Apparatus and method for using a transponder as an information buffer

Abstract

The invention provides a transponder acting as a memory buffer facilitating information or message transfer between a remote communication system, such as a fuel dispenser, and the vehicle control system. Information written to the transponder memory from the fuel dispenser may be sent to or retrieved by the vehicle control system. Information sent to the transponder from the vehicle control system is made accessible by or transmitted to the fuel dispenser. The transponder includes sufficient communication electronics, memory access and communication control circuitry, and memory to allow storing of information and access to information by both the vehicle control system and the fuel dispenser.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A transponder buffer facilitating asynchronous communications between a vehicle control system and a remote radio frequency communication system, said transponder buffer comprising: 
 a. a housing mountable to the vehicle;    b. communication and memory access control circuitry associated with communication electronics and memory within said housing;    c. said communication electronics adapted to provide bi-directional communications with the vehicle control system and the remote radio frequency communication system; and    d. said communication and memory access control circuitry adapted to: 
 i. store data received by said communication electronics from the vehicle control system and received by the remote radio frequency communication system in said memory; and  
 ii. transmit data received from the vehicle control system and stored in said memory to the remote radio frequency communication system and transmit data received from the remote radio frequency communication system and stored in the memory to the vehicle control system.  
   
     
     
         2 . The transponder buffer of  claim 1  wherein said communication and memory control circuitry is further adapted to transmit data received from the vehicle control system and stored in said memory to the remote radio frequency communication system upon receiving a signal for retrieving the data from the remote radio frequency communication system via said communication electronics.  
     
     
         3 . The transponder buffer of  claim 1  wherein said communication and memory control circuitry is further adapted to transmit data received from the remote radio frequency communication system and stored in said memory to the vehicle control system upon receiving a signal for retrieving the data from the vehicle control system via said communication electronics.  
     
     
         4 . The transponder buffer of  claim 1  wherein said communication and memory control circuitry is further adapted to: 
 a. transmit data received from the vehicle control system and stored in said memory to the remote radio frequency communication system upon receiving a signal for retrieving the data from the remote radio frequency communication system via said communication electronics; and  
 b. transmit data received from the remote radio frequency communication system and stored in said memory to the vehicle control system upon receiving a signal for retrieving the data from the vehicle control system via said communication electronics.  
 
     
     
         5 . The transponder buffer of  claim 2  further comprising a memory associated with said communication and memory access control circuitry for storing a data status flag, said communication and memory access control circuitry further adapted to receive a flag status check signal from the remote radio frequency communication system and transmit a flag status signal corresponding to the data status flag to the remote radio frequency communication system via said communication electronics.  
     
     
         6 . The transponder buffer of  claim 3  further comprising a memory location associated with said communication and memory access control circuitry for storing a data status flag, said communication and memory access control circuitry further adapted to receive a flag status check signal from the vehicle control system and transmit a flag status signal corresponding to the data status flag to the vehicle control system via said communication electronics.  
     
     
         7 . The transponder buffer of  claim 4  further comprising a memory associated with said communication and memory access control circuitry for storing first and second data status flags, said communication and memory access control circuitry further adapted to: 
 a. receive a flag status check signal from the remote radio frequency communication system and transmit a flag status signal corresponding to the first data status flag to the remote radio frequency communication system via said communication electronics, and  
 b. receive a flag status check signal from the vehicle control system and transmit a flag status signal corresponding to the second data status flag to the vehicle control system via said communication electronics.  
 
     
     
         8 . The transponder buffer of  claim 1  wherein said memory includes: 
 a. a first location to store messages received from the vehicle control system for subsequent transmission to the remote radio frequency communication system, and  
 b. a second location to store messages received from the remote radio frequency communication system for subsequent transmission to the vehicle control system.  
 
     
     
         9 . The transponder buffer of  claim 1  wherein said communication electronics includes a radio frequency transmitter and receiver for communications with the remote radio frequency communication system and a separate transmitter and receiver for communications with the vehicle control system.  
     
     
         10 . The transponder buffer of  claim 1  wherein predetermined information is stored in said memory and said communication and memory access control circuitry is adapted to transmit said predetermined information upon receiving a signal from the remote radio frequency communication system via said communication electronics to establish communications between said transponder buffer and said remote radio frequency communication system prior to transmitting data.  
     
     
         11 . The transponder buffer of  claim 1  wherein the data include data length information and said memory includes a certain location for storing the data length information.  
     
     
         12 . The transponder buffer of  claim 1  wherein said communication and memory access circuitry is further adapted to receive control signals from the vehicle control system to effect control of said transponder buffer.  
     
     
         13 . A transponder buffer facilitating asynchronous communications between a vehicle control system and a remote radio frequency communication system, said transponder buffer comprising direct memory access circuitry associated with a memory, first communication electronics adapted to communicate with the vehicle control system, and second communication electronics adapted to communicate with the remote radio frequency communication system, said direct memory access circuitry providing read/write access to said memory via said communication electronics from the vehicle control system and the remote radio frequency communication system wherein said memory stores data received from the vehicle control system to be transmitted to the remote radio frequency communication system and data received from the remote radio frequency communication system to be transmitted to the vehicle control system.  
     
     
         14 . The transponder buffer of  claim 13  wherein said memory includes predetermined information and said second communication electronics in association with the direct memory access circuitry is adapted to transmit said predetermined information upon receiving a signal from the remote radio frequency communication system to establish communications with the remote radio frequency communication system.  
     
     
         15 . A transponder buffer facilitating asynchronous communications between a vehicle control system and a remote radio frequency communication system, said transponder buffer comprising: 
 a. communication electronics configured to provide bidirectional communications to the vehicle control system and the remote radio frequency communication system;    b. communication and memory access control circuitry;    c. a first memory location associated with said communication and memory access control circuitry for storing data;    d. a second memory location associated with said communication and memory access control circuitry for storing a communication flag indicative of a state of the first memory location;    e. said communication and memory access control circuitry adapted to: 
 i. store data received by said communication electronics from the vehicle control system and the remote radio frequency communication system in said first memory location; and  
 ii. transmit data received from the vehicle control system and stored in said first memory location to the remote radio frequency communication system and transmit data received from the remote radio frequency communication system and stored in the first memory location to the vehicle control system;  
 iii. transmit a signal indicative of the state of the communication flag in the second memory location upon receiving a signal requesting communication flag status;  
 iv. change the communication flag status upon receiving a signal to change the communication flag status;  
   f. a housing mountable to a vehicle for housing said communication electronics, said memory locations and said communication and memory access control circuitry.    
     
     
         16 . A transponder buffer of  claim 15  further comprising a third memory location associated with said communication and memory access control circuitry for storing a second communication flag indicative of a state of the first memory location wherein the first communication flag corresponds to a state of the data received from the vehicle control system to be transmitted to the remote radio frequency communication system and the second communication flag corresponds to a state of the data received from the remote radio frequency communication system to be transmitted to the vehicle control system.  
     
     
         17 . A transponder buffer of  claim 16  wherein said first memory location is divided into two partitions, one partition for data received from the vehicle control system to be transmitted to the remote radio frequency communication system and one partition for data received from the remote radio frequency communication system to be transmitted to the vehicle control system.  
     
     
         18 . A transponder buffer facilitating asynchronous communications between a vehicle control system and a remote radio frequency communication system, said transponder buffer comprising: 
 a. mounting means for mounting said transponder buffer to the vehicle;    b. memory means for storing messages received from the vehicle control system and the remote radio frequency communication system;    c. first receiving means for receiving messages from the vehicle control system;    d. second receiving means for receiving messages from the remote radio frequency communication system;    e. control means for storing received messages in said memory means;    f. first transmitting means for transmitting messages received from the vehicle control system and stored in said memory means to the remote radio frequency communication system; and    g. second transmitting means for transmitting messages received from the remote radio frequency communication system and stored in said memory means to the vehicle control system.    
     
     
         19 . The transponder buffer of  claim 18  wherein said control means is adapted to transmit a message received from the vehicle control system and stored in said memory means to the remote radio frequency communication system upon receiving a signal for retrieving the message from the remote radio frequency communication system.  
     
     
         20 . The transponder buffer of  claim 18  wherein said control means is adapted to transmit a message received from the remote radio frequency communication system and stored in said memory means to the vehicle control system upon receiving a signal for retrieving the message from the vehicle control system.  
     
     
         21 . A method for buffering communications between a vehicle control system and a remote radio frequency communication system, the method comprising: 
 a. providing a means for mounting a transponder buffer to the vehicle;    b. storing data received from the vehicle control system and the remote radio frequency communication system;    c. receiving data from the vehicle control system;    d. receiving data from the remote radio frequency communication system;    e. storing received data in memory;    f. transmitting the data received from the vehicle control system and stored in the memory to the remote radio frequency communication system; and    g. transmitting the data received from the remote radio frequency communication system and stored in the memory to the vehicle control system.