Patent Description:
In particular, this invention is advantageously, but not exclusively, applicable in self-service refuelling stations, to which the following description explicitly refers without any loss of generality thereby.

Self-service refuelling stations for vehicles comprise at least one fuel dispenser and a reservation system normally comprising a payment terminal provided with a pay machine for reserving the fuel dispenser once the pay machine has verified the payment. The fuel dispenser comprises a pump, a dispensing organ, which is designed to engage a mouth of the vehicle tank, is connected to the pump, and is provided with an opening lever, a housing for the dispensing organ, a switch activated by the dispensing organ to detect whether the latter is present in the housing, and a so-called electronic head, which is controlled via the switch and is designed to control the pump and to communicate with the reservation system.

The operating sequence for refuelling at a self-service refuelling station typically involves inserting bank notes or a payment card in the pay machine of the reservation system, waiting to check the authenticity of the bank notes or coverage of the payment card, and, upon a positive outcome, selecting a fuel dispenser among those available at the refuelling station.

The electronic head signals to the reservation system whether the relative fuel dispenser is available or occupied. If the dispensing organ is inserted in its housing, then the switch controls the electronic head to signal to the reservation system that the dispenser is available, i.e. it can be selected by the user and managed through the reservation system. When the fuel dispenser is available, it does not allow fuel to be dispensed. In contrast, if the dispensing organ is not in its housing because the fuel dispenser is dispensing fuel, then the switch controls the electronic head to signal to the reservation system that the dispenser is occupied, i.e. it cannot be selected by the user who queries the reservation system.

Control systems are known for dispensing fuel that comprise detection means for detecting whether the dispensing organ engages a mouth of the vehicle tank. These detection means identify the tank and authorise dispensing, avoiding fraudulent removal of fuel at the same time as the refuelling that is being carried out via the dispensing organ. In any case, these detection means are not particularly useful if used in combination with the standard reservation systems, because the latter require an additional interaction of the user in the location (check of the authenticity of the bank notes or coverage of the payment card) and, thus, do not allow complete automation of the whole refuelling process. A system according to the preamble of claim <NUM> is known from <CIT>.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a system for managing the dispensing of fuel in a refuelling station, which is free of the drawbacks described above and, at the same time, is easy and economical to produce.

In accordance with this invention, a system for managing the dispensing of fuel from a refuelling station to a tank, in particular of a vehicle, is provided, according to what is defined in the attached claims.

This invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings that illustrate a non-limiting embodiment thereof, in which:.

In <FIG> generically identifies a refuelling station wherein there is at least one fuel dispenser <NUM> arranged in a respective refuelling forecourt <NUM> protected by a known protection structure <NUM>, for example of the type comprising a roof that rests on the ground via at least one column or pillar.

The fuel dispenser <NUM> comprises a pump (not illustrated), a dispensing organ <NUM> connected to the pump, a housing <NUM> for the dispensing organ <NUM>, and first detection means in form of a first switch <NUM> arranged in the housing <NUM> and activated, for example mechanically, by extracting the dispensing organ <NUM> from the housing <NUM> and inserting the dispensing organ <NUM> in the housing <NUM> to detect, in a known way, whether the dispensing organ <NUM> is present in the housing <NUM>. For example, the first switch <NUM> is open when the dispensing organ <NUM> is present in the housing <NUM> and is closed when the dispensing organ <NUM> is not in the housing <NUM>. For example, the dispensing organ <NUM> is of the type activated by a manual lever.

The refuelling station <NUM> comprises, in addition, a reservation system <NUM>, which interfaces with the fuel dispenser <NUM> to enable the reservation thereof. Typically, the reservation system <NUM> comprises a known payment system, for example a payment terminal provided with an automatic pay machine.

<FIG> schematically illustrates a vehicle <NUM>, which comprises a tank <NUM> provided with a mouth <NUM> designed to be engaged by the dispensing organ <NUM>, as indicated with the dashed line.

<FIG> indicates, overall, with <NUM>, the management system of this invention for managing the dispensing of fuel by the refuelling station <NUM> to the tank <NUM>. The management system <NUM> comprises, in addition to the fuel dispenser second detection means <NUM> for detecting whether the dispensing organ <NUM> engages or disengages the mouth <NUM>, a memory <NUM> that can be mounted on the vehicle <NUM> storing identification data of the tank <NUM>, and in particular of the vehicle <NUM>, i.e. data that uniquely identify the tank <NUM>, and in particular the vehicle <NUM>, and a data acquisition system <NUM>, which enables the refuelling station <NUM> to acquire the engagement/disengagement status of the dispensing organ <NUM> in relation to the mouth <NUM> and the identification data when the dispensing organ <NUM> is engaged, i.e. when the second detection means <NUM> detect that the dispensing organ <NUM> engages the mouth <NUM>.

In particular, the second detection means <NUM> comprise an RFID tag <NUM> mounted on the dispensing organ <NUM>, a sleeve <NUM> that can be mounted around the mouth <NUM>, and an RFID tag <NUM> fixed to the sleeve <NUM> to detect the presence of the RFID tag <NUM> when the dispensing organ <NUM> engages the mouth <NUM>, and, as a result, the absence of the RFID tag <NUM> when the dispensing organ <NUM> disengages the mouth <NUM>.

In particular, the data acquisition system <NUM> comprises a first radio transceiver module <NUM>, which is associated with the tank <NUM>, and in particular can be mounted on the vehicle <NUM>, to transmit said engagement/disengagement status and said identification data, and a second radio transceiver module <NUM>, which is associated with the refuelling station <NUM> to receive said engagement/disengagement status and said identification data. The radio transceiver modules <NUM> and <NUM> are Sub-<NUM> modules operating in a free frequency band, in particular in an IMS band, for example in the <NUM> band.

Advantageously, the management system <NUM> comprises an electronic unit <NUM> that can be mounted on the vehicle <NUM> and comprising the memory <NUM>, the radio transceiver module <NUM> and a control module <NUM> for coordinating the operation of the electronic unit <NUM>. The electronic unit <NUM> communicates with the RFID reader <NUM> to acquire the engagement/disengagement status of the dispensing member <NUM> and the control module <NUM> controls the radio transceiver module <NUM> for transmitting the engagement/disengagement status and the identification data.

The management system <NUM> also comprises a remote server <NUM>, which stores a database <NUM> of identification data of multiple authorised tanks, and a control unit <NUM>, which is configured to communicate with the remote server <NUM> so as to transmit the identification data acquired and to receive authorisation whether the identification data acquired are present in the database <NUM>.

The radio transceiver module <NUM> is associated with the control unit <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> is connected to the remote server <NUM> through the internet. In particular, the control unit <NUM> comprises the radio transceiver module <NUM> for acquiring said identification data upon said engaging of the dispensing organ <NUM>, a network interface <NUM> for communicating with the remote server <NUM>, and a control module <NUM> for coordinating the operation of the control unit <NUM>.

With reference to <FIG> as well, the fuel dispenser <NUM> comprises an electronic head <NUM> connected to the first switch <NUM> and designed to signal to the reservation system <NUM> of the refuelling station <NUM> whether the fuel dispenser <NUM> is available or occupied. The control unit <NUM> comprises a second switch <NUM> that is connected to the first switch <NUM> so as to form a control circuit of the electronic head <NUM>. The electronic head <NUM> is also designed to control the pump of the fuel dispenser <NUM>.

In particular, the switches <NUM> and <NUM> are electrically connected in series so that the electronic head <NUM> signals that the fuel dispenser <NUM> is available when at least one of the two switches <NUM> and <NUM> is open and, as a result, signals that the fuel dispenser <NUM> is occupied when both switches <NUM> and <NUM> are closed. In particular, the second switch <NUM> consists of a relay controlled by the control module <NUM>.

In general, the control unit <NUM> is associated with the refuelling station <NUM>. In particular, the control unit <NUM> is mounted on the protection structure <NUM> in a position so that its radio transceiver module <NUM> easily communicates with the radio transceiver module <NUM> of any vehicle <NUM> that is located in any refuelling forecourt <NUM> of the refuelling station <NUM>. Thus, the second switch <NUM> is connected to the electronic head <NUM> via a pair of wires <NUM> that extend from the control unit <NUM> to the electronic head <NUM>, and, thus, to the fuel dispenser <NUM>.

According to an embodiment not illustrated, the refuelling station <NUM> comprises multiple fuel dispensers <NUM>, the control unit <NUM> comprises corresponding, multiple second switches <NUM>, and the control module <NUM> is configured to manage the communication with the electronic units <NUM> of several vehicles <NUM>.

According to one embodiment not illustrated, the control unit <NUM> is associated with a specific fuel dispenser <NUM>, and, in particular, is housed in the fuel dispenser <NUM> casing. Advantageously, the control unit <NUM> is integrated with the electronic head <NUM>.

The control unit <NUM>, and in particular the control module <NUM>, and the remote server <NUM> are configured to perform the following process for managing the dispensing of the fuel when a vehicle <NUM> stops in the refuelling forecourt <NUM> and the driver (i.e. the user of the refuelling station <NUM>) extracts the dispensing organ <NUM> from the housing <NUM>. Note that the management process has as an output variable the signal with which the electronic head <NUM> indicates to the reservation system <NUM> that the fuel dispenser <NUM> is available or occupied.

The control unit <NUM> controls the second switch <NUM> so as to normally be closed. Until the dispensing organ <NUM> is in the housing <NUM>, the first switch <NUM> is open and, thus, the electronic head <NUM> signals that the fuel dispenser <NUM> is available, and, thus, can be selected by the reservation system <NUM>.

As soon as the dispensing organ <NUM> is extracted from the housing <NUM>, the first switch <NUM> is closed. Thus, both the switches <NUM> and <NUM> are closed and the electronic head <NUM> signals that the fuel dispenser <NUM> is occupied. In this case, the fuel dispenser <NUM> cannot be selected by the reservation system <NUM>.

As soon as the dispensing organ <NUM> engages the mouth <NUM>, the electronic unit <NUM> of the vehicle <NUM> transmits the engagement and the identification data, which are acquired by the control unit <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> sends an authorisation request incorporating the identification data acquired to the remote server <NUM>. The remote server <NUM> receives the authorisation request, compares the identification data acquired with all the identification data in the database <NUM> and transmits an authorisation if the identification data acquired are present in the database <NUM>.

When the dispensing organ <NUM> engages the mouth <NUM>, and the control unit <NUM> is waiting for the authorisation, then the control unit <NUM> opens the second switch <NUM> so that the electronic head <NUM> signals that the fuel dispenser <NUM> is available, and thus can be selected and managed through the reservation system <NUM>.

In this way, the user uses a different reservation/payment method to the standard ones (for example, tokens, bank notes, or payment cards), i.e. that is linked to the identification of the tank <NUM>, i.e. of the vehicle <NUM>, and is only triggered by the coupling between dispensing organ <NUM> and the mouth <NUM> of the tank <NUM>.

Following receipt of the authorisation, the control unit <NUM> closes the second switch <NUM> so that the electronic head <NUM> signals that the fuel dispenser <NUM> is engaged, thus enabling fuel to be dispensed. In particular, following receipt of the above-mentioned authorisation, the control unit <NUM> controls the electronic head <NUM> so that the latter activates the pump of the fuel dispenser <NUM> for dispensing the fuel.

When the driver decides to stop dispensing, they close the dispensing organ <NUM> and extract (disengage) it from the mouth <NUM>, and for a certain period of time the dispensing organ <NUM> remains outside its housing <NUM>. The disengagement of the dispensing organ <NUM> is transmitted to the control unit <NUM> by the electronic unit <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> opens the second switch <NUM> again after a predetermined time interval T1 from the disengagement of the dispensing organ <NUM> that follows the dispensing of fuel so that, at the expiry of the time interval T1, the electronic head <NUM> signals that the fuel dispenser is available. This enables the reservation system <NUM> to close the dispensing procedure based on the fuel actually dispensed. The time interval T1 ranges between <NUM> and <NUM> sec. The time interval T1 can be configured within the control unit <NUM>.

At the expiry of a successive predetermined time interval T2, contiguous with the first time interval T1, the control unit <NUM> closes the second switch <NUM>, i.e. returns it to the initial situation necessary for when the dispensing organ <NUM> is present in the housing <NUM> again. The time interval T2 ranges between <NUM> and <NUM> sec. The time interval T2 can be configured within the control unit <NUM>.

According to an embodiment not illustrated, the management system <NUM> does not have the second switch <NUM> and at least the control module <NUM> of the control unit <NUM> is integrated in the electronic head <NUM> and is programmed via software that implements the process described above. In particular, the control module <NUM> is configured via said software to control the electronic head <NUM> so that the latter generates the signal indicating the available/occupied status of the fuel dispenser <NUM>, depending on the signal provided by the first switch <NUM>, the engagement/disengagement status, and the identification data provided by the data acquisition system <NUM>.

According to one embodiment not illustrated, the management system <NUM> does not comprise the remote server <NUM>, i.e. the database <NUM> is stored in a local device of the refuelling station, for example in a memory of the control unit <NUM>, and the latter is configured to directly query the database <NUM> so as to receive the authorisation to dispense fuel based on the identification data acquired, i.e. if the identification data acquired are present in the database <NUM>. This embodiment is advantageous if the refuelling station is not fixed like the one described above with reference to <FIG>, but is mobile, i.e. it is integrated into a tank vehicle that must refuel other tanks in particularly inconvenient working environments.

Although the invention described above makes particular reference to a very specific embodiment, it is not to be considered limited to that embodiment, since it encompasses all those variants, modifications, or simplifications covered by the attached claims, such as, for example:.

The main advantage of the management system <NUM> described above is to enable effective authentication of the tank <NUM> during completely automatic fuel dispensing that is only triggered when the dispensing organ <NUM> engages the mouth <NUM> of the tank <NUM>.

The authentication is ensured by the comparison between the identification data of the tank <NUM>, acquired following the coupling between the dispensing organ <NUM> and the mouth <NUM>, with authorised identification data present on a remote server <NUM>, and the automation is made possible by the control unit <NUM> that modifies the behaviour of the electronic head <NUM> when the dispensing organ <NUM> is not in its housing <NUM> so as to signal to the reservation system <NUM> that the fuel dispenser <NUM> is available, and, thus, can be managed in a standard way, as though the dispensing organ <NUM> were still in its housing <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A system for managing the dispensing of fuel from a refuelling station to a tank, in particular of a vehicle, the system (<NUM>) comprising: a fuel dispenser (<NUM>) which comprises a dispensing organ (<NUM>) for engaging a mouth (<NUM>) of the tank (<NUM>), a housing (<NUM>) for inserting
the dispensing organ (<NUM>), and an electronic head (<NUM>) ; the system further comprising second detection means (<NUM>) for detecting whether the dispensing organ (<NUM>) engages or disengages the mouth (<NUM>); memory means (<NUM>), which are associated with the tank (<NUM>), and in particular are mountable on the vehicle (<NUM>), and which are configured to store identification data of the tank (<NUM>), and in particular of the vehicle (<NUM>); a data acquisition system (<NUM>) configured for acquiring the engagement/disengagement status of the dispensing organ (<NUM>) in/from the mouth (<NUM>) and for acquiring
the identification data when the second detection means (<NUM>) detect that the dispensing organ (<NUM>) engages the mouth (<NUM>); a database (<NUM>) of identification data of a plurality of authorised tanks; and a control unit (<NUM>), which is configured to query the database (<NUM>) such that it receives an authorisation to dispense fuel if the acquired identification data are present in the database (<NUM>); the system being characterized in that the fuel dispenser (<NUM>) comprises first detection means (<NUM>) for detecting whether the dispensing organ (<NUM>) is present or absent in the housing (<NUM>), in that
the electronic head (<NUM>) is connected to the first detection means (<NUM>) and is configured for signalling to a reservation system (<NUM>) of the refuelling station (<NUM>) whether the fuel dispenser (<NUM>) is available or occupied, and in that
the control unit (<NUM>) is configured to control the electronic head (<NUM>) such that the the electronic head signals that the fuel dispenser (<NUM>) is available when the dispensing organ (<NUM>) engages the mouth (<NUM>) and the control unit (<NUM>) is awaiting said authorisation.