Fuel Dispenser Terminal Networking for Personalized Offer Authorization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fuel dispenser terminals are not network-enabled, limiting their ability to access and exchange information from remote data sources, which restricts their functionality and requires manual updating of local information.
Innovation Solution
A network-enabled fuel dispensing system that allows fuel dispenser terminals to connect with remote controllers, enabling the exchange of encrypted service requests, personalized offers, and authorization tokens, thereby facilitating secure communication and enhanced functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If fuel dispenser terminals rely on locally stored information, then information availability is maintained, but manual maintenance and updating becomes required
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel dispenser terminal automatically retrieves information from remote data sources through network connections, eliminating the need for manual updates. The system performs self-maintenance by autonomously accessing and updating promotional content, pricing information, and other data without human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
A network infrastructure acts as an intermediary between the fuel dispenser terminal and remote data sources. This intermediary enables automatic information exchange, allowing the terminal to access updated content remotely without requiring manual intervention while maintaining continuous information availability.
2Device complexity
If fuel dispenser terminals are not network-enabled, then device simplicity is maintained, but functionality is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel dispenser terminal is enhanced with network capabilities that enable it to perform multiple functions beyond basic fuel dispensing. The terminal can access remote data sources, display personalized promotional content, and communicate with external systems while maintaining its core fuel dispensing functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Network infrastructure serves as an intermediary that connects the fuel dispenser terminal to remote data sources without fundamentally altering the terminal's core structure. This allows the terminal to gain enhanced adaptability and information access capabilities while preserving its essential simplicity and primary function.
3Loss of information
If fuel dispenser terminals access remote data sources, then information freshness is improved, but network dependency is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system retrieves and caches promotional content and information from remote data sources in advance before they are needed at the fuel dispenser terminal. This preliminary action ensures that fresh information is available even when network connectivity is temporarily unavailable, reducing dependency on continuous network access.
Solution Approach 2:
The terminal stores local copies of promotional content and data as a buffer against network failures. This beforehand cushioning ensures that the terminal can continue to display fresh information and maintain functionality even when remote data sources are inaccessible, thereby reducing reliability concerns associated with network dependency.
Data Source
AI summary
A system that includes a fuel dispenser terminal and a remote controller. The fuel dispenser terminal is configured to send a service request for a fuel purchase to the remote controller and receive a personalized offer in response to sending the service request. The fuel dispenser terminal is further configured to display the personalized offer, receive a user response indicating the personalized offer was accepted, and send the user response to the remote controller. The fuel dispenser terminal is further configured to receive an authorization token for retrieving the personalized offer and output the authorization token to the customer. The remote controller is configured to update the service request by adding a purchase associated with the personized offer to the fuel purchase, send an encrypted service request to a service processor, generate the authorization token, and send the authorization token to the fuel dispenser terminal.