Granted Patent B2

US 12,567,087 · App. 18/660,367 · Granted Mar 3, 2026

Inventors: John Joseph Morris (Austin, TX); Scott R. Negley (Austin, TX); Dan Seymour, III (Round Rock, TX); Meer Parekh (Karachi, PK); Jerzy Zyglowicz (Wieliczka, PL)

Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC

G06Q30/0251

Abstract

Claims (37)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a data processor of a server, first data characterizing a state of one or more of a plurality of fuel dispensers communicably coupled to the server via a forecourt controller configured to control operations of the plurality of fuel dispensers, each of the one or more of the plurality for fuel dispensers having an associated memory storing one or more media files containing graphical communications for display on a display screen of any one of the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers;

receiving, by the data processor, a Java Script Object Notation (JSON) file characterizing a playlist of media content to be displayed on the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers, the JSON file characterizing the playlist of media content identifying one or more media files including at least one graphical user interface depiction to be provided on a display screen of the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers and comprising at least one two-part syntax parameter associated with displaying the at least one graphical user interface depiction on the display screen, the at least one two-part syntax parameter comprising a display condition syntax element characterizing a condition for displaying the at least one graphical user interface depiction followed by a display format syntax element characterizing a view format for displaying the at least one graphical user interface depiction within combined portions of the display screen based on the display condition syntax element;

determining, by the data processor and based at least in part on comparing the first data characterizing the state of the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers to the display condition syntax element in the at least one two-part syntax parameter in the Java Script Object Notation (JSON) file, a media file in the playlist including the at least one graphical user interface depiction, the view format for displaying the at least one graphical user interface depiction within combined portions of the display screen, and a period of time during which the at least one graphical user interface depiction is to be provided on the display screen of the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers;

transmitting, by the data processor and to the forecourt controller, an indication of the determined media file in the playlist including the at least one graphical user interface depiction, the determined view format, and the determined period of time; and

causing, by the forecourt controller and based on the indication, the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers to display the determined media file including the at least one graphical user interface depiction on the display screen of the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers with the determined view format for displaying the at least one graphical user interface depiction within the combined portion of the display screen during the determined period of time.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the state includes an idle operating state in which the one or more fuel dispensers are not dispensing a product therefrom or a dispensing operating state in which the one or more fuel dispensers are dispensing the product therefrom.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising determining a first instance of the at least one graphical user interface depiction based on the idle operating state or determining a second instance of the at least one graphical user interface depiction based on the dispensing operating state, the second instance different than the first instance.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the display condition syntax element describes an operating state of a retail facility collocated with the one or more fuel dispensers.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the playlist of media content includes computer-readable instructions configured to cause the at least one graphical interface depiction to be displayed at one or more intermittent periods within the period of time.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one graphical user interface depiction is provided synchronously on display screens of a first plurality of fuel dispensers of the plurality of fuel dispensers during the period of time and the at least one graphical user interface depiction is provided asynchronously on display screens of a second plurality of fuel dispensers of the plurality of fuel dispensers, different than the first plurality of fuel dispensers, during the period of time.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the period of time incudes a duration of time unassociated with a time of day, a duration of time within a range of time periods occurring during a day, or a duration of time associated with a day of a week, a month, or a recurring interval of future days.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one graphical user interface depiction includes a first graphical user interface depiction comprising a first data graphic associated with an amount of a dispensed product and a price of the dispensed product, a first sponsored content graphic, and a button interface graphic comprising a plurality of buttons associated with grades of a dispensed product, and a second graphical user interface depiction comprising a second data graphic associated with the amount of the dispensed product and the price of the dispensed product, and a second sponsored content graphic provided as a large-format graphical communication.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first graphical user interface depiction and the second graphical user interface depiction are provided on the display screen in a cyclic manner.

10 . A system comprising:

a plurality of fuel dispensers, the plurality of fuel dispensers comprising:

one or more display screens; and

one or more memories storing one or more media files containing graphical communications for display on any one of the one or more display screens;

a server communicably coupled to the plurality of fuel dispensers via a forecourt controller, the server comprising:

at least one data processor; and

a memory storing instructions, which when executed, cause the at least one data processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving first data characterizing a state of one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers;

receiving a Java Script Object Notation (JSON) file characterizing a playlist of media content to be displayed on one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers, the JSON file characterizing the playlist of media content identifying one or more media files including at least one graphical user interface depiction to be provided on the one or more display screens of the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers and comprising at least one two-part syntax parameter associated with displaying the at least one graphical user interface depiction on the one or more display screens, the at least one two-part syntax parameter comprising a display condition syntax element characterizing a condition for displaying the at least one graphical user interface depiction followed by a display format syntax element characterizing a view format for displaying the at least one graphical user interface depiction within combined portions of the display screen based on the display condition syntax element;

determining, based at least in part on comparing the first data characterizing the state of the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers to the display condition syntax element in the at least one two-part syntax parameter in the Java Script Object Notation (JSON) file, a media file in the playlist including the at least one graphical user interface depiction, the view format for displaying the at least one graphical user interface depiction within combined portions of the display screen, and a period of time during which the at least one graphical user interface depiction is to be provided on the one or more display screens of the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers; and

transmitting, to the forecourt controller, an indication of the determined media file in the playlist including the at least one graphical user interface depiction, the determined view format, and the determined period of time; and

the forecourt controller, the forecourt controller communicably coupled to and configured to control operations of the plurality of fuel dispensers and comprising:

at least one data processor, the at least one data processor of the forecourt controller configured to cause the forecourt controller to perform operations comprising:

causing, based on the indication, the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers to display the determined media file including the at least one graphical user interface depiction on the one or more display screens of the one or more of the plurality of fuel dispensers with the determined view format for displaying the at least one graphical user interface depiction within the combined portion of the display screen during the determined period of time.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the state includes an idle operating state in which the one or more fuel dispensers are not dispensing a product therefrom or a dispensing operating state in which the one or more fuel dispensers are dispensing the product therefrom.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a first instance of the at least one graphical user interface depiction based on the idle operating state or determining a second instance of the at least one graphical user interface depiction based on the dispensing operating state, the second instance different than the first instance.

13 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the display condition syntax element describes an operating state of a retail facility collocated with the one or more dispensers.

14 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the playlist of media content includes computer-readable instructions configured to cause the at least one graphical interface depiction to be displayed at one or more intermittent periods within the period of time.

15 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one graphical user interface depiction is provided synchronously on display screens of a first plurality of fuel dispensers of the plurality of fuel dispensers during the period of time and the at least one graphical user interface depiction is provided asynchronously on display screens of a second plurality of fuel dispensers of the plurality of fuel dispensers, different than the first plurality of fuel dispensers, during the period of time.

16 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the period of time incudes a duration of time unassociated with a time of day, a duration of time within a range of time periods occurring during a day, or a duration of time associated with a day of a week, a month, or a recurring interval of future days.

17 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one graphical user interface depiction includes a first graphical user interface depiction comprising a first data graphic associated with an amount of a dispensed product and a price of the dispensed product, a first sponsored content graphic, and a button interface graphic comprising a plurality of buttons associated with grades of a dispensed product, and a second graphical user interface depiction comprising a second data graphic associated with the amount of the dispensed product and the price of the dispensed product, and a second sponsored content graphic provided as a large-format graphical communication.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the first graphical user interface depiction and the second graphical user interface depiction are provided on the display screen in a cyclic manner.

19 . The method of claim 6 , wherein a first dispenser of the first plurality of fuel dispensers is configured as a primary dispenser for causing the synchronous display of the at least one graphical user interface depiction displayed on a display screen of the first dispenser to be synchronously displayed on a display screen of a second dispenser of the first plurality of fuel dispensers configured as a secondary dispenser.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (23)