Carl L Jacobs

US Patent:

7640185, Dec 29, 2009

Filed:

Dec 31, 1998

Appl. No.:

09/224027

Inventors:

Joseph August Giordano - Centerville VA, US
Samuel S. Hendricks - Pflugerville TX, US
Carl R. Jacobs - Bertram TX, US
Thomas L. Mays - Austin TX, US
Don Charles McCall - Round Rock TX, US
Geeta Bholanath Nadkarni - Austin TX, US
Karen Scott Guthrie - Oak Hill VA, US
Lloyd G. Sargent - Elgin TX, US
Jeffrey L. Turner - Albuquerque NM, US
Deborah T. Wilkins - Austin TX, US
Bernard Barink - Dallas TX, US
Thomas Josef Flaxl - Dachau, DE
Andreas Hagl - Dachau, DE
George A. Holodak - Belton TX, US
Loek d'Hont - Garland TX, US
Scott D. Larson - Lewisville TX, US
Robert A. Lorentzen - Carrollton TX, US
Joseph Pearson - Cedar Park TX, US
Anne Tip - Den Hague, NL
Alex J. Weyer - Borne, NL

Assignee:

Dresser, Inc. - Addison TX
ExxonMobile Oil Corporation - Fariview VA
Texas Instruments Incorporated - Dallas TX

International Classification:

G06Q 40/00

US Classification:

705 23, 705 1

Abstract:

A system and method for providing a fuel dispenser with radio frequency customer identification capabilities. The system and method determines whether a transponder containing customer identification data is within range of a dispenser, the dispenser requiring activation by the customer to initiate a transaction and including a reader associated therewith for emitting radio frequency signals within the dispenser range, and for receiving customer identification data from the transponder responsive to the emitted radio frequency signals received by the transponder. When the transponder is within range of the dispenser, an in-range indication is provided to the customer. A determination is made whether the dispenser has been activated by the customer following a determination that the transponder is within the dispenser range. Upon activation of the dispenser following the determination that the transponder is within the dispenser range, the customer identification data received by the reader is associated with a transaction at the activated dispenser, whereupon the transaction at the activated dispenser is permitted and charged to the customer according to the customer identification data. The system easily retrofits onto an existing, conventional fuel dispenser.