Fill stations, cup dispensers and faucet clips configured for robotic interaction and associated methods and systems are disclosed herein. One disclosed system includes a robot with a visible light sensor and an end effector, a mechanical scale for weighing a vessel, and a visual flag translated by the mechanical scale. The visual flag is hidden when the vessel is below a target weight and is revealed when the vessel is above a target weight. The robot is programmed to detect the visual flag using the visible light sensor and disengage a dispenser of the fill station in response to the detecting of the visual flag.

Fill stations, cup dispensers and faucet clips configured for robotic interaction and associated methods and systems are disclosed herein. One disclosed system includes a robot with a visible light sensor and an end effector, a mechanical scale for weighing a vessel, and a visual flag translated by the mechanical scale. The visual flag is hidden when the vessel is below a target weight and is revealed when the vessel is above a target weight. The robot is programmed to detect the visual flag using the visible light sensor and disengage a dispenser of the fill station in response to the detecting of the visual flag.

A refuelling method having instructing a refuelling operator to dispense a quantity of fuel to, and maintaining, during dispensing of the fuel, at least intermittent, substantially real time communication with an officer responsible for the aircraft to advise the officer of the status of the refuelling process. A system having a refuelling module and an officer module, the refuelling module configured to receive instructions to dispense a quantity of fuel to an aircraft, an at least intermittent, substantially real time communications link being maintained between the refuelling module and the officer module during dispensing of fuel to the aircraft, the refuelling module being adapted to transmit to the officer module information relating to the status of the refuelling process, and the officer module being adapted to display to an output indicative of the status of the refuelling process. The method and system permits modification of the instruction during refuelling.

A refuelling method having instructing a refuelling operator to dispense a quantity of fuel to, and maintaining, during dispensing of the fuel, at least intermittent, substantially real time communication with an officer responsible for the aircraft to advise the officer of the status of the refuelling process. A system having a refuelling module and an officer module, the refuelling module configured to receive instructions to dispense a quantity of fuel to an aircraft, an at least intermittent, substantially real time communications link being maintained between the refuelling module and the officer module during dispensing of fuel to the aircraft, the refuelling module being adapted to transmit to the officer module information relating to the status of the refuelling process, and the officer module being adapted to display to an output indicative of the status of the refuelling process. The method and system permits modification of the instruction during refuelling.

A bottle insert for absorbing gas or humidity of a bottle, the bottle insert includes a neck adapted to fit against the inside of a neck of the bottle; a first chamber adapted for storing a first substance; a second chamber adapted for storing a second substance; and a permeable partition adapted to be located between an interior of the bottle and at least one of the first chamber and the second chamber.

An onboard apparatus, system, and method for automatically loading into or unloading from a bulk transport or other container and evaluating characteristics of a liquid during the loading or unloading, that dynamically monitors and evaluates characteristics of the flow, particularly density, which are used to determine other characteristics and values of the load, namely, presence of contaminants such as water, solids, out of specification conditions, etc. to enable accurately measuring volume, mass, and/or quality of the load, and optionally to automatically responsively perform certain operations, for example, to signal an operator, cease loading, segregate and/or return all or portions of the load, if contaminated or out of specification, and which facilitates control remotely, as well as for qualifying for government certification for custody transfer.

A fuel dispenser includes a fuel nozzle configured to be connected to a vehicle fuel system, fuel piping configured to transfer fuel from at least one fuel storage tank associated with the fuel dispenser through the fuel nozzle into the vehicle fuel system, and a fraud detection valve apparatus. The fraud detection valve apparatus includes a cutoff valve configured to selectively prevent flow of fuel, a flow sensor configured to sense a flow of fuel, and processing circuity. The processing circuitry is configured to receive an indication of flow of fuel through the fuel flow control valve apparatus, determine an authorization status, and in response to a determination of no authorization during flow, cause the cutoff valve apparatus to close.

This disclosure describes, in part, embodiments of a material dispenser configured to dispense material while tracking an amount of dispensed material and messaging to a user, in near-real-time, the amount of dispensed materials, a running cost of the dispensed materials, and/or the like. The material dispenser may include one or more weight sensors to track an amount of dispensed material and a display to indicate to a user a running amount of material that has been dispensed and a running cost to the user.

This disclosure describes, in part, embodiments of a material dispenser configured to dispense material while tracking an amount of dispensed material and messaging to a user, in near-real-time, the amount of dispensed materials, a running cost of the dispensed materials, and/or the like. The material dispenser may include one or more weight sensors to track an amount of dispensed material and a display to indicate to a user a running amount of material that has been dispensed and a running cost to the user.

A radio frequency identification (RFID) dispenser that includes low cost electronic components that can read and write to the tag of a refill cartridge. In one embodiment, the reader utilizes a multi band pass filter to convert the radio frequency identification into a digital signal that is processed by a controller to perform a dispensing function representative to the code of the tag. In another embodiment, the controller utilizes an internal comparator to convert the radio frequency identification into a digital signal that is processed by a controller to perform a dispensing function representative to the code of the tag. The dispenser in both embodiments also includes a pair of transistors that write to the RFID tag of the refill cartridge. A dispenser according to the invention also includes the capability to read and/or write to tags upon cartridges employed by the dispenser, and augmenting the operation of the dispenser as a function thereof. Additionally, a dispenser of variable size is presented that is adaptable, through adjustable partitions or a telescoping cup, to receive and maintain cartridges of various sizes.