Fuel additive dispensation method and apparatus

Abstract

One or more fuel additives ( 24, 25 ) are selected via a fuel additive selector ( 26 ) by an end user and automatically combined by a combiner ( 28 ) with a liquid fuel ( 21 ) upon dispensation into an end user's fuel container ( 42 ). In various embodiments the selector can provide information of various kinds to the end user regarding the available and/or selected fuel additives. In various embodiments the liquid fuel and fuel additive(s) are combined prior to introduction into the end user's fuel container and/or upon introduction to the end user's fuel container.

1 . A method comprising: 
 providing an end-user liquid fuel dispenser;    providing at least one fuel additive;    providing at least one selector operably coupled to the at least one fuel additive;    when the selector has been selected, dispensing a liquid fuel to an end-user which liquid fuel has been automatically combined with the at least one fuel additive responsive to the at least one selector.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein when the selector has not been selected, dispensing the liquid fuel to the end-user exclusive of the at least one fuel additive.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing an end-user liquid fuel dispenser comprises: 
 providing a plurality of liquid fuels;    providing a fuel selector operably coupled to the plurality of liquid fuels.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein dispensing a liquid fuel to an end-user which liquid fuel has been automatically combined with the at least one fuel additive further comprises dispensing a liquid fuel to an end-user as has been selected via the fuel selector, which liquid fuel has been automatically combined with the at least one fuel additive.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein dispensing a liquid fuel comprises dispensing at least one of: 
 gasoline;    diesel fuel;    a bio-diesel fuel;    kerosene;    propane;    hydrogen;    butane.    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing at least one fuel additive comprises providing at least one of: 
 an antioxidant;    a dispersant;    a cetane improver;    a combustion improver;    a detergent;    a fuel-borne catalyst;    a catalyst protector;    a catalytic converter poison scavenger;    a friction modifier;    a lubricity additive;    an octane improver;    a colorant;    a marker;    an identifying odor;    a mixture of any of an antioxidant, a dispersant, a cetane improver, a combustion improver, a detergent, a fuel-borne catalyst, a catalyst protector, a catalytic converter poison scavenger, a friction modifier, a lubricity additive, an octane improver, a colorant, a marker, and an identifying odor.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing at least one fuel additive comprises providing a plurality of fuel additives.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein providing a plurality of fuel additives comprises providing at least some fuel additives that differ from one another.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein providing at least some fuel additives that differ from one another comprises providing at least some fuel additives that differ from one another with respect to chemical content.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein providing at least some fuel additives that differ from one another comprises providing at least some fuel additives that differ from one another with respect to proportional chemical content.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing a selector comprises providing an end-user accessible selector.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing an end-user accessible selector comprises providing a user interface comprising at least one of: 
 a haptic interface;    an audio interface;    a wireless interface.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the haptic interface comprises at least one of: 
 at least one push button;    at least one toggle switch;    at least one rotatable device;    a touch sensitive display;    a keypad.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the audio interface comprises a speech recognizer.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the wireless interface comprises at least one of: 
 a radio frequency identification tag-based interface;    a radio frequency carrier receiver;    an optical carrier receiver;    an ultrasonic carrier receiver.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein providing a selector comprises providing at least one user-viewable indicia, which indicia corresponds to the at least one fuel additive.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein providing at least one user-viewable indicia comprises providing a depiction of a trademark, such that upon selection of the depiction of the trademark, a user thereby indicates selection of the corresponding at least one fuel additive.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1  and further comprising: 
 providing a second selector;    and wherein dispensing a liquid fuel to an end-user which liquid fuel has been combined with the at least one fuel additive further comprises combining the liquid fuel with an amount of the at least one fuel additive as a function, at least in part, of the second selector.    
     
     
         19 . An end-user fuel dispensing station comprising: 
 a supply of at least a first liquid fuel;    a supply of at least a first fuel additive;    a first fuel additive selector operably coupled to the supply of at least a first fuel additive;    an automatic combiner responsive to the first fuel additive selector and having: 
 an input operably coupled to the supply of at least the first liquid fuel and the supply of at least a first fuel additive;  
 a liquid fuel plus first fuel additive end-user dispensing output.  
   
     
     
         20 . The end-user fuel dispensing station of  claim 19  wherein the first liquid fuel comprises at least one of: 
 gasoline;    diesel fuel;    a bio-diesel fuel;    kerosene;    propane;    hydrogen;    butane.    
     
     
         21 . The end-user fuel dispensing station of  claim 19  and further comprising: 
 a supply of at least a second liquid fuel, which second liquid fuel is different from the first liquid fuel;    a liquid fuel selector operably coupled to the supply of at least the first liquid fuel and the supply of at least the second liquid fuel,    and wherein the automatic combiner input is further selectively coupled to the supply of the at least a first liquid fuel and the supply of the at least a second liquid fuel.    
     
     
         22 . The end-user fuel dispensing station of  claim 19  wherein the supply of at least a first fuel additive comprises a supply of at least one of: 
 an antioxidant;    a dispersant;    a cetane improver;    a combustion improver;    a detergent;    a fuel-borne catalyst;    a catalyst protector;    a catalytic converter poison scavenger;    a friction modifier;    a lubricity additive;    an octane improver;    a colorant;    a marker;    an identifying odor;    a mixture of any of an antioxidant, a dispersant, a cetane improver, a combustion improver, a detergent, a fuel-borne catalyst, a catalyst protector, a catalytic converter poison scavenger, a friction modifier, a lubricity additive, an octane improver, a colorant, a marker, and an identifying odor.    
     
     
         23 . The end-user fuel dispensing station of  claim 19  wherein the first fuel additive selector comprises an end-user accessible selector.  
     
     
         24 . The end-user fuel dispensing station of  claim 23  wherein the end-user accessible selector comprises at least one of: 
 a haptic interface;    an audio interface;    a wireless interface.    
     
     
         25 . The end-user fuel dispensing station of  claim 23  wherein the haptic interface comprises at least one of: 
 at least one push button;    at least one toggle switch;    at least one rotatable device;    a touch sensitive display;    a keypad.    
     
     
         26 . The end-user fuel dispensing station of  claim 23  wherein the audio interface comprises a speech recognizer.  
     
     
         27 . The end-user fuel dispensing station of  claim 23  wherein the wireless interface comprises at least one of: 
 a radio frequency identification tag-based interface;    a radio frequency carrier receiver;    an optical carrier receiver;    an ultrasonic carrier receiver.    
     
     
         28 . The end-user fuel dispensing station of  claim 19  wherein the first fuel additive selector comprises at least one user-viewable indicia, which indicia corresponds to the at least one fuel additive.  
     
     
         29 . The end-user fuel dispensing station of  claim 28  wherein the at least one user-viewable indicia comprises a depiction of a trademark, such that upon selection of the depiction of the trademark, a user thereby indicates selection of the corresponding at least one fuel additive.  
     
     
         30 . The end-user fuel dispensing station of  claim 19  wherein the first fuel additive selector comprises selection means for facilitating selection of at least one fuel additive to be automatically combined with a liquid fuel to be dispensed to an end user.  
     
     
         31 . The end-user fuel dispensing station of  claim 30  wherein the selection means facilitate selection of the at least one fuel additive by an end user.  
     
     
         32 . A method of dispensing any of a plurality of liquid fuels to an end user as mixed with such fuel additives as may be selected by the end user, comprising: 
 providing access to a plurality of liquid fuels;    providing access to at least one fuel additive;    providing a liquid fuel selection interface;    providing a fuel additive selection interface;    dispensing a selected liquid fuel to an end-user as selected by an end-user as a function, at least in part, of the liquid fuel selection interface, which selected liquid fuel has been automatically combined with a fuel additive as selected via the fuel additive selection interface.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32  wherein providing access to at least one fuel additive comprises providing access to a plurality of differing fuel additives.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32  and further comprising: 
 providing information to an end-user regarding selection of a fuel additive.    
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein providing information to an end-user regarding selection of a fuel additive comprises providing information as a function, at least in part, of the fuel additive selection interface.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein providing information comprises providing information regarding at least one of: 
 a price as corresponds to the fuel additive;    a benefit as corresponds to the fuel additive;    a caution as corresponds to the fuel additive;    a legal notice as corresponds to the fuel additive;    recommended usage as corresponds to the fuel additive.    
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34  wherein providing information comprises providing information via at least one of: 
 an active display;    a hard copy printout;    an audiblization.    
     
     
         38 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a liquid fuel supply input;    at least a first fuel additive input;    a first fuel additive selector operably coupled to the first fuel additive input;    an automatic combiner responsive to the first fuel additive selector and having: 
 an input operably coupled to the liquid fuel input and the first fuel additive input;  
 a liquid fuel and first fuel additive end-user dispensing output.  
   
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 38  wherein the liquid fuel supply input facilitates operable coupling to a supply of liquid fuel that comprises at least one of: 
 gasoline;    diesel fuel;    a bio-diesel fuel;    kerosene;    propane;    hydrogen;    butane.    
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 38  wherein the first fuel additive input facilitates operable coupling to a supply of fuel additive that comprises at least one of: 
 an antioxidant;    a dispersant;    a cetane improver;    a combustion improver;    a detergent;    a fuel-borne catalyst;    a catalyst protector;    a catalytic converter poison scavenger;    a friction modifier;    a lubricity additive;    an octane improver;    a colorant;    a marker;    an identifying odor;    a mixture of any of an antioxidant, a dispersant, a cetane improver, a combustion improver, a detergent, a fuel-borne catalyst, a catalyst protector, a catalytic converter poison scavenger, a friction modifier, a lubricity additive, an octane improver, a colorant, a marker, and an identifying odor.    
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 38  wherein the first fuel additive selector comprises an end-user accessible selector.  
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 41  wherein the end-user accessible selector comprises at least one of: 
 a haptic interface;    an audio interface;    a wireless interface.    
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 42  wherein the haptic interface comprises at least one of: 
 at least one push button;    at least one toggle switch;    at least one rotatable device;    a touch sensitive display;    a keypad.    
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 42  wherein the audio interface comprises a speech recognizer.  
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 42  wherein the wireless interface comprises at least one of: 
 a radio frequency identification tag-based interface;    a radio frequency carrier receiver;    an optical carrier receiver;    an ultrasonic carrier receiver.    
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 38  wherein the first fuel additive selector comprises at least one user-viewable indicia, which indicia corresponds to the at least one fuel additive.