US 11,694,184 B2
Merchant terminal for receiving payment from a vehicle
Kristopher Keith Gaudin, Bloomington, IL (US); Leo Nelson Chan, Normal, IL (US); and Justin Davis, Normal, IL (US)
Assigned to STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY, Bloomington, IL (US)
Filed by STATE FARM MUTUAL AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE COMPANY, Bloomington, IL (US)
Filed on Sep. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/947,344.
Application 17/947,344 is a division of application No. 17/168,001, filed on Feb. 4, 2021.
Application 17/168,001 is a continuation of application No. 15/428,656, filed on Feb. 9, 2017, granted, now 10,949,830.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/362,152, filed on Jul. 14, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/360,015, filed on Jul. 8, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/295,596, filed on Feb. 16, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0019736 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. G06Q 20/32 (2012.01); G06Q 20/20 (2012.01); G06Q 20/40 (2012.01)
CPC G06Q 20/327 (2013.01) [G06Q 20/20 (2013.01); G06Q 20/322 (2013.01); G06Q 20/3221 (2013.01); G06Q 20/3226 (2013.01); G06Q 20/3278 (2013.01); G06Q 20/4012 (2013.01); G06Q 20/4014 (2013.01); G06Q 20/40145 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A merchant communication terminal for using an autonomous vehicle as an electronic payment device, the merchant communication terminal comprising:
one or more processors in a merchant communication terminal associated with a merchant;
a non-transitory computer-readable memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing thereon instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the merchant communication terminal to:
obtain identification information for an autonomous vehicle;
verify that the autonomous vehicle has not been reported stolen by communicating the identification information to a server for retrieving stolen vehicle records;
detect a triggering event indicating that the autonomous vehicle is within a predetermined range for communicating with the merchant communication terminal;
receive, via a short-range communication link, virtual account information for a virtual account associated with the autonomous vehicle;
receive and accept, via the short-range communication link, an input from the autonomous vehicle authorizing payment for fuel provided by the merchant;
direct a fuel pump to open a valve to provide fuel to the autonomous vehicle;
securely receive, via the short-range communication link, funds from the virtual account at a virtual account for the merchant; and
transmit, via the short-range communication link, a notification that electronic payment for the fuel has been accepted to facilitate the autonomous vehicle acting as a payment device.