Delivery of fuel to vehicles

Abstract

Systems and methods for mobile refueling by mobile fuel carriers of vehicles of approved users at approved mobile refueling locations. The system may include a server connected to a network and a database accessible by the server that includes approved refueling location information and approved user and user vehicle information, including vehicle identification fuel preference information. User computers communicate with the server via the network, the user computers sending refueling request information including user identification and vehicle location information to the server. The server sends refueling instructions to a fuel carrier computer having a user interface which allows updating of route information with real-time information pertaining to user requests and fuel carrier location data.

1 .- 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A fuel delivery system, comprising:
 at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium that stores at least one of processor-readable data or processor-executable instructions; and   at least one processor communicably coupled to the at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium and to at least one data communications channel, the at least one processor:
 determines a target vehicle is to be refueled; 
 receives location information for the target vehicle over the at least one data communications channel; and 
 provides refueling instructions to a processor-based device associated with a fuel carrier vehicle, the refueling instructions include at least the received location information for the target vehicle. 
   
     
     
         19 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one processor:
 receives a request for refueling from a processor-based device over the at least one data communications channel; and 
 determines the target vehicle is to be refueled based at least in part on the received request for refueling. 
 
     
     
         20 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 19  wherein the at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium stores a transponder identifier for a transponder associated with the target vehicle, and the refueling instructions include the transponder identifier. 
     
     
         21 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 20  wherein the at least one processor:
 sends a notification to a processor-based device associated with a user of the target vehicle over the at least one data communications channel, the notification notifying the user to provide access to at least one of the fuel inlet or an engine compartment of the target vehicle. 
 
     
     
         22 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 21  wherein the processor-based device associated with the user of the target vehicle comprises at least one of a mobile device of the user or a processor-based head unit of the target vehicle. 
     
     
         23 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one processor:
 receives at least one of location information or route information for the fuel carrier vehicle; and 
 determines the target vehicle is to be refueled based at least in part on the received location information for the target vehicle and based at least in part on the at least one of location information or route information for the fuel carrier vehicle. 
 
     
     
         24 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one processor:
 receives refueling schedule information for the target vehicle; and 
 determines the target vehicle is to be refueled based at least in part on the received refueling schedule information. 
 
     
     
         25 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one processor:
 projects a need of the target vehicle for fuel; and 
 determines the target vehicle is to be refueled based at least in part on the projected need of the target vehicle for fuel. 
 
     
     
         26 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one processor:
 detects a need of the target vehicle for fuel; and 
 determines the target vehicle is to be refueled based at least in part on the detected need of the target vehicle for fuel. 
 
     
     
         27 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 26  wherein the at least one processor:
 receives a fuel level signal from a processor-based device over the at least one data communications channel, the fuel level signal indicative of a current amount of fuel in a fuel storage of the target vehicle; and 
 detects the need of the target vehicle for fuel based at least in part on the received fuel level signal. 
 
     
     
         28 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium stores fuel type information for the target vehicle, the fuel type information indicative of at least one of a type or grade of fuel to be provided to the target vehicle, and the refueling instructions include the fuel type information. 
     
     
         29 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium stores a transponder identifier for a transponder associated with the target vehicle, and the refueling instructions include the transponder identifier. 
     
     
         30 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium stores vehicle identifier information for the target vehicle, and the refueling instructions include the vehicle identifier information. 
     
     
         31 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 30  wherein the vehicle identifier information includes one or more of a make, model, color, year, or license number for the target vehicle. 
     
     
         32 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium stores fuel inlet location information, the fuel inlet location information indicative of a location of the fuel inlet on the target vehicle, and the refueling instructions include the fuel inlet location information. 
     
     
         33 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one processor:
 sends a notification to a processor-based device associated with a user of the target vehicle over the at least one data communications channel, the notification notifying the user to provide access to at least one of the fuel inlet or an engine compartment of the target vehicle. 
 
     
     
         34 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 33  wherein the processor-based device associated with the user of the target vehicle comprises at least one of a mobile device of the user or a processor-based head unit of the target vehicle. 
     
     
         35 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one processor:
 receives an indication that fuel has been delivered to the target vehicle; and 
 sends a message to at least one processor-based device over the data communications channel responsive to the received indication that fuel has been delivered to the target vehicle. 
 
     
     
         36 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 35  wherein the at least one processor:
 sends the message to at least one of a processor-based device associated with a user of the target vehicle or a processor-based device associated with an interested third party. 
 
     
     
         37 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 36  wherein the interested third party is an entity at least partially responsible for payment of services provided by the fuel delivery system. 
     
     
         38 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 35  wherein the message includes identification of at least one of a quantity of fuel delivered, a type of fuel delivered, one or more services provided, one or more services available to be subsequently provided, or a price. 
     
     
         39 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 35  wherein the at least one processor:
 sends the message to a plurality of different entities over the data communications channel, each of the plurality of different entities is at least one of responsible for payment of at least a portion of a service provided by the fuel delivery system or responsible for approval of a service provided by the fuel delivery system. 
 
     
     
         40 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one processor:
 determines a plurality of target vehicles are to be refueled; 
 receives location information for each of the plurality of target vehicles over the at least one data communications channel; 
 generates a route map based at least in part on the received location information; and 
 provides the generated route map to the processor-based device associated with the fuel carrier vehicle. 
 
     
     
         41 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium stores approved location information, the approved location information indicative of one or more physical locations at which the target vehicle is permitted to be refueled. 
     
     
         42 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 18  wherein the at least one processor:
 first receives location information for the target vehicle over the at least one data communications channel that is derived from a first location determination technology; and 
 second receives location information for the target vehicle over the at least one data communications channel that is derived from a second location determination technology, the second location determination technology different from the first location determination technology. 
 
     
     
         43 . The fuel delivery system of  claim 42  wherein the first location determination technology comprises global positioning system technology and the second location determination technology comprises RFID locating technology. 
     
     
         44 . A method of operation for a fuel delivery system, the fuel delivery system comprising at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium that stores at least one of processor-readable data or processor-executable instructions, and at least one processor communicably coupled to the at least one nontransitory processor-readable medium and to at least one data communications channel, the method comprising:
 determining, by the at least one processor, a target vehicle is to be refueled;   receiving, by the at least one processor, location information for the target vehicle over the at least one data communications channel; and   providing, by the at least one processor, refueling instructions to a processor-based device associated with a fuel carrier vehicle, the refueling instructions include at least the received location information for the target vehicle.