Coordination of gas pump with tank level sensors for fraud detection
A system and method are described that can help gas stations detect attempted thefts of gas or when there is leakage from a fuel tank or pump. The fuel pump can comprise a payment processing system or is fuel sensor to detect the amount of fuel pumped. The large fuel tank that supplies the fuel pumps can comprise a fuel level sensor to detect how much fuel is being used. The fuel pumps and tanks can send their data to the kiosk or some other location for analysis. If more fuel is being lost from the fuel tank than is being paid for at the pumps, then a theft may be occurring, or there may be fault machinery or leaks.
1. A system for monitoring fuel pumps and fuel tanks, and for detecting theft occurring at the fuel pumps comprising:
a plurality of fuel pumps, the plurality of fuel pumps comprising:
a payment processing system processing payment received from each fuel pump,
a fuel sensor that is operable to measure an amount of fuel pumped from each fuel pump, and
a first communication interface operable to communicate payments received and the amount of fuel pumped;
a plurality of fuel tanks operable to supply fuel to the plurality of fuel pumps, the plurality of fuel tanks comprising:
a fuel level sensor operable to detect a level of fuel within the fuel tanks, and
a second communication interface operable to communicate the level of fuel; and
a meter, the meter comprising a third communication interface operable to receive payments received and the amount of fuel pumped from the first communication interface, and to receive the level of fuel from the second communication interface, the meter operable to determine instances of a theft occurring at the plurality of fuel pumps by analyzing payments received at each of the plurality of fuel pumps, fuel data from each of the plurality of fuel pumps and fuel level data from the plurality of fuel tanks, the fuel data comprising the amount of fuel pumped and the fuel level data comprising the level of fuel within the fuel tanks, the meter comparing an amount of fuel pumped at a fuel pump with a payment received at the fuel pump, whereby the user can detect and fix theft occurring as soon as possible.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third communication interfaces comprise hardline connections.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first, second and third communication interfaces comprise Wi-Fi interfaces.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first, second and third communication interfaces comprise Bluetooth interfaces.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the plurality of fuel tanks comprises one fuel tank.
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the system is located at a gas station.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the system communicates a warning to a user when theft is occurring.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein the meter is operable to communicate with a plurality of remote servers.
9. A system for monitoring fuel at a plurality of gas stations and for detecting theft occurring at fuel pumps thereat, comprising:
a plurality of servers;
a plurality of gas stations, each gas station comprising a plurality of fuel pumps, a plurality of fuel tanks, and a meter;
the plurality of fuel pumps comprising a first communication interface, a fuel sensor operable to measure an amount of fuel pumped from each fuel pump, and a payment processing system processing payment received from each fuel pump;
the plurality of fuel tanks, comprising a second communication interface and a fuel level sensor operable to measure a level of fuel within the fuel tanks
the meter comprising a third communication interface operable to receive payments received and the amount of fuel pumped from the first communication interface, and to receive the level of fuel from the second communication interface, the meter operable to determine instances of theft at the plurality of fuel pumps by analyzing payments received at the plurality of fuel pumps, fuel data from the plurality of fuel pumps and fuel level data from the plurality of fuel tanks, the fuel data comprising the amount of fuel pumped and the fuel level data comprising the level of fuel within the fuel tanks; and
wherein the plurality of servers are operable to receive communications from the plurality of fuel pumps and the plurality of fuel tanks and further operable to determine instances of theft occurring at a specific gas station of the plurality of gas stations by analyzing data including payments received by each of the plurality of fuel pumps, the amount of fuel pumped at each of the plurality of fuel pumps, and the level of fuel at the plurality of fuel tanks, by comparing an amount of fuel pumped at a fuel pump with a payment received at the fuel pump, whereby the user can detect and fix theft occurring as soon as possible.
10. The system of claim 9 wherein the first and second communication interfaces comprise hardline connections.
11. The system of claim 9 wherein the first sand second communication interfaces comprise Wi-Fi interfaces.
12. The system of claim 9 wherein the first and second communication interfaces comprise Bluetooth interfaces.
13. The system of claim 9 further comprising a plurality of communication hubs, the plurality of communication hubs located at the plurality of gas stations and operable to receive communications from at least one fuel pump and at least one fuel tank and forward the data to the plurality of servers.
14. The system of claim 9 wherein the first communication interface comprises a wireless interface and the second communication interface comprises a hardline connection.
15. The system of claim 9 wherein the first communication interface comprises a cellular interface.
16. The system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of fuel pumps further comprise a GPS interface.
17. A method of monitoring fuel at gas stations and for detecting theft occurring at each fuel pump thereof comprising:
receiving, at a server, data from a gas pump regarding payment for fuel sales and amount of fuel pumped;
receiving, at the server, data from a gas tank connected to the gas pump regarding fuel level;
determining, at the server, instances of theft occurring at each fuel pump at a specific gas station by analyzing the data from the gas pump regarding payment for fuel sales and the amount of fuel pumped, and the data from the gas tank regarding the fuel level, by comparing an amount of fuel pumped at a fuel pump with a payment received at the fuel pump; and
whereby the user can detect and fix theft occurring as soon as possible.
18. The method of claim 17 further comprising receiving, at the server, a GPS location of the gas pump or the gas tank.
19. The method of claim 17 further comprising sending, by the server, a warning to the specific gas station upon determination of theft at a gas pump thereof.