Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02084458 2001-07-11
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SPECIFICATION
CONTROL DEVICE FOR A PLURALITY OF FUEL DISPENSERS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a control device for controlling
a plurality of fuel dispensers arranged in a gasoline station.
In the gasoline station of self-service system, a customer
operates the fuel dispenser by himself and a worker in a station office
watches the fuelling operation and operates the control device.
In order to maintain the safety, it is preferable to keep the
dispensers normally unoperable and change any one_ of them to be operable
according to the customer's request or the worker's judgement. ~dhen the
fuelling is finished, the concerned dispenser will have to be made
unoperable again. In case where the worker senses anv d~nae~_ fnr
instance fuel overflowing, customer's smoking and the like, the worker
in the office cabin must stop the concerned or all dispensers.
Such control device for a plurality of fuel dispensers is known
a . g . from Jp~g_~23g6{A) published on March 26, 1984 in Japanese official
gazette,
which comprises lamps requesting fuel dispensation and for telling
dispensation finished, and switches to be actuated by the worker so as
to correspondingly operate the concerned dispenser.
When the number of the dispensers is not so many or if
dispensation requests are given little by little, the worker can comply
CA 02084458 1998-09-03
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with such control device.
When the number of the dispensers are too many and
requests by the customers are given with a rush, however,
there is a possibility of erroneous operations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is, thus, to provide a
control device for controlling a fairly many fuel
dispensers without causing any confusion to the operation.
The object can be attained fundamentally by using a
display panel, which is constructed also as a touch
sensitive panel, divided into a plurality of sections, the
number of which corresponds to that of the fuel dispensers.
A symbol representing the state of the dispenser at the
present is shown on the concerned display panel section via
a microcomputer so that when touching the section the
corresponding command may be given to a dispensation
controller of the concerned dispenser through the
microcomputer. For example, when the symbol representing
"Nozzle on Hook" showing the normal state of the first
dispenser is turned to "Nozzle Taken" showing dispensation
request on the concerned section, the worker touches that
section with his finger so that a command for energizing
the pump motor is given through the microcomputer to the
controller of the concerned dispenser.
CA 02084458 1998-09-03
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To this end, in one of its aspects, the invention
provides a control device for controlling a plurality of
fuel dispensers comprising a display panel which is
constructed also as a touch sensitive panel and divided
into sections of the number corresponding to that of the
fuel dispensers and a microcomputer which comprises means
for judging symbols which represent various states of the
concerned dispenser in reference to signals from the
dispenser and the corresponding touch sensitive panel
section, means for driving the display panel and connected
with said judging means so that a correspondingly judged
symbol may be indicated on the concerned display section,
and means for outputting command, which corresponds to a
signal inputted by touching the touch sensitive panel
section, to the concerned dispenser.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The invention will be explained more definitely
according to a preferred embodiment illustrated in the
accompanying drawings, in which;
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Fig. 1 -is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the control
device for a plurality of fuel dispensers,
Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing construction of a microcomputer
arranged in the control device in Fig. 1,
Fig. 3 is a flow chart for showing operation of the dispensation
controller in every dispenser,
Fig. 4 is a flow chart for showing operation of the control device
of the invention, and
Fig. 5 is a flow chart for showing the other operation of the
control device.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In Fig. 1 each of the fuel dispensers I, II --- arranged in a
gasoline station comprises a pump 1 for drawing fuel from a reservoir
not shown, a motor 2 for driving the pump 1, a fuel flow meter 3
connected with the pump at the discharge side thereof and a nozzle 4
mounted at the free end of a flexible hose which is connected with the
fuel flow meter 3 at the other end so as to dispense fuel to a motor
vehicle not shown.
The fuel flow meter 3 is provided with a transmitter 5 for
generating a pulse signal representing a fuel flow volume to be received
by a dispensation controller 6, which is actuated by a nozzle switch 7
when the nozzle 4 is taken up from a hook 9 mounted on the housing of
the dispenser. The actuated controller 6 calculates a fuel flow volume
in reference to the pulse signal from transmitter 5 so as to show the
result on an indicator 8.
A control device of the invention is generally represented by 20
6~ (~ ~~ '~: i
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and comprises a microcomputer 40 mounted in the casing thereof and a
display panel 21 which is composed of a touch switch (such as a mat rix
switch) 24 and a display means (such as a liquid crystal display, a
cathode-ray tube and the like). The display means have a sectioned area
22 and a common area 26. The sectioned area 22 is divided into a
plurality of sections, eight sections in the illustrated embodiment,
which respectively corresponds to the plurality of dispensers I, II ---,
eight dispensers in the illustrated embodiment, only two of which are
shown for the sake of clarifying the drawing. '
Each section of the sectioned area 22 has an area 23a showing a
number of the concerned dispenser, an area 23b showing a fuel flow
volume and an area 23c showing situation or state of the concerned
dispenser at the present, i.e. "Nozzle on Hook", "Nozzle Taken",
"Dispensation Allowed", "Now Dispensing", "Emergent Stop" and the like
respectively in the form of symbols understandable at a glance as shown
in Fig. 4.
In an area 23d of every panel section, a memory or memories 41, 42
(Fig. 2) in the microcomputer 40 which have stored fuel flow volume are
shown as explained later. Informations common to the all dispensers
inclusive of the fuel volume of any of the dispensers which has finished
its fuelling may be shown by request on the area 26 below the eight
panel sections.
The control device 20 is provided further therebelow with a key
board 28 which has switches 28a-28c and a ten-key board 28d. The
control device 20 has also a printer 29 for issuing a payment slip.
First switch 28a is for selecting either of the two memories, second one
28b for setting printing means to issue the payment slip, and third one
28c for stopping all dispensers in emergency, e.g. when finding anyone
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smoking.
Now in reference to Fig. 2 showing arrangement of elements in the
microcomputer 40 of the control device 20 of the invention, data as to
the dispensed fuel flow volume is given by the dispensation controller 6
and sent through the line 10 (Fig. 1) to be stored in a first or second
memory 41, 42. It is a reason why the two memories are provided that
any dispenser having just finished its fuelling may be used at once by
the second customer if the dispensed fuel volume is stored in the other
memory. Thus, three or more memories may be provided if necessary.
The sectioned area 22 of the display panel 21 having eight
sections is constructed also as a touch sensitive panel as said in the
above so that, when touching any section of the panel with a finger,
e.g. section "1", section judging means 45 connected therewith receive a
signal therefrom so as~to identify the number and give a signal to
comrnand output means 46 and symbol judging means 47.
The symbol judging means 47, on receiving a signal from the
section judging means 45 and the controller 6, selects one of the
symbols stored in a symbol memory 48, which is shown on the area 23c of
a section of the display 21 through display driving means 44. The
command output means 46, on receiving a signal from the section judging
means 45, gives a command through the line 10 to the controller 6 of the
concerned dispenser (e. g. dispenser I) by taking account of a signal
given by the symbol judging means 45 which represents a current state of
the dispenser.
Now in reference to Fig. 3, a flow chart showing the operation of
the dispensing controller 6 in any of the dispensers and Fig. 4 showing
the operation of the controll device 20 for the all, e.g. eight
dispensers, when a customer selects any one of the dispensers, e.g. the
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dispenser I and takes the nozzle 4 out of the hook 9 in order to start
fuelling, the nozzle switch 7 is turned ON (Fig. 3, Step 1) from the
normal OFF state so that the controller 6 outputs a signal for demanding
fuel dispensation (Fig. 3, Step 2), which is given through the line 10
to the control device 20 (Fig. 4, Step 1). In the control device 20,
the supplied signal is transmitted to the symbol judging means 47
through a line 50. Symbol judging means 47 on receiving the signal
selects the symbol corresponding to "Nozzle Taken" from symbol storing
means 48 so as to correspondingly actuates means 44 for driving the
display 21, whereby the symbol for the second mode is indicated on the
area 23c of the display panel section "1" which is for the dispenser I
(Fig. 4, Step 2).
When a worker touches the display panel section "1" with his
finger in reply to this reguirement by the customer (Fig. 4, Step 3),
the corresponding signal is given to the controller 6 of the dispenser I
through section judging means 45 and command output means 46. In view
of the state at that moment is that dispensation is being requested
(Fig. 4, Step 4), the symbol on the area 23c is turned to the third
mode, "Dispensation Allowed" (Fig. 4, Step 5).
When the signal for allowing dispensation is received (Fig. 3,
Step 3), the controller 6 energizes the motor 2 for driving the pump 1
and sets the indicator 8 to "zero" (Fig. 3, Step 4). When the customer
actuates the nozzle trigger to start fuelling, the controller calculates
the fuel flow volume moment by moment in reference to pulse signals from
the transmitter 5, the result of which is shown on the indicator 8 and
sent to the control device 20 through the line 10 (Fig. 4, Step 10). In
the control device 20, the signal of fuel flow volume from the line 10
is sent to the display 21 through the line 50, the symbol judging means
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47 and the display driving means 44 to be indicated on the area 23b of
the display panel section "1" and, at the same time, the symbol on the
area 23c is turned to the fourth mode, "Now Dispensing" (Fig. 4, Step
11). The signal is also sent to either the first memory 41 or the
second memory 42 which stores no data and vacant.
When the worker feels any danger to touch the section "1" of the
touch sensitive panel 21 (Fig. 4, Step 3), the control device 20 outputs
a signal for stopping dispensation of the concerned dispenser. In view
of that the state is "Now Dispensing" (Fig. 4, Step 6) at that moment,
the symbol is changed to one corresponding to "Emergent Stop" which is
shown on the area 23c (Fig. 4, Step 7). When the controller 6 of the
dispenser I receives the corresponding signal from the control device 20
(Fig. 3, Step 5), the pump motor 2 is stopped (Fig. 3, step 6>.
When the section "1" of the touch panel 21 is touched by the
worker who has confirmed no danger, in view of that the state at the
present is "Emergent Stop" (Fig. 4, Step 8) the control device 20
outputs signal for allowing dispensation again so that the symbol
representing "Dispensation Allowed" as the third mode is shown on the
area 23c (Fig. 4, Step 9). When the controller 6 receives such signal
from the device 20 (Fig. 3, Step 7), the pump motor 2 is reenergized
(Fig. 3, Step 8) without resetting the indicator 8 to "zero" and with
continuing calculation of the fuel flow volume.
When the customer has finished fuelling and hung the nozzle 4
again on the hook 9, the nozzle switch 7 is turned OFF (Fig. 3, Step 9),
and the dispensation controller 6 of the dispenser I deenergizes the
pump motor 2 and outputs the corresponding signal (Fig. 3, Step 10).
When the control device 20 receives this signal through the line 10,
(Fig. 4, Step 12), the data of dispensed fuel flow volume is settled in
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the memory 41 or 42 and the concerned memory is shown on the display
area 23d by an alphabetical letter "A" or "B" and the symbol in the area
23c of the section "1" disappears which means "Nozzle on Hook" (Fig. 4,
Step 13).
Now in reference to Fig. 5, when the worker pushes a button of the
ten-key board 27 for identifying the dispenser, namely "1" in this
illustrated embodiment (Fig. 5, Step 1) and further the worker actuates
the switches A or B of 28a in accordance with the indication appearing
in the area 23d in order to select data of either of the memories 41 and
42, the dispensed fuel volume is shown on the area 26 in a larger scale
(Fig. 5, Step 3). If he pushes the button switch 28b (Fig. 5, Step 4)
under said condition, the payment slip is printed out (Fig. 5, Step 5)
and the data in the selected memory is erased so that the display for
the fuel volume on the area 26 is cleared off.
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