WO2002039330A2

WO2002039330A2 - Method and system for processing and distributing data concerning service station services

Info

Publication number: WO2002039330A2
Application number: PCT/FR2001/003548
Authority: WO
Inventors: Serge Albert Pierre Selles
Original assignee: Sellco Sa
Priority date: 2000-11-13
Filing date: 2001-11-13
Publication date: 2002-05-16
Also published as: FR2816737B1; WO2002039330A3; EP1366444A2; FR2816737A1; AU2002223063A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a system comprising: a central computer unit (10); computer input and consultation stations (201, 202, , 40), each station being identified unequivocally and enabling input and transmission (T1, T2, T3) to the central unit, via a computer or telecommunication network (30, 30'), data concerning one or several service stations and remote consultation (T'1, T'2, T'3) for registered and authorised users, of data transmitted to the central unit; at least a storage unit (14) for storing data transmitted to the central unit from the stations, said storage unit being adapted to store data transmitted for each service station; and means (15) for controlling access to data stored in the storage unit from stations, based on the identification of stations considered to be active according to their use, said means (15) enabling access to data stored in the storage unit (14) from a station (201, 202, , 40) deemed active at a time if data have been inputted from said station (201, 202, , 40), or from a station logically connected, in a delay preceding that time, for example a week. The method is implemented with the system.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING AND DISSEMINATION OF DATA RELATING TO SERVICE STATIONS

The invention relates to a system and a method for processing and broadcasting data relating to the services of different service stations.

Fuel distribution is a very competitive commercial sector insofar as the price of the product offered is a determining factor in the choice of the service station where a consumer supplies himself. It is therefore essential for the manager of a service station representing an oil company or a retail chain to know the prices offered by stations located in the same catchment area in order to adapt the prices of fuels offered in his station. The same concerns prevail for the manager of a network of service stations. So far, the managers or employees of each service station must travel to the stations whose services they monitor in order to raise fuel prices before communicating them to the oil company or to the brand they represent. On the basis of this communication, the oil company or the brand determines the prices to be charged.

This has several drawbacks. First of all, the collection of information on nearby petrol stations represents, for each station, a significant loss of time and travel costs. Then, the information of an oil company or a distribution brand on a catchment area depends solely on its own station (s), which does not guarantee sufficient reliability of the information collected . In fact, it is possible that reading or transcription errors could distort the data transmitted by a station. In addition, the personal interest of each service station manager is to minimize the sale prices of neighboring stations, in order to encourage the company or the distribution brand to lower its sale price, which generally leads to an increase. volumes of fuel sold. In addition, after a decrease in the sale price of fuels at the service station, the manager can choose to increase his margin without informing his supplier.

Thus, the visibility of an oil company or a fuel market distribution brand in a given catchment area is fragmented and depends on the reliability of the information provided by economic agents whose objectivity cannot be guaranteed.

In addition, petroleum companies and retailers generally do not know the location and the commercial strategy of stations of other companies and / or retailers in a given area. They therefore find it difficult to establish a strategy for efficient fuel distribution. Finally, the transmission of data between a service station and the oil company or the brand on which it depends, generally takes place by Minitel (registered trademark), which does not have sufficient confidentiality, notwithstanding the use of Passwords. It is to these drawbacks that the invention intends to remedy by proposing a system for processing and broadcasting data relating to service station services which is reliable and which does not require repeated trips to collect information. In this spirit, the invention relates to a device which comprises:

- a central IT unit;

- computer input and consultation stations, each station being unequivocally identified and allowing the entry and transmission to the central unit, by a computer or telecommunications network, of data relating to one or more service stations as well as remote consultation, for referenced and authorized users, of data transmitted to the central unit; at least one memory for storing the data transmitted to the central unit from the input and consultation stations, this memory being capable of storing the data transmitted for each service station and means of controlling access to the data stored in the memory from the input and consultation stations, as a function of the identification of the stations considered to be active according to their use. These control means allow access to the data from a station considered to be active at an instant if data entry has been made from this station or from a logically linked station, within a predetermined period preceding this instant. .

The system of the invention can be used for service stations belonging to different distribution networks, that is to say having fuels under different brands. Thanks to this system, the various stations present in a territory communicate to the central unit, by means of an input station present in their walls, the data relating to their own services and can, in return, have access to the relative data to other stations and, in particular to stations in their catchment area. The system works on the basis of the contribution of different service stations and access control means allow the stored data ^• encourage the various stations to effectively contribute to the update data stored in the memory of central unit because a consultation station has access to the data only if information has been provided by this station or an associated station. For example, it can be foreseen that a station present in a station is considered active provided that the data communicated by this station about this station have been updated for less than a week. Thanks to this aspect of the invention, service station managers are encouraged to provide the central unit with information relating to their own services on at least a weekly basis. A dedicated consultation station, that is to say located outside a service station, can be considered active if a certain number of stations on the same network have provided data within a predetermined period, which pushes the users of such a workstation to encourage members of their network to keep their data up to date.

According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the stations data entry and consultation include data entry stations distributed across the stations. Thus, each station manager can, from the material made available, consult the relevant data from competing stations, in particular the selling prices of fuels. The consultation stations can also include stations dedicated to the management of several stations and located on sites other than service stations. These second input and consultation stations can be made available to the regional or national management bodies of the fuel distribution networks, whether they are oil companies or retail chains.

The system can be associated with a geo-coding system allowing a localization of each service station, the access to the data stored in the memory being able to be carried out according to the geographical distribution of the service stations, in particular according to their zones respective customers. Thanks to this aspect of the invention, it is possible to control the services provided by service stations actually in competition with a given station because they are located in the same catchment area.

The system advantageously comprises means for connection to a public communication network of the Internet type, at least some of the data relating to certain stations and stored in the memory being accessible by this public network. This aspect of the invention makes it possible to envisage general information of the public on the services of the stations supplying data to the central unit, which allows these stations to insist on the advantages of their services, for example, during promotional events.

This also allows a consumer to select one or more service stations offering suitable services, for example in terms of prices. This aspect of the invention also induces a verification of the data, communicated by each service station, by the public which is able to detect, for example, a difference between the price of fuels accessible via the Internet and the price displayed at the pump. . The central unit can function as an expert system for determining a supply service station based, in particular, on the distances to be traveled by a user and the prices of the fuels offered. The invention also relates to a method which can be implemented with the system as described above and, more specifically, to a method which comprises steps consisting in:

- collect data relating to service station services from these stations and / or decision-making centers (D) by means of computer data entry, carried out in each station and / or in a decision-making center, of this data;

- transmit, via a computer or telecommunications network, the data entered to a central computer unit;

- store, in a memory of this central unit, the data transmitted to the central unit and

- allow consultation of the stored data. to referenced users, depending on the stations for which the data were collected.

According to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the method comprises the additional steps of locating each station, as a function of its geographical position, and of providing a user with the data collected and stored about selected stations, as a function of their positions. respective geographic areas. This aspect of the invention allows a professional to monitor a catchment area and, in the case of a consumer accessing data via the Internet, to identify the stations accessible from a given location, such as his home or his workplace .

The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will appear more clearly in the light of the following description of a data processing and dissemination system in accordance with its principle, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the principle of a system according to the invention and

- Figure 2 is a block diagram of a program for implementing the system of Figure 1. The system shown in Figure 1 comprises a central unit 10 formed by all or part of a computer, this unit being connected to a device 11 forming an interface for a system administrator and comprising a screen 12 and a keyboard 13. The elements 10 to 13 are arranged inside a room L whose access is controlled.

The unit 10 includes a memory 14 in which data can be stored.

The unit 10 is connected, by a control module 15, to computer input stations 20 ₁₇ 20 ₂ etc., distributed in the service stations S _lf S ₂ etc. participating in the processing and dissemination of the data. Each input station includes a screen 21, a keyboard 22 and, optionally, a printer 23.

Each station, 20 _x or equivalent, is intended to operate only in cooperation with unit 10 and, in particular, does not include a reader of magnetic media such as a floppy disk or a CD-rom, so that, after being configured at the factory, it can only be dedicated to its function within the framework of this system. This improves the security and confidentiality of the system of the invention.

Each post 20 _l; 20 ₂ , ... communicates with the module 15 by means of a suitable network 30 which may be constituted by a specific computer network or by a telecommunications network. The communication protocol between the unit 10 and the different stations 20J, 20 ₂ , ... is such that data relating to the operation of each service station S _lr S ₂ etc. can be communicated to the unit 10, as represented by the arrows T _x and T ₂ for transmitting information, from an input carried out on input masks displayed on the screens 21 and configured so as to guide a user, even a non-computer specialist.

The screen masks presented to the user include fields to be filled with alphanumeric values and / or logical values. The data entered and stored in the memory 14 include, for example, the type of fuels offered for sale at each station and, in the case of independent stations which themselves set their tariff, the price of fuels. This data also includes the opening hours of the station and / or a repair shop or the types of additional services offered by this station, such as for example tire mounting, oil changes, change of brake pads. or other routine maintenance. This data may also contain a list of services offered by businesses close to the service station, for example a mention of the fact that a bakery or a tobacco shop is nearby. Finally, this data may mention current or future promotions, as well as their date of validity. For example, this data may refer to a promotion on tires for a given period.

The data provided using the 20 _x , 20 ₂ , ... items can also be precise with regard to the ancillary services offered at a S _lt S ₂ or equivalent station. They relate in particular to: the presence and / or characteristics of a vehicle washing station or a vacuum cleaner, - the presence of a food shop, a bread depot and / or a sandwich shop,

- the sale of newspapers and / or

- the sale of gas cylinders with, in the latter case, the types of marketed gas cylinders.

In the case of a service station planned in a shopping center and operated as an annex to a super-market, the sign of the neighboring super-market can be filled in, or even the signs of other shops installed in a shopping gallery, as well as the opening hours of these businesses.

When the aforementioned data have been informed and stored, with reference to each station S ₁₇ S ₂ , ... in the memory 14, they are accessible for several types of users.

First of all, the operators of stations S ₁ , S ₂ and the like can, from their station 20 _{1 #} 20 ₂ or equivalent, consult the fuel prices offered by the other stations, which is represented by the arrows of transmission of information T ' _x and T' ₂ in Figure 1.

The module 15 is provided to allow consultation of the data stored in the memory 14 from a 20 _{× station} or equivalent, provided that the identifier and the associated password have been correctly entered and provided that the data relating to the station in question were updated within a predetermined period preceding the time of consultation. For example, the module 15 can be programmed to allow, at any time, a consultation of the data 14 provided that the station 20j from which the consultation is carried out has been used for less than a week to update the data relating to the station S- _L.

The advantage of the system for the user is that the 20 _x and equivalent stations allow access to the data relating to the fuel prices of the other stations providing information to unit 10, which avoids the managers and / or employees of the petrol stations connected to unit 10 having to devote time and fuel to finding information relating to these prices.

The module 15 also allows access from workstations 40 outside the service stations S, S ₂ , ... to consult data transmitted to the memory 14, as represented by the information transmission arrow T ' ₃ . These workstations, only one of which is shown with the reference 40, can be installed in the offices of Directorate D, regional or national, of an oil company or in the offices of the central purchasing office of a distribution and connected to the central unit 10 by a suitable network 30 '. They allow the sales managers of a network of service stations to enter the selling prices of fuels at each station in their network, as represented by the arrow T ₃ , and to verify, on the one hand, the services offered by the stations of their network and on the other hand the prices charged by competing stations, since the workstations 40 can also allow access to the data stored in the memory 14, the transfer of information being represented by the arrow T ' ₃ . It can be foreseen that the module 15 is programmed to authorize the access of a station 40 to the memory 14 insofar as it has been used to communicate selling prices of fuels to unit 10 and where a certain number of stations belonging to its network have effectively communicated information to unit 10 within a predetermined period, for example one week, prior to the date of consultation.

For example, an extension 40 is considered active if more than 30% of the stations in its network, regionally or nationally, have 20-1 extensions _; 20 ₂ , ... considered active because they have been used for ^• seizure for less than a week.

In other words, with the exception of independent service stations qualified as "firm buyers", it is the regional or national departments of oil companies or distribution chains that set fuel prices and enter fuel prices. is carried out using stations 40 and the like, while the entry of the services available in each service station, and more generally of all that relates to the commercial animation of the service station, is carried out in each station using a station 20 _! , 20 ₂ ... and equivalent. In the case of firm buyers, the entire entry is made by the station. Consultation of the services offered by each station is possible from an extension 40 belonging to the same network, which allows the sales manager of a network of service stations to know the specific services and / or the commercial actions of the stations. his network. This also allows service stations to send information back to their direction D in the event of a problem, for example regarding the availability of additional equipment. So, for example, in the event that a washing station breaks down, the manager of a service station can, by means of his post 20, indicate that the washing station is not available, which is realized by the sales manager who can activate the technical service from the company or the brand so that this washing station can be repaired as quickly as possible.

As a variant, it can be provided that the module 15 is programmed to authorize the access of a station 40 to the data relating to the geographical areas in which the stations 20 _{1 #} 20 ₂ , ... of the stations of its network are active, c that is, have been reporting to Unit 10 for less than a week. Thus, in the event that one of the stations of the network does not play the game of transparency of the information to be supplied to the system, the direction D realizes it because the geographical area of this station is no longer accessible to it. In the case of service stations themselves fixing the price of fuels, for example in the case of service stations located near a supermarket forming part of a franchise network, the system of the invention also allows the sales department D of the distribution brand to check that the commercial guidelines are properly applied when promotions are decided within a group of franchisees. For example, when a sale at cost price of fuels is planned for a given period, it may happen that the franchisee manager of a service station changes fuel supplier and momentarily buys fuel at a higher price than previously with a credit separate from his invoice, this credit being taken into account in the accounting plan only after the promotion date, which allows him to sell allegedly at cost price at a price which is not lower than that practiced previously and without being apparently in contradiction with the instructions of the group of franchisees. In such a case, the commercial direction of the sign in question will be able to observe that, in a given area, all the prices of the service stations which have played the game of the "cost price" operation will have decreased, to the exception of one or a few stations with which specific controls may be implemented with regard to compliance with the brand's commercial policy.

The system described above is provided with access reserved for referenced and previously authorized users, each user having to identify himself by a personal code and / or a password. Indeed, the data stored in the memory 14 is not necessarily intended to be communicated to the public, especially with regard to the selling prices of fuels. The module 15 is therefore programmed with specific access control routines.

Elements 10, 11, 20, 30, 30 'and 40 therefore constitute a specific network, known as an "extranet", reserved for professionals in the distribution of fuels. It can in particular be provided that each station 20 _! , 20 ₂ , ... or 40 is uniquely identified with its machine number and / or with the telephone line reference, i.e. subscriber number, from which it can access unit 10 through module 15. In practice, a database 17 is associated with unit 10 and contains information relating to each site of use of a station 20 or 40. For each site S _lf S ₂ , ... or D, base 17 contains information relating to:

- a physical address, in particular a postal code, - a machine number,

- a calling line number and / or an alphanumeric identification code for the software used in the station in question.

When a user connects to the unit 10, the module 15 verifies the calling line number and the software identification code and authorizes data entry and access to the data stored in memory only in the case where these two parameters are consistent with the data in base 17. Thus, if a 20 _x or 40 data entry or consultation station was stolen in station S or direction D and if an attempt to fraudulently access the unit 10 was attempted from another location, the module 15 would prohibit such access. Similarly, a station 20 or 40 moved to another station or to a direction D becomes unusable.

The unit 10 is also connected, by a communication module 16, to a public access network such as the Internet network I accessible to a large number of users u by means of personal computers 99.

The unit 10 is programmed to allow access through the module 16 to at least part of the data stored in the memory 14. The data accessible by this means are chosen by the service station managers or the network organizers of distribution as part of their commercial procedures. The information communicated to the public, as represented by the arrow T ' ₄ , may include all or part of the information mentioned above about the stations S _x , S ₂ ... for which the choice of information dissemination has been fact.

Thus, a user u can know certain services from one or more service stations S _x , S ₂ ... without having to physically go to the stations in question. This allows, for example, to check the price of fuels before moving to fill up, which is particularly useful in times of large variations in fuel prices. This also makes it possible to check the availability of a specific product, such as a gas cylinder, when such a gas cylinder needs to be replaced. This also allows you to find out about current promotions.

According to a particularly advantageous aspect of the invention, the unit 10 is connected to a geo-coding system 50 by a computer link 51. The system 50 may or may not be present in the room L. It geographically positions each station S providing data relating to its services, which allows a professional user accessing memory 14 from an extension 20 or 40 or a user u accessing memory 14 via the Internet to select one or more stations- service according to their geographic positions. In practice, this position is decisive on the attitude of a consumer. Indeed, a consumers generally do not wish to travel a large number of kilometers to obtain fuel and prefer to prefer the stations close to their place of residence or work, or even their holiday resort.

According to another advantageous aspect of the invention, provision can be made for the data stored in the memory 14 to be stored with a history, which allows a user of the extranet network to monitor the development of fuel prices in different service stations. . In practice, this information is not necessarily useful to a user or the public and can be reserved for professionals accessing unit 10 from the consultation stations 20 _{1 #} 20 ₂ , ... 40. The geo system -coding can be personalized to allow a professional user to take into account the reality of the configuration of the road network and to determine, in an adapted and variable manner, its catchment area. Indeed, taking the case of a service station located on one side of a highway or expressway, a service station located a short distance away but on the opposite side of the track does not really belong to the same catchment area, because a vehicle traveling on one side of the motorway or expressway cannot, in a simple way, obtain supplies from a station located on the opposite side. On the other hand, stations located on the same side of the highway or expressway but distant by several tens of kilometers belong, in practice, to the same catchment area. The definition of a catchment area can be variable over time to take into account temporary situations, such as work or a sporting event. The system of the invention can make it possible, for each user referenced, to define a profile of the stations whose services are to be monitored on a regular basis, for example, the stations located in the same catchment areas or belonging to a given type, such than that of highway stations or that of supermarket stations. For each service station S ₁₇ S ₂ , ... the database 17 also includes information relating to predetermined competing sites. More specifically, three sites are considered as reference sites, namely the most important technical and economic sites while several other sites, for example ten, are considered as secondary sites, that is to say competitors but of less strategic importance. The user entering data can identify the service stations for which the available data will be given priority, that is to say the reference stations, as well as certain other stations for which the data will be provided to him as complementary or in a second step. Of course, the choice of reference or secondary service stations is made by the user in a reversible manner. In other words, the user can modify the corresponding data associated with his own access site in the database 17. On the basis of the geographical coordinates of the referenced stations and information relating to their services, provision may be made that the system 10 is able to provide information to a user of the public u about the advisability of having to travel to obtain supplies from such and such a station.

For example, in the case where a user has his home distant from a distance d _x = 5 km from a first station S _x and distant from a distance d ₂ = 20 km from a second station S ₂ and therefore that the user communicates to the system of the average consumption of his vehicle, the unit 10 can calculate, as a function of the difference in price of the fuel used by the vehicle in question, the advisability of traveling the distance additional d ₂ - d _x = 15 km to supply itself with a predetermined quantity of fuel in the case where station S ₂ offers cheaper fuel than station S _l . The unit 10 then plays the role of an expert system.

Other user support functions u can be envisaged from the system of the invention.

Given the access of users u via the Internet to at least some of the data contained in the memory 14, provision can be made for a sort of control of this data by users who, in the event of incorrect information, do not hesitate not to forward the information to regional or national D directorates of oil companies or distribution chains.

In addition, the Internet allows a user to know, almost in real time, if a service station runs out of one or more fuels. For example, in the event of an incident at a refinery or pretrolier depot or in the event of a road transport strike, a service station may run out of one or more fuels, which the manager can report without delay thanks to his data entry station 20 _1; 20 ₂ , etc ... The consumer thus knows the situation and can anticipate a possible shortage.

The system implementation program described above comprises an initialization step 101 in which the identity and the possibility of access of a user of an input station and of consultation 20 _! , 20 ₂ , ... 40. If the user accesses the system for the first time, a step 102 of acquiring basic data relating to the user is implemented. If the user uses a station 2 <_> -_, 20 ₂ , ... present in a service station S _{1 #} S ₂ , ..., an additional step 103 of collecting information relating to the coordinates of the station is implemented. During this step 103, the user fills in fields relating to the identity of the station, his sign, his address, his telephone, etc. In an additional step 104, the information relating to the opening hours of the station. In a next step 105, additional information is collected relating to the additional services offered by the station. Then, in a step 106, the information relating to the availability of the different fuels is collected. In a next step 107, the user is invited to check the information already entered. After the first connection of a user, this is recognized during a subsequent connection and a step 110 is then directly implemented during which a user is offered a menu with several choices allowing him to:

- enter the prices of the fuels sold at its station, which corresponds to step 111,

- consult information relating to the competition, which corresponds to step 112, - modify its own profile, which corresponds to step 113,

- indicate promotions, which corresponds to step 114 or

- access assistance, which corresponds to step 115.

The price entry step 111 is the step during which the user informs about the prices of the fuels sold at his station. During the first use by an independent service station manager, at the end of step 107, the user is taken directly to step 111, as represented by the dotted arrow. In the case where the fuel price is established by direction D, step 111 is not accessible from stations 20 _{1 #} 20 ₂ ,

From step 110 or step 107, the user can access step 112 in which he can consult information relating to the prices charged by competing stations, as represented by step 1121, or define or modify the list of competing stations that he wishes to monitor, as represented by step 1122. In practice, during his first connection, the user is also invited, from step 107, to access steps 112 and 1122 to define the competing stations to be monitored.

In step 113, the user can access input masks similar to those to which he has access in steps 103 to 106, this being represented by steps 1133 to 1136. In each of these steps 1133 to 1136, the can modify the data entered respectively in steps 103 to 106 depending on the evolution of its own services.

In step 1114, the user can enter information relating to current or future promotions, in particular the nature of the products concerned and the duration of the promotions.

When the user has finished entering or consulting data, he can exit the program, which is represented by step 120. When a referenced user implements the program from a consultation station 40 which n is not located in a service station, step 102 is not implemented during the first connection. The user then has direct access to step 110 from which he can inform the prices charged by the stations of his network, which corresponds to step 111, and consult information relating to the prices charged by the competition, which corresponds to step 112. It can also be provided that, in step 112, a referenced user acting from a station 40 can have access to the services offered by the various stations of his network.

On the other hand, the logic of the central unit 10 is such that a user accessing the unit 10 and the memory 14 from a station 20 _! , 20 ₂ , ... does not have access to information relating to the services offered by the other stations but only to the prices charged. Similarly, a user of a station 40 has access only to information relating to the services provided by the stations of his own network and not to the services provided by the stations of the other networks.

It is however possible for a professional user to obtain information on the services offered by competing service stations by means of access via the public network, such as the Internet, provided that these competing stations have decided to communicate this information. to the public .

Claims

1. System for processing and disseminating data relating to service station services, comprising

- a central computer unit (10);

- computer input and consultation stations (20J, 20 ₂ , ..., 40), each station being uniquely identified and allowing input and transmission (T ₁ , T ₂ , T ₃ ) to said central unit , by a computer or telecommunications network (30, 30 '), of data relating to one or more service stations as well as remote consultation (T' ₁₇ T ' ₂ , T' ₃ ), for referenced and authorized users , of data transmitted to said central unit; at least one memory (14) for storing the data transmitted to said central unit from said stations, said memory being able to store the data transmitted for each service station and

- Means (15) for controlling access to said data stored in said memory from said stations, as a function of the identification of the stations considered to be active according to their use, said control means (15) allowing access to data stored in said memory (14) from a station (20 _ι , 20 ₂ , ..., 40) considered to be active at a time if data entry has been made from said station, or from a logically linked item, within a predetermined period preceding said instant.

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said input and consultation stations include input stations (20 _!, 20 ₂ , ...) distributed in said stations (S _x , S ₂ , ... ).

3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that said input and consultation stations comprise, in addition to the input stations (20 _x , 20 ₂ , ...) distributed in said stations (S _!, S ₂ ,. ..), stations (40) dedicated to the management of several service stations and located on sites (D) other than said service stations (S ₁₇ S ₂ ).

4. System according to claim 3, characterized in that that said control means (15) are able to allow access to data, from a station (40) dedicated to the management of several service stations (S ₁₇ S ₂ ) and located on a site (D) other than the said stations, in geographical zones selected as a function of geographical zones in which the entry stations (20 ₁₇ 20 ₂ , etc.) distributed in the stations are considered to be active.

5. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that each station (20 ₁₇ 20 ₂₇ ... 40) for entering or consulting data is uniquely identified by said system.

6. System according to claim 5, characterized in that said control means (15) are capable of verifying that a station (20 ₁₇ 20 ₂ , ... 40) for entering or consulting is used from a place (S ₁₇ S ₂₇ ... D) for which it is registered, by access to a database (17) containing, for each site, information relating to at least a calling line number and an identification code software used in said station.

7. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said input and consultation stations (20 ₁₇ 20 ₂ , ... 40) are devoid of magnetic media readers.

8. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is associated with a geocoding system (50) allowing a location of each service station (S ₁₇ S ₂ ), access to the data stored in said memory (14) which can be carried out as a function of the geographical distribution of service stations, in particular as a function of their respective catchment areas.

9. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means (16) for connection to a network (I) of public communication of the Internet type, at least some of the data relating to certain stations (S ₁₇ S ₂ ) and stored in said memory (14) being accessible (T ' ₄ ) by this public network

10. System according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said unit (10) is able to operate as an expert system for determining a service station (S ₁₇ S ₂ , ...) based on, in particular, the distances to be covered (d ₁₇ d ₂ ) for a user and the prices of the fuels offered.