Method and apparatus for mobile fueling

Abstract

There is provided, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a system and method are provided to enable mobile fuel management, the system including a mobile communications device, with an integrated Bluetooth capability, the device running an application that includes a file with instructions to execute commands to enable mobile fuel management; a fuel dispenser, with an integrated BLAP device; and a fuel station computer system, communicatively connected to a computing cloud, and associated with a dispenser database, the computer system running code to execute commands to enable mobile fuel management; wherein the fuel dispenser executes fuel dispensing only after a matching between the mobile communications device and the fuel dispenser.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mobile communication device, comprising:
 a BLAP receiver configured for discovering a wireless BLAP signal sent by a BLAP device associated with at least one location including:
 identify a BLAP ID of the BLAP device and 
 measure a signal strength of said BLAP signal; 
   a network communication circuit configured for two-way communication over a wireless network;   a processor configured
 to receive from said BLAP receiver
 said BLAP ID and 
 said a signal strength; 
 
 to send over a network to a remote computer system
 identifying information for a location of the mobile communication device based on said BLAP ID and said signal strength. 
 
   
     
     
         2 . A device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said BLAP device is associated with at least one fuel dispenser and said remote computer system includes a fuel station computer system and said processor is further configured to send identifying information for a most proximal dispenser based on said BLAP ID and said signal strength and to send instructions to release fuel from said most proximal dispenser.   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a computer readable memory storing a data base associating said location of said mobile communication device with said at least one location based on said BLAP ID and said signal strength of said BLAP signal at said location of the mobile communication device.   
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein said processor is further configured for:
 sending over said network to said remote computer system
 said BLAP ID and 
 said signal strength. 
   
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a positioning element in communication with said processor and adapted to determine said location of said mobile communication device and wherein said processor is further configured to verify said location of the mobile communication device.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured for sending at least one of identification and payment information of a user of the device via said network to said fuel station computer system. 
     
     
         7 . A method for locating a mobile communication device, comprising:
 transmitting a BLAP ID by a BLAP device associated with a transmission location;   determining a location of said mobile communication device based on a signal strength and said BLAP ID.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein said BLAP device is associated with at least one fuel dispenser of a plurality of fuel dispensers the method further comprising:
 selecting a most proximal dispenser of said plurality of fuel dispensers, said most proximal dispenser proximal to a mobile communication device based on a signal strength and said BLAP ID; 
 instructing said most proximal dispenser to fuel a vehicle associated with said mobile communication device. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said instructing includes
 receiving said BLAP ID by a computing device associated with said plurality of fuel dispensers from said mobile communication device over a wireless network and wherein said instructing is performed by said computing device.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising verifying at least one of an identity and payment information of a user of said mobile communication device prior to dispensing fuel to the vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising verifying an identity of the vehicle associated with said mobile communication device prior to dispensing fuel to the vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising identifying a preferred fuel type associated with said mobile communication device, prior to dispensing fuel to the vehicle and wherein said instructing is to fuel said vehicle with said preferred fuel type. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said BLAP device associated with said at least one fuel dispenser is installed on or near the at least one fuel dispenser. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising
 executing a payment for fueling said vehicle from an entity associated with said user, said executing performed by the computing device.   
     
     
         15 . A computer program product stored in a computer readable medium, comprising:
 instructions for a mobile communication device to receive a wireless signal from a BLAP device and discovering including;
 identify a BLAP ID of said BLAP device from said wireless signal and 
 measure a signal strength of said wireless signal; 
   instructions for said mobile communication device to send over a wireless network to a remote computer system
 location information based on said BLAP ID and said signal strength. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein said BLAP device is associated with a fuel dispenser of a plurality of fuel dispensers and said computer program product further comprising:
 instructions for said mobile communication device to send over a wireless network to a fuel station computer system
 identifying information for a most proximal dispenser based on said BLAP ID and said signal strength and 
 instructions to dispense fuel from said most proximal dispenser. 
   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a database associating a location with said BLAP ID of a received signal from said BLAP device and said signal strength of said received signal at said location; and   instructions for said mobile communication device to determine a location of said mobile communication device based on said database, said BLAP ID and received signal strength.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 instructions for said mobile communication device to use a positioning element in the mobile communication device to verify said location.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 instruction for said mobile communication device to send at least one of identification and payment information of a user via said network to said fuel station computer system.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein said most proximal dispenser includes a plurality of fuel types, and wherein said product further includes instructions for said mobile communication device to send a chosen fuel type via said network to said fuel station computer system.