Controlling provision of a set of utilities by a financial institution. The method includes receiving, by a processor of a financial institution computing system associated with a financial institution, utility usage information from a set of utility meters associated with a plurality of customers of the utility company. The method includes determining a utility account balance for a customer of the plurality of customers based at least in part by an aggregate amount of utility usage used by the plurality of customers for a billing cycle by aggregating the received utility usage information for the billing cycle. The method includes determining that the utility account balance exceeds a threshold permitted past due amount. The method includes sending a stop signal to a utility meter associated with the customer, the stop signal instructing the utility meter to cut off provision of the utility to a property serviced by the utility meter.

A utility meter has a multiprocessor architecture including (i) a microprocessing unit (MPU) for executing multiple software applications and (ii) another processing unit for performing core metrology functions in real time. For instance, the utility meter includes a metrology engine, an MPU, and one or more metrology applications. The metrology engine measures consumption of a resource and generates consumption data based on the consumption of the resource. The metrology engine includes a metrology processor, a dedicated memory, and a real-time operating system run by the metrology processor to enable the metrology engine to run time-critical metrology functions in real time. The MPU is coupled to the metrology processor and includes one or more processor cores. The MPU runs the one or more metrology applications over a primary operating system of the MPU, and the one or more metrology applications utilize the consumption data.

Systems, devices, and methods for associating vehicle identification information with other visually captured information are provided. In general, a system can include a processor configured to receive an image from a camera located at a fueling station. The processor can be configured to apply an algorithm to extract various features from the image, such as a vehicle that is present in the image, facial features of a driver and/or a passenger of the vehicle, or a license plate of the vehicle. The features can be used by the processor to determine information from the features, such as the identity of the driver, the make/model of the vehicle, or an owner of the vehicle. The processor can then, based on the determined information, be configured to take a variety of actions and thereby reduce the likelihood of possible future losses associated with the vehicles or individuals present in the image.

Systems, devices, and methods for associating vehicle identification information with other visually captured information are provided. In general, a system can include a processor configured to receive an image from a camera located at a fueling station. The processor can be configured to apply an algorithm to extract various features from the image, such as a vehicle that is present in the image, facial features of a driver and/or a passenger of the vehicle, or a license plate of the vehicle. The features can be used by the processor to determine information from the features, such as the identity of the driver, the make/model of the vehicle, or an owner of the vehicle. The processor can then, based on the determined information, be configured to take a variety of actions and thereby reduce the likelihood of possible future losses associated with the vehicles or individuals present in the image.

The disclosed technology relates to Spend Limit Systems for gas-station refuel transactions. An exemplary system may receive vehicle information identifying a customer's vehicle and identify associated vehicle characteristics (e.g., gas tank size). The system may identify a known gas-station transaction geographic region for the customer. When the customer (or a fraudster) attempts to purchase gas, the system may receive a transaction request and, in response, set a single transaction limit sufficient to fill the gas tank size with gas and an associated spend limit. The system may also determine whether the merchant location falls within the known gas-station transaction geographic region. When it does, the system may approve the transaction request up to the spend limit. Otherwise, the system may perform one or more fraud prevention actions to authenticate the customer and either approve or deny the transaction request up to the spend limit and/or selectively perform fraud mitigation action(s).

The disclosed technology relates to Spend Limit Systems for gas-station refuel transactions. An exemplary system may receive vehicle information identifying a customer's vehicle and identify associated vehicle characteristics (e.g., gas tank size). The system may identify a known gas-station transaction geographic region for the customer. When the customer (or a fraudster) attempts to purchase gas, the system may receive a transaction request and, in response, set a single transaction limit sufficient to fill the gas tank size with gas and an associated spend limit. The system may also determine whether the merchant location falls within the known gas-station transaction geographic region. When it does, the system may approve the transaction request up to the spend limit. Otherwise, the system may perform one or more fraud prevention actions to authenticate the customer and either approve or deny the transaction request up to the spend limit and/or selectively perform fraud mitigation action(s).

In some examples, a method of manufacturing a densified wood transaction instrument includes boiling a sheet of wood in a chemical solution, compressing the boiled sheet of wood using a die in a press to form one or more features in the sheet of wood, during the compressing of the boiled sheet of wood, heating the boiled sheet of wood to create a sheet of densified wood, and attaching one or more payment elements to at least one of the one or more features formed in the sheet of densified wood to form a sheet of one or more densified wood transaction instruments.

Controlling provision of a set of utilities by a financial institution. The method includes receiving, by a processor of a financial institution computing system associated with a financial institution, utility usage information from a set of utility meters associated with a plurality of customers of the utility company. The method includes determining a utility account balance for a customer of the plurality of customers based at least in part by an aggregate amount of utility usage used by the plurality of customers for a billing cycle by aggregating the received utility usage information for the billing cycle. The method includes determining that the utility account balance exceeds a threshold permitted past due amount. The method includes sending a stop signal to a utility meter associated with the customer, the stop signal instructing the utility meter to cut off provision of the utility to a property serviced by the utility meter.

A system for operating an electric-vehicle charging station is proposed. The system is capable of preventing a general vehicle other than an electric vehicle from being parked in a parking station where the charging module for charging the electric vehicle is installed, preventing an electric vehicle from being parked in a charging station at a higher level than necessary, and eliminating the need for the driver of a subsequent vehicle to wait for charging in the charging station when there is a vehicle that is in a charging state in the charging station.

A system for operating an electric-vehicle charging station is proposed. The system is capable of preventing a general vehicle other than an electric vehicle from being parked in a parking station where the charging module for charging the electric vehicle is installed, preventing an electric vehicle from being parked in a charging station at a higher level than necessary, and eliminating the need for the driver of a subsequent vehicle to wait for charging in the charging station when there is a vehicle that is in a charging state in the charging station.