WO2006005953A2

WO2006005953A2 - System and method for preventing mis-fuelling of vehicles at service stations

Info

Publication number: WO2006005953A2
Application number: PCT/GB2005/002748
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew Peter Ives; Raglan Horatio Andrew Harold Tribe
Original assignee: Andrew Peter Ives; Tribe Raglan Horatio Andrew Ha
Priority date: 2004-07-09
Filing date: 2005-07-11
Publication date: 2006-01-19
Also published as: GB2431632B; GB2431632A; GB0702451D0; WO2006005953A3

Abstract

A system is disclosed in which the operation of service station fore-court equipment, such as a fuel pump (6), is controlled in dependence on an image captured from the vehicle (4) desiring to use the equipment. A camera (8), for example, captures the number plate of the vehicle while at the pump (6), or upon entry into the fore-court area, and compares the number plate with a database of registered vehicle information to determine the type of fuel the vehicle requires. The operation of the pump is inhibited if the wrong fuel is selected, thereby avoiding mis-fuelling of the vehicle and the ensuing damage to the engine. Instead of the number plate, a sticker or other visible identifier may be used.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREVENTING MIS-FUELLING OF VEHICLES AT SERVICE STATIONS

Background

This invention relates to a method and system for preventing the mis-fuelling of vehicles with the incorrect type of fuel at fuel refilling service stations.

An increasing proportion of new cars appearing on the roads of the UK and mainland Europe are now fitted with diesel engines. As a consequence, petrol stations are organising their fuel pumps to supply both diesel fuel and petrol more conveniently from the same refuelling islands. In the past, when there were comparatively few diesel cars on the road, the diesel refuelling pump was very often to be found in a different, separate location on the petrol station forecourt, arranged primarily to support the refuelling of commercial vehicles and trucks. The result of changing this arrangement has been a significant increase in the incidence of the driver selecting the incorrect fuel nozzle from the pump island and refuelling his vehicle with the wrong type of fuel: either diesel fuel into a petrol vehicle or petrol into a diesel vehicle.

In the UK alone, the problem has reached significant proportions and it has been estimated by the motoring service organisations (AA, RAC, etc) that in excess of 120,000 drivers now fill the tank of their car with the wrong fuel every year, of which the majority are diesel cars filled with petrol. The cost and inconvenience of correcting this mistake is significant and can run into several hundred or even thousands of pounds for a car fitted with a modern diesel engine using the latest common rail or unit injector diesel injection systems, which are much less tolerant than earlier generations of diesel injection systems to any contamination of the diesel fuel with petrol. In addition, there is a significant environmental problem associated with the safe disposal of the very large volume of contaminated and unusable fuel.

This problem is likely to become worse, with the development of a new generation of vehicles that take a combination of petrol and ethanol as fuel. As the number of options of fuel available at fuelling stations increases, so too does the likelihood of introducing the wrong fuel into the vehicle.

We have therefore appreciated that it would be highly desirable to prevent or to inhibit the driver from refuelling a vehicle with the incorrect type of fuel whilst avoiding introducing undue cost, complexity or complications to the normally straightforward, well understood and simple process of refuelling the vehicle. A known vehicle identification system, described in US patent 5,605,182, for example, comprises a driver circuit located in the nozzle spout of a fuel hose. The driver circuit communicates with a vehicle transponder located adjacent a vehicle's fill pipe via a RF interrogation signal. The transponder, once energised by the interrogation signal, transmits a return signal containing vehicle identification codes and information such as fuel type. If the fuel type does not match that of the dispenser, then the dispenser is disabled to prevent accidental mis-fuelling of the vehicle.

US 6,374,868 on the other hand describes an adapter for fitting in the filler neck of a tank of a vehicle. The adapter prevents insertion of a fuel dispensing nozzle that does not match a pre-designated shape, thereby preventing dispensing from a dispenser containing fuel of the wrong type. Both of these systems however require modification of the vehicle so that it can communicate with a mechanical or electrical component coupled to the fuel dispenser. This is undesirable, as the necessary modifications result in additional expense and labour for the vehicle manufacturer or owner. This is especially true of transponders located in the vehicle which may require repair. Additionally, it is undesirable to have electronic components operating in proximity to the fuel being dispensed, as there is a risk of the fuel igniting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is defined in the independent claims to which reference should now be made. Advantageous features are set forth in the appendant claims.

The preferred system allows the operation of service station fore-court equipment, such as a fuel pump, to be controlled in dependence on an image captured from the vehicle desiring to use the equipment. A camera, for example, captures the number plate of the vehicle while at the pump, or upon entry into the fore-court area, and compares the number plate with a database of registered vehicle information to determine the type of fuel the vehicle requires. The operation of the pump is inhibited if the wrong fuel is selected, thereby avoiding mis- fuelling of the vehicle and the ensuing damage to the engine. Instead of the number plate, a sticker or other visible identifier may be used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, and with respect to the drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 illustrates the embodiment of figure 1 in more detail; Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of camera-based means for vehicle number plate recognition in order to establish the vehicle fuel type;

Figure 4 illustrates the possible camera/number plate viewpoint variances that must be accommodated prior to character recognition of the registration number;

Figure 5 is a state diagram for the pump controller and a flowchart illustrating the control signals for the pump controller to prevent the mis-fuelling of a road vehicle; Figure 6 illustrates a preferred database architecture; and

Figure 7 illustrates a sticker arrangement for use in a preferred embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The preferred system uses the combination of camera based vehicle identification or recognition means installed at the fuel refilling service stations and database means, such as a lookup table for example, containing information about the preferred type of fuel that should be used by that type of vehicle or that particular vehicle. Automatic Number Plate Recognition Systems are now commonly installed at fuel refilling service stations for security and theft detection purposes and Pump Management Systems are also employed to control the activation of the refuelling pump under the control of the operator at the station kiosk. With the addition of a computer database record of the type of fuel required by the vehicle seeking to be refuelled and comparison with the refuelling nozzle selected by the driver or refuelling operative, the kiosk operator or the Pump Management System can be instructed to inhibit the refuelling to take place if the wrong fuel nozzle has been selected for the vehicle in question. Rather than merely inhibit the control of the pump, the pump could also be controlled to automatically deliver the correct fuel.

An advantage of this system is that the owner or driver of the vehicle is free to choose to register the information about the preferred fuel required for the type of vehicle at any time in the life of the vehicle. Once the information is entered into the computer database then each time the vehicle visits the refuelling station the driver will be protected from refilling the vehicle with the wrong fuel regardless of which pump or isle is chosen.

A further advantage of this system is that other refuelling stations, for example those belonging to a group or chain of refuelling stations, can access the same database and thus provide equivalent protection against mis-fuelling across a number of refuelling stations.

A further advantage of this system is that no expensive or complex equipment is required to be fitted to the vehicle. All that is required is that the vehicle type is identified by either: a. the use of a simple vehicle sticker suitably located on the vehicle for easy recognition by the forecourt camera^' system or b. the registration number which is read and recognised by the camera based Automatic Number Plate Recognition System. A further advantage of the system is that it can be easily incorporated into existing camera based Automatic ■ Number Plate Recognition Systems as an extra feature for the suppliers of such systems to offer to the refuelling stations as a way of enhancing the service to their customers and thereby engendering increased customer loyalty.

A further advantage of the system is to add a further means of recapturing stolen vehicles. In the event of a vehicle registered into the system being stolen and the owner reporting it then the system could be immediately instructed to prevent any refuelling of that vehicle at any of the refuelling stations linked to the system.

A further advantage of the system is the application to other garage forecourt equipment where the control could be refined due to specific knowledge of the vehicle's properties. Again the vehicle properties can be retrieved from the database from the vehicle identification index key. In this way, knowledge of the tyre pressures could be applied to the tyre inflation pump to provide a convenient cut-off when the tyre has reached recommended pressure. Alternatively, knowledge about the vehicle's dimensions could be used to optimise the control of the car wash. Figure 1, to which reference should now be made, schematically illustrates an overview of the preferred system 2. A vehicle 4 pulls up at garage forecourt equipment 6 and is inspected by a vehicle monitoring system 8, arranged to identify pre-determined relevant properties of the vehicle. These properties are then used by the equipment controller 10, to customise the control of the garage equipment 6 in an optimal way for the specific vehicle 4, in particular to prevent mis-fuelling of the vehicle with the wrong fuel. A security aspect may also be built in to the system, so that vehicles which are deemed not valid, ie: stolen vehicles, are prevented from re-fuelling. The vehicle monitoring system 8 and the equipment controller 10 together form a control system 12.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is depicted in more detail in figure 2, to which reference should now be made.

The vehicle monitoring system 8 preferably comprises a video camera arranged to detect the vehicle number plate of a vehicle 4 that has drawn close to garage forecourt equipment, such as fuel pump 14. The camera is preferably therefore sensitive to an appropriate wavelength of light such as visible light or near infra- red. The number plate provides a unique identifier for the vehicle, which is used by the control system 12 to look up the vehicle fuel type in a database 16. The database 16 stores at least the required fuel type for each vehicle number plate registered, and preferably also a validity indicator specifying whether the vehicle should be refuelled. The database is preferably accessible on-line.

Equipment controller 10 is arranged to receive a signal from the fuel pump 14 indicating which fuel has been selected by the driver of the vehicle. The signal may be generated automatically when a fuel dispensing nozzle has been taken out of the fuel dispenser housing, or when the driver presses a button to select the type of fuel desired. The result of the look-up operation in database 16 is also passed to the equipment controller 10. The equipment controller 10 comprises a comparator which compares the fuel type registered in the database to the fuel nozzle selected from the fuel pump 14. If the registered fuel type and the fuel selected match, then the fuel pump inhibit can be released leaving the pump active for normal operator fuelling. However, if a different fuel has been selected by the operator, then the pump remains inhibited thus preventing vehicle fuelling.

Such systems for receiving signals indicating a selected fuel and for inhibiting the operation of a fuel dispenser are well known and shall not be described in detail here. UK patent application GB 2,365,412, for example, discloses a similar arrangement of camera, database and equipment controller for preventing the release of fuel from pumps, when persons owing motor related fees attempt to obtain fuel.

The equipment controller is also arranged to be in communication with a computer system in the kiosk 18 of the forecourt. The kiosk system is configured to perform various functions such as adding vehicle registrations to the database 16, and overriding inhibited fuel dispensers in certain circumstances. These will be described in more detail later.

The power and convenience of the preferred embodiment relies on the effectiveness of the automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) illustrated in Figure 3. ANPR is a fast evolving technology that is enabling many traffic security applications. A robust ANPR implementation is very important, as there are large variations in lighting, obscuration by dirt, damage, exhaust, passing vehicles and pedestrians and variances due to the camera/vehicle number plate viewpoint geometry. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, conditions such as dirt on the number plate may actually be detected deliberately by the ANPR system and notified to the driver so that they can be addressed. Image capture devices, such as a camera, are preferred as they do not need to be operated by the driver of the vehicle. US 6,213,393 for example discloses a bar code refuelling system which ensures that only those vehicles having a special bar code label may be refuelled by a dispenser. A display terminal of the system prompts the driver to scan the vehicle bar code by a bar code scanner gun, or wand. If the vehicle ID is determined to be valid, the system activates the pump motor.

Such a system places an additional burden on the driver refuelling the vehicle, and may therefore be unpopular with the drivers themselves, and with service station operators who have to provide the bar code readers for the drivers use. The image capture device therefore provides a distinct advantage in ease of use and reliability of the system.

Preferably, the video camera making up part of the ANPR system is first configured so that it can accurately detect a vehicle or fuel identifier such as a number plate of a fuel sticker. In order to do this, a visible test pattern is added to a location near a refuelling station to provide way of. -configuring the camera -for use. The location may be on the ground of the forecourt adjacent a refuelling station, or on the housing of a refuelling station itself. In any case, it is preferred if the test pattern is located somewhere in the field of the camera during its normal use, so that if re- calibration is required it can be easily carried out. In known fashion, the visible test pattern provides a subject for the camera to detect, which by angling and focussing the camera to satisfactorily detect the pattern allows number plates or other predetermined identifiers to be detected with a reasonable degree of certainty. Additionally, it is preferred that the video capture device has a facility for determining when the camera lens is dirty. This may involve the camera recording the occasions when it cannot accurately detect a fuel identifier. If this happens in a number of instances, the camera itself is likely to be at fault.

Figure 3 shows the key stages for extracting the number plate number from the image produced by camera 8. The camera frequency is tuned for the highly reflective number plate surface and colour. In some cases the implementation can be refined with the addition of near infra-red illumination. In step Sl, the camera digitally captures an image and dynamically conditions the signal for the best signal to noise ratio. In step S2, the digital image is then band-pass filtered at a spatial frequency band that is optimised for the range and number plate edge characteristics. Processing step S2 also filters and thresholds the image to filter out common noise effects and, traces the edges to form edge vectors. Next, S3 applies an a priori number plate model to extract candidate number plates from the image in order of likelihood.

Processing step S4 performs an inverse perspective transform of the edge vectors according to the most likely number plate match to remove variations due to camera viewpoint geometry. Figure 4 depicts and demonstrates some of these affine transformations to remove the effects of scaling 20, rotation 22, pitch 24 and skew 26 of the number plate 28 with respect to the camera.

Referring back to Figure 3, following step S4, the edge vectors are properly presented to the optical character recognition algorithm for number extraction in step S5. A check is then made to determine if the number is clear in step S6. This can be achieved by attempting to match the elements of the number to alpha numeric characters and by determining the certainty that each element can be matched to a single alpha numeric character. If the number is not clear, then the previous steps are repeated starting with the grabbing of a new image from the camera in step Sl. If the number in S6 is clear, judged by the certainty exceeding a pre-determined threshold, then in step S7 a check is made to see if the detected number has changed since the last time a number was grabbed by the camera. In the preferred embodiment, images are being grabbed and processed continuously, such that the number changing signifies the arrival of a new vehicle. Thus, when a new number is detected, the system looks up the new vehicle in the database 16 in step S8. If the vehicle is found in database 16, then the fuel type is sent to the pump controller 10 in step SlO. If the number is not found in the database, then the number plate details are sent to the kiosk 18 should the car owner wish to register with the system.

Thus, new vehicles that are unregistered with the database 16 can be invited to join at the kiosk 18. A simple confirmation from the driver is all that is required for the system to associate the vehicle number plate with the driver selected fuel type for future purposes. The driver selected fuel information can be fed back from the equipment or pump controller 10. Online central databases can then be used to relay this information to all garages operating within the scheme. The database can be configured to include information such as the vehicle owner's preferred brand of oil, windscreen wiper blades or other vehicle accessories. The vehicle owner can then easily purchase such accessories for their vehicle. In some cases, the driver may wish to fuel a spare fuel tank for other purposes. This may involve different fuel to that which is registered. In such a case, the driver can request a system override from the kiosk system 18 operator to manually lift the pump inhibit. The override could also be signalled to the camera system 8 by other signals, such as leaving the vehicle lights switched on, hazard warning lights or the windscreen heater which would be easily detectable for infra-red camera systems.

Figure 5 is a pump control state diagram and flowchart illustrating in more detail operation of the pumps. In step SlO, the fuel type, vehicle validity indicator and nozzle selection are compared according to the Boolean expression: "nozzle selection = fuel type AND valid". If this condition is true then the pump inhibit is released as the driver has selected the correct nozzle, otherwise, the pump remains inhibited. This may be because the wrong fuel has been selected, or because the vehicle is marked as invalid.

In SIl the kiosk can override the pump inhibit if required by the driver under exceptional circumstances. The override can also be triggered by the driver indicated means signified earlier. The pump control logic signifying normal fuel pump operation and interlocks is represented by steps S12 "Pump Inhibited", S13 "Pump Ready" and S14 "Pump Fuelling".

The database architecture is shown in Figure 6. Vehicle record 30 illustrates the fields that relate the vehicle identity to the fuel type, namely the vehicle_ID or number plate, the fuel type, and the validity indicator "security status". It will be appreciated that the system describe above need not be limited to vehicle fuelling. The equipment controller 10 in Figure 1 for example could be arranged to control tyre pressure pumps to cut out at the correct tyre pressure for the vehicle 4 or to control the optimisation of an automatic car wash for the specific dimensions of the vehicle 4.

Optional fields are also shown in record 30 therefore, describing operational parameters for the vehicle, such as tyre-pressure, and vehicle dimensions, as well as market data. Additionally, information about vehicle oil types or any other vehicle merchandise could be included so that the kiosk operator can recommend the correct products if needed whilst shopping in the kiosk. Owner record 32 is associated with each vehicle record to store information about the owner. This may be used for payment or security purposes. The owner record 32 may be associated with a number of vehicle records and vice versa. In particular, a field may be provided in the database for recordal of a payment method such as a credit card number. Thus, the driver could pay for dispensed fuel automatically where he has specified a preferred credit card for payment. Preferably though, a security check is made on payment, such as the entry of a pin number, or by detecting biometric information of the driver on payment at the pump.

The records are stored in database server 34 which could be located locally to the forecourt or remotely. A web server 36 is provided allowing access to the database server through the internet. The web server is preferred as it allows the most flexible access through the internet connections 38. Preferably, the database system provides for a number of user roles, by which users can interact with the control system. Dedicated systems 40 to 48 may be provided for each user role. Typical user roles are enabled by the fleet operator system 40, the driver system 42, the authorities system 44, the administrators system 46 and the forecourt system 48. Each role has a different level of security access with a password and user details shown in user record 32. Driver access is optional, but maybe required so that the driver can inspect their records for compliance with data protection regulations. Fleet operators may be allowed access to update their fleet details. This will be useful for hire car companies as it will allow them to update their whole fleets, saving drivers the inconvenience of mis-fuelling a hire car.

Access by the authorities preferably has a very high level of security and can be used for disabling fuelling for stolen vehicles or for criminal investigations. The forecourt access enables the system to automatically check the fuel type for pump control and also allow the kiosk operator to gain access for registering new driver and vehicle details at the checkout. Most of the data entry is automatic, as the system already knows the vehicle number plate and the fuel type from the nozzle selection.

Lastly, the web administrator access is required for maintenance tasks such as backup and also for controlling electronic commerce activities. Electronic commerce payment for transaction charges and vehicle registration is one way of covering the database management costs in a convenient way for the users.

In addition to web server 36, an alternative level of access is provided through a local area network (LAN) 50. The LAN connects with the database through dedicated network server 52. This offers a higher degree of security for the secure users such as the authorities or administrators. In some applications, it may be undesirable to have the online database 16 described in Figures 2 and 5 due to slow speed, lack of connectivity or driver privacy concerns. Figure 7 shows an arrangement for an alternative embodiment in which the database is not required. In this case, the driver displays a fuel type sticker 60 that is easily detectable by the camera system 8. The sticker has a distinctive pattern, examples of which are shown as 62. Alternatively, the sticker can be a strip 64 that is situated on the number plate. The sticker may have fluorescing properties at a wavelength for easy camera detection or they can be compatibly coloured with a camera colour filter. Obviously, this approach requires no registration or database and the stickers could be sold at the kiosk. Stickers of this kind are advantageous as they are extremely simple to use. They require no database 16 of vehicle details to be maintained, and yet require no mechanical modification of the vehicle. Thus, the database 16 may be omitted in this alternative embodiment giving a saving on cost and time necessary maintaining the data. Additionally, there are loyalty scheme opportunities if stickers are made retailer specific. This would engender a driver mindset that it may be safer to refuel at the retailer whose camera system is tuned to recognise the particular sticker, rather than call into a different retailer.

Although, the camera system has been described as capturing an image of the number plate when the vehicle is located close to forecourt equipment such as a fuel dispenser, it will be appreciated that in the case of garages with small forecourts this may not be possible. The camera may not have line of sight visibility of the number plate when the vehicle is parked at an island. Thus, in an alternative embodiment the camera is positioned to read the number plate or sticker at the entrance to the forecourt. A coarser vehicle tracking system, comprising a similar arrangement of cameras, and processing steps, is then provided to track the vehicle to a fuel dispenser.

It will be appreciated that in garage forecourts with a high through-flow of customer traffic, the vehicle monitoring system may occasionally detect a number plate or a fuel type sticker of a vehicle that is not refuelling. It is also possible that more than one number plate of fuel type sticker be detected simultaneously as different vehicles come into the field of view of the camera. Such occurrences can confuse an ANPR system that is constantly capturing images to search for vehicle identifiers. Preferably therefore the vehicle monitoring system near the fuel pump is arranged to detect when a vehicle is stationary at the pump, and only then operate the ANPR system. For example, the removal of a fuel hose from the dispenser, triggering the "Pump Ready" state of S13 in Figure 5, could be used as an indicator that a vehicle has stopped by the dispenser and is now stationary. Activating the ANPR system in dependence on such a signal from the dispenser has been found to improve the efficiency of the capturing process. Any vehicle operator interaction with the fuel dispenser could be taken as a signal to activate the ANPR.

Alternatively, the ANPR system could be adapted or expanded to include a motion tracking portion. A vehicle moving into the field of the camera and then coming to a halt by the dispenser could therefore be recognised and distinguished from a vehicle merely passing through. In alternative embodiments of the invention, the video camera provided as part of the ANPR system is adapted to provide additional services to the driver of a vehicle. This involves detecting a vehicle condition that might require attention from the vehicle operator, if the vehicle is to remain roadworthy. For example, the presence of dirt on the number plate of a vehicle may prevent the ANPR system from detecting and other road users from reading the number plate correctly. Preferably therefore, failure of the ANPR to correctly identify a number plate triggers a signal to a notification system preferably provided in the kiosk. Failure to identify a number plate is distinguished from a mere absence of a number plate when the ANPR system can match several numbers or letters but not all of them. Additionally, the detection of number like or letter like shapes could also be used to indicate that what is being viewed is a dirt covered or broken number plate. The detection of the number plate can also be carried out by detecting in the image a portion that corresponds to the location where the number plate should be. This can be determined employing edge detection of the car. If the failure to detect a number plate is combined with a system that detects when a vehicle is stationary at the pumps then it is straightforward to identify such failures. Thus, when the driver pays for his fuel in the kiosk, the service attendant can notify him of the possible problem with dirt on the registration plates. Where payment facilities are provided at the pumps, then the notification can take place through an indicator on the pump itself.

This system can also be used to detect other potential problems with the vehicle, such as failed or malfunctioning front or rear lights. Detecting lights in night time conditions could be carried out automatically by suitably arranged cameras. If the camera detects that one or more lights are not working by processing a captured image of the vehicle, a suitable signal can again be sent to the kiosk or to the refuelling station to warn the driver. In daytime conditions, the light detection system could be arranged to be triggered by the user turning his lights on, or flashing his lights a predetermined number of times. The vehicle monitoring system can be arranged to detect the flashing of the lights as an indication that the lights are to be tested, and to use the same flashing of lights to detect whether or not they are working. This system is particularly useful for detecting whether brake lights have failed. In this case, a driver may signal that he wished to test his brake lights by flashing his front lights, and then applying the brakes to activate the brake lights. This system could also be used to check whether the lights are dirty, as a dirty light would appear similar to a failed light.

Furthermore, the database could be arranged to store the date on which the vehicle was last serviced, and notify the driver of the vehicle when it becomes necessary to service the vehicle again. In this case, the system preferably detects the number plate of the vehicle, and based on the length of time since the last servicing, and the detected number plate, notifies the driver accordingly. The use of the database in the preferred embodiment described above also provides a large number of commercial opportunities. For example, in addition to recording the required fuel type fuel for a vehicle in the database, a vehicle operator may choose to register a preferred grade of fuel. This would allow a vehicle operator to ensure that his vehicle is always refuelled with a premium grade of fuel where this is available, the standard fuel pump being locked unless the control mechanism is overridden by the operator. Where premium grade fuel is not available, the vehicle operator would be notified and standard fuel made available as an alternative. Such preferences may also allow a driver to register a preference for Bio fuels. The database could also be used to target commercial messages to drivers on the basis of the vehicle they drive into the service station. The vehicle type may for example be stored in the database and looked up when the ANPR system detects a number plate. In more sophisticated systems, the video capture system may be trained to recognise vehicle outlines and determine the type of vehicle automatically. Once the vehicle type has been detected, commercial messages may be displayed on screens either in the kiosk, or elsewhere, to advertise products related to the detected vehicle, or of likely interest to the driver. Commercial messages could also be targeted to drivers by storing in the database the history of products purchased by the driver in the kiosk over time. Fuel cards or other loyalty schemes could also be operated on this principle, based on the detection of the number plate of the vehicle.

Thus, a system has been described in which mis- fuelling of a vehicle can be prevented. The image capture device that is used, such as a camera located to capture an image of a car number plate when it is entering the service station forecourt, or when it is parked at a pump, and its coupling to a controller of the forecourt equipment mean that the driver of the vehicle has to take no additional steps to ensure that refuelling occurs successfully, or to ensure that the forecourt equipment being used is optimised to his vehicle.

Although a controller that operates solely in conjunction with the image capture device is preferred, it will be understood that alternate embodiments of the invention may include a human operator in the kiosk choosing to manually control the pumps. In this case, the controller may comprise a control panel situated in the kiosk having an indicator panel. Thus if the driver selects the wrong fuel, the kiosk operator is notified via the indicator panel, and may shut the pump down via the control panel to prevent mis-fuelling occurring. Additionally, in an alternative embodiment, the controller may be excluded in favour of an indicator at the refuelling station that notifies the vehicle operator that they are possibly mis-fuelling their vehicle. This is realised with the ANPR system operating in conjunction with the database and an indicator device or alarm located at the refuelling station or pump. The notification may take the form of a verbal message, or other sound based signal or light display for example.

Claims

1. A system for preventing the incorrect fuelling of a vehicle, the system comprising: an image capture device, arranged to capture an image of a fuel indicator disposed on the vehicle, the fuel indicator indicating a desired fuel for the vehicle; a controller arranged to control a fuelling station in dependence on the captured image, such that fuels other than that indicated by the fuel indicator cannot be dispensed from the fuelling station.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the fuel indicator is the number plate of the vehicle.

3. A system according to claim 2, comprising a lookup table, arranged to store at least a number plate and the desired fuel for refuelling the vehicle having that number plate, and wherein the controller is arranged to lookup the desired fuel type in the lookup table and control the fuelling station in dependence on the result.

4. A system according to claim 3, comprising input means for the lookup table, the input means being coupled to the image capture device such that the number plates of vehicles not yet listed in the lookup table are automatically stored in the lookup table on capture by the image capture device.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein the input means are located at a payment station, such that when the vehicle operator pays for fuel dispensed from the fuelling station, he can be invited to register his details in the lookup table.

6. A system according to claim 3, wherein the controller is further arranged to control the operation of a tyre inflation device and a vehicle washing device, and the lookup table is arranged to store one or more of the tyre pressure and vehicle dimensions for the vehicle, such that the operation of a tyre inflation device or of a vehicle washing device can be optimised.

7. A system according to claim 3, wherein the lookup table is operable to store a validity indicator for the vehicle, indicating whether it is to be refuelled or not, and wherein the controller is operable to control the fuelling station in dependence on the validity indicator.

8. A system according to any previous claim wherein the controller can be disabled allowing a vehicle operator to refuel the vehicle or a spare fuel tank with any fuel selected from the refuelling station.

9. A system according to any preceding claim wherein the image capture device is located in the fore¬ court of a vehicle service station.

10. A system according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the image capture device is positioned to capture an image when the vehicle is at the refuelling station.

11. A system according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the image capture device is positioned to capture an image when the vehicle enters the fore-court of the vehicle service station, and wherein the system comprises a vehicle tracking device for tracking the vehicle to a refuelling station.

12. A system according to any preceding claim wherein the controller is arranged to inhibit the operation of the refuelling station when a fuel other than that indicated is selected.

13. A system according to any preceding claim wherein the fuel indicator is a predetermined sticker or label applied to the vehicle.

14. A system according to any preceding claim, comprising a sensor for detecting whether the vehicle is stationary at the refuelling station, and wherein the image capture device is operated to capture an image of a fuel indicator only when the vehicle is stationary.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein the sensor is operable to detect an operator interaction with the refuelling station as an indication that the vehicle is stationary.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein the sensor is operable to detect when an operator has removed the fuel hose from the refuelling station.

17. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the image capture device is arranged to detect from a series of captured images whether the vehicle is stationary at the refuelling station, and to operate to capture an image of a fuel indicator only when the vehicle is stationary.

18. A system according to claim 2, wherein the image capture device is arranged to signal to a vehicle operator that a number plate could not be detected.

19. A system for notifying a vehicle operator of a vehicle condition requiring attention, the system comprising: an image capture device, arranged to capture an image of a vehicle exterior; a controller arranged to process the image and make a determination of a vehicle condition based on the image; an indicator, coupled to the controller for notifying the vehicle operator when the controller determines that there is a vehicle condition that requires attention.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the image capture device is arranged to capture an image of a vehicle in the forecourt of a service station.

21. A system according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the controller is arranged to detect in the captured image, one or more portions corresponding to the lights of the vehicle, and to operate the indicator if the image indicates that there is an impairment in the vehicle light.

22. A system according to claim 19, 20 or 21, wherein the controller is arranged to operate the indicator if a vehicle light is obscured or if the bulb is not lit.

23. A system according to any of claims 19 to 22, wherein the image capture device is arranged to be responsive to the vehicle driver flashing the lights of the vehicle.

24. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the controller is arranged to determine from the image of the vehicle exterior the vehicle registration number.

25. A system according to claim 24, wherein the controller is arranged to determine a portion of the image corresponding to a vehicle number plate.

26. A system according to claim 23 or 25, wherein the controller operates the indicator if the vehicle registration number cannot be determined from the image.

27. A system according to any of claims 23 to 25, comprising a database indicating for each vehicle the date the vehicle was last serviced, and wherein the controller is arranged to operate the indicator on the basis of the vehicle registration number and the time since the last service.

28. A method of preventing the incorrect fuelling of a vehicle, the system comprising: operating an image capture device to capture an image of a fuel indicator disposed on the vehicle, the fuel indicator indicating a desired fuel for the vehicle; controlling a fuelling station in dependence on the captured image, such that fuels other than that indicated by the fuel indicator cannot be dispensed from the fuelling station.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein the fuel indicator is the number plate of the vehicle.

30. A method according to claim 29, comprising: providing a lookup table; and storing in the lookup table at least a number plate and the desired fuel for refuelling the vehicle having that number plate; and wherein the controlling step comprises looking up the desired fuel type in the lookup table and controlling the fuelling station in dependence on the result.

31. A method according to claim 30, comprising automatically storing in the lookup table the number plates of vehicles not yet listed, when the number plate is captured by the image capture device.

32. A method according to claim 31, comprising: providing input means at a payment station; requesting via the input means, when the vehicle operator pays for fuel dispensed from the fuelling station at the payment station, that he register his details in the lookup table.

33. A method according to claim 30, comprising: storing in the lookup table one or more of the tyre pressure and vehicle dimensions for the vehicle; controlling the operation of a tyre inflation device and a vehicle washing device, such that the operation of the tyre inflation device, or of the vehicle washing device can be optimised.

34. A method according to claim 30, comprising storing a validity indicator for the vehicle, indicating whether it is to be refuelled or not; and the controlling step comprises controlling the fuelling operation on dependence on the validity indicator.

35. A method according to comprising disabling the controller to allow a vehicle operator to refuel the vehicle or a spare fuel tank with any fuel selected from the refuelling station.

36. A method according to any of claims 28 to 35, wherein the image capture device is located in the fore¬ court of a vehicle service station.

37. A method according to any of claims 28 to 36, wherein the image capture device is positioned to capture an image when the vehicle is at the refuelling station.

38. A method according to any of claims 28 to 37, wherein the image capture device is positioned to capture an image when the vehicle enters the fore-court of the vehicle service station, and the method comprises ^■ operating a vehicle tracking device to track the vehicle to a refuelling station.

39. A method according to any of claims 28 to 38, wherein the controller step comprises inhibiting the operation of the refuelling station when a fuel other than that indicated is selected.

40. A method according to any of claims 28 to 39 wherein the fuel indicator is a predetermined sticker or label applied to the vehicle.

41. A system for controlling the operation of forecourt equipment, comprising: an image capture device, arranged to capture an image of a vehicle identifier on a vehicle that has entered the forecourt; a database comprising information describing one or more operational parameters of a vehicle associated with the vehicle identifier; a controller arranged to control the forecourt equipment in dependence on the captured image, such that the operation of the forecourt equipment is optimised according to the operational parameters of the vehicle.

42. A system according to claim 41, wherein the forecourt equipment is a vehicle washing apparatus, and the information stored in the database and associated with the vehicle includes the dimensions of the vehicle.

43. A system according to claim 42, wherein the information further includes an identifier of the type of paint used on the vehicle.

44. A system according to claim 41, wherein the fore-court equipment is a tyre inflation device, and the information stored in the database is the desired tyre pressure for that vehicle.

45. A vehicle operator notification system for warning of the mis-fuelling of a vehicle, the system comprising: an image capture device, arranged to capture an image of a fuel indicator disposed on the vehicle, the fuel indicator indicating a desired fuel for the vehicle; an alarm arranged to operate in dependence on the captured image, when a fuel other than that indicated by the fuel indicator has been selected for dispensing from the fuelling station.