WO2012150977A1

WO2012150977A1 - Fuel dispenser touchpad

Info

Publication number: WO2012150977A1
Application number: PCT/US2012/026199
Authority: WO
Inventors: Graziano BROGI
Original assignee: Gilbarco. S.R.I.; Gilbarco Inc.
Priority date: 2011-02-25
Filing date: 2012-02-22
Publication date: 2012-11-08

Abstract

A fuel dispenser comprising a touchpad that includes a capacitive sensor made from diffusing indium tin oxide on a transparent plastic support and laminated between two panes of glass, a display adjacent to one of the glass panes, and circuitry operatively connected to the sensor and the display. The touchpad is configured to output data representative of any capacitive coupling effects detected by the sensor.

Description

TITLE

FUEL DISPENSER TOUCHPAD

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a fuel dispenser. More particularly, the present invention relates to a touchpad for a fuel dispenser and to a method of manufacturing such a touchpad.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Fuel dispensers include user interfaces that allow customers to interact with the dispensers such as to provide payment for any dispensed fuel. Such user interfaces may include a display to present instructions or other information to the customer and a keypad to receive information from the customer. Other user interfaces combine the functionality of the display and keypad into one device, such as a touchscreen or touchpad.

[0003] Touchpads employ various technologies for detecting the proximity or position of an object touching or located adjacent to the touchpad. One such technology is capacitive sensing, which is the detection of a nearby object having conductive or dielectric properties. Capacitive sensors for touchpads may be manufactured from different material, including copper, indium tin oxide ("ITO"), and printed ink. ITO is a generally transparent and colorless conducting oxide in a solid solution, and is typically used in touchpads because of its electrical conductivity and optical transparency characteristics.

[0004] During manufacture of a capacitive sensing touchpad, an ITO sensor is typically diffused on a polycarbonate film. The combination is then glued to a glass pane or sheet of the touchpad. The process of gluing is both difficult and time- consuming and requires a "clean" room free from dirt and other contaminants. This is in addition to any clean room required to manufacture the glass or other components of the touchpad. Additionally, there is nothing to ensure that air bubbles are not trapped between the ITO sensor and the glass when glued together, thereby increasing the amount of unusable parts following assembly. This, as well as the fact that special, highly transparent glues are typically used, increases the overall costs of the touchpad.

[0005] An arrangement of a touchpad that includes an ITO sensor glued to a glass sheet may be vulnerable to damage due to the lack of support on one side of the arrangement. Additionally, such a configuration results in a touchpad that may be sensitive to environmental conditions for the same reason. Moreover, the arrangement produces sensors that may interact with metal components and parts, thereby causing the sensor to malfunction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The present invention recognizes and addresses the foregoing considerations, and others, of prior art construction and methods.

[0007] In this regard, one aspect of the present invention provides a touchpad comprising a capacitive sensor laminated between two transparent supports, a display adjacent to one of the two supports, and circuitry operatively connected to the sensor and the display. The circuitry is configured to output data representative of each capacitive coupling effect detected by the sensor.

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention provides a fuel dispenser comprising a touchpad that includes a sensor laminated between two transparent supports, a display adjacent to one of the two transparent supports, and circuitry operatively connected to the sensor and the display. The circuitry is configured to output data representative of a capacitive coupling effect detected by the sensor. The fuel dispenser also comprises a reader for receiving payment information. The touchpad is configured to receive at least a first portion of payment card data from a customer. The reader is configured to receive at least a second portion of payment card data from the customer. The circuitry is configured to facilitate a payment transaction using at least one of the at least first portion and at least second portion of payment card data.

[0009] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended drawings, in which:

[0011] Figure 1 is a partially schematic, perspective view of a fuel dispenser in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 2A is a schematic representation of a touchpad in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0013] Figure 2B is an exploded schematic view of a sensor arrangement of the touchpad of Figure 2A;

[0014] Figure 2C is a cross-sectional view of the sensor arrangement of Figure

2B; and

[0015] Figure 3 is a schematic representation of an exemplary graphical user interface that may be presented by the touchpad of Figure 2A.

[0016] Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elements of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Reference will now be made in detail to presently preferred embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit thereof. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0018] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a touchpad for use in a user interface of a fuel dispenser. Information and examples of retail fueling environments, fuel dispensers, and such user interfaces are provided in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,453,204 (entitled "Fuel Dispensing System"), 5,956,259 (entitled "Intelligent Fueling"), 5,734,851 (entitled "Multimedia Video/Graphics in Fuel Dispensers"), 6,052,629 (entitled "Internet Capable Browser Dispenser Architecture"), 5,689,071 (entitled "Wide Range, High Accuracy Flow Meter"), 6,935,191 (entitled "Fuel Dispenser Fuel Flow Meter Device, System and Method"), and 7,289,877 (entitled "Fuel Dispensing System for Cash Customers"), all of which are hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth verbatim herein for all purposes.

[0019] Figure 1 is a partially schematic, perspective view of a fuel dispenser 100 comprising a user interface 102, a processing device 104, and memory 106. In the presently-described embodiment, user interface 102 comprises a touchpad 108 and a card reader 110. Touchpad includes a display portion 112 and circuitry 114 operatively connected to the display portion. Processing device 104 is operatively connected to memory 106, as well as the components of user interface 102, such as touchpad 108 and card reader 110. User interface 102 may comprise other components operatively connected to processing device 104, such as a smart card reader, a contactless card reader, a cash acceptor, and/or a receipt printer, as should be understood in the art.

[0020] As should also be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, fuel dispenser 100 also includes various components configured to facilitate the delivery of fuel to a vehicle. For instance, fuel dispenser 100 additionally comprises a piping network 116 in fluid communication with at least one underground storage tank ("UST"), a meter 118, a pulser 120, a valve 122, a hose 124, and a nozzle 126. Processing device 104 is operatively connected to one or more of these components, such as pulser 120 and valve 122, in order to control their operation and to manage the delivery of fuel by fuel dispenser 100.

[0021] Processing device 104 may be a processor, microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, or other appropriate circuitry. For example, multiple electronic devices configured to operate together within fuel dispenser 100 may be considered a "processing device." Memory 106 may be any type of memory or computer-readable medium that is capable of being accessed by processing device 104. For instance, memory 106 may be random access memory ("RAM"), read-only memory ("ROM"), erasable programmable ROM ("EPROM") or electrically EPROM ("EEPROM"), CD-ROM, DVD, or other optical disk storage, solid state drive ("SSD"), magnetic disk storage, including floppy or hard drives, any type of non-volatile memories, such as secure digital ("SD"), flash memory, memory stick, or any other medium that may be used to carry or store computer program code in the form of computer-executable programs, instructions, or data. Processing device 104 may also include a portion of memory accessible only to the processing device, commonly referred to as "cache." Thus, memory 106 may be part of processing device 104, may be a separate component, or may be split between the relevant processing device and a separate memory device.

[0022] Memory 106 comprises computer-executable program code or instructions that, when executed by processing device 104, perform at least a portion of the processes described in more detail below. Memory 106 may also comprise one or more data structures for storing information, such as a database, table, or graphical user interface ("GUI"), including the GUIs described below. The computer-executable program code or instructions in this scenario, as should be known to those skilled in the art, usually include one or more application programs, other program modules, program data, firmware, and/or an operating system.

[0023] User interface 102 may be configured to facilitate the dispensing of fuel and the acceptance of payment for the dispensed fuel, as well as to provide other information to customers. For instance, touchpad 108 is configured to communicate with a customer, which may include providing instructions to a customer regarding the fueling process. Touchpad 108 may also be configured to present advertisements or other material to customers. Card reader 110 is configured to receive payment card data from a magnetic stripe card, such as a credit or debit card, that is swiped or inserted into the card reader by a customer. Touchpad 108 is also configured to receive information from a customer associated with the swiped card, such as a personal identification number ("PIN") of a debit card or the billing zip code of a credit card. This may be accomplished, for instance, by presenting a GUI via touchpad 108 comprising a virtual PIN pad. Examples of GUIs and virtual PIN pads are described in more detail below with reference to Figure 3 and in copening U.S. patent application serial no. 12/695,692 (entitled "Virtual PIN Pad for Fuel Payment Systems" and filed on January 28, 2010), the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth verbatim herein.

[0024] If included within user interface 102, other devices may be configured to facilitate financial transactions for payment of any fuel dispensed. For instance, the smart card reader is configured to handle transactions involving the use of smart cards, while the cash acceptor is configured to handle transactions involving cash payments. The contactless card reader is configured to handle transactions involving a contactless or proximity payment card or an RFID smartcard. The receipt printer is configured to print a receipt upon completion of a fueling process. Processing device 104 is configured to handle the communication and processing of all data transmitted to and received from the components of user interface 102.

[0025] In operation, a customer positions his vehicle adjacent to fuel dispenser

100 to initiate the fueling process. Touchpad 108 presents instructions to the customer as to the manner by which to begin the process, which may instruct the customer to swipe a credit or debit card using card reader 110. Processing device 104 retrieves data from memory 106 representative of an image presenting the instructions and transmits it to touchpad 108 for display.

[0026] In this example, the customer swipes a debit card using card reader 110, which transmits the payment card data received from the card to processing device 104. In response to the data, processing device 104 instructs touchpad 108 to present a GUI comprising a virtual PIN pad. The customer provides a PIN to dispenser 100 using the PIN pad presented by touchpad 108. In order to determine whether to authorize the fueling process, fuel dispenser 100 transmits at least a portion of the payment card data received from the customer via touchpad 108 and card reader 110 to a server maintained by a financial institution corresponding to the payment card provided by the customer. This may be accomplished via one or more devices operatively connected to the fuel dispenser and the financial institution's server, such as a point-of-sales system ("POS") associated with the final dispenser. Data representative of whether the financial institution authorizes the transaction is returned to dispenser 100, as should be understood in the art. One example of such transmissions, as well as an arrangement of devices configured to handle the transmissions, is set forth in U.S. patent application no. 12/689,983 (entitled "Payment Processing System for Use in a Retail Environment Having Segmented Architecture" and filed on January 19, 2010), the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if set forth verbatim herein.

[0027] If fuel dispenser 100 receives an authorization, processing device 104 instructs valve 122 to open in order to allow the flow of fuel. When the customer activates nozzle 126 and valve 122 is open, fuel flows from at least one UST to piping network 116. Meter 118 measures the flow of fuel as it flows through the meter, while pulser 120 transmits a signal to processing device 104 representative of the measurement. Processing device 104 maintains data corresponding to the fueling process, such as the total volume and total value of the fuel dispensed, in memory 106, as should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Processing device 104 transmits at least a portion of this data to touchpad 108 during the fueling process for presentation to the customer.

[0028] Upon completion of the fueling process, fuel dispenser 100 transmits data corresponding to the completed process to the financial institution in order to complete the transaction. The financial institution performs any necessary tasks, which may include debiting the customer's account, as is well-known in the art. Additionally, fuel dispenser 100 may complete any ancillary tasks associated with the fueling process, such as printing a receipt for the customer if desired. Touchpad 108 may be configured to display the final values, such as a total volume of fuel dispensed and a total dollar amount corresponding to the dispensed fuel.

[0029] Figure 2A is a schematic representation of touchpad 108 illustrating display portion 112 and associated circuitry 114. Display portion 112 comprises a sensor arrangement 200 adjacent to a display 202. Figure 2B is an exploded view of sensor arrangement 200, while Figure 2C is a cross-sectional view of the sensor arrangement.

[0030] Referring to Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C, sensor arrangement 200 comprises a sensor 204 located between two transparent supports (206 and 208). In one embodiment, transparent supports 206 and 208 are identical in shape, size, and construction. In the presently-described embodiment, for instance, supports 206 and 208 are two identical panes or sheets of glass each having a thickness of 3 mm. It should be understood, however, that supports 206 and 208 may be constructed from other materials, such as hard, transparent plastic.

[0031] Preferably, sensor 204 is created by diffusing 0.003 mm of indium tin oxide ("ITO") onto a transparent plastic support, such as polycarbonate, exhibiting a thickness of about 0.125 mm. In the presently-described embodiment, this process is performed within a temperature range of negative thirty degrees Celsius (-30° C) and one hundred thirty degrees Celsius (130° C). It should be understood that sensor 204 may be constructed from suitable materials other than ITO, such as copper. It should be further understood, however, that a transparent material, such as ITO, is preferred due to its position adjacent or in front of display 202 as described in more detail below. Those of ordinary skill in the art should also appreciate that the thickness of the transparent support and the amount of ITO used may vary depending on the intended size and use of the resulting sensor. [0032] Sensor 204 and transparent supports 206 and 208 are combined through a hot lamination process resulting in sensor arrangement 200. That is, an adhesive film, such as one made from polyvinyl butyral ("PVB"), is positioned between each side of sensor 204 and supports 206 and 208. For example, a PVB film 210 is positioned between support 206 and one side of sensor 204, while a PVB film 212 is positioned between support 208 and the other side of the sensor. In the presently-described embodiment, the PVB film exhibits a thickness of 0.050 mm and is applied to each side of sensor 204 and respective supports 206 and 208 within the temperature range of negative thirty degrees Celsius (-30° C) and one hundred degrees Celsius (100° C).

[0033] Sensor arrangement 200 is then created by bonding sensor 204, supports

206 and 208, and PVB films 210 and 212 through a laminating process involving both heat and pressure. In one embodiment, the pressure is applied via a rolling process, as should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Laminating causes the PVB film layers to become optically clear and binds each film to a side of sensor 204 and the respective support. It should be understood that the maximum temperature of the laminating process should not exceed one hundred thirty degrees Celsius (130° C) in order to prevent damage to sensor 204. Preferably, the bonding/rolling occurs in an oven set at eighty degrees Celsius (80° C) at atmospheric pressure.

[0034] It should also be understood that the process of laminating glass involves multiple panes of glass, PVB film, and a clean room to combine them. Those of ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that the process of diffusing an ITO sensor onto polycarbonate and/or a PVB film, as well as attaching the sensor combination to glass panes, may be incorporated into the laminating process in order to take advantage of the already-established personnel, equipment, and clean room utilized for the laminating process. [0035] In the presently-described embodiment, display 202 is a thin film transistor ("TFT") liquid crystal display ("LCD") but it should be understood that displays utilizing other technologies may be used, including cathode ray tube ("CRT") displays. Sensor arrangement 200 is connected or attached to display 202 in any suitable manner understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. As a result, images presented by display 202 may be transmitted and viewed through sensor arrangement 200. Additionally, the area monitored by sensor arrangement 200 corresponds to the display area of display 202. It should also be understood that display portion 112 may be mounted to a frame, housing, user interface 102, or fuel dispenser 100 (Figure 1) in any suitable manner understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. In the presently- described embodiment, display portion 112 is approximately the size of a seven inch (7") display. Alternatively, display portion 112 may be approximately the size of a twelve inch (12") display. It should be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that these dimensions are selected due to the availability of 7" and 12" TFT LCDs, but it should be understood that display portion 112, including sensor arrangement 200 and display 202, may exhibit other sizes as needed and desired without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0036] Circuitry 114 comprises a processing device 214, memory 216, a display port 218, a sensor port 220, and an input-output ("I/O") port 222. In the presently- described embodiment, processing device 214 and memory 216 are the same components as processing device 104 and memory 106, respectively, described above with respect to Figure 1. It should be understood, however, that processing device 214 and memory 216 may alternatively be separate devices from those described above with respect to Figure 1 and may be operatively connected to processing device 104 via I/O port 222. [0037] Processing device 214 is operatively connected to memory 216 and ports

218, 220, and 222. Display 202 is operatively connected to circuitry 114 via display port 218. In the presently-described embodiment, this is accomplished by a flat data ribbon or cable, as illustrated. Circuitry 114 may also comprise a display adapter or graphics controller 224 operatively connected between processing device 214 and display port 218. In another embodiment, the graphics controller is external to circuitry 114 and operatively connected between the circuitry and display 202. For instance, display 202 may comprise the graphics controller, which may be included within the same housing as the display in such an embodiment and operatively connected to display port 218 via the data ribbon. Similarly, sensor 204 is operatively connected to circuitry 114 via sensor port 220 by a second data ribbon or cable.

[0038] In operation, processing device 214 and/or graphics controller 224 transmits to display 202 data representative of material to be presented by the display. For instance, processing device 214 and/or graphics controller 224 transmits instructions to display 202 to present a virtual PIN pad, such as that described below with respect to Figure 3 or in patent application no. 12/695,692 referenced above.

[0039] Sensor 204 transmits data to processing device 214 representative of detection by the sensor of any capacitive coupling effects, such as the selection of an area of support 206 by a customer. In one embodiment, processing device 214 outputs data representative of the selection via I/O port 222 to another device, such as processing device 104 of Figure 1 (in an embodiment where processing devices 214 and 104 are separate components). In another embodiment, processing device 214 uses the data representative of one or more selections by the customer to determine the information provided by the customer. For example, processing device 214 may assemble a PIN from the data provided by sensor 204 to circuitry 114 based on a customer's selections. Processing device 214 may transmit this information to another device, such as a server maintained by a financial institution, a POS associated with fuel dispenser 100 (Figure 1), or another device as described in patent application no. 12/689,983 referenced above. The payment transaction may then proceed in any suitable manner to those understood by individuals in the relevant art.

[0040] Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary GUI 300 including a virtual PIN pad 302 presented by display portion 112 of touchpad 108. In this example, GUI 300 comprises a virtual PIN pad 302 that includes a plurality of virtual keys (a representative selection of which is collectively denoted at 304). As explained above, circuitry 114 is configured to transmit data to display 202 representative of material to be displayed, including GUI 300. As a result, display 202 presents the GUI including virtual PIN pad 302 to the customer through transparent sensor arrangement 200. Sensor 204 detects any proximity or contact by a customer to touchpad 108 in response and transmits data representative of the detection to circuitry 114.

[0041] In one embodiment, circuitry 114 outputs data identifying the area of touchpad 108 where the detection occurred via I/O port 222. For instance, if a customer touches the portion of touchpad 108 corresponding with the number "3" of virtual PIN pad 302, circuitry 114 outputs data indicating that the portion of touchpad 108 corresponding to the number 3 was selected. In another embodiment, circuitry 114 processes and uses the information received from sensor 204, such as for facilitating payment for any dispensed fuel. For example, processing device 214 stores data in memory 216 representative of each key 304 selected by the customer until a predetermined number of keys have been selected. In this embodiment, processing device 214 assembles the customer's PIN from the data received from sensor 204 and outputs data representative of the PIN via I/O port 222, as described above. [0042] It should be understood that the above explanation describes a touchpad having a sensor laminated between two transparent supports. In one embodiment, the transparent supports may be panes or sheets of glass. It should be understood that encasing the sensor within two glass panes reduces the likelihood that the sensor will be affected or impacted by environmental conditions or metal components. Additionally, manufacturing such a touchpad does not require a cleanroom where gluing the sensor to a piece of glass takes place separate from a cleanroom where the lamination occurs. Moreover, laminating the sensor between two pieces of glass rather than gluing it to one minimizes the risk of damaging the sensor when the glass-sensor- glass configuration is affixed to a display or placed in its working environment. The sensor arrangement also provides a minimum thickness between the sensor and any housing enclosing the arrangement, thereby protecting the sensor.

[0043] While one or more preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it should be understood that any and all equivalent realizations of the present invention are included within the scope and spirit thereof. The embodiments depicted are presented by way of example only and are not intended as limitations upon the present invention. Thus, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in this art that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments since modifications can be made. Therefore, it is contemplated that any and all such embodiments are included in the present invention as may fall within the scope and spirit thereof.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for manufacturing a touch panel for a fuel dispenser, the method comprising the steps of:

creating a capacitive sensor by diffusing indium tin oxide on a transparent plastic support;

positioning the capacitive sensor between a first support on one side of the capacitive sensor and a second support on another side of the capacitive sensor;

positioning a first adhesive film between the first support and the one side of the capacitive sensor and positioning a second adhesive film between the second support and the another side of the capacitive sensor; and

combining the first support the first adhesive film, the capacitive sensor, the second adhesive film, and the second support via a lamination process.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising attaching the combination to a display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD).

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the liquid crystal display is a thin-film transistor (TFT) LCD.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the second support is part of the TFT LCD.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transparent plastic support is a polycarbonate film.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second supports is a sheet of glass.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the adhesive films comprises polyvinyl butyral.

9. A touchpad comprising:

a capacitive sensor made from diffusing indium tin oxide on a transparent plastic support, wherein the capacitive touch sensor is laminated between two transparent supports;

a display adjacent to one of the two supports; and

circuitry operatively connected to the capacitive sensor,

wherein the circuitry is configured to output data representative of each capacitive coupling effect detected by the sensor.

10. The touchpad of claim 9, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display.

11. The touchpad of claim 9, wherein each of the transparent supports is a glass pane.

12. The touchpad of claim 11, wherein the glass panes are identical to one another.

13. The touchpad of claim 9 comprising an adhesive layer located between each respective side of the capacitive sensor and each of the two supports.

14. The touchpad of claim 13, wherein each adhesive layers comprises polyvinyl butyral.

15. The touchpad of claim 9, wherein the transparent plastic support is a polycarbonate film.

16. A fuel dispenser comprising:

a touchpad including a capacitive sensor made from diffusing indium tin oxide on a transparent plastic support, wherein the capacitive sensor is laminated between two transparent supports;

a display adjacent to one of the two transparent supports, and circuitry operatively connected to the sensor and the display, wherein the circuitry is configured to output data representative of a capacitive coupling effect detected by the sensor; and a reader for receiving payment information,

wherein the touchpad is configured to receive at least a first portion of payment card data from a customer, the reader is configured to receive at least a second portion of payment card data from the customer, and the circuitry is configured to facilitate a payment transaction using at least one of the at least first portion and at least second portion of payment card data.

17. The fuel dispenser of 16 wherein the reader is a magnetic stripe card reader.

18. The fuel dispenser of 16 wherein the reader is a smart card reader.

19. The fuel dispenser of 16 wherein the reader is a contactless card reader.

20. The fuel dispenser of claim 16, wherein at least one of the two transparent supports is a glass pane.

21. The fuel dispenser of claim 20, wherein both of the two transparent supports are glass panes.

22. The fuel dispenser of claim 21 wherein the two glass panes are identical.

23. The fuel dispenser of claim 16, wherein the touchpad comprises an adhesive layer located between a respective side of the sensor and each of the two supports.

24. The fuel dispenser of claim 23 wherein the adhesive layers are polyvinyl butyral.

25. The fuel dispenser of claim 16, wherein the transparent plastic support is a polycarbonate film.