Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Generic control system – apparatus or process – Having protection or reliability feature
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-14
2001-07-10
Grant, William (Department: 2121)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Generic control system, apparatus or process
Having protection or reliability feature
C700S244000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06259956
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This site manager of the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring and maintaining unattended robot liquid storage and dispensing sites, in particular, monitoring and maintaining robot vehicle fuel storage and dispensing sites located at roadside.
2. Background of the Prior Art
A wide variety of industries must constantly monitor and manage site devices such as fuel pumps, inventory, and transactions at one or more robot liquid storage and dispensing sites. Such industries include the chemical and municipal water industries, as well as the vehicle fuel supply industry. Computers are used to monitor and collect data from the site devices. The computer output is usually in the form of serial output to a log printer. Typically, a site attendant at the site checks the printout from the log printer to determine the status of site devices, inventory, and transactions. This process has also been more fully computerized, wherein the output is downloaded into computer memory and analyzed via computer monitor either at the site or at the home office.
Various currently known devices and methods automatically monitor remote fuel dispensing sites. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,253 discloses an automated system that constantly collects data from a fuel tank and fuel dispensing system at the point of sale for the purpose of inventory reconciliation through statistical data analysis. The '253 patent uses a communication computer at the remote site to collect data from the site devices and is used simply to communicate the data to a central computer. The review and analysis of site data must be initiated by the action of a site attendant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,544 discloses use of computers for collecting inventory data at remote sites for subsequent human analysis. The inventory data collection system of the '544 patent requires that an operator dial up the computer system to retrieve site data for subsequent analysis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,664 discloses automatic data collection from above ground liquid containers and relates specifically to monitoring tank integrity.
It is recognized that the site manager of the present invention may be particularly suited for many applications, including the chemical industries, water supply, and the like applications. The particular application described in detail herein is for monitoring and maintaining remote robot vehicle fuel sites, it being understood that the site manager so described is equally applicable to many different applications.
Current remote robot fluid storage and dispensing technology does not automatically scan for key words contained in data collected by on-site computers and, based on predetermined parameters, automatically initiate appropriate responses thereto.
With the forgoing in mind, the general object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for automatically monitoring and managing fluid dispensing transactions at remote fluid storage and dispensing sites, using the Internet.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for automatically scanning the data collected by on site computers for key words and based on predetermined parameters automatically initiate appropriate responses thereto, using the internet.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for automatically notifying and informing certain site personnel located remote from the robot liquid storage and dispensing sites about site failures.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for taking images of the remote sites and linking these images with data collected from site devices by on-site computers.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for automatically downloading remote site data as HTML files onto a webserver for instant access from locations remote to liquid robot storage and dispensing sites.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The site manager of the present invention is a method and apparatus used in connection with substantially unattended robot liquid storage and dispensing sites, in particular, robot vehicle fuel storage and dispensing sites, located remote from a central office to provide instant access to the status of transactions and devices at the robot fuel sites, including providing immediate notice and information about robot fuel site failures to home offices or other remote locations, using the Internet. Robot fuel sites are comprised of several obvious components including fuel pumping stations and one or more fuel tanks connected thereto. The pumping stations and fuel tanks typically communicate with a computer identified herein as a “site controller,” which in turn provides output though one or more of its serial ports in the form of a serial text string to a log printer. The present invention includes computer software that monitors the printer port of the site controller. It captures the text strings passing through the port and compares such output with evaluation messages. If a text string matches an evaluation message, the invention responds to the match based on predetermined parameters. By scanning the serial port of the site controller and matching text strings with evaluation messages, the software program of the present invention is able to continually and automatically monitor equipment failures, and pages, fixes, and/or emails a technician or the home office for corrective action. The software of the invention also scans the site controller output for information relating to low inventory conditions and then automatically orders fuel from fuel suppliers. In addition, the software program scans the site controller serial output to monitor customer activity at pumping stations and gives immediate notice to the site operators of problems that the customer may be having, such as keying an incorrect PIN number or trying to use an invalid card. The site operators are then able to respond immediately, contacting the driver's own office, whom can transmit to the driver still located at the remote site the correct PIN number or instructions to use another card. The software program of the invention also collects the information gathered from the site controller, the tank monitor, and alarm system and stores it in HTML text files, which take the form of web pages with hypertext links. Each hypertext link represents a specific event of the site, such as a transaction or error message. The invention also includes cameras that take images of the remote site, which are then converted to HTML image files and hyperlinked to related HTML text files. An Internet Service Provider provides continual access to each robot fuel site, allowing instant access to site information and instant response to failure or other selected conditions at the site.
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Long, III William
Myers Robert J.
Winstead, III Ben E.
Gain, Jr. Edward F
Grant William
Olive & Olive, PA
Rawl & Winstead, Inc.
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