Online Gas Sales System with Centralized Transaction Mediation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current retail gas sales systems do not allow for efficient online purchasing and delivery of gas to third-party retail stations, lacking a centralized control mechanism that benefits both oil companies and retail station owners in terms of increased sales and profit.
Innovation Solution
A method and system enabling online gas purchases for future delivery, where the oil company handles transactions by requiring prepayment or extended credit, crediting accounts, and reimbursing retail stations for taxes and profits, while allowing customers to select delivery locations and gas grades, with minimal additional hardware required at fuel dispensers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If online gas purchasing system is implemented, then gas sales and profit increase, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an online purchasing system as an intermediary between oil companies and retail gas stations, enabling remote transactions while maintaining the existing physical distribution network. This mediator handles account management, prepayments, and coordination, reducing the need for direct integration between all parties and thereby limiting system complexity growth.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to be universally applicable across multiple oil companies and retail gas stations through standardized interfaces and protocols. The online platform performs multiple functions including account management, transaction processing, payment handling, and coordination, reducing the need for separate systems and thereby controlling overall system complexity.
2Productivity
If prepayment system is implemented, then cash flow increases, but ease of operation decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements prepayment functionality where customers can purchase gas in advance and store it in their accounts. This preliminary action ensures cash flow is received before delivery, improving the oil company's cash flow position. The advance purchasing also simplifies transaction processing at the point of delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The online platform enables customers to independently manage their own accounts, make prepayments, select delivery locations, and monitor their balances without requiring direct intervention from oil company or gas station staff. This self-service approach maintains ease of operation despite the added prepayment functionality.
3Productivity
If centralized control by oil company is implemented, then profit increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The online purchasing system serves as a centralized control intermediary managed by the oil company, enabling coordination between multiple retail gas stations and the oil company's supply network. This single point of control allows the oil company to manage transactions, pricing, and distribution efficiently without requiring complex direct connections to each gas station.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized control system performs multiple functions including transaction management, account maintenance, payment processing, inventory coordination, and reporting. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional platform, the system achieves centralized control without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system is disclosed that enables purchasers to purchase gas online for future delivery. The invention requires the purchaser prepay for online purchases or have been extended credit accepted by an oil company. The prepayments are credited to the purchaser's account. For each retail gas delivery, the oil company handles the online gas purchase transaction and reimburses the retail gas station owner for the online purchase. Specifically, the oil company reimburses the retail gas station owner for the taxes and profit on the gas delivered to the purchaser and also replaces the amount of gas delivered. In this way, the retail gas station owner is made whole for each delivery. Oil company also benefits with increased gas sales, increased profit and increased cash flow.Various embodiments of the invention are contemplated. The invention may require a purchaser to select a location of a retail gas station, a selected grade of gas or a combination of both.