and operation of gas stations (gas stations) and can be used in servicing vehicles (TS) during the sale of petroleum products (when refueling).

Known analogues of the claimed invention, for example, the container gas station "Tatiana", described in patent RU No. 2103190, IPC B60S 5/02, publ. 01/27/1998, which is equipped with oil tanks located in fuel storage containers (KHT), mounted on the frame with the help of supports. KHT is equipped with a tank for collecting an emergency spill of oil products with a drain pipe. The nozzles of the breathing valves, gauges, fuel overflow sensors and nozzles for the filling and dispensing pipelines are mounted in each tank on the inspection hatch. Between the tanks made a flame arrester. Under the fuel dispensers (fuel dispensers) there is a pallet made with compartments for each of them. The design of the KHT is equipped with a removable roof guard, shutters and vents for ventilation of the internal volume. Between the containers are located: at the top there is a canopy-lightning rod with lighting, and at the bottom there is a receiver for oil-containing effluents, made in the form of an envelope with a receiving grate and with a tap into the storage collector. The territory of the gas station is divided into access, refueling and economic zones. The operator’s room stores mobile fire extinguishing installations. Fuel is dispensed through the fuel dispenser. The driver of the vehicle drives up to a free fuel dispenser, inserts a dispensing gun into the neck of the fuel tank, approaches the operator’s room, where he pays the operator for the required amount of fuel, after which the operator sets the amount of fuel required for refueling the vehicle and dispenses it with the remote control located in the container camera room. The fuel tank of the vehicle is filled by its driver through the dispensing gun of the fuel dispenser. At this gas station, payment involves the driver leaving the vehicle and payment for refueling in the operator's room, which takes some time. This is the main disadvantage of this gas station.

Also known gas stations, described in patent RU No. 2287442, IPC B60S 5/02, publ. November 20, 2006, consisting of an entry and exit zone, a refueling zone, an operator room, a canopy, storage tanks for various types of fuel, fuel dispensers, process pipelines, a loading / unloading platform for a tanker, an emergency tank, treatment facilities, a control and management system, systems for measuring the level of fuel in tanks, fire and security alarms, lightning protection and grounding systems, barriers, technological systems for filling small-tanker tanks with diesel fuel. At this gas station, payment involves the driver leaving the vehicle for further payment for refueling at the operator’s window. This takes some time, which is a drawback in the operation of this gas station.

There is a known way of operating a gas station, in which the driver makes unimpeded entry into the zone of the gas station and stops near a free fuel dispenser, leaves the vehicle, goes to the operator’s room, announces the dose necessary for refueling, while the operator controls the location of the vehicle, presents a credit card or cash to the ticket office , in the general order, refuel the declared dose in the vehicle, and then freely leaves the gas station zone (see Rules for the technical operation of gas stations. RD 153.39.2-080-01. As amended and by the executions - St. Petersburg: Publishing House DEAN, 2005, p. 32-34). The process of operation of a gas station involves the driver leaving the vehicle and paying for refueling in the operator's room. It also takes some time and is a disadvantage of this method of operation of a gas station.

Known automatic mini-gas stations, operating fully in automatic mode and providing:

- storage and management of petroleum product sales;

- conducting and registering settlements for oil products in the self-service mode of a client (driver) without the participation of a cashier-operator;

- collection of surface effluents and emergency spills of fuel.

The mini-gas station consists of a block of mini-gas stations, two gas stations (if desired more) and a platform for the discharge of tankers. The mini-gas station is equipped with two Bar-PayStation payment acceptance units that allow you to pay for fuel at each filling station in cash, and involves accepting bills from 10 to 1000 rubles, as well as accepting payment for fuel cards and plastic cards of the Petrol Plus system with a terminal Express POS manufactured by NKT. Information on this mini-gas station is available on the Internet resource: http://www.am-azs.petroltec.ru/modules.php?name=Data&op=showpage&id=116&type=2 (the date of the calculation is not specified). The technologies used at this mini-gas station allow one operator to manage a network of mini-gas stations. At the given mini-gas station, the driver stops the vehicle at a free fuel dispenser, exits the vehicle, inserts the bills into the bill acceptor, or a bank or plastic card into the terminal, and then, using the hand gun, pours a dose of fuel in the vehicle’s fuel tank corresponding to the amount of payment made. The driver’s actions when paying for fuel take some time, which is a drawback when refueling at this gas station.

A known method of operation of gas stations and gas stations described in patent RU No. 2399523, IPC B60S 5/02, publ. September 20, 2010. The method of operation of a gas station is as follows. At the entrance to the territory of the gas station in the refueling zone and stops at the fuel dispenser, the vehicle is refueled with subsequent payment. When stopping and refueling at the fuel dispenser, the vehicle is identified by means of video cameras. Departure of the vehicle is carried out through the intermediate zone to the traffic light enable signal. Before leaving the gas station, vehicles are also identified by means of cameras and a barrier is opened in front of it, which is then closed for the passage of the next vehicle. The gas station includes a fenced area with entry and exit, fuel dispensers, operator rooms, fuel storage tanks, a tank discharge / loading platform, an emergency tank, treatment facilities and process pipelines, an automatic control and management system, a fuel level measurement system in tanks, and a fire alarm system alarm system, lightning protection system and grounding. An intermediate zone is located between the fuel dispensers and the operator rooms, and operator rooms with signaling devices and barriers installed at the exit from the gas station are located along the exit of the vehicle. Each fuel station of the fuel dispenser is equipped with a video surveillance camera, inductive sensors and printers for printing. The way the ATC works includes the vehicle entering the gas station territory and stopping it in the refueling zone near a free fuel dispenser, fixing the entrance and stopping the vehicle with inductive sensors, removing the dispensing tap and refueling the required dose of fuel of the required brand in the vehicle with the identification of this vehicle using a video camera. In this case, the removal of the dispensing tap is fixed and the dose of fuel is fixed for this vehicle. Then these data go to the operator’s room, and are also summarized in a preliminary check, including identification of the vehicle in the form of a bar code and dose of fuel, which is printed by the printer. The client receives a preliminary check, leaves the refueling zone and enters the exit zone at the enabling light signal of the signaling device. It stops at the operator’s room and presents the operator with a preliminary check, which the scanner reads and the image of the charged vehicle appears on the screen and a cashier’s check is automatically generated for payment. The inhibit signaling device is activated. The client pays for the fuel received, receives a payment receipt and leaves the territory of the gas station with an open barrier, which then closes. The disadvantage of this method are:

- in wet weather and with the same color of the same type of vehicle, the vehicle’s state registration plate may not be readable due to the mud coating on it, and therefore it is difficult to identify the vehicle using a video camera;

- the client stops the vehicle at the operator’s window to pay for the fuel received, which takes some time.

As a prototype, as the closest in essence, the technology of fuel sale at gas stations using radio frequency tags was selected, available on the Internet resource: http://proasu.com/index.php/2011-03-31-13-36-52 / 85-rfid- (date of calculation is not specified). The use of radio frequency tags (RFID tags from the English. Radio Frequency Identification, radio frequency identification) is widely known in the prior art and is widely used for automatic identification of objects. Via radio signals, data stored in so-called transponders or RFID tags are read or written. Any RFID system consists of a reader (reader, reader) and a transponder (aka RFID tag or RFID tag). You can learn more about RFID technologies in Internet resources, for example, http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFID (changes to this page dated 08/28/2012). PBX service technology using RFID tags in the prototype method is as follows:

- an RFID tag is installed on the gun of the fuel dispensing hose, and a receiving antenna of the RFID reader is installed in the neck of the fuel tank of the vehicle;

- the reader registers the data of the RFID tag, which is a signal to the beginning of the transaction for receiving fuel;

- having received data from the reader, the vehicle’s on-board controller collects the required diagnostic data about the vehicle’s technical condition, the route taken from the tachograph and transmits it after authorization on the gas station controller via an encrypted wireless interface;

- the gas station controller communicates with the gas station server and (if necessary) with the office of the fuel company, checks the right of the given vehicle for refueling, determines the allotted fuel limit and saves data from the gas station controller, and then the gas station is filled according to the set parameters, while the gas station controller monitors the amount of fuel in the tank that supplies the fuel dispenser. If the data from the RFID tag on the hose is suddenly interrupted (the reader can no longer detect the RFID tag), the fuel supply instantly stops. Thus, RFID technology allows not only to automate the shipment of fuel and reduce the likelihood of its theft, but also to track the technical condition of the vehicle and the route taken away from the fleet and office of the transport company. It should be noted that the vehicle driver does not pay for the fuel received, and the funds are automatically debited from his bank (or fuel) card. Nevertheless, using the vehicle refueling method using the prototype method, it is impossible to completely exclude the possibility of fuel theft by unscrupulous customers. In the case of using the well-known RFID technology, only for refueling the vehicle it is enough to rearrange the reader on the tank of another car in order to refuel the vehicle with unauthorized persons. This is the main disadvantage of this technology for the sale of fuel at gas stations.

The problem solved by the proposed group of inventions is to obtain such a method of refueling and a device that implements it, which would allow, with the fastest possible maintenance of the vehicle, to exclude the possibility of theft of fuel when refueling the vehicle.

This is achieved by the fact that in the method of refueling the customer’s vehicle at the gas station, which means that the radio frequency tag is installed on the vehicle and registered, entering the necessary data on the vehicle and the customer’s non-cash payment system into the database that interacts with the gas station controller with the appropriate software, after which at the entrance of the vehicle to the fuel dispenser located on the territory of the gas station, using the RFID reader, the vehicle is identified by the radio frequency tag installed on it, and if The final identification result is determined by the availability of means of payment on the client’s account or bank card, and if the means of payment for the fuel dose ordered by the client are sufficient, they are paid by withdrawing funds from the client’s account or bank card, after which they refuel the vehicle with the ordered dose of fuel, and upon interruption the receipt of data from the RF tag to the reader during the fueling process, the fuel supply is instantly stopped, according to the invention:

- when registering a vehicle, the client is provided with at least one additional radio-frequency tag registered in the database, and the zone of the fuel dispenser is equipped with at least one additional reader;

- the refueling process begins after receiving positive identification results of the vehicle and the client;

- the range (reader) of the reader identifying the vehicle is chosen so that it is inside the range of the additional reader that identifies the client;

- the fuel supply during the refueling process is instantly stopped when data is interrupted by at least one of the RF tags to the corresponding reader.

In addition, a single dose of fueling the customer’s vehicle is selected from the condition that it does not exceed the volume of the fuel tank of the registered vehicle type.

In addition, the time interval between refueling a registered vehicle is set when it is registered in the database.

This is achieved by the fact that a gas station, including a partially fenced area with entry and exit, on which indoor fuel dispensers are located, an operator station with a controller located in it with appropriate software connected by electronic means of communication with fuel dispensers, storage tanks for various types of fuel with a tank discharge / loading platform, emergency tank, treatment facilities and process pipelines, automatic waste water system monitoring and control, a system for measuring the level of fuel in tanks, fire and security alarms, a lightning protection and grounding system, a registration device for registering new customers and their vehicles, followed by installing a radio frequency tag on a newly registered vehicle that interacts via electronic means with a database with information stored in it on customer lists, RF tags and settings for registered vehicles, which is associated by electronic means of communication with the gas station controller, bank payment systems and a network of other similar gas stations, a radio frequency tag reader mounted on the vehicle, mounted on the gas station’s fuel hose gun, interacting by electronic means with the gas station controller, and blocking fuel supply device mounted on the hose of the refueling column and electrically connected to the control rum, stopping the fuel supply when the data from the RF tag to the reader is interrupted during refueling by a command from the gas station controller, according to the invention:

- the client is additionally equipped with at least one radio frequency tag registered in the database;

- in the area of the filling station, at least one additional reader is installed, interacting with the gas station controller by electronic means of communication;

- the range of the reader that identifies the vehicle is located inside the range of the additional reader that identifies the client.

In addition, a user system is connected to the database by electronic means of communication, which is designed to change client settings for servicing a registered vehicle and obtain information of interest to the client.

The essence of the invention is illustrated in figure 1, which schematically shows part of the territory of a gas station equipped with devices that implement the inventive method of refueling a customer’s vehicle. Note that in Fig. 1, tanks for storing various types of fuel, technological pipelines, a loading / unloading platform from a tanker truck, an emergency tank, treatment facilities, automatic control and management systems, fuel level measurement systems in tanks, fire and security alarms, lightning protection and grounding systems for the purpose of non-clutter of FIG. 1 and which, naturally, are present in this group of inventions. However, without this equipment, the functioning of any gas station is not possible.

The gas station device includes a fuel dispenser (fuel dispenser) 1, equipped with a fuel hose 2 with a fuel blocking device 3, electrically connected to the controller 13 (communication in figure 1 is not shown), for example, an electromagnetic valve. At the end of the refueling hose 2, a refueling gun 4 is mounted on which a reader 5 is mounted (reader radiation is conventionally shown by waves) identifying an RF tag 6 mounted on the vehicle 7, for example, next to the neck of the fuel tank of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. 1. In the zone of the fuel dispenser 1, for example, on a separate rack 8, an additional reader 9 is installed, connected by electronic means to the controller 13, identifying the RF tag 10 located at the client 11 on a keychain or as a separate card. The client can be located both inside TS 7 and next to it. The reader 9 has a larger reading radius of the RF tags than the reader 5, for example, the reader 9 has a read radius of 10 m and the reader 5 is 1 m, so that the range of the reader 5 is within the range of the reader 9. The fuel dispenser 1 is connected by electronic means communications 12 (hereinafter, for such communications, the terms “connected”, “connected”, “connected”, “communication” will be used) with the controller 13 of the gas station with the appropriate software that forms the necessary set of commands before refueling the vehicle and during the filling process wki. The controller 13 is connected through communication 12 with the database 14 with the information stored in it according to the lists of gas station customers, radio frequency tags and settings (the volume of a single refueling dose, the volume of the fuel tank, the type of fuel, the time interval between refueling, etc.) for registered vehicles . The database 14 is connected by links 12 with a recording device 15 designed to register new customers and their vehicles for servicing at gas stations, followed by installation on newly registered vehicles and issuing radio frequency tags to the client. In addition, the database 14 is connected by a connection 12 with the bank 16 and its payment systems, which contains the payment means of the client 11 (personal account, bank card). Database 14 is also connected by communication 12 to a network of other similar gas stations (WEB symbol in FIG. 1). In addition to the database 14, a user system 17 can be connected via communication 12 to change client settings for servicing a registered vehicle and obtain information of interest to the client. Database 14, registration device 15, bank 16 and its payment systems and user system 17 have their own software and can be located remotely from the territory of the gas station. The controller 13 of the gas station is located in the control room (separate building) on the territory of the gas station.

The fueling method of the vehicle is as follows (see figure 1). If the vehicle is not registered at the gas station, the TS 7 is registered by means of the recording device 15, entering the necessary data on the TS into the database 14 (the volume of a single dose of refueling, the volume of the fuel tank, type of fuel, if necessary, the time interval between refueling and t .d.), while the client must confirm ownership of the vehicle with the relevant documents, as well as the client’s bank card (or his bank account 16) for further debiting of funds during refueling. The client undergoes the necessary verification procedures. In the process of registration, a radio-frequency tag is installed on the vehicle, for example, in the area of the vehicle’s fuel tank (footnote 6 in FIG. 1), and an additional radio-frequency tag 10 is issued to the client 11, which can be made in the form of a plastic card stored in the chest pocket or purse of the client 11, or attached to the keychain of the vehicle ignition system in the form of a keychain. The data on the RF tags 6 and 10 are also entered into the database 14. When the registered TS 7 approaches the fuel dispenser 1, the client 11 orders the required dose of fuel, the reader 5 installed on the fueling gun 4 identifies the TS 7 by the RF tag 6, and the reader 9 identifies client 11 at the RF mark 10, while the filling gun 4 is inserted into the neck of the fuel tank of the vehicle 7. When identifying the vehicle 7 and the client 11, the controller 13 of the gas station interacts through communication 12 with the database 14. With a positive identification of the vehicle 7 and client 11, controller 13 issues relevant information to database 14, which generates a request and transmits it via communication 12 to bank 16, where they determine the sufficiency of the client’s payment means on his account or bank card, and if they are sufficient for the dose of fuel declared by the client, they transmit relevant information through the database 14 to the gas station controller 13 for communications 12. The controller 13 generates a command to dispense the declared dose of fuel to the client 11, and the fuel through the hose 2 of the fuel dispenser 1 is supplied to the refueling gun 4 and then to the fuel tank of the vehicle 7. P In case of insufficient means of payment of client 11 on his account with bank 16 for the dose of fuel declared by the client, the client may be given a volume of fuel whose value does not exceed the balance of the means of payment on the client’s account or bank card. Client’s payment for the declared dose of fuel is withdrawn from his account or bank card before starting the refueling process. In the absence of payment means at the client, the controller 13 does not generate a fuel supply command. If during the refueling process the data from at least one of the RF tags 6 or 10 is interrupted by the corresponding reader (5 or 9), which can occur, for example, when the filling gun 4 falls out of the neck of the tank or the client 11 leaves the coverage area reader 9, the controller 13 of the gas station generates a command to stop the fuel supply and the fuel blocking device 3 closes the bore of the hose 2 and also stops the fuel pump of the fuel dispenser 1 (the pump is not shown in Fig. 1). Fuel supply stops. After receiving the declared dose of fuel, take out the filling gun 4 from the neck of the fuel tank and the client 11 with the vehicle 7 leaves the gas station zone. The fact of refueling this vehicle and the necessary information through communication 12 is transmitted through the network to other similar gas stations. The sequence of steps of the method is completed. In order to reduce the likelihood of fuel theft during refueling of vehicles belonging to the transport company, a single dose of refueling is set (in the settings when registering vehicles at gas stations) no more than the volume of the fuel tank of the vehicle being registered. For the same purpose, when registering a vehicle at a gas station in the settings, they can set the time interval between refueling, for example, after 8 hours.

Note the advantages of the proposed method of fueling the vehicle:

- when servicing the fuel dispenser by a refueling employee, the client does not need to leave the vehicle, and in the absence of a queue, the time for refueling is determined almost exclusively by the time of dispensing the declared dose of fuel;

- the likelihood of theft of fuel, compared with the prototype method, in the claimed method is significantly less, since in addition to identifying the vehicle, additional customer identification is carried out using at least one radio frequency tag located at the customer. At the same time, during the refueling process, the indicated RF tags must be simultaneously located in a certain area near the fuel dispenser. In addition, the client may have two or more radio-frequency tags (accordingly, the number of readers also increases), which makes fuel theft almost impossible.

The work of the gas station that implements the proposed method of refueling occurs as follows. Suppose that at the dispenser the registered vehicle 7 stops with client 11, i.e. user of this gas station (if TS 7 is not registered at the gas station, then it is registered, the procedure of which is described above). The refueling officer inserts the refueling gun 4 into the neck of the fuel tank of the vehicle 7, having received the instruction of the client 11 about the required amount of fuel for refueling and its type. Readers 5 and 9 identify the vehicle 7 and the client 11 by RF tags 6 and 10, respectively, and in case of a positive identification result, the controller 13, interacting with the database 14 through communication 12. gives it the corresponding information, on the basis of which the database 14 generates a request and sends it via connection 12 to bank 16, which determines the availability of payment funds on the client’s account 11 or bank card, and if they are sufficient for the declared dose of fuel, the payment funds are withdrawn in the amount of the cost of the declared doses fuel and the corresponding information is transmitted through the database 14 to the controller 13 through communication 12. The controller 13 generates a command to dispense the declared dose of fuel and the fuel through the hose 2 of the fuel dispenser 1 is supplied to the refueling gun 4 and then to the fuel tank of the vehicle 7. In the absence of payment means on the client’s account or bank card, the controller 13 does not form a fuel supply command. If, during refueling, the data from at least one of the RF tags (6 or 10) is interrupted by the corresponding reader (5 or 9), for example, due to the loss of the filling gun 4 from the neck of the fuel tank or the departure of client 11 from the range of reader 9, the controller 13 generates a command to stop the fuel supply and the fuel blocking device 3 closes the hose section 2, and also stops the fuel pump of the fuel dispenser 1. In this case, the cash balance due to the difference between the ordered and the actual tpuschennogo fuel is returned to the client account. After refueling the vehicle, the client 11 leaves for the vehicle 7 from the territory of the gas station. For the convenience of customers at the gas station there is a user system 17 connected via communication 12 to the database 14, which is an electronic computer with which the client can change the settings of the registered vehicle and receive information of interest to him.

The proposed refueling method and gas stations allow minimizing the customer refueling time at gas stations, as well as virtually eliminating fuel theft during refueling of vehicles owned by transport companies. Currently, the author has developed a project to modernize the network of standard gas stations of one of the fuel companies using RFID technologies, the implementation of which will take place in the first half of 2013.

Given the novelty, inventive step, and industrial applicability of the claimed technical solution, the author believes that it can be protected by a patent for an invention.

Claims (5)

1. The method of refueling a customer’s vehicle at a gas station, which consists in installing a radio frequency tag on the vehicle and registering it by entering the necessary vehicle data, the customer’s cashless payment system and the radio frequency tag data into a database that interacts with a gas station controller with appropriate software, after which, when a vehicle approaches a gas station located on the territory of a gas station, a vehicle is identified by a radio frequency reader using the radio frequency tag installed on it and, if the identification is successful, the means of payment are identified on the customer’s account or bank card, and if payment is sufficient for the fuel dose ordered by the customer, it is paid by withdrawing means of payment from the client’s account or bank card, after which they refuel the vehicle of the customer ordered m with a dose of fuel, moreover, upon interruption of data from the RF tag to the reader during refueling, the fuel supply is immediately stopped, characterized in that the client is provided with at least one additional RF tag registered in the database when registering the vehicle, and the placement area the fuel dispensers are equipped with at least one additional reader and they are identified by the customer by an additional radio frequency tag, while the vehicle identifier is chosen so that it is within the coverage area of the additional reader that identifies the client, and the refueling process begins after the positive results of the vehicle and client identification are obtained and immediately stop when data from at least one of the radio frequency tags is interrupted by the corresponding reader. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that a single dose of fueling the customer’s vehicle is selected from the condition that it does not exceed the fuel tank of the registered vehicle. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the time interval between refueling of a registered vehicle is set when it is registered in the database. 4. A gas station, including a partially fenced area with entry and exit, on which indoor fueling stations are located, an operator's room with a controller located in it with appropriate software connected by electronic means of communication with fueling stations, storage tanks for various types of fuel, a drainage area / loading from a tanker, emergency tank, treatment facilities and technological pipelines, automatic control and management system, system fuel level measurement in tanks, fire alarm, lightning protection and grounding system, a registration device for registering new customers and their vehicles with subsequent installation of a radio frequency tag on a newly registered vehicle, interacting by electronic means with the database stored in it information on customer lists, RFID tags and settings for registered vehicles, which is connected via electronic means of communication with a gas station controller, bank payment systems, and a network of other similar gas stations, a radio frequency tag reader mounted on a vehicle, mounted on a fuel dispenser hose gun, interacting by electronic means with a gas station controller, and a fuel blocking device, installed on the hose of the fuel dispenser, stopping the flow of fuel when the flow is interrupted s from the RF tag to the reader during the fueling process upon a command from the gas station controller, characterized in that the client is equipped with at least one RF tag registered in the database, at least one additional reader is installed in the refueling column placement area interacting with the gas station controller by electronic means of communication, identifying the client by an additional radio-frequency tag, while The action of the reader identifying the vehicle is located inside the coverage area of the additional reader identifying the client. 5. A gas station according to claim 4, characterized in that a user system is connected to the database via electronic means of communication, designed to change client settings for servicing a registered vehicle and obtain information of interest to the client.