Stephen N Stephenson

US Patent:

56051824, Feb 25, 1997

Filed:

Apr 20, 1995

Appl. No.:

8/425099

Inventors:

David Oberrecht - Cincinnati OH
Stephen J. Stephenson - Cincinnati OH
Sean Scott - Springboro OH
Curtis E. Frederick - Maineville OH
Jonathan P. Young - West Chester OH

Assignee:

Dover Corporation - New York NY

International Classification:

B67D 501

US Classification:

141 94

Abstract:

A vehicle identification system for use in a refueling station for identifying vehicle requirements, in which a control unit is located in a fuel dispenser for controlling functions of the dispenser such as fuel selection and activation of the dispenser's vapor recovery systems, and a driver circuit is located on the nozzle spout. The control unit communicates with the driver circuit through an intrinsically safe connection in a fuel hose and is programmed to periodically transmit a low power pulse signal to the driver circuit through this connection. The driver circuit includes a power generating means and an antenna for generating an RF interrogation signal in response to each pulse. The RF interrogation signal is detected by a transponder disposed on a vehicle adjacent the vehicle's fill pipe, when the nozzle is positioned adjacent to or in the fill pipe for refueling. The RF interrogation signal energizes the transponder to transmit a return signal containing vehicle identification codes accessed from a memory storage means in the transponder.