Granted Patent B2

US 12,682,717 · App. 18/887,720 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Inventors: Thomas Sherfey Chittenden, Jr. (Pflugerville, TX); Paul Matthew Kern (Austin, TX); Bradford Ian Loewy (Austin, TX); Sethuraman Subramanian (Austin, TX)

Assignee: Wayne Fueling Systems LLC

G07F15/001G06Q20/145G06Q20/32G07F13/025

Abstract

Claims (52)

1 . A system to process transactions, comprising:

a portable computing device comprising:

a processor, and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations;

wherein the operations comprise:

receiving a user input selecting at least one of a product available for purchase at a retail fueling location and a service available for purchase at the retail fueling location, and

transmitting, to a data processing system at the retail fueling location, data indicating the selection and thereafter receiving, from the data processing system at the retail fueling location, a reservation code for the selected at least one of the product available for purchase at the retail fueling location and the service available for purchase at the retail fueling location; and

wherein receipt of the reservation code at a dispenser of the selected at least one of the product available for purchase at the retail fueling location and the service available for purchase at the retail fueling location is configured to cause the dispenser to allow the user to receive the selected at least one of the product available for purchase at the retail fueling location and the service available for purchase at the retail fueling location.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, from the data processing system at the retail fueling location and before receiving the user input, data for identifying a plurality of products available for purchase at the retail fueling location and a plurality of services available for purchase at the retail fueling location, and

displaying, on a display of the portable computing device, options for user selection that identify the plurality of products available for purchase at the retail fueling location and the plurality of services available for purchase at the retail fueling location.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the data for identifying the plurality of products available for purchase at the retail fueling location and the plurality of services available for purchase at the retail fueling location allows for unique identification of the retail fueling location.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting, to a payment processing system remote from the retail fueling location, a request to authorize payment for the selected at least one of the product available for purchase at the retail fueling location and the service available for purchase at the retail fueling location and thereafter receiving, from the payment processing system remote from the retail fueling location, authorization of the payment, and

transmitting, to the dispenser at the retail fueling location, data indicating that the payment has been authorized.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein receipt of the data indicating the selection at the data processing system is configured to cause the data processing system to communicate with a forecourt controller at the retail fueling location and receive the reservation code from the forecourt controller.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the data processing system is external to the dispenser and external to the portable computing device.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reservation is for at least the product available for purchase at the retail fueling location.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the reservation is for at least the service available for purchase at the retail fueling location.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the dispenser is a fuel dispenser, and the product includes fuel dispensable from the fuel dispenser.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the dispenser is a car wash point of sale, and the service includes a car wash.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the dispenser is an oil change point of sale, and the service includes an oil change.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the portable computing device is a phone, a laptop, or a tablet.

13 . A system to process transactions, comprising:

a portable computing device comprising:

a processor,

a display, and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations;

wherein the operations comprise:

receiving, from a data processing system at a retail fueling location, data allowing for identification of a plurality of products available for purchase at the retail fueling location and a plurality of services available for purchase at the retail fueling location and thereafter displaying, on the display of the portable computing device, options for user selection that identify the plurality of products available for purchase at the retail fueling location and the plurality of services available for purchase at the retail fueling location,

receiving a user input selecting at least one of the options, and

transmitting, to a data processing system at the retail fueling location, data indicating the selection and thereafter receiving, from the data processing system at the retail fueling location, a reservation code for the selected at least one option; and

wherein receipt of the reservation code at a dispenser of the selected at least one of the product available for purchase at the retail fueling location and the service available for purchase at the retail fueling location is configured to cause the dispenser to allow the user to receive the selected at least one of the product available for purchase at the retail fueling location and the service available for purchase at the retail fueling location.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting, to a payment processing system remote from the retail fueling location, a request to authorize payment for the selected option and thereafter receiving, from the payment processing system remote from the retail fueling location, authorization of the payment,

transmitting, to the dispenser at the retail fueling location, data indicating that the payment has been authorized, and

receipt of the data indicating the selection at the data processing system is configured to cause the data processing system to communicate with a forecourt controller at the retail fueling location and receive the reservation code from the forecourt controller.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the data processing system is external to the dispenser and external to the portable computing device.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the portable computing device is a phone, a laptop, or a tablet.

17 . A system to process transactions, comprising:

a data processing system configured to be located at a retail fueling location and comprising a first processor and a first non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store first instructions, which when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to perform first operations; and

a forecourt controller configured to be located at the retail fueling location and comprising a second processor and a second non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to store second instructions, which when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to perform second operations;

wherein the first operations comprise:

transmitting, from the data processing system to a portable computing device located at the retail fueling location, data allowing for identification of a plurality of products available for purchase at the retail fueling location and a plurality of services available for purchase at the retail fueling location and thereafter receiving, from the portable computing device, data indicating a user selection of at least one of the plurality of products and the plurality of services,

transmitting, from the data processing system to the forecourt controller, a request for a reservation code for the user-selected at least one of the plurality of products and the plurality of services and thereafter receiving, from the forecourt controller, the reservation code, and

transmitting, from the data processing system to a dispenser of the user-selected at least one of the plurality of products and the plurality of services, the reservation code;

wherein the second operations comprise:

receiving the request for the reservation code, and

transmitting, from the forecourt controller to the data processing system, the reservation code; and

wherein receipt of the reservation code at the dispenser is configured to allow the user to receive, via the dispenser, the user-selected at least one of the plurality of products and the plurality of services.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the portable computing device is a phone, a laptop, or a tablet.

19 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising the dispenser, wherein the data processing system is external to the dispenser and external to the forecourt controller.

Continuity (5)

References Cited (50)