Fuel Dispenser Touchscreen Blending Replaces Mechanical PTS Buttons
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current fuel dispensers with Push to Select (PTS) buttons are limited by mechanical reliability, cost, and versatility, restricting the number of fuel grades and additives that can be selected, and lack the ability to create customized fuel blends.
Innovation Solution
A fuel dispenser equipped with an interactive display and a control module that allows users to dynamically create customized fuel blends by selecting components and additives, calculating prices, and controlling the dispensing process through a fuel controller, while maintaining compatibility with existing communication protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Push to Select (PTS) buttons are used for fuel grade selection, then the dispenser can provide basic fuel selection functionality, but the mechanical buttons are subject to failure and have limited versatility for customized fuel blends
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical PTS buttons with a touchscreen display that receives touch inputs directly. The touchscreen interface displays fuel grade options and allows users to select desired fuel blends by touching the screen, eliminating mechanical moving parts while enabling customized fuel blend selection through graphical user interface elements that can dynamically represent different fuel compositions.
2Adaptability or versatility
If more PTS buttons are added to provide more fuel grade options, then the versatility of fuel selection increases, but the physical space required and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The touchscreen display serves multiple functions: it displays fuel grade options, allows selection of different fuel grades, enables customization of fuel blends by selecting multiple components, and can dynamically adjust the displayed options based on available fuel components. A single touchscreen interface replaces what would otherwise require multiple separate physical buttons for each fuel grade and customization option.
Solution Approach 2:
The touchscreen interface dynamically adapts its display based on the selected fuel components. When users select fuel blend components, the display dynamically updates to show the resulting fuel grade options and pricing information. This dynamic behavior allows the interface to provide unlimited fuel grade options without requiring physical buttons for each possibility.
3Ease of operation
If static labels on PTS buttons are used to indicate fuel grades, then the interface is simple, but pricing information and detailed fuel composition cannot be displayed
Solution Approach 1:
The touchscreen interface adds a temporal dimension to the display, allowing information to be presented in sequences and sequences of screens. When a user selects fuel blend components, the interface transitions through different display states showing component selection, calculated fuel composition, pricing information, and confirmation options. This multi-state display provides comprehensive information while maintaining an simple initial interface that shows only fuel grade options.
Data Source
AI summary
Fuel dispensers, systems, and methods are provided for allowing a user to dynamically create a customized fuel blend, also referred to as a fuel mixture. In an exemplary embodiment, a fuel dispenser is provided having an interactive display, such as a touchscreen display, and a data processor that can perform operations that enable any one or more of replacing PTS buttons, integrating additive pumps to combine fuel mixtures and additives, mixing fuels and additives, calculating fuel mixture prices, and allowing a user to customize fuel mixtures. The application of the interactive display and the control module, as well as other components, can facilitate allowing a user to create customized fuel mixtures, while minimizing changes to standard communication protocol associated with components such as, e.g., a point-of-sale (POS), a forecourt controller, and a fuel controller that can control dispensing of fuel.