Fuel Pump Payment Terminal with Wireless Gateway for Redundant Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fuel station payment systems are vulnerable to communication interruptions, leading to disruptions in card payment processing, and require costly and time-consuming upgrades to implement EMV and contactless payment technologies, which can result in significant downtime and revenue losses.
Innovation Solution
A retrofit solution involving a smart terminal with encryption capabilities for wireless transmission and an in-store gateway device that interfaces with the forecourt controller, allowing for secure and redundant card payment processing without the need for extensive system modifications or replacements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing fuel station payment systems are upgraded to implement EMV and contactless payment technologies, then payment security and functionality are improved, but system complexity and upgrade costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The payment system is segmented into separate functional modules: the existing forecourt controller handles fuel dispensing operations, while a new payment terminal handles EMV and contactless payment processing. This segmentation allows the payment security upgrade to be implemented independently without requiring complex modifications to the entire fueling system, thereby improving payment security while limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A payment terminal acts as an intermediary device between the customer's payment card and the existing forecourt controller. The terminal processes EMV and contactless payments through its dedicated security protocols and communicates transaction results to the controller, which then authorizes or denies fuel dispensing. This intermediary approach enables advanced payment security without requiring the controller itself to be upgraded, thus improving reliability while managing device complexity.
2Reliability
If existing fuel station payment systems are upgraded to implement EMV and contactless payment technologies, then payment security and functionality are improved, but upgrade time and revenue loss increase
Solution Approach 1:
The payment terminal is designed to be pre-configured with all necessary EMV and contactless payment capabilities before installation at the fuel station. This preliminary preparation allows the terminal to be deployed as a plug-and-play device that integrates with the existing forecourt controller without requiring lengthy on-site configuration or system-wide testing, thereby improving payment security while minimizing upgrade time and associated revenue loss.
3Reliability
If communication interruptions occur in the payment system, then system reliability deteriorates, but payment processing continuity can be maintained through redundancy
Solution Approach 1:
The payment terminal incorporates local memory and processing capability to buffer payment transactions locally when communication with the forecourt controller is interrupted. The terminal can complete EMV and contactless payment authorizations using its embedded security modules and stored transaction data, then synchronize with the controller once communication is restored. This beforehand cushioning through local buffering maintains payment processing continuity despite communication reliability issues.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the payment terminal continuously monitors communication status with the forecourt controller and dynamically adjusts its operation. When communication is available, the terminal processes payments through the controller; when communication is interrupted, the terminal detects this condition and switches to autonomous processing mode, maintaining payment continuity. This feedback-driven adaptability ensures productivity is maintained despite variations in communication reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A fueling station payment system having a fuel pump dispensing fuel to individual customers; a forecourt controller; a terminal disposed within said fuel pump, said terminal comprising a processing unit, a secure card reader, an encryption module and a wireless communication module; said terminal being in wireless communication with a payment processor such that encrypted secure payment information is transmitted between said terminal and said payment processor; said terminal being in wireless communication with the cloud such that encrypted secure payment information is transmitted between said terminal and said cloud; one or more point of sale systems which communicate with said forecourt controller using established protocols; and a gateway device, wherein said terminal communicates wirelessly with said gateway device, and wherein said terminal and said forecourt controller communicate with each other through said gateway device, and wherein said gateway device communicates with said forecourt controller using said established protocols of said point of sale systems.