Computing Device

Abstract

A computing device for a multiple product gasoline dispensing system having a cost counter for accumulating the cost of gasoline dispensed, a bank of three price decade switches for each gasoline product settable for establishing the amounts of the three places respectively of a three place unit volume price, and a pulse generator for generating a pulse for each one-hundredth of a unit volume of gasoline dispensed. A sequencing circuit is operated by each pulse to sequentially set a binary predetermining counter at the straight binary complement of the amount established by each decade switch for the gasoline product being delivered and an oscillator is gated to index the predetermining counter from such setting to a maximum count and simultaneously index the cost counter to enter such amount into the cost counter at a level corresponding to its order of significance in the unit volume price.

Description

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to computing devices having notable utility in gasoline dispensing systems for computing the cost of gasoline dispensed in accordance with the volume dispensed and a unit volume price established by the setting of the computing device.

It is a primary aim of the present invention to provide a low cost electronic computing device for gasoline dispensing systems for computing the cost of gasoline dispensed.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved electronic computing device for accumulating the product of a pre-established multiple place multiplier and a second variable amount.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved computing device for accumulating the product of a pre-established multiplier and a second amount proportional to, for example, the rotation of a rotary input.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved computing device for multiple product fluid dispensing systems which provides for pre-establishing the unit volume price of each of the fluid products and which is adapted to be readily conditioned for computing the cost of fluid dispensed in accordance with each of the pre-established unit volume prices.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved electronic cost computer for fluid dispensing apparatus employing conventional and reliable logic components.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing of an illustrative application of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In the drawing:

The FIGURE is a partial schematic illustration of a multiple product gasoline dispensing system incorporating an embodiment of the computing device of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now in detail to the drawing, a multiple product gasoline dispensing system incorporating an embodiment 10 of a computing device of the present invention comprises a multiple product gasoline delivery subsystem 12 of the type shown and described in related U.S. Pat. application of Reed H. Johnston entitled "Computing Device" and filed on Aug. 17, 1970 with Ser. No. 64,337. As described more fully in such application of Reed H. Johnston, the gasoline delivery subsystem 12 comprises a pair of meters 14 having output shafts 16 connected to a summation differential 18. The output shaft 20 of summation differential 18 is connected for driving a suitable pulse generator 30 of the computing device 10 which generates a single train of pulses as gasoline is dispensed, for example, one pulse for each one-hundredth part of a unit volume (i.e., the unit volume on which the gasoline price is based) of gasoline dispensed and therefore 100 pulses for each such unit volume dispensed.

A cost register 36 having a cost counter or accumulator 37 and a cost indicator 38 is connected to accumulate the cost of the fuel delivered in accordance with the total volume dispensed and a unit volume price (within a three place unit volume price range of the computing device 10) established by the setting of the computing device. The counter 37 is shown comprising six decade sections 41-46 of increasing order of significance, and the cost indicator 38 comprises four 0-9 digit indicators 47-50 which are suitably connected via decoder-driver circuits 52 to the four highest order decades 43-46 to provide a readout of the total cost of fuel delivered. Preferably the cost register 36 (along with the usual volume register, not shown) is resettable and is connected to be reset to "0" before the commencement of each fuel delivery.

The computing device 10 comprises a bank 72 of three price decade switches 74 for each of the available fuel products and the switch banks 72 are individually activated in accordance with the fuel product selected as described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. application of Reed H. Johnston. For simplicity only one decade switch bank 72 is shown in the drawing of this application. The price decade switches 74 may be BCD switches of the type shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,445,636 of Joseph A. Richards entitled "Single Wheel Counter Circuit" and having a number wheel 76 providing a numerical readout of the binary switch position and suitable means such as a push button 78 for selectively setting the switch and number wheel. The four output leads 83-86 of each binary switch may in a conventional manner have binary values of 1, 2, 4 and 8 respectively such that if the binary switch were designed to produce a straight BCD signal of the number wheel setting, lead 83 would be energized when the number wheel 76 is set at "1," lead 84 would be energized when the number wheel is set at "2," leads 83 and 84 would be energized when the number wheel is set at "3," etc.

The price decade switches 74 for each place of the three place unit volume price are connected in parallel and are suitably isolated, as by the provision of diodes 92 in the output leads 83-86 of each switch 74, to prevent feedback through inactive switches such that the BCD signal in the output leads 93-96 for each place of the three place unit volume price is dependent upon the setting of the corresponding price decade switch 74 for the selected gasoline product.

A predetermining counter 130 is adapted to be set in accordance with the setting of each decade switch 74 of the selected switch bank 72 by selective operation of "units" control gate 132, "tens" control gate 134, and "hundreds" control gate 136. The predetermining counter 130 is preferably a binary decade counter having four flip-flops 137 and is connected via a suitable preset circuit 138 to be set at the straight binary complement of the number setting of the active price decade switch 74. Thus, if the selected "hundreds" price switch 74 is set at 3, the predetermining counter 130 will be preset at the straight binary complement of the number 3 or 1100 when the "hundreds" control gate 136 is operated. The binary switch 74 may be designed to produce a BCD signal which is the straight binary complement of the number wheel setting for directly setting the predetermining counter 130. Alternatively the binary switch 74 may be designed to produce a straight BCD signal of the number wheel setting in which case the preset circuit 138 would be designed to provide a complementary binary signal of the switch signal for setting the predetermining counter 130.

An oscillator 140 is provided for generating stepping or clocking pulses (for example, at a frequency of 100 KH.sub.z), and a control gate 146 is provided for connecting the oscillator 140 for simultaneously stepping or pulsing the predetermining counter 130 and the cost counter 37. The flip-flops 137 of the predetermining counter 130 are connected via a suitable predetermining logic circuit 150 to operate the control gate 146 for disconnecting the oscillator when the binary counter 130 reaches its "maximum count" (i.e., 1111 or binary 15). Thus, for example, when the "hundreds" control gate 136 is operated to set the predetermining counter 130 at the straight BCD complement of 3, the control gate 146 will be "opened" momentarily to provide for pulsing the predetermining counter 130 and cost counter 37 three steps.

Additional "units," "tens" and "hundreds" control gates 152, 154, 156 are operated in conjunction with the corresponding control gates 132, 134, 136 respectively to provide for parallel entry into the cost counter 37 in accordance with the relative weights or orders of significance of the "units," "tens" and "hundreds" amounts of the unit volume price. Thus, upon operation of each pair of control gates 132, 152; 134, 154; and 136, 156 a count is added to the cost counter 37 which is dependent upon the amount and order of significance of the corresponding place of the established unit volume price.

A suitable sequencing circuit 160 is operated by each pulse generated by the pulse generator 30 for sequentially operating the pairs of control gates 132, 152; 134, 154; and 136, 156 with the output leads 162-164 respectively. Thus, each pulse generated by the pulse generator 30 operates the sequencing circuit 160 to in turn operate "units" control gates 132, 152 with "units" lead 162 to index the lowest order decade 41 of cost counter 37 a number of steps equal to the number setting of the selected "units" price switch 74. The sequencing circuit 160 then operates the "tens" control gates 134, 154 with the "tens" lead 163 and operates the "hundreds" control gates 136, 156 with the "hundreds" lead 164 for respectively indexing each counter decade 42, 43 a number of steps equal to the setting of the corresponding price switch 74. The response of the logic circuitry is suitably fast such that the sequencing circuit 160 is operated by each pulse generated to in turn operate the "units," "tens" and "hundreds" control gates in sequence before the succeeding pulse is generated by the pulse generator 30.

The cost counter 37 is made suitably compatible with the pulse generator 30 so that the indicator 38 is adapted to provide a readout of the actual cost of the fuel delivered to the desired place (e.g., tenths of a cent). Thus, with a pulse generator 30 producing 100 pulses per gallon, an established gasoline price of 35.9 cents per gallon and an indicator 38 providing a readout to tenths of a cent, the cost counter 37 would be indexed 0.00359 for each one-hundredth of a unit volume delivered and to register an additional $0.359 (i.e., the price per gallon) for each full gallon of fuel delivered. The cost indicator 38 therefore provides a readout of the total cost of gasoline delivered in accordance with the volume of gasoline delivered and the unit volume price pre-established for the fluid product being delivered.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications, adaptations and variations of the foregoing specific disclosure can be made without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

Claims

I claim:

1. In a computing device for a fluid dispensing system having a cost accumulator with a plurality of accumulator sections of increasing order of significance operable for accumulating the cost of fluid dispensed, and settable variating means connected to operate the cost accumulator in accordance with the volume of fluid dispensed and a unit volume price established by the setting of the variating means; the improvement wherein the variating means comprises unit volume price setting means presettable for establishing a plurality of separate code electrical signals of amounts of different relative weights establishing the unit volume price, a pulse generator operable to generate a train of pulses in accordance with the volume of fluid dispensed, and accumulator indexing means connected to be separately operated by each coded electrical signal for producing a burst of pulses having a number of pulses in accordance with the amount encoded by such electrical signal and connected to be operated by the generated pulses for repetitively indexing different accumulator sections with the bursts of pulses respectively for repetitively adding such amounts encoded by the electrical signals to said different accumulator sections respectively in accordance with the relative weights of such amounts, the accumulator indexing means comprising a settable counter, a plurality of control means for said electrical signals respectively adapted to be separately operated for connecting the respective electrical signals for setting the counter in accordance with the amount encoded thereby, and stepping means for producing a burst of pulses for stepping the counter and respective cost accumulator section simultaneously until the counter reaches a predetermined count.

2. A computing device for accumulating the product of a first amount proportional to a first input and a pre-established multiplier comprising multiplier setting means for setting a plurality of separate coded electrical signals of respective amounts of different relative weights collectively establishing the multiplier, electrical pulse generating means having a first input and connected to be operated by the first input to generate a pulse train having a pulse for each predetermined incremental operation of the first input, a product accumulator having a plurality of accumulator sections of increasing order of significance and operable for accumulating a count of the product of a first amount proportional to the operation of the first input and the established multiplier, and indexing means connected to be separately operated by each coded electrical signal for producing a burst of pulses having a number of pulses in accordance with the amount encoded by such electrical signal and connected to be operated by the generated pulses for repetitively indexing different accumulator sections with the bursts of pulses respectively for repetitively adding such amounts established by the coded price signals to said different accumulator sections respectively in accordance with the relative weights of such amounts; the indexing means comprising a settable counter, stepping means for producing a burst of pulses for stepping the counter from its set count to a final count, sequencing means operated by the pulses of the pulse train for sequentially connecting the coded electrical signals for setting the counter in accordance with the respective amounts encoded thereby and for connecting the stepping means for simultaneously stepping said respective accumulator sections with the counter.

3. In a computing device for a fluid dispensing system having a cost accumulator with a plurality of decade sections of increasing order and operable for accumulating the cost of fluid dispensed and settable variating means connected for operating the cost accumulator in accordance with the volume of fluid dispensed and a multiple place unit volume price established by the setting of the variating means, the improvement wherein the variating means comprises a pulse generating device operable in accordance with the volume of fluid dispensed for producing a pulse train having a predetermined number of pulses for each unit volume of fluid dispensed, indexing means presettable for establishing the amount of each place of the multiple place unit volume price and for producing a separate burst of pulses for each such amount having a number of pulses in accordance with such amount and connected to be operated by the generated pulses to sequentially index different decade sections of the accumulator with such separate bursts of pulses respectively for adding said established amounts to said different decade sections respectively of the cost accumulator in accordance with the relative significance of such amounts in the multiple place unit volume price, the indexing means comprising an electronic counter, sequencing means operable by the generated pulses for sequentially setting the counter in accordance with said amounts of the places of the multiple place unit volume price, and stepping means for producing said burst of pulses for stepping the counter from each such setting to a predetermined setting and for stepping the respective decade section of the cost accumulator in conjunction therewith.

4. In a computing device according to claim 3 wherein the electronic counter is a binary counter and wherein the sequencing means is operable by the generated pulses for sequentially setting the counter at the binary complements of the established amounts of the places of the multiple place unit volume price.

5. In a computing device according to claim 3 wherein the stepping means comprises a pulse source and control gate means operable for connecting the pulse source for simultaneously stepping the electronic counter and said respective decade section of the cost accumulator.

6. A computing device for accumulating the product of a first amount proportional to a first input and a pre-established multiplier comprising multiplier setting means for setting a plurality of separate coded electrical signals of amounts of different relative weights collectively establishing the multiplier, an electrical pulse generator having a first input and operable thereby to generate a single pulse train having a pulse for each predetermined incremental operation of the first input, a product accumulator having a plurality of accumulator sections of increasing order of significance and operable for accumulating a count of the product of a first amount proportional to the operation of the pulse generator input and the established multiplier, and accumulator indexing means comprising settable counter means and stepping means connected for automatically stepping the counter means from any set count to a predetermined count and connected for simultaneously stepping the product accumulator along with the counter means, and control means for the accumulator indexing means operable by the generated pulses for connecting the multiplier setting means for setting the settable counter means with said plurality of coded electrical signals and for stepping the accumulator with the counter means for adding an amount to the accumulator corresponding to the established multiplier for each predetermined number of generated pulses for thereby accumulating the product of a first amount proportional to the operation of the pulse generator input and the established multiplier.

7. In a computing device according to claim 6 wherein the separate coded electrical signals are binary coded electrical signals.

8. In a computing device according to claim 6 wherein the coded electrical signals have different relative weights in accordance with a geometric progression having a common ratio of 10 and the amounts encoded thereby establish the multiple places respectively of a multiple place multiplier.

9. A computing device according to claim 6 wherein the amounts encoded by the electrical signals have relative weights in accordance with a geometric progression.

10. A computing device according to claim 9 wherein the geometric progression has a common ratio of ten.

11. A computing device according to claim 6 wherein the multiplier setting means comprises a plurality of settable binary switches for respectively setting such coded electrical signals.

12. A computing device according to claim 6 wherein the control means is operable by each generated pulse for connecting the multiplier setting means for separately setting the counter means with each of said plurality of coded electrical signals.

13. A computing device according to claim 6 wherein the control means is operable for connecting the stepping means for stepping different accumulator sections of the accumulator in accordance with the weights of the amounts encoded by the electrical signals.

14. A computing device according to claim 13 wherein the control means is operable by each generated pulse for connecting the stepping means for sequentially stepping said different accumulator sections.

15. A computing device according to claim 6 wherein the control means comprises sequencing means operable by the generated pulses for connecting the multiplier setting means for sequentially setting the counter means in accordance with said amounts encoded by the electrical signals and for connecting the stepping means for stepping different accumulator sections of the product accumulator in conjunction therewith.

16. A computing device according to claim 6 wherein the control means comprises control gate means for each coded electrical signal for connecting the coded electrical signal for stepping a respective accumulator section with the stepping means in accordance with the weight of the amount encoded thereby for adding the amount encoded by the signal thereto, and sequencing means operable by the pulses of the pulse train for sequentially operating the control gate means.