Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
184 words
A method for automatic refuelling of a vehicle comprising the steps of: providing the vehicle with a radio frequency transponder effective to communicate information sufficient to establish a position of a fuel inlet on the vehicle; receiving said information at the location where the vehicle is to be refuelled when the vehicle is located at the location where the vehicle is to be refuelled; when the vehicle is located at the location where the vehicle is to be refuelled, determining the position and orientation of the vehicle within the location; determining from the determined position and orientation of the vehicle and the communicated information, an expected location of the fuel inlet; moving a fuel dispenser to adjacent the determined expected location of the fuel inlet; providing a sensor on the fuel dispenser to determine the location of the fuel inlet relative to the fuel dispenser; repositioning the fuel dispenser based on a signal from the sensor on the fuel dispensing head to a position from which the vehicle can be refuelled from the fuel dispenser; and refuelling the vehicle from the repositioned fuel dispenser.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
184 words
A method for automatic refuelling of a vehicle comprising the steps of: providing the vehicle with a radio frequency transponder effective to communicate information sufficient to establish a position of a fuel inlet on the vehicle; receiving said information at the location where the vehicle is to be refuelled when the vehicle is located at the location where the vehicle is to be refuelled; when the vehicle is located at the location where the vehicle is to be refuelled, determining the position and orientation of the vehicle within the location; determining from the determined position and orientation of the vehicle and the communicated information, an expected location of the fuel inlet; moving a fuel dispenser to adjacent the determined expected location of the fuel inlet; providing a sensor on the fuel dispenser to determine the location of the fuel inlet relative to the fuel dispenser; repositioning the fuel dispenser based on a signal from the sensor on the fuel dispensing head to a position from which the vehicle can be refuelled from the fuel dispenser; and refuelling the vehicle from the repositioned fuel dispenser.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the transponder is a passive transponder.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the transponder is an active transponder.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 1 wherein it is determined whether or not the vehicle engine is operating by signal generated from a loop antenna that is effective to detect an electromagnetic field generated by the vehicle's alternator when the alternator is operating and the refuelling step is not started unless it is determined that the vehicle engine is not operating.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle's position and orientation is determined by a plurality of acoustic range-finding sensors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the vehicle's position and orientation is determined by a digitalized visual image.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the sensor to determine the location of the fuel inlet relative to the fuel dispenser is a camera, and a visual image from the camera is digitalized and an outline of a fuel inlet is identified from the digitalized image.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 7 wherein it is determined that the vehicle engine is not operating by signal generated from a loop antenna that is effective to detect a magnetic field generated by the vehicle's alternator when the alternator is operating.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor to determine the location of the fuel inlet relative to the fuel dispenser is a magnetic flux sensor, and a magnet is fixed to the vehicle in the vicinity of the fuel inlet.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor to determine the location of the fuel inlet relative to the fuel dispenser is a camera, and a visual image from the camera is digitalized and an outline of a fuel inlet is identified from the digitalized image.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the sensor to determine the location of the fuel inlet relative to the fuel dispenser is a transponder receiver and a transponder is fixed to the vehicle in the vicinity of the fuel inlet.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein it is determined that the vehicle engine is not operating by a sensor that detects electromagnetic waves generated by an operating vehicle's ignition.