Fuel Dispenser Signal Compression for EMV Payment Wiring

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing fuel dispensers often require additional underground wires for concurrent transmission of payment and fueling commands, which is costly and time-consuming due to the need for separate physical wiring for EMV-compliant payment terminals and fuel controllers.

Innovation Solution

A processing system with signal combiners that combine and compress payment and fuel controller signals for transmission over existing two-wire connections, allowing simultaneous data transmission using the same physical wiring, and optionally including a fuel controller translator for format conversion and a TCP/IP connection via a server and client.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If additional underground wires are installed to transmit payment and fueling commands simultaneously, then communication capability is improved, but installation cost and time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication capabilityVSAvoidinstallation cost and time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple communication protocols (payment terminal protocol and fuel controller protocol) into a single communication channel by implementing a gateway device that translates and multiplexes data from both protocols over one shared wire connection, eliminating the need for separate wiring

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The gateway device provides multi-functionality by handling both payment terminal communication and fuel controller communication through a single interface, allowing the same physical wiring to serve multiple communication purposes simultaneously

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If separate physical wiring is used for payment terminal and fuel controller, then communication reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication reliabilityVSAvoidwiring complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The gateway device acts as an intermediary between the payment terminal and fuel controller, receiving data from both sides and translating it into a unified protocol for transmission over a single shared communication channel, thereby reducing wiring complexity while maintaining communication reliability through protocol validation and error handling

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If EMV-compliant payment terminal is integrated into fuel dispenser, then payment processing capability is improved, but wiring requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepayment processing capabilityVSAvoidwiring requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the payment terminal's communication requirements with the fuel controller's communication requirements by implementing a gateway that multiplexes both data streams over the existing two-wire connection, allowing EMV payment processing capability to be added without increasing wiring requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11790335B2Fuel dispenser wired communication

Publication Date: 2023.10.17 WAYNE FUELING SYSTEMS LLC

AI summary

Various methods, systems, and device are provided for facilitating communication between a fuel dispenser and a forecourt controller. In some embodiments, the methods, systems, and devices allow data to be combined and compressed for transmission through a reduced number of data connections, and then decompressed for transmission to the forecourt controller or components of the fuel dispenser. In certain exemplary embodiments, the compressing and decompressing can be performed by one or more signal combiners at the forecourt controller and the fuel dispenser.