Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – With signal – indicator – recorder – inspection means or exhibitor
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-04
2001-11-06
Douglas, Steven O. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
With signal, indicator, recorder, inspection means or exhibitor
C222S023000, C222S052000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06311739
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to electronic calibration of a fuel dispenser and more particularly to maintaining calibration factor integrity in an electronically calibrated fuel dispenser.
Traditionally, fuel dispensers have been calibrated entirely through mechanical adjustment. As the cost of electronics has continued to decrease, manufacturers have implemented electronic circuitry to facilitate calibration of fuel dispensers. In a typical fuel dispenser, electronic calibration is performed through a setup menu that is under the control of a processor that controls various functions of the fuel dispenser. A primary function of the processor is to determine the quantity of fuel pumped. Utilizing electronic circuitry has generally simplified the calibration of fuel dispensers, since access to lower hydraulic areas of the fuel dispenser is not normally required.
In a typical electronically calibrated fuel dispenser, fuel meter calibration constants are detached from the fuel meter (i.e., stored in processor readable memory). In those fuel dispensers, the fuel meter calibration constants have not been tamper resistant. Additionally, current fuel dispensers have not normally retained fuel meter calibration constants when a processor board is replaced. That is, when a processor board fails, all fuel meters associated with a faulty processor board require recalibration.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an electronically calibrated fuel dispenser that maintains calibration factor integrity. The fuel dispenser includes a processor located on a processor board, a fuel pump, a pulser circuit and a memory located on a memory board. The processor board includes a calibration factor connector. The fuel pump is coupled to a fuel source. The fuel pump includes a fuel meter and provides fuel to a fuel recipient. The pulser circuit is coupled to the fuel meter. The pulser circuit provides an indication to the processor of the fuel delivered to the fuel recipient. The memory board includes a memory connector for coupling the memory board to the calibration factor connector of the processor board and thereby coupling the memory to the processor. The memory stores calibration factors independent of the processor board. The memory board further includes a calibration mode entry device, a blocking device and a sealing device. The blocking device prevents the calibration mode entry device from being actuated when the blocking device is in a blocking position. The sealing device provides an indication of whether the blocking device has been removed from the blocking position without authorization and thereby provides an indication of whether the calibration mode entry device has been enabled without authorization.
These and other features, advantages and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims and appended drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4482964 (1984-11-01), Berstein et al.
patent: 5920829 (1999-07-01), Bretmersky et al.
Brummel Brain L.
Richardson William O.
Shunta Richard
Thompson Thomas A.
Bennett Pump Company
Douglas Steven O.
Price Heneveld Cooper DeWitt & Litton
LandOfFree
Technique for maintaining calibration factor integrity in an... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Technique for maintaining calibration factor integrity in an..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Technique for maintaining calibration factor integrity in an... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2595008