FIELD

Systems and methods are provided for controlling maintenance of fuel dispensers.

BACKGROUND

The retail petroleum industry utilizes various types of fuel dispensers for dispensing fuel to customers. Due to high usage rates and time, the fuel dispensers can be subject to deterioration, which can result in higher operational costs and lower service quality. In order to maintain fuel dispensers in suitable operational condition, preventive maintenance, including software updates to the fuel dispenser system, is performed.

Generally, in order to update the software of a fuel dispenser and/or determine whether corrective maintenance may be required, the fuel dispenser must be in a maintenance mode. An on-site operator is typically needed to attend to the fuel dispenser in order to prompt the fuel dispenser to enter maintenance mode to thereby gain access and enable system updates and/or service of the fuel dispenser. The need for on-site operators, however, has its disadvantages. For example, operators may find it challenging to attend to fuel dispensers that are located in remote locations, which can make it difficult to perform software updates to and/or service such fuel dispensers.

Accordingly, despite existing technologies, there remains a need for improved systems and method for controlling maintenance of fuel dispensers.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods are provided for controlling access to a maintenance mode on a fuel dispenser.

In one exemplary embodiment, a system is provided and can include a fuel dispenser having a housing with fuel dispensing components, such as pumps and meters, disposed therein. The system can also include an electronics module disposed at least partially therein, the electronics module including a data processor that can be configured to determine an authorization password based on data characterizing the fuel dispenser, to receive a remote password, to determine that the remote password matches the authorization password, and to cause the fuel dispenser to enter a maintenance mode.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the system can include a remote enterprise server in communication with the electronics module. The remote enterprise server can be configured to prompt the electronics module for the fuel dispensing data and to receive the fuel dispensing data. The system can also include a remote code processor in communication with the enterprise server. The remote code processor can be configured to receive the fuel dispensing data from the enterprise server, to determine the remote password based on the received data, and to provide the remote password to the enterprise server. The remote enterprise server can be configured to provide the remote password to the electronics module of the fuel dispenser.

The fuel dispenser can vary in a number of ways. For example, in one aspect, the electronics module can be adapted to prevent the fuel dispenser from entering maintenance mode prior to the data processor determining that the remote password matches the authorization password. In another aspect, the electronics module can be adapted to receive a request and to cause the fuel dispenser to exit the maintenance mode.

In some aspects, the remote enterprise server can be configured to receive a command from an external source, and to request that the electronics module provide the fuel dispenser data. In such aspects, the electronics module can provide different fuel dispenser data for each request received. In other aspects, the remote enterprise server can be configured to prompt the fuel dispenser for the fuel dispensing data at the expiration of a predetermined time period. In another aspect, the remote enterprise server can be configured to transmit instructions to the electronics module to cause the electronics module to perform at least one maintenance operation on the fuel dispenser during the maintenance mode.

In another aspect, the fuel dispenser data can include a challenge code and identity information of a central processing unit (CPU) of the electronics module.

In another exemplary embodiment, a process system is provided and can include a data processing unit that can be configured to be at least partially housed in a fuel dispenser and that can be configured to generate and transmit data characterizing the fuel dispenser and to determine an authorization password based on the fuel dispenser data. The system can also include a remote enterprise server that can be configured to receive a command to prompt the data processing unit to provide the fuel dispenser data, and that can be configured to transmit a request to the data processing unit for the fuel dispenser data and to receive the fuel dispenser data. The system can further include a remote code processor that can be configured to receive the fuel dispenser data from the enterprise server, calculate a remote password based on the received fuel dispenser data, and provide the remote password to the enterprise server, where the enterprise server can be configured to receive the remote password and provide the remote password to the data processing unit. The data processing unit can be configured to determine whether the remote password matches the authorization password, and to enter a maintenance mode if the remote password matches the authorization password.

The data processing unit can vary in a number of ways. For example, in some aspects, the remote enterprise server can be configured to transmit instructions to the data processing unit to cause the data processing unit to perform at least one maintenance operation on a fuel dispenser during the maintenance mode. In other aspects, when the data processing unit determines that the remote password matches the authorization password, the data processing unit can be configured to cause the fuel dispenser to enter a maintenance mode. In another aspect, the data processing unit can be configured to provide different fuel dispenser data for each request received. In one aspect, the data processing unit can be configured to prevent a fuel dispenser from entering a maintenance mode prior to the data processor determining that the remote password matches the authorization password. In another aspect, the data processing unit can be configured to receive a request and to cause a fuel dispenser to exit the maintenance mode.

In some aspects, the fuel dispenser data can include a challenge code and identity information of a central processing unit (CPU) of the data processing unit.

Methods for prompting a maintenance mode of a fuel dispenser are also provided. In one embodiment, the method can include calculating, by an electronics module comprising a data processor and that is at least partially housed in a fuel dispenser, an authorization password based on data characterizing the fuel dispenser. The electronics module can transmit the fuel dispenser data to an enterprise server that is in communication with the electronics module. The enterprise server can receive and transmit the fuel dispenser data to a code processor that is in communication with the enterprise server. The code processor can generate and transmit a remote password based on the received fuel dispenser data to the enterprise server. The enterprise server can receive and transmit the remote password to the electronics module, and the data processor can determine that the remote password matches the authorization password and can cause the fuel dispenser to enter the maintenance mode.

In some aspects, the method can include generating, by the electronics module, the fuel dispensing data that includes a challenge code and identity information of a central processing unit (CPU) board of the electronics module. In other aspects, the method can include receiving, by the electronics module, data comprising a request from the enterprise server to provide the fuel dispenser data.

In one aspect, the method can include prompting, by the enterprise server, the fuel dispenser for the fuel dispensing data at the expiration of a predetermined time period. In another aspect, the method can include performing one or more maintenance operations on the fuel dispenser during the maintenance mode.

Non-transitory computer program products (e.g., physically embodied computer program products) are provided that store instructions, which when executed by one or more data processors of one or more computing systems, causes at least one data processor to perform operations herein. Similarly, computer systems are also provided that may include one or more data processors and memory coupled to the one or more data processors. The memory may temporarily or permanently store instructions that cause at least one processor to perform one or more of the operations described herein. In addition, methods can be implemented by one or more data processors either within a single computing system or distributed among two or more computing systems. Such computing systems can be connected and can exchange data and/or commands or other instructions or the like via one or more connections, including but not limited to a connection over a network (e.g., the Internet, a wireless wide area network, a local area network, a wide area network, a wired network, or the like), via a direct connection between one or more of the multiple computing systems, etc.

