Intelligent fuel Dispensers
In general, intelligent fuel dispensers are provided. In at least some implementations, an intelligent fuel dispenser can determine customer identities and/or other characteristics and provide customized fueling sessions based on the determined customer identities and/or other characteristics. In at least some implementations, the fuel dispenser includes a touchless interface allowing customers to complete fueling sessions with minimal physical contact with the fuel dispenser.
1. A fuel dispenser comprising:
a housing of the fuel dispenser, the housing having fuel dispensing components disposed therein, having a display attached thereto, and an electronics module disposed at least partially therein, the electronics module of the fuel dispenser including:
a wireless module that initiates a communication session with a customer device in response to the fuel dispenser determining that the customer device is in proximity of the fuel dispenser, and then retrieves, from the customer device, data characterizing identity information of a customer; and
a processor in operative communication with the wireless module and with the display, wherein the processor:
receives, from the wireless module, the data characterizing identity information of the customer,
transmits the identity information to a remote processor,
receives, from the remote processor, merchant data customized to the identity information,
determines at which of a plurality of points during a fueling session to provide the merchant data to the customer via the display, the points comprising a point during dispensing of fuel from the fuel dispenser and a point after the dispensing of fuel from the fuel dispenser, and
provides the merchant data to the customer via the display during the determined point.
2. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the customer device is a vehicle or a handheld mobile device.
3. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the identity information of the customer is a unique identifier or a unique name.
4. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the processor transmits the identity information to the remote processor for determining, using a database of known customer identities, whether the received identity information matches at least one of the known customer identities; and
wherein the merchant data is customized to the matched known customer identity.
5. The fuel dispenser of claim 4 , wherein the processor receives, from the remote processor, a customer profile including fueling preferences associated with the customer; and
the processor causes the fueling preferences to be implemented during the point during dispensing of fuel from the fuel dispenser.
6. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the processor receives, from the customer device, a customer profile including fueling preferences associated with the customer; and
the processor causes the fueling preferences to be implemented during the point during dispensing of fuel from the fuel dispenser.
7. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the wireless module includes a transceiver, and the transceiver communicates via at least one of a Bluetooth protocol, a cellular protocol, a WIFI protocol, and a radio frequency identification (RFID) protocol.
8. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the fuel dispensing components include a fuel pump configured to pump the fuel from a fuel reservoir through the dispenser, and a fuel meter configured to measure an amount of fuel pumped by the pump.
9. A fuel dispenser comprising:
a housing of the fuel dispenser, the housing having fuel dispensing components attached thereto, having a display attached thereto, and an electronics module disposed at least partially therein, the electronics module of the fuel dispenser including:
a wireless module; and
at least one data processor that:
initiates a communication session with a device associated with a customer, receives from the device at least one characteristic of a vehicle associated with the customer, the at least one characteristic of the vehicle being indicative of an amount of fuel in the fuel tank before fuel begins being dispensed from the fuel dispenser to the vehicle,
renders on the display, before fuel begins being dispensed from the fuel dispenser to the vehicle, a characterization of the amount of fuel in the fuel tank before fuel begins being dispensed from the fuel dispenser to the vehicle, and
changes the rendering of the characterization on the display in real time with fuel being dispensed from the fuel dispenser to the vehicle in a fueling session, the changing being based on a real time fill level of the vehicle's fuel tank.
10. The fuel dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the data processor determines, using the received at least one vehicle characteristic, whether the vehicle requires maintenance.
11. The fuel dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the at least one data processor renders, on the display, data characterizing a suggestion that the vehicle receive maintenance.
12. The fuel dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the at least one data processor determines a type of maintenance.
13. The fuel dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the at least one data processor determines, using the received at least one vehicle characteristic, a fuel cost.
14. The fuel dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the at least one data processor receives the at least one characteristic from the device automatically in response to the initiation of the communication session, and the at least one data processor renders on the display the characterization automatically in response to the initiation of the communication session.
15. The fuel dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the device is a mobile device.
16. The fuel dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the device is a vehicle.
17. A fuel dispenser comprising:
a housing of the fuel dispenser, the housing having fuel dispensing components attached thereto, having a display attached thereto, and an electronics module disposed at least partially therein, the electronics module of the fuel dispenser including:
a wireless module;
at least one data processor that initiates a communication session with a vehicle of a customer and renders information on a display of the vehicle before the fuel dispenser begins dispensing fuel to the vehicle;
an image sensor; and
n image processor operatively coupled to the image sensor that receives data characterizing an image from the image sensor and determines identity information of the vehicle using the image;
wherein the at least one data processor changes the rendering of the information on the display of the vehicle in real time with the fuel dispenser dispensing fuel to the vehicle, the changing being based on the determined identity information of the vehicle.
18. The fuel dispenser of claim 17 , wherein the information includes progress information of the fuel dispensing.
19. The fuel dispenser of claim 17 , wherein the information includes an advertisement for a product for sale at a store located at a fueling station where the fuel dispenser is located.
20. The fuel dispenser of claim 17 , wherein the at least one processor receives at least one vehicle characteristic from the vehicle that identifies the vehicle to the fuel dispenser.
21. The fuel dispenser of claim 17 , wherein the wireless module communicates with the vehicle in accordance with the determined identity information.
22. The fuel dispenser of claim 17 , wherein the identity information includes at least one vehicle feature, and the determined identity information includes a make and model of the vehicle.
23. The fuel dispenser of claim 22 , wherein the at least one vehicle feature includes a license plate number.
24. The fuel dispenser of claim 22 , wherein fuel dispenser determines, from the determined make and model of the vehicle, a size of the fuel tank; and
the changing is based at least on the determined size of the fuel tank.
25. The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the processor provides a first subset of the merchant data during the point during the dispensing of fuel from the fuel dispenser and a second, different subset of the merchant data during the point after the dispensing of fuel from the fuel dispenser.
26. The fuel dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the vehicle is indicative of a size of the fuel tank; and
the at least one data processor determines the real time fill level of the vehicle's fuel tank based on the amount of fuel in the fuel tank before fuel begins being dispensed from the fuel dispenser to the vehicle, the size of the fuel tank, and an amount of fuel dispensed from the fuel dispenser to the vehicle in the fueling session.