Multi-Channel Controller for Fuel Pumps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fuel dispensing networks face issues such as bandwidth limitations, unreliability due to connection breaks and electromagnetic interference, and security concerns due to data being transmitted over multi-drop networks with fixed data rates and half-duplex communication protocols, making it difficult to diagnose and manage fuel pump devices effectively.
Innovation Solution
A multi-channel controller system that uses dedicated channels for communication between a remote device and fuel pump devices, allowing for message routing and translation to specific devices and channels, enhancing reliability, bandwidth, and security by converting existing installations into point-to-point networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional multi-drop Current Loop or RS485 networks are used for fuel dispensing, then existing equipment can be utilized, but bandwidth is limited due to fixed data rates divided among many devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the multi-drop network into multiple dedicated point-to-point communication channels. Each fuel pump device receives a dedicated communication channel from the controller, dividing the original shared network into separate independent channels. This segmentation eliminates bandwidth sharing conflicts and provides dedicated data rates to each device, resolving the contradiction between bandwidth and network structure complexity.
2Reliability
If conventional half-duplex communication protocols are used, then equipment compatibility is maintained, but communication reliability deteriorates when connections break or are polluted with out-of-spec signals
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary translation layer between the remote device and fuel pump devices. The controller receives messages from remote devices, determines the target fuel pump device, selects appropriate dedicated channels, and translates/forwards messages to the correct devices. This intermediary structure isolates communication errors to specific channels, preventing error propagation across the entire network while maintaining compatibility with existing devices through protocol translation.
3Reliability
If data travels over conventional fuel dispensing networks, then device communication is enabled, but data security deteriorates due to susceptibility to taps at numerous points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication network into multiple isolated dedicated channels, each connecting the controller to a specific fuel pump device. This segmentation creates independent communication paths that are not accessible from other parts of the network, eliminating the vulnerability to taps at numerous connection points. Each channel's data security is independent, so compromising one channel does not affect others, while the overall network configuration remains manageable through centralized control.
4Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If conventional fuel dispensing networks are used, then existing installations can operate, but diagnostic capability deteriorates due to uncertainty about error sources or device addressing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network into dedicated channels with unique identifiers for each fuel pump device. Each channel operates independently with its own addressing scheme, allowing errors to be isolated to specific channels and devices. This segmentation enables precise diagnostic capability by identifying error sources at the channel level rather than searching through a multi-drop network, while centralized management through the controller simplifies overall network management despite the increased number of channels.
Data Source
AI summary
One aspect of the present invention provides a multi-channel controller that can control a plurality of fuel pump devices, with each fuel pump device having its own dedicated communications channel. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention enable existing wiring and fuel pump devices to be preserved while turning an existing fuel pump device installation into a network of may point-to-point networks.