WO2006081641A2

WO2006081641A2 - Lubrificants and additives vending automation process

Info

Publication number: WO2006081641A2
Application number: PCT/BR2006/000005
Authority: WO
Inventors: Galdino Ivo Garcia
Original assignee: Galdino Ivo Garcia
Priority date: 2005-02-03
Filing date: 2006-01-16
Publication date: 2006-08-10
Also published as: BRPI0500348A; WO2006081641A3

Abstract

Lubrificants and additives vending automation process relates to a vending automation process comprising automatic vending machines monitored by a computer program where the automatic vending machines are used in the daily operation of lubrificants and additives vending at gas stations or service stations where the vehicle's oil changing is carried on, being equipped with systems to communicate with an operation center. The automation process controls the vending and stores the products creating an automated electronic control od the lubrificant's purchasing, storing and vending processes performed by an user also identified by the process.

Description

LUBRIFICANTS AND ADDITIVES VENDING AUTOMATION PROCESS

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It relates to a lubrificant and additives vending automation process comprising automatic vending machines monitored by a computer program where the automatic vending machines execute the daily operation of vending lubrificants and additives in gas stations or service stations where changing of vehicles' oil is carried on. They are equipped with systems communicating with an operation center such the automation process makes it viable to have total control over several vending places. The automation process now presented is set to control the vending and store the products providing an electronic automated control for the lubrificants purchasing, storing and vending process.

FIELD OF USE

The manual purchasing, storing and selling process of lubrificant oil and derivatives is already known, but such operation requires human control in all order the steps can be accomplished effectively and under control. The lubrificants and derivatives vending in gas stations and service stations is carried out through a purchasing, storing and vending process which control depends on the accuracy performed by the persons involved in the process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many different types of products vending automatic machines are already known. Patent EP 1376489 entitled "Control system for automatic vending machines" and patents

US2003050841, JP2003044907, JP2168385, WO9729446, WO03098561 as well describe automatic vending machines control systems connected to a central server and managed by computer programs.

The lubrificants and additives vending automation process hereby described uses machines for automatic vending of lubrificants and additives which are equipped with a communication module allowing an operation center to monitor errors, refill products, follow up the vending itself, follow up the vendor's performance over one or over all the machines connected to the operation center. The process presents a solution in which the possibilities of human errors are lessened and creates new trades configurations. It relates to a process using machines having a certain quantity of products for vending stored inside it. To take any product out of the machine the vendor has to identify himself to the machine using a Tag RFED or a magnetic card and then choose the desired product, thus forwarding automated data to record the vending operation, such as: who proceeded the vending, time and date of the vending, vended product, total of vending by shift and period and other informations depending on the configuration. All informations related to vending are transmitted to an operation center through Internet. Based on the informations received from the automatic vending machines, the operations center is able to arrange the refilling or repairing of each one of the monitored machines. It can also deal with all the informations from the machines as effective vending, rewarding the gas attendents, lack of energy, attempts to break the machine down and stock of products inside the machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the modules comprising the computer program interconnecting the automatic vending machines to the operation center central server; it shows an automatic vending machine equipped with a program monitoring all the operation and reporting the informations using GSM through Internet.

Module(l) initializes the machine. Module(2) shows a device which constantly monitors the sensors according to a previously established standard. Module(3) shows a decision taken point related to the sensors monitoring. Module(4) shows the user's identification device being prepared. Module(5) shows that when the sensors do not conform with the pre-established standard an alarm is heard and the machine is blocked avoiding any product can be taken out from inside the machine, being the operation immediately reported as well. Module(6) checks the user's identification validity out. Module(7) shows the system comparing a valid identification with a data bank where legitimate users are registered. Module(8) shows a decision taken related to user's validity. Module(9) indicates the recording of all the process in the memory including the user, date, time and products taken out from inside the machine. Module(lO) indicates that all the machinery's memory content has been sent to the servers which monitor the machines through GSM and Internet. In the machine's memory the alarms' LOGs and the LOGs related to the operation of taking out products from inside it stay recorded. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For a better understanding of how the machine works, the machine is simultaneously started when module(l) initializes the existent computer program in the machine. The existent device in module(2) continually monitors the sensors which, according to a previously established standard, determines the status of the machine's door and of the products that have been taken out of it. The sensors' status determine the machine operation; when the sensors are out of the standard an alarm, module(5), is automatically driven locking up the machine not allowing any product to be taken out of it and then sending the occurrence through GSM, module(lθ), to the servers, module(9), which remotely monitor the machines. If the sensors conform the standard, module(3), a user identification device, module(04), is driven. This device, module(4), may be of different forms, but its main function is to individually identify each user/operator. The operator's identification is fundamental in order the products be registered for accounting purposes in relation to the users. If the identification, module(6), is not accepted the system returns to the function of checking the sensors out, module(02); if the identification is accepted, module(6), the user is checked out whether he is a registered one, module(7). If the user is not a registered one, module(7), the system returns to the function of sensors monitoring, module(2); if the user is a registered one the system starts recording all the sensors' changes then identifying the number of products taken out of the machine at the operation instant thus recording said operation for accounting purposes. After the accounting operation records are done everything is recorded in the memory, module(9), and sent through GSM and Internet, module(lθ), where the operations are recorded in the servers that remotely control the machines.

Claims

1 - LUBRIFICANTS AND ADDITIVES VENDING AUTOMATION PROCESS comprising an automatic vending machine consisting of sensors, module(2), remotely monitored by servers, module(9), through a computer program, characterized by the sensors monitoring the machine's door status, the kind and the quantity of products taken out of said machine, the user's identification, lack of energy, time and date of the occurrence; by having an electro-electronic device, module(03), which evaluates the sensors' status, module(02), and when the sensors, module(2), are out of standard automatically drive an alarm, module(5), blocking the machine and sending the occurrence through GSM, module(lθ), to the servers, module(09); by activating a users" identifying device, module(04), if the identification is not valid, module(06), the system returning to sensors' checking out function, module(02), and if the identification is valid, module(06), checking out whether the user is a registered one, module(07), if he is not a registered one, module(07), returning to the sensors' monitoring function, module(02), and if he is a registered one start recording all the sensors' changes.

2 - LUBRIFICANTS AND ADDITIVES VENDING AUTOMATION PROCESS according to claim 1, characterized by the automation process controlling the total amount of vending of different machines at different vending places.