US-20260127221-A1 - MANAGEMENT OF FUEL DISPENSER MEDIA

US20260127221A1US 20260127221 A1US20260127221 A1US 20260127221A1US-20260127221-A1

Abstract

Management of fuel dispenser media is provided. In general, a fuel dispenser can be in communication with a media library configured to facilitate delivery of media to the fuel dispenser for output therefrom. The media library can be on board the fuel dispenser or can be included in a gateway configured to communicate with the fuel dispenser. The media library is configured to query one or more media sources for media information and to retrieve media information therefrom that is specific to the fuel dispenser. Additionally or alternatively, the media library is configured to query the one or more media sources for updates to the retrieved media information and, if updated, to retrieve the updated media content from the media source(s).

Inventors

Henry Fieglein
Daniel Kulvicki

Assignees

WAYNE FUELING SYSTEMS LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20260106

Claims (20)

1 . A fuel dispenser, comprising: a display; and a computing device operably coupled to the display and comprising a transceiver, a memory storing instructions, and a processor configured to execute the stored instructions, which when executed cause the processor to perform operations comprising: transmitting a request for media to a network accessible data repository using the transceiver, the request for media comprising loyalty program data identifying a user of the fuel dispenser and provided as a query for updated media stored at the network accessible data repository and received therefrom following a prior request for media transmitted to the network accessible data repository using the transceiver, receiving the updated media from the network accessible data repository in reply to the request for media, and providing the updated media via the display to the user of the fuel dispenser.
2 . The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the request comprises a fuel dispenser identifier associated with the fuel dispenser, and the received media is specific to the fuel dispenser identifier.
3 . The fuel dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the request further comprises at least one of a network address of the computing device and GPS data identifying a geographic location of the fuel dispenser.
4 . The fuel dispenser of claim 3 , wherein received media comprises at least one of weather and traffic data corresponding to the geographic location.
5 . The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the fuel dispenser is associated with a first subset of fuel dispensers configured at a dispensing station, the request for media specifying the first subset of fuel dispensers, and the received media is specific to the first subset of fuel dispensers.
6 . The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein, when the fuel dispenser is in an offline state, the computing device is further configured to store the updated media received from the network accessible data repository in the memory and responsive to the fuel dispenser being in an online state, the computing device is configured to provide the updated media stored in the memory to the display.
7 . The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the request for media is transmitted to the network accessible data repository based on at least one of a predetermined schedule, a trigger event associated with an operation of the fuel dispenser, and a combination of a predetermined schedule and a trigger event.
8 . The fuel dispenser of claim 7 , wherein the operation associated with the trigger event comprises at least one of a power-cycling operation at the fuel dispenser, a change in network connectivity at the fuel dispenser, and a dispensing operation of the fuel dispenser.
9 . The fuel dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the network accessible data repository is operated independently of the fuel dispenser and accessed via a network accessible gateway device operably coupling the fuel dispenser and the network accessible data repository.
10 . The fuel dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the network accessible gateway device is located at a same fuel dispensing station as the fuel dispenser and comprises a forecourt controller configured to manage operations of one or more fuel dispensers located at the fuel dispensing station.
11 . A method of managing fuel dispenser media, comprising: transmitting, by a transceiver of a computing device operably coupled to a fuel dispenser, a request for media for the fuel dispenser to a network accessible data repository, the request for media comprising loyalty program data identifying a user of the fuel dispenser, the request for media transmitted as a query for updated media stored to the network accessible data repository and received following a prior request for media transmitted to the network accessible data repository from the transceiver; receiving, by the transceiver, updated media from the network accessible data repository in reply to the request for media; and providing, via a display of the fuel dispenser, the updated media to the user of the fuel dispenser.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the request comprises a fuel dispenser identifier associated with the fuel dispenser, and the received media is specific to the fuel dispenser identifier.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the request further comprises at least one of a network address of the computing device and GPS data identifying a geographic location of the fuel dispenser
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the received media comprises at least one of weather and traffic data corresponding to the geographic location.
15 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the fuel dispenser is associated with a first subset of fuel dispensers configured at a dispensing station, the request for media specifying the first subset of fuel dispensers, and the received media is specific to the first subset of fuel dispensers.
16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein, when the fuel dispenser is in an offline state, the computing device is further configured to store the updated media received from the network accessible data repository in the memory and responsive to the fuel dispenser being in an online state, the computing device is configured to provide the updated media stored in the memory to the display.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the request for media is transmitted to the network accessible data repository based on at least one of a predetermined schedule, a trigger event associated with an operation of the fuel dispenser, and a combination of a predetermined schedule and a trigger event.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the operation associated with the trigger event comprises at least one of a power-cycling operation at the fuel dispenser, a change in network connectivity at the fuel dispenser, and a dispensing operation of the fuel dispenser.
19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the network accessible data repository is operated independently of the fuel dispenser and accessed via a network accessible gateway device operably coupling the fuel dispenser and the network accessible data repository.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the network accessible gateway device is located at a same fuel dispensing station as the fuel dispenser and comprises a forecourt controller configured to manage operations of one or more fuel dispensers located at the fuel dispensing station.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/519,350 filed on Nov. 27, 2023, entitled “Management of Fuel Dispenser Media,” which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/889,544, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,860,926, filed Jun. 1, 2020, entitled “Management of Fuel Dispenser Media,” which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/153,966, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,678,837, filed May 13, 2016, entitled “Management of Fuel Dispenser Media,” which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to management of fuel dispenser media. BACKGROUND The retail petroleum industry utilizes various types of fuel dispensers for dispensing fuel to customers. Some form of remote dispenser controller is traditionally used for controlling the fuel dispensers. The dispenser controller is often on the same premises as the fuel dispensers and coupled to a store interface unit so that a site attendant can monitor and control particular fueling dispensers from a building at the site (e.g., a gas station or other store). The dispenser controller sends data signals to the fuel dispensers providing various information and commands thereto. The information often includes media for display on the fuel dispenser's display screen. Thus, traditionally, fuel dispensers must communicate with the dispenser controller in order to have media to display, thereby requiring that communication not be disabled or otherwise interrupted between the fuel dispensers and the fuel controller for media information to be communicated and eventually displayed. Additionally, the dispenser controller traditionally transmits the media information to multiple fuel dispensers, so the media received by fuel dispensers is not specific to each particular fuel dispenser receiving the media. The dispenser controller traditionally communicates with a remote source, such as a network operating center (NOC), to receive media for transmission to the fuel dispensers. This communication model requires the fuel dispenser to communicate with the remote source with the dispenser controller as an intermediary. The fuel dispenser is thus reliant on the dispenser controller to receive updated media, which may result in delayed receipt, and therefore delayed display, of media at the fuel dispensers and/or cause inconveniences if either of the fuel dispenser or the dispenser controller loses network connectivity or becomes nonfunctional due to, e.g., power loss, component failure, incompatible software upgrade, etc. The remote source traditionally transmits updated media to the dispenser controller on a schedule determined by or otherwise programmed at the remote source, which may not be a desirable schedule for all fuel dispensers affected by the schedule and/or may delay updated media from being transmitted to the dispenser controller, and consequently to the fuel dispenser, while the updated media awaits transmission at the next scheduled transmission time. Accordingly, there remains a need for improved management of fuel dispenser media. SUMMARY In general, management of fuel dispenser media is provided. In one aspect, a fuel dispenser is provided that in one embodiment includes a media output device, a memory storing instructions, a communication unit, and a processor configured to execute the stored instructions and thereby cause a request for media to be transmitted to an external media source using the communication unit. The request for media queries whether media data stored at the external media source has been updated since a prior request for media was transmitted to the external media source using the communication unit. The processor is also configured to execute the stored instructions and thereby cause updated media received from the external media source in reply to the request for media to be stored in the memory, and the stored media to be output on the media output device to a user of the fuel dispenser. The fuel dispenser can vary in any number of ways. For example, the request can include identification data that identifies the fuel dispenser, and the received media can be specific to the fuel dispenser's identification. The identification data can identify a geographic location of the fuel dispenser and the received media can be specific to the fuel dispenser's geographic location, and/or the identification data can uniquely identify the fuel dispenser among a plurality of fuel dispensers each configured to communicate with the external media source and the received media can be specific to the fuel dispenser's unique identification. For another example, the request can include identification data that identifies a customer at the fuel dispenser, and the received media can be specific to the customer's identification. For another example, the prior request for media can be a request immediately prior to the request for media bein