WO2003104139A1 - Station de distribution de carburant avec ecran d'affichage pour symbole de code a barres - Google Patents

Station de distribution de carburant avec ecran d'affichage pour symbole de code a barres Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2003104139A1
WO2003104139A1 PCT/IB2003/002800 IB0302800W WO03104139A1 WO 2003104139 A1 WO2003104139 A1 WO 2003104139A1 IB 0302800 W IB0302800 W IB 0302800W WO 03104139 A1 WO03104139 A1 WO 03104139A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
fuel
display screen
dispenser station
bar
code symbol
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IB2003/002800
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
David M. Dodson
Original Assignee
Tokheim Corporation
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Tokheim Corporation filed Critical Tokheim Corporation
Publication of WO2003104139A1 publication Critical patent/WO2003104139A1/fr

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D7/00—Apparatus or devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers or reservoirs into vehicles or into portable containers, e.g. for retail sale purposes
    • B67D7/06—Details or accessories
    • B67D7/08—Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred
    • B67D7/22—Arrangements of indicators or registers

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a fuel-dispenser station that includes one or more fuel dispensers, a display screen such as a CRT (cathode ray tube) or a LCD (liquid crystal display) , and a display-screen controller communicatively linked to the display screen for controlling the illumination of all sectors of the display screen.
  • a display screen such as a CRT (cathode ray tube) or a LCD (liquid crystal display)
  • a display-screen controller communicatively linked to the display screen for controlling the illumination of all sectors of the display screen.
  • Fuel-dispenser stations operated by fuel vendors have had display screens such as CRTs and LCDs for communicating information to customers for some time now. Such display screens have been used to communicate, among other things, prices of different grades of fuel, quantity of fuel purchased by the customer and total price of fuel purchased by the customer.
  • display screens such as CRTs and LCDs
  • the display screen presents an excellent opportunity for advertisement that has only been limitedly utilized to date. It is also known to provide permanent bar-code symbols upon fuel-dispenser stations by such methods as affixing to the fuel- dispenser station a decal with a bar-code symbol displayed thereon or painting upon the fuel-dispenser station a bar-code symbol. Such bar-code symbols permanently attached to fuel- dispenser stations are generally utilized as a unique identifier for the fuel-dispenser station or one of the fuel dispensers of the fuel-dispenser station.
  • An individual typically scans the permanent bar-code symbol with a bar-code scanner that is communicatively linked to an information-processing device in order to identify the fuel -dispenser station or fuel dispenser thereof.
  • Data associated with the fuel-dispenser station or fuel dispenser thereof to which the bar-code symbol is associated and, which data has been previously stored in a linked relationship to the data contained in the bar-code symbol, can, thereafter, be easily retrieved by the information processing device.
  • the information-processing device can store new data associated with the fuel-dispenser station or the fuel dispenser thereof in a linked manner with the data encoded in the bar-code symbol so that an information-processing device may easily retrieve it at a later time.
  • bar-code symbols with fuel-dispenser stations.
  • Permanent bar-code symbols displayed upon fuel dispenser stations degrade over time as a result of exposure to weather and must be reapplied from time to time by labor- intensive means such as affixing new decals or applying new paint to the fuel-dispenser station. Additionally, if it is desired to change the configuration or location of a permanent bar-code symbol upon a fuel-dispenser station the same labor-intensive methods must be employed.
  • a fuel-dispenser station with one or more fuel dispensers has a display screen and a display-screen controller communicatively linked thereto for controlling illumination of all of the segments of the display screen.
  • the display-screen controller of the present invention sends a display-control signal to the display screen, which causes the segments of the display screen to be illuminated in such a way that a bar-code symbol or code is displayed upon the display screen.
  • An advantage of the present invention is that a bar-code symbol displayed upon a fuel-dispenser station by display upon a display screen thereof is far less susceptible to degradation by exposure to weather than a bar-code symbol upon a decal or painted upon the fuel-dispenser station.
  • a bar-code symbol displayed upon a display screen in such a manner only becomes unusable when the display screen or display-screen controller becomes inoperative.
  • a bar-code symbol may be displayed upon a fuel-dispenser station's display screen without necessitating any maintenance of the fuel-dispenser station that would not be required were the bar-code symbol not displayed upon the fuel-dispenser station.
  • Another advantage of the present invention exists for fuel- dispenser stations that have a display screen and display-screen controller configured in such a manner, as most are, that illumination of the segments of the display screen can be reconfigured.
  • the bar-code symbol displayed upon the display screen may be reconfigured, moved, and even removed from the display screen.
  • the bar-code symbol by being reconfigured, could be utilized to communicate different data for a number of different uses. Additionally, moving or removing the bar-code symbol may free space upon the display screen for communicating other messages to individuals viewing the display screen.
  • Fig. 1 shows a fuel-dispenser station according to the present invention with part of its casing cutaway, with a display screen upon which a bar-code symbol is displayed
  • Fig. 2 shows a display screen of a fuel-dispenser station according to the present invention with a bar-code symbol displayed upon the display screen;
  • Fig. 3 shows a fuel-dispenser station according to the present invention with part of its casing cutaway, with a barcode symbol displayed upon its display screen and its display screen controller communicatively linked by a conductor to a home control-station;
  • Fig. 4 shows a fuel-dispenser station according to the present invention with part of its casing cutaway, with a barcode symbol displayed upon its display screen and its display- screen controller communicatively linked through electromagnetic waves to a home control-station.
  • a fuel-dispenser station 10 that includes one or more fuel dispensers 12 for controlling the flow of fuel from a fuel vendor's fuel-storage tank (not shown) to a customer's fuel reservoir (not shown) .
  • the general construction of the fuel- dispenser station 10 and its one or more fuel dispensers 12 may be any of a number of well-known designs.
  • the fuel-dispenser station 10 further includes a display screen 11 such as a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) upon which information may be displayed.
  • the fuel-dispenser station 10 further includes a display-screen controller 13 that is communicatively linked to the display screen 11. The illumination of all of the sectors of the display screen 11 is determined by a display-control signal that is sent from the display-screen controller 13 via its communicative link to the display screen 11.
  • the display-screen controller 13 is shown as being disposed within a casing 16 of the fuel-dispenser station 10. Alternatively, the display-screen controller 13 may be disposed outside of and at some distance from the casing 16 of the fuel-dispenser station 10.
  • Figure 1 further shows the display screen 11, of the fuel- dispenser station 10, having its sectors illuminated in such a manner that a bar-code symbol or code 14 is displayed upon it.
  • the bar-code symbol or code 14 may be configured in any of a number of well-known manners for encoding data in a bar code symbol or code 14.
  • the configuration of the display screen 11, the display-screen controller 13 and the display-control signal may be in accordance with any of a number of well-known conventions .
  • the display-screen controller 13, and the algorithms according to which it operates, are preferably such that the bar- code symbol or code 14 displayed upon the display screen 11 may be reconfigured, moved or removed.
  • the display-control signal must be dependent at least partially upon changeable data values. If, by contrast, the display-control signal were dependent only upon the hardwired configuration of the display screen controller 13, the image displayed upon the display screen 11 would be unchangeable and the bar-code symbol or code 14 could not be reconfigured, moved, or removed.
  • the bar-code symbol or code 14 displayed upon the display screen 11 of the fuel-dispenser station 10 may be scanned by a bar-code scanner to transmit data to an information-processing device such as a PDA (personal digital assistant) or a portable telephone.
  • an information-processing device such as a PDA (personal digital assistant) or a portable telephone.
  • the information encoded therein may be processed by virtually any type of information-processing device configured to process data such as that encoded in the bar-code symbol or code 14.
  • Technology for scanning bar-code symbols from display screens such as a CRT or LCD is known, an example of such technology being disclosed in U.S. patent 4,999,617 to Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha incorporated herein by reference.
  • the data encoded within the bar-code symbol or code 14 displayed upon the display screen 11 of a fuel-dispenser station 10 may be utilized in many different advantageous ways.
  • the bar-code symbol or code 14 displayed upon the display screen 11 is a unique identifier for the fuel-dispenser station 10 or one of the fuel dispensers 12 of the fuel-dispenser station 10.
  • a unique identifier for the fuel-dispenser station 10 or one of the fuel dispensers 12 thereof may be utilized by an information-processing device in a number of ways.
  • the unique identifier for the fuel dispenser station 10 or fuel dispenser 12 may be utilized by an information-processing device to retrieve, from memory, additional information about the fuel-dispenser station 10 or the fuel dispenser 12.
  • An information-processing device may store data associated with the fuel-dispenser station 10 or the fuel dispenser 12 in a linked manner with the unique identifier encoded within the bar-code symbol or code 14 so that the data may be easily retrieved at a later time.
  • the unique identifier for the fuel-dispenser station 10 or fuel dispenser 12 may be used by the information-processing device as part of a communication initiating a request to purchase fuel from the fuel-dispenser station 10 or fuel dispenser 12.
  • an information-processing device such as a portable telephone with a bar-code scanner to scan the bar-code symbol or code 14 from the display screen 11.
  • the customer could operate the information-processing device to send a request, through an information network, to a source of funds, to authorize a purchase of fuel from the fuel-dispenser station 10 or fuel dispenser 12 corresponding to the unique identifier encoded in the bar-code symbol or code 14.
  • the bar-code symbol or code 14 displayed upon the display screen 11 may be encoded with data that can be interpreted by an information-processing device to display transaction data for a user of the information-processing device.
  • the barcode symbol or code 14 may have encoded within it data such as the quantity of fuel purchased, the price of fuel purchased, the total purchase price of fuel purchased, and a date of purchase.
  • a bar-code symbol or code 14 encoded with such data could enable a customer to scan the bar-code symbol or code 14 with a bar-code scanner of a portable information-processing device and to store the data within the information-processing device as an electronic receipt for printing or viewing later.
  • there are many types of transaction data other than those listed above which could be encoded within the bar-code symbol or code 14.
  • the bar-code symbol or code 14 displayed upon the display screen 11 of the fuel-dispenser station 10 may have a URL (Unique Resource Locater) encoded within it.
  • the data encoded within the bar-code symbol or code 14 is useable by an information-processing device to locate, within an information network, a HTML (HyperText Markup Language) document (also known as a website of an internet or intranet) .
  • An individual would transfer the URL encoded in the bar-code symbol or code 14 to an information-processing device by scanning the bar-code symbol or code 14 with a bar-code scanner that is communicatively linked to the information-processing device.
  • the URL encoded in the bar-code symbol or code 14 may be used by that information-processing device or another information processing device, to which the URL is subsequently transferred, to locate a web site associated with the URL.
  • the contents of the website may be displayed upon a display screen communicatively linked to the information- processing device or printed upon paper by a printer communicatively linked to the information processing device.
  • Display of a bar-code symbol or code 14, with a URL encoded within it, upon the display screen 11 of a fuel-dispenser station 10 is an effective way for a fuel vendor to promote websites to customers. This method of enabling a customer to access a website is more convenient under these circumstances for the customer than the more widely used method of displaying the URL in human readable form, which the customer must then manually enter into an information-processing device in order to access the website.
  • the scanning of a bar-code symbol or code 14 with a URL assigned to it is particularly beneficial in the environment a customer is in when they are operating a fuel- dispenser station 10 because the weather is often inclement and the customer often has a lack of resources for manually recording a human readable URL.
  • the bar-code symbol or code 14 displayed upon the display screen 11 may be used for multiple purposes.
  • a bar-code symbol or code 14 displayed upon the display screen 11 of the fuel-dispenser station 10 may be reconfigured so that it may be utilized for any of the different purposes described above.
  • there may be more than one bar-code symbol or code 14 displayed upon the display screen 11 of the fuel-dispenser station 10 and each of the multiple bar-code symbols or code 14 in such a situation may be used for any of the purposes mentioned above or other purposes not mentioned.
  • the display-screen controller 13 of the fuel-dispenser station 10 may be communicatively linked to a home control -station 15 which is disposed remote from the display-screen controller 13.
  • the display-screen controller 13 in which the display-screen controller 13 is communicatively linked to a home control-station 15 and in which the display-control signal may be reconfigured, it is possible to reconfigure the display-control signal from the home control -station 15.
  • the bar-code symbol or code 14 displayed upon the display screen 11 can be reconfigured, moved or removed by an individual operating the home control-station 15 miles away from the fuel-dispenser station 10.
  • a home control- station 15 may be communicatively linked to a plurality of remotely located display-screen controllers 13 of fuel-dispenser stations 10.
  • an individual operating the home control-station 15 could control the display of bar-code symbols or code 14 upon the display screens 11 of numerous remotely located fuel-dispenser stations 10.
  • a display-screen controller 13 could be communicatively linked to a home control- station 15 by a conductor 17 as is shown in Figure 3 or by transceivers 18 which communicate via electromagnetic waves as is shown in Figure 4.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mathematical Physics (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Loading And Unloading Of Fuel Tanks Or Ships (AREA)

Abstract

une station de distribution de carburant (10) comprend un ou plusieurs distributeurs de carburant (12) commandant l'écoulement du carburant entre la cuve de stockage du distributeur et le réservoir du véhicule client. La station de distribution de carburant est également équipée d'un écran d'affichage du type cathodique ou à cristaux liquides qui est en communication avec une unité de commande d'écran d'affichage (13). Un symbole de code à barres (14) pouvant être lu par un lecteur optique est affiché sur l'écran de la station de distribution de carburant.
PCT/IB2003/002800 2002-06-11 2003-06-11 Station de distribution de carburant avec ecran d'affichage pour symbole de code a barres WO2003104139A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US38781102P 2002-06-11 2002-06-11
US60/387,811 2002-06-11

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2003104139A1 true WO2003104139A1 (fr) 2003-12-18

Family

ID=29736370

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/IB2003/002800 WO2003104139A1 (fr) 2002-06-11 2003-06-11 Station de distribution de carburant avec ecran d'affichage pour symbole de code a barres

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2003104139A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9708170B2 (en) 2009-02-11 2017-07-18 Pepsico, Inc. Beverage dispense valve controlled by wireless technology

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4999617A (en) 1985-10-24 1991-03-12 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Device for reading patterns displayed on a display unit
US5953923A (en) * 1995-05-24 1999-09-21 Javac Pty Ltd Fluid dispensing apparatus and method of dispensing fluid
US6068188A (en) 1993-11-24 2000-05-30 Metrologic Instruments, Inc. System and method for composing menus of URL-encoded bar code symbols while using internet browser program
EP1167278A1 (fr) * 2000-06-22 2002-01-02 Marconi Commerce Systems Inc. Système de distribution de carburant fournissant un reçu

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4999617A (en) 1985-10-24 1991-03-12 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Device for reading patterns displayed on a display unit
US6068188A (en) 1993-11-24 2000-05-30 Metrologic Instruments, Inc. System and method for composing menus of URL-encoded bar code symbols while using internet browser program
US5953923A (en) * 1995-05-24 1999-09-21 Javac Pty Ltd Fluid dispensing apparatus and method of dispensing fluid
EP1167278A1 (fr) * 2000-06-22 2002-01-02 Marconi Commerce Systems Inc. Système de distribution de carburant fournissant un reçu

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US9708170B2 (en) 2009-02-11 2017-07-18 Pepsico, Inc. Beverage dispense valve controlled by wireless technology
US10315907B2 (en) 2009-02-11 2019-06-11 Pepsico, Inc. Beverage dispense valve controlled by wireless technology

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