WO2018069940A2 - Distributeur de carburant doté d'un système d'évitement d'endommagement de tuyau - Google Patents

Distributeur de carburant doté d'un système d'évitement d'endommagement de tuyau Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2018069940A2
WO2018069940A2 PCT/IN2017/050470 IN2017050470W WO2018069940A2 WO 2018069940 A2 WO2018069940 A2 WO 2018069940A2 IN 2017050470 W IN2017050470 W IN 2017050470W WO 2018069940 A2 WO2018069940 A2 WO 2018069940A2
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
fuel
position data
vehicle
dispenser
fuel nozzle
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/IN2017/050470
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2018069940A3 (fr
Inventor
Nilesh GAWALI
Giovanni Carapelli
Edward Asbell Payne
Original Assignee
Gilbarco Veeder Root Pvt. Ltd.
Gilbarco Inc.
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 Gilbarco Veeder Root Pvt. Ltd., Gilbarco Inc. filed Critical Gilbarco Veeder Root Pvt. Ltd.
Publication of WO2018069940A2 publication Critical patent/WO2018069940A2/fr
Publication of WO2018069940A3 publication Critical patent/WO2018069940A3/fr

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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
    • B67D7/04—Apparatus or devices for transferring liquids from bulk storage containers or reservoirs into vehicles or into portable containers, e.g. for retail sale purposes for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
    • 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
    • B67D7/32—Arrangements of safety or warning devices; Means for preventing unauthorised delivery of liquid

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to equipment used in fuel dispensing environments. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to a fuel dispenser including a hose damage avoidance arrangement.
  • a fuel nozzle In fueling environments, such as gas stations consumers may connect a fuel nozzle to a vehicle fuel system to transfer fuel from the fuel dispenser to the vehicle through a fueling hose.
  • the consumer may carelessly or intentionally move the vehicle while the fuel nozzle remains inserted in the vehicle.
  • the fuel hose is equipped with a mechanical breakaway coupling that decouples the hose to prevent or limit damage to the fuel dispenser in this event.
  • the strain and/or decoupling of the connection may cause damage to the fuel dispenser, fuel nozzle, and/or the fuel hose.
  • the fuel retailer may suffer losses due to the damage to equipment and time in which the fuel dispenser is inoperable while waiting for repairs.
  • the present invention recognizes and addresses various considerations of prior art constructions and methods.
  • the present invention provides a fuel dispenser including a fuel nozzle configured to be connected to a vehicle fuel system, fuel piping configured to transfer fuel from a fuel storage tank associated with the fuel dispenser through the fuel nozzle into the vehicle fuel system, a fuel nozzle cradle configured to retain the fuel nozzle, a sensor configured to sense a range or motion between the fuel dispenser and the vehicle, and processing circuitry.
  • the processing circuitry is configured to receive an indication of removal of the fuel nozzle from the fuel nozzle cradle, receive initial vehicle position data from the sensor, receive subsequent position data from the sensor (e.g., at a predetermined interval), compare the subsequent position data to the initial position data, and cause an alert in response to a difference between the subsequent position data and the initial position data exceeding a predetermined threshold.
  • FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary fuel dispenser in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates a diagrammatic representation of internal components of the fuel dispenser of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates an example fueling environment according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates an example range or motion determination according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of one example of a control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 6 illustrates a method of utilizing a fuel dispenser according to an example embodiment of the present invention.
  • the fuel dispenser or fuel dispensing system may include one or more range or motion sensors configured to monitor for motion of a vehicle during fueling.
  • the fuel dispenser or fuel dispensing system may cause an alert, such as an audio or visual alarm to indicate that the driver should stop movement of the vehicle. Stopping the movement of the vehicle at, or near, the moment the vehicle starts moving may allow for the vehicle to be stopped without damaging the fuel hose, fuel nozzle, vehicle, and/or the fuel dispenser.
  • the fuel dispenser may cause a tangible feedback element to be deployed to physically indicate to the driver to stop the movement of the vehicle.
  • emergency services may be automatically contacted.
  • the fuel dispenser or fuel dispensing system may capture images of the driver and/or vehicle to identify the driver, such as for theft and/or liability purposes.
  • the fuel dispenser or fuel dispensing system may cause barriers, such as gates or bollards to be deployed to prevent the vehicle from leaving the fueling environment.
  • Some embodiments of the present invention may be particularly suitable for use with a fuel dispenser in a retail service station environment, and the below discussion will describe some preferred embodiments in that context. However, those of skill in the art will understand that the present invention is not so limited.
  • embodiments of the present invention may be used with any fluid dispensing environment and with other fluid dispensers.
  • embodiments of the present invention may also be used with diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) dispensers, compressed natural gas (CNG) dispensers, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquid natural gas (LNG) applications, among others.
  • DEF diesel exhaust fluid
  • CNG compressed natural gas
  • LPG liquefied petroleum gas
  • LNG liquid natural gas
  • FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary fuel dispenser 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Fuel dispenser 10 includes a housing 12 with a flexible fuel hose 14 extending therefrom.
  • Fuel hose 14 terminates in a manually-operated fuel nozzle 16 adapted to be inserted into a fill neck of a vehicle's fuel tank.
  • Fuel nozzle 16 includes a fuel valve.
  • Various fuel handling components, such as valves and meters, are also located inside of housing 12. These fuel handling components allow fuel to be received from underground piping and delivered through fuel hose 14 and fuel nozzle 16 to a vehicle's fuel system, e.g. fuel tank.
  • Fuel dispenser 10 has a customer interface 18.
  • Customer interface 18 may include an information display 20 relating to an ongoing fueling transaction that includes the amount of fuel dispensed and the price of the dispensed fuel. Further, customer interface 18 may include a display 22 that provides instructions to the customer regarding the fueling transaction. Display 22 may also provide advertising, merchandising, and multimedia presentations to a customer, and may allow the customer to purchase goods and services other than fuel at the dispenser.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of internal fuel flow components of fuel dispenser 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • fuel may travel from an underground storage tank (UST) via main fuel piping 24, which may be a double-walled pipe having secondary containment as is well known, to fuel dispenser 10 and nozzle 16 for delivery.
  • UST underground storage tank
  • main fuel piping 24 which may be a double-walled pipe having secondary containment as is well known
  • An exemplary underground fuel delivery system is illustrated in U.S. Patent No.
  • a submersible turbine pump (STP) associated with the UST is used to pump fuel to the fuel dispenser 10.
  • STP submersible turbine pump
  • some fuel dispensers may be self-contained, meaning fuel is drawn to the fuel dispenser 10 by a pump unit positioned within housing 12.
  • Main fuel piping 24 passes into housing 12 through a shear valve 26.
  • shear valve 26 is designed to close the fuel flow path in the event of an impact to fuel dispenser 10.
  • Shear valve 26 contains an internal fuel flow path to carry fuel from main fuel piping 24 to internal fuel piping 28.
  • valve 30 may be positioned downstream of the flow meter 32.
  • valve 36 may be a proportional solenoid controlled valve, such as described in U.S. Patent No. 5,954,080, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes.
  • Flow control valve 30 is under control of a control system 34.
  • control system 34 can control the opening and closing of flow control valve 30 to either allow fuel to flow or not flow through meter 32 and on to the hose 14 and nozzle 16.
  • Control system 34 may comprise any suitable electronics with associated memory and software programs running thereon whether referred to as a processor, microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, or the like.
  • control system 34 may be comparable to the microprocessor-based control systems used in CRIND type units sold by Gilbarco Inc.
  • Control system 34 typically controls other aspects of fuel dispenser 10, such as valves, displays, and the like. For example, control system 34 typically instructs flow control valve 30 to open when a fueling transaction is authorized.
  • control system 34 may be in electronic communication with a point-of sale system (site controller) located at the fueling site.
  • site controller communicates with control system 34 to control authorization of fueling transactions and other conventional activities.
  • An example embodiment of the control system 34 is discussed below in reference to FIG. 5.
  • a vapor barrier 36 delimits hydraulics compartment 38 of fuel dispenser 10, and control system 34 is located in electronics compartment 40 above vapor barrier 36.
  • Fluid handling components, such as flow meter 32 are located in hydraulics compartment 38.
  • flow meter 32 may be any suitable flow meter known to those of skill in the art, including positive displacement, inferential, and Coriolis mass flow meters, among others.
  • Meter 32 typically comprises electronics 42 that communicates information representative of the flow rate or volume to control system 34.
  • electronics 42 may typically include a pulser as known to those skilled in the art.
  • control system 34 can update the total gallons (or liters) dispensed and the price of the fuel dispensed on information display 20.
  • Flow switch 44 provides a flow switch communication signal to control system 34 when fuel is flowing through flow meter 32.
  • the flow switch communication signal indicates to control system 34 that fuel is actually flowing in the fuel delivery path and that subsequent signals from flow meter 32 are due to actual fuel flow.
  • Fuel from flow switch 44 exits through internal fuel piping 46 to fuel hose 14 and nozzle 16 for delivery to the customer's vehicle.
  • a blend manifold may also be provided downstream of flow switch 44.
  • the blend manifold receives fuels of varying octane levels from the various USTs and ensures that fuel of the octane level selected by the customer is delivered.
  • fuel dispenser 10 may comprise a vapor recovery system to recover fuel vapors through nozzle 16 and hose 14 to return to the UST.
  • An example of a vapor recovery assist equipped fuel dispenser is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,040,577, incorporated by reference herein in its entirety for all purposes.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates a fueling environment according to an example embodiment.
  • the fuel dispenser 10 may include or be associated with one or more motion or range sensors 50.
  • the sensors 50 may be disposed on a canopy portion or a body portion of the fuel dispenser 10. Alternatively, the sensors 50 may be disposed remotely from the fuel dispenser 10, such as on a roof 56, embedded in the ground 61, or the like.
  • the sensors 50 may include miniature microwave Doppler radar sensors, light detection and ranging sensors, or the like.
  • the sensors 50 may be configured to detect and/or determine movement of an object proximate to the fuel dispenser 10. In some examples, such as miniature microwave Doppler radar and light detection and ranging, the sensors 50 may detect movement of certain objects, such as a vehicle 60, but may be insensitive to movements of humans, animals, or the like.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a range determination in accordance with an example embodiment.
  • the one or more sensors 50 associated with the fuel dispenser 10 may receive light or sound reflected from an object, such as vehicle 60, in the field of view of the sensors 50.
  • the sensors 50 may emit a signal, e.g. light or sound to be reflected.
  • the sensors 50 may determine a range 64 to or movement of the object based on a change between the emitted signal and the reflected signal, such as frequency or waveform, and/or the travel time of the signal. Movement of the object may also be indicated in the reflected signal, although the range 64 to the vehicle 60 has not changed, such as movement parallel to the sensor 50.
  • the sensors 50 may determine one or more ranges 64, such as a closest point range, vehicle front end range, vehicle rear end range, or the like.
  • the ranges 64 may be determined initially, e.g. an initial range data, based on a trigger event and subsequently, e.g. subsequent range data, at a predetermined interval. Additionally or alternatively, the sensors 50 determine initial motion data, e.g. frequency, waveform, and/or time, based on the trigger event.
  • the sensors 50 may be dormant, e.g. in a sleep mode, until awakened by the trigger event and may return to the sleep mode after a second event.
  • the trigger event may include removal of the fuel nozzle 16 from a fuel nozzle cradle 51.
  • cradle 51 will typically include a switch or sensor that will indicate the presence of the nozzle in the cradle.
  • the sensors 50 may awaken upon removal of the fuel nozzle 16 from the fuel nozzle cradle 51, indicative of the fuel nozzle 16 being connected to the vehicle's fuel system, e.g. fuel tank fill port 63.
  • the second event may include replacement of the fuel nozzle 16 within the fuel nozzle cradle 51.
  • the sensors 50 may receive initial range data and/or motion data associated with an initial range to the vehicle 60.
  • the initial range data and/or motion data may be indicative of the range to the vehicle 60 at a stationary position proximate to the fuel dispenser 10.
  • Initial motion data may be indicative of a waveform, frequency, or travel time associated with the vehicle 60 at a stationary position proximate to the fuel dispenser 10.
  • the range data or motion data is collectively and/or individually referred to herein as position data.
  • the sensors 50 may receive subsequent range data and/or motion data at a predetermined interval while fueling the vehicle 60.
  • the predetermined interval may be 1 second, 2 seconds, 5 second, several times a second, continuously, nearly continuously, or the like.
  • the subsequent range data and/or motion data may be compared to the initial range data and/or motion data, such as by the control system 34.
  • the control system 34 may determine a difference between the initial range data and/or motion data and each subsequent range data and/or motion data. The difference may be compared to a safety threshold indicative of significant movement of the vehicle 60 or driving, such as 1cm, 1.5cm, 3cm, or the like.
  • the safety threshold may be large enough to account for small changes such as leaning against the vehicle 60 during fueling, passengers entering or exiting the vehicle 60, or the like; and small enough to indicate movement of the vehicle 60 prior to damage to the fuel hose 14 and/or fuel dispenser 10.
  • the control system 34 may cause an alert to indicate to a driver of the vehicle that the fuel nozzle 16 has not been return to the fuel nozzle cradle 51.
  • the failure to return the fuel nozzle 16 to the fuel nozzle cradle 51 may be indicative of the fuel nozzle remaining in the fuel tank filling port and, as discussed above movement of the vehicle could cause damage to the vehicle 60, the fuel hose 14, the fuel nozzle, and/or the fuel dispenser 10.
  • the alert may be configured to cause the driver to stop movement of the vehicle 60.
  • the alert may be an audio alert, such as an alarm or horn, from a speaker 55.
  • the alert may be a visual alert such as an illuminated stop sign, text banner, strobe light 54, or the like.
  • the alert may include both an audio alert and a visual alert.
  • control system 34 may cause a message to be transmitted to emergency services in response to the difference between the subsequent range data and/or motion data and the initial range and/or motion data exceeding the predetermined safety threshold.
  • the control system may transmit a text, voice, or any other message to emergency services, such as police and/or fire services to inform emergency management personnel of the potential damage to the fuel dispenser 10 and/or that assistance may be required.
  • a vertical deflector 62 may be deployed in response to the difference between the subsequent range data and/or motion data and the initial range data and/or motion data exceeding the predetermined threshold.
  • the vertical deflector 62 may be a physical obstruction to the travel of the vehicle 60, such as a rumble strip, or speed bump, configured to cause a vertical deflection of the tires of the vehicle 60, which in turn cause a physical or tactile indication to the driver.
  • the vertical deflector 62 may be one or more electromagnetic, pneumatic, or hydraulically operated protrusion or protrusions from the ground 61, such as hoses, levered ramps, or the like.
  • a barrier 64 may be deployed in response to the difference between the subsequent range data and/or motion data and the initial range data and/or motion data exceeding the predetermined threshold.
  • the barrier 64 may be a gate, a bollard, traffic spikes, or the like configured to stop movement of the vehicle 60.
  • the barrier 64 may be electromagnetic, pneumatic, or hydraulically operated. The barrier may be useful for preventing the vehicle 60 or driver of the vehicle 60 from leaving the fueling environment, e.g. convenience store or gas station, if damage to the fuel dispenser has occurred, or is likely to have occurred.
  • a camera 52 may be provided in associated with the fuel dispenser 10.
  • the camera 52 may be a still frame or video camera configured to capture an image of the vehicle 60.
  • the control system 34 may cause the camera 52 to capture the image of the vehicle 60 in response to the difference between the subsequent range data and/or motion data and the initial range data and/or motion data exceeding the predetermined threshold.
  • the camera 52 may be configured to capture an image indicative of the identity of the driver and/or vehicle, e.g., to establish liability for any damage occurring to the fuel dispenser 10.
  • the image may be on an approximate location of a license plate of the vehicle 60 and/or the windshield of the vehicle 60.
  • the control system 34 may receive an indication of payment for the fuel.
  • the indication of payment may be an authorization for a credit card, pump use authorization from a clerk console, e.g. prepayment, sale completion, or the like.
  • Receiving an indication of payment may be indicative of careless operation of the vehicle 60 and may not be indicative of theft or vandalism.
  • the control system 34 may cause one or more alerts, deploy vertical deflectors 62, capture images of the vehicle 60, and transmit a message to emergency services, but may not cause the barriers 64 to deploy.
  • control system 40 may cause one or more alerts, deploy vertical deflectors 62, capture images of the vehicle 60, transmit a message to emergency services, and cause the barriers 64 to deploy.
  • control system may receive an indication of the fuel nozzle 16 within the fuel nozzle cradle 51.
  • the sensors 50 may discontinue sensing subsequent range data and/or motion data between the fuel dispenser and the vehicle 60. Additionally, sensors 50 may return to a sleep mode to reduce power consumption.
  • FIG. 5 shows certain elements of control system 34 for a fuel dispenser 10.
  • the control system 34 of FIG. 5 may be employed, for example, on onboard circuitry within the fuel dispenser 10, in circuitry associated with a convenience store, a network device, server, proxy, or the like. Alternatively, embodiments may be employed on a combination of devices. Furthermore, it should be noted that the devices or elements described below may not be mandatory and thus some may be omitted in certain embodiments.
  • control circuitry 34 may include or otherwise be in communication with processing circuitry 70 that is configured to perform data processing, application execution and other processing and management services according to an example embodiment of the present invention.
  • the processing circuitry 70 may include a memory 74 and a processor 72 that may be in communication with or otherwise control a user interface 76 and a communication interface 78.
  • the processing circuitry 70 may be embodied as a circuit chip (e.g. an integrated circuit chip) configured (e.g. with hardware, software or a combination of hardware and software) to perform operations described herein.
  • the processing circuitry 70 may be embodied as a portion of a server, computer, or workstation.
  • the user interface 76 may be disposed at another device (e.g. at a computer terminal or client device such as the fuel dispenser 10) that may be in communication with the processing circuitry 70 via the communication interface 78 and/or a network.
  • the network may be a data network, such as a local area network (LAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN) (e.g. the Internet), and/or the like, which may couple the control system 34 and/or the fuel dispenser 10 to devices such as processing elements (e.g. computer terminals, server computers or the like) and/or databases. Communication between the network, the control system 34 and the devices or databases (e.g. servers) to which the control system 34 is coupled may be accomplished by either wireline or wireless communication mechanisms and corresponding communication protocols.
  • the user interface 76 may be an input/output device for receiving instructions directly from a user.
  • the user interface 76 may be in communication with the processing circuitry 70 to receive user input via the user interface 76 and/or to present output to a user as, for example, audible, visual, mechanical or other output indications.
  • the user interface 76 may include, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a display (e.g. a touch screen display), a microphone, a speaker, or other input/output mechanisms.
  • the processing circuitry 70 may comprise, or be in communication with, user interface circuitry configured to control at least some functions of one or more elements of the user interface 76.
  • the processing circuitry 70 and/or user interface circuitry may be configured to control one or more functions of one or more elements of the user interface 76 through computer program instructions (e.g.
  • the user interface circuitry is configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the apparatus through the use of a display configured to respond to user inputs.
  • the processing circuitry 70 may also comprise, or be in communication with, display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface 76, the display and the display circuitry configured to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the apparatus.
  • the communication interface 78 may be any means such as a device or circuitry embodied in either hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software that is configured to receive and/or transmit data from/to a network and/or any other device or module in communication with the control system 34 and/or the point-of-sale (POS) system of the fueling environment (and/or a remote cloud server, either directly or via a router located in the convenience store).
  • the communications interface 78 may be referred to as a cloud connection processor (CCP) and may provide secured, e.g. encrypted, communication between the control system 34, the network, and/or remote servers.
  • CCP cloud connection processor
  • the communication interface 78 may also include, for example, an antenna (or multiple antennas) and supporting hardware and/or software for enabling communications with the network or other devices (e.g. a user device). In some environments, the communication interface 78 may alternatively or additionally support wired communication. As such, for example, the communication interface 78 may include a communication modem and/or other hardware/software for supporting communication via cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), universal serial bus (USB) or other mechanisms. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication interface 78 may support communication via one or more different communication protocols or methods. In some cases, IEEE 802.15.4 based communication techniques such as ZigBee or other low power, short range communication protocols, such as a proprietary technique based on IEEE 802.15.4 may be employed along with radio frequency identification (RFID) or other short range communication techniques.
  • RFID radio frequency identification
  • the processing circuitry 70 may also include or otherwise be in communication with one or more sensors 82 (either directly or via communication with other components such as the POS).
  • the sensors may include motion and/or range sensors configured to detect vehicle position and/or a change in the distance of a vehicle from the sensors 82.
  • the sensors 82 may include passive infrared sensors (PIR), ultrasonic proximity detectors, or the like.
  • the sensors 82 may detect the motion of objects such as vehicles, but be insensitive to humans, pets or the like.
  • the sensors 82 may include miniature microwave Doppler radar, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), or the like.
  • Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, apparatus and computer program products for detecting motion of a vehicle during fueling. Various examples of the operations performed in accordance with embodiments of the present invention will now be provided with reference to FIG. 6.
  • FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart according to an example method for detecting motion of a vehicle during fueling according to an example embodiment.
  • the operations illustrated in and described with respect to FIG. 6 may, for example, be performed by, with the assistance of, and/or under the control of one or more of the processor 72, memory 74, communication interface 78, user interface 76, and/or sensors 82.
  • the method may include receiving an indication of removal of a fuel nozzle from a fuel nozzle cradle at operation 602, receiving an indication of initial range data or motion data from a sensor at operation 604, and receiving subsequent range data or motion data from the sensor at a predetermined interval at operation 606.
  • the method may also include comparing the subsequent range data or motion data to the initial range data or motion data at operation 608 and causing an alert in response to a difference between the subsequent range data or motion data and the initial range data or motion data exceeding a predetermined threshold at operation 610.
  • the method may include additional, optional operations, and/or the operations described above may be modified or augmented. Some examples of modifications, optional operations, and augmentations are described below, as indicated by dashed lines, such as, capturing an image of the vehicle in response to the difference between the subsequent range data or motion data and the initial range data or motion data exceeding a predetermined threshold at operation 612, causing a vertical deflector to deploy in response to the difference between the subsequent range data or motion data and the initial range data or motion data exceeding a predetermined threshold at operation 614, and causing a barrier to deploy in response to the difference between the subsequent range data or motion data and the initial range data or motion data exceeding a predetermined safety threshold at operation 616.
  • the method may further include determining receipt of payment at operation 618, which may be used to determine if the barrier is deployed at operation 616.
  • the method may also include causing a message to be transmitted to emergency services at operation 620.
  • FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of a system, method, and computer program product according to an example embodiment. It will be understood that each block of the flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the flowcharts, may be implemented by various means, such as hardware and/or a computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable mediums having computer readable program instructions stored thereon. For example, one or more of the procedures described herein may be embodied by computer program instructions of a computer program product. In this regard, the computer program product(s) which embody the procedures described herein may be stored by, for example, the memory 74 and executed by, for example, the processor 72.
  • any such computer program product may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable apparatus (for example, the control system 34 of the fuel dispenser 10) to produce a machine, such that the computer program product including the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus creates means for implementing the functions specified in the flowchart block(s).
  • the computer program product may comprise one or more non- transitory computer-readable mediums on which the computer program instructions may be stored such that the one or more computer-readable memories can direct a computer or other programmable device (for example, control system 34 of the fuel dispenser 10) to cause a series of operations to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus implement the functions specified in the flowchart block(s).
  • a computer or other programmable device for example, control system 34 of the fuel dispenser
  • the alert is a visual alert. In some example embodiments, the alert is an audio alert. In an example embodiment, the processing circuitry is further configured to cause a vertical deflector to deploy in response to the a difference between the subsequent range data and the initial range data exceeding a predetermined threshold. In some example embodiments, the processing circuitry is further configured to cause a barricade to deploy in response to the difference between the subsequent range data and the initial range data exceeding a predetermined threshold. In an example embodiment, the processing circuitry is further configured to capture an image of the vehicle in response to a difference between the subsequent range data and the initial range data exceeding a predetermined threshold. In some example embodiments, the image is of an approximate location of a vehicle license plate.
  • the image is of an approximate location of a windshield of the vehicle.
  • the processing circuitry is further configured to determine receipt of payment and cause a barricade to deploy in response to the difference between the subsequent range data and the initial range data exceeding a predetermined threshold and payment is not determined to be received.
  • the processing circuitry is further configured to receive an indication of the fuel nozzle within the fuel nozzle cradle and discontinuing sensing the range between the fuel dispenser and the vehicle based on the indication of the fuel nozzle within the fuel nozzle cradle.
  • the range sensor is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor.
  • the range sensor is a microwave Doppler radar.

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  • Loading And Unloading Of Fuel Tanks Or Ships (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne un distributeur de carburant comprenant une buse de carburant conçue pour être raccordée à un système de carburant de véhicule, une tuyauterie de carburant conçue pour transférer du carburant depuis un réservoir de stockage de carburant associé au distributeur de carburant à travers la buse de carburant dans le système de carburant de véhicule, un berceau de buse de carburant conçu pour retenir la buse de carburant, un capteur configuré pour détecter une plage ou un mouvement entre le distributeur de carburant et le véhicule, et un ensemble de circuits de traitement. L'ensemble de circuits de traitement est configuré pour recevoir une indication de retrait de la buse de carburant du berceau de buse de carburant, recevoir des données de plage ou des données de mouvement initiales en provenance du capteur, recevoir des données de plage ou des données de mouvement ultérieures en provenance du capteur à un intervalle prédéfini, comparer les données de plage ou les données de mouvement ultérieures aux données de plage ou aux données de mouvement initiales, et produire une alerte en réponse à une différence entre les données de plage ou les données de mouvement ultérieures et les données de plage ou les données de mouvement initiales dépassant un seuil prédéfini.
PCT/IN2017/050470 2016-10-14 2017-10-13 Distributeur de carburant doté d'un système d'évitement d'endommagement de tuyau WO2018069940A2 (fr)

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WO2018069940A3 WO2018069940A3 (fr) 2018-08-02

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
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WO2023247066A1 (fr) * 2022-06-23 2023-12-28 Cryostar Sas Procédé pour faire fonctionner un appareil de distribution de combustible gazeux et appareil de distribution de combustible gazeux

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US11321790B2 (en) 2018-04-25 2022-05-03 Tanku LTD. System and method for vehicle identification based on fueling captures
US11657404B2 (en) 2018-04-25 2023-05-23 Tanku LTD. System and method for authenticating a location for performing powering operations
WO2023247066A1 (fr) * 2022-06-23 2023-12-28 Cryostar Sas Procédé pour faire fonctionner un appareil de distribution de combustible gazeux et appareil de distribution de combustible gazeux

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