Abstract:
A system and method are described that can help gas stations detect attempted thefts of gas or when there is leakage from a fuel tank or pump. The fuel pump can comprise a payment processing system or is fuel sensor to detect the amount of fuel pumped. The large fuel tank that supplies the fuel pumps can comprise a fuel level sensor to detect how much fuel is being used. The fuel pumps and tanks can send their data to the kiosk or some other location for analysis. If more fuel is being lost from the fuel tank than is being paid for at the pumps, then a theft may be occurring, or there may be fault machinery or leaks.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    The present disclosure is directed to gas pumps and more particularly to theft detection on gas pumps. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    One problem at as stations is fraud detection. Even at gas stations that require pre-payment, thieves have figured out ways to steal gas. For instance, there are ways to manipulate magnets placed on the exterior of a pump in order to trick the pump into allowing a user to indiscriminately pump as much gas as possible. 
         [0003]    Gas stations often have a gas meter on each pump, measuring how much was is being paid for and how much is actually being pumped—from that individual pump. There is also a station-wide meter, often this meter is displayed to an employee at the register inside the gas station. So the employee can see the station wide levels going down or up, but not the levels at each pump. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    One embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a system for monitoring fuel pumps and fuel tanks comprising: a plurality of fuel pumps, the plurality of fuel pumps comprising a payment processing system and a fuel sensor operable to measure the amount of fuel pumped and further comprising a first communication interface operable to communicate the payments received or the amount of fuel pumped; a plurality of fuel tanks operable to supply fuel to the plurality of fuel pumps, the plurality of fuel tanks comprising a fuel level sensor operable to detect the level of fuel within the tank, and further comprising a second communication interface operable to communicate the level of fuel; a meter, the meter comprising a third communication interface, the meter operable to analyze payment or fuel data from the plurality of fuel pumps with fuel level data from the plurality of fuel tanks. 
         [0005]    Another embodiment comprises a system fin monitoring fuel at gas stations comprising: a plurality of servers; a plurality of gas stations, each gas station comprising a plurality of fuel pumps and a plurality of fuel tanks; the plurality of fuel pumps comprising a first communication interface and as fuel sensor operable to measure the amount of fuel pumped; the plurality of fuel tanks comprising a second communication interface and a fuel level sensor operable to measure the level of fuel within the tanks; wherein the plurality of servers are operable to receive communications from the plurality of fuel pumps and the plurality of fuel tanks and further operable to analyze the amount. 
         [0006]    Another embodiment comprises a method of monitoring fuel at gas stations comprising: receiving, at a server, data from a gas pump regarding fuel sales or amount of fuel pumped; receiving, at as server, data from a gas tank connected to the gas pump regarding fuel level; analyzing, at a server, the gas pump and gas tank data to determine if there is theft or faulty machinery connected to the gas pump or gas tank. 
         [0007]    The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. It should he appreciated by those skilled in the art that the conception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of the invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the present invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a prior art embodiment of a gas station. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of an embodiment of the present teachings. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of an embodiment of the present teachings. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of an embodiment of the present teachings. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a flow-chart diagram of a process embodiment of the present teachings. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is a diagram of an embodiment of the present teachings. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an embodiment of a typical gas station  100  is shown. Pumps  130  and  140  allow users to pump gas and customers pay either at the pumps or at kiosk  120 . Pumps  130 ,  140  connect to a tank  160  via piping  150 . Tank  160  may have a plurality of partitions (or physically separate tanks)  161 ,  162 ,  163 . Kiosk  120  has a meter  110  with a connection  180  to sensors on tanks  160 ,  161 ,  162 ,  163  to measure the fluid level inside. Meter  110  can measure the overall tank level of  160  (or the partitions). Pumps  130  can measure how much fuel is being pumped from pump  130  and how much fuel is being paid for at pump  130 . And pump  140  can measure how much fuel is being pumped from pump  140  and how much fuel is being paid for at pump  140 . There are ways that thieves can manipulate pumps  130 ,  140 , possibly with magnets, so that pumps  130 ,  140  will pump fuel without a purchase being made. An employee monitoring the meter  110  in the kiosk may not realize what&#39;s happening because meter  110  tracks the entire tank  160 , not the individual pumps. The gas being stolen may not appear large compared to the size of tank  160 . 
         [0016]      FIG. 2  shows an embodiment of a gas station  200  utilizing the teachings of the present disclosure. Pumps  230   240  connect by piping  250  to a tank(s)  260 . Pumps  230 ,  240  can measure the amount of fuel each is pumping and also low much money is being collected. Pumps  230 ,  240  have a connection  270  to kiosk  220  and meter  210 . Pumps  230 ,  240  continually update meter  210  with how much fuel is being pumped and how much money/charges are being collected. Meter  210  also has a connection  280  to tank(s)  260  that measures (via any appropriate fluid level sensor) how much fuel is currently in tank(s)  260 . Meter  210  can detect fraud several different ways. One way is to compare the pumped fuel in pumps  230  or  240  to the amounts charged b pumps  230  or  240 . If there are not enough charges for the amount of fuel pumped then there might be a fraud taking place, or faulty machinery such as a leak. Either way, the gas station owner wants to detect the problem and fix it as soon as possible. Meter  210  can also compare the data from pumps  230 ,  240  to the overall tank level in tank  260 . 
         [0017]      FIG. 3  show an embodiment of the present teachings comprising wireless technology. System  300  features a kiosk  320  and gas pumps  330 ,  340 . Pumps  330 ,  340  connect to tank  360  via lines  335 ,  345 . Pump transmitters  350  are disposed on pumps  330 ,  340  and communicate wirelessly with meter  310  in kiosk  320 . A single pump could comprise single or multiple pump transmitters  350 . Pump transmitters  350  can communicate with meter  310  via any appropriate wireless protocol such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular or another. Pump transmitters  350  can be coupled to the payment processing system of the pump and/or a liquid sensor that determines the flow rate within the pump. The pump transmitter  350  can therefore communicate the amount of sold gas (or the amount of pumped gas) to meter  310 . Meter  310  is also in communication with tank transmitter  360 . Tank transmitter  360  can be coupled to a tank level sensor of any appropriate kind, and can report on the tank level to meter  310 . Tank transmitter  360  (or its antenna) may need to be disposed closer to, or at, the surface in order to communicate properly with meter  310 . As meter  310  receives measurements from pump transmitters  350  and tank transmitters  360  a comparison can be made to ensure that the pump data and the tank data match. 
         [0018]    An owner/manager of multiple gas stations may want to use the present teachings to monitor fuel levels across a plurality of gas stations.  FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of as system  400  comprising some of the current teachings. System  400  comprises as plurality of gas stations  410 ,  420 ,  430 ,  440 . Each gas station  410 ,  420 ,  430 .  440 , comprises pumps  411 ,  421 ,  431 ,  441  respectively, kiosks  417 ,  427 ,  437 ,  447  respectively, and tanks  412 ,  422 ,  432 ,  442  respectively. Gas stations  410 ,  420 ,  430 ,  440  each comprise a system by which data from the pumps and the tanks are reported to servers  480  which can be located on the premises of an owner or management company or another remote location. Servers  480  can compare data from a plurality of gas stations and analyze patterns that emerge. Leaks can be detected, thefts can be detected, a pattern of multiple thefts can be detected, sales data can be tracked, and more. Gas stations  420  and  430  comprise radio interfaces  425 ,  435  that communicate with servers  480  by means of cellular network  450 , satellite  480 , and/or network  460 . Gas station  410  communicates with servers  480  by means of a hardline connection  415  and network  460 . Gas station  440  communicates with servers  480  via radio interfaces directly on the pump transmitters  443  and tank transmitter  448 . As can be seen, the data from each gas station or pump can be collected in a number of different ways. Servers  480  can analyze the data received from the various gas stations  410 ,  420 ,  430 ,  440  and determine if there is theft or faulty machinery at each location. When this happens, servers  480  can communicate warnings to the gas station in question. The various telecommunications equipment can therefore be capable of two-way communication, when desired. 
         [0019]      FIG. 5  shows an embodiment of a method practicing the teachings described herein. Data is received from a gas pump regarding fuel sales or fuel pumped  510 . Data is also received from a gas tank regarding fuel level within the tank  520 . The pump data and the tank data is then compared to determine if theft or leakage is occurring  530 . 
         [0020]      FIG. 6  shows an embodiment of the present teachings comprising a communications hub located at a gas station. As shown in system  600 , hub  680  can act as a router/gateway between pump transmitters  650  and either kiosk meter  610  with interface  612 , or directly with a wireless network such as cellular network  692  or satellite network  690 . Pump transmitters  650  may have small ranges and be unable to communicate with meter  610  directly. The hub  680  can receive communications from the pump transmitters and forward the communications to meter  610  with interface  612  or to another network, bypassing the kiosk entirely. 
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , tank transmitter  670  is located near the ground surface and connects to a tank level sensor  672  that measures the level of fuel within tank  660 . In some embodiments tank transmitter  670  will not be able to communicate effectively with meter  610 , hub  680 , or networks  690 ,  692  unless it is disposed at or near the ground level. 
         [0022]    Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.