Electronic system, components and method for tracking files

• US 20020190871A1
• Filed: 08/07/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Branc, Joseph R., Stanfield, Joel D., Miller, William L., Feldpausch, Thomas G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,301,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/8.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring

Abstract

A file tracking system including a processor, which maintains and interfaces with a database, a plurality of file folder retainers, and a plurality of file folders. The file tracking system actively maintains and updates the database, which includes file information, file location, and unique file address for the plurality of files, by providing interactive communication between the processor, the folder retainers, and the file folders. Each file folder may include an indicator light, such as an LED, which a user may cause to blink when trying to locate the file folder at a location accessed from the database.

Claims

1. A file tracking system comprising:

a database for maintaining file folder information including file location, and a unique address of each file folder;

a processor for interfacing with said database and issuing control signals;

a furniture unit; and

a plurality of file folders, each file folder including an addressable switch in communication with said processor through a communication link, wherein at least a portion of said communication link is wireless.

2. The file tracking system of claim 1, wherein said communication link includes a first segment connecting said processor to said furniture unit, and a second segment connecting said furniture unit to file folders that are stored within or on said furniture unit.

3. The file tracking system of claim 2, wherein said furniture unit includes a horizontal surface on which the file folders may be vertically stacked.

4. The file tracking system of claim 2, wherein said furniture unit is a desk.

5. The file tracking system of claim 2, wherein said furniture unit is configured to support hanging file folders.

6. The file tracking system of claim 2, wherein said furniture unit is a file cabinet drawer.

7. The file tracking system of claim 2, wherein said first segment of said communication link is wireless.

8. The file tracking system of claim 1, wherein at least some of said file folders include an RF receiver for communicating with said processor over the wireless portion of said communication link.

9. The file tracking system of claim 1, wherein all of said communication link between said file folders and said processor is wireless.

10. The file tracking system of claim 9, wherein said furniture unit is a desk.

11. The file tracking system of claim 9, wherein said furniture unit is a file cabinet drawer.

12. The file tracking system of claim 1, wherein said wireless portion of said communication link is a wireless RF connection.

14. The file tracking system of claim 13, wherein said processor detects when file folders have been removed, added, moved, and returned within the system.

15. The file tracking system of claim 14, wherein said processor detects the location of the file folders and determines that a file folder has been moved when the file folder has a detected location that is different from the location previously stored in said database.

16. The file tracking system of claim 14, wherein said processor detects the presence of the file folders by determining the unique address stored in said addressable devices of each file folder and determines that a new file folder has been added to the system when the new file folder has a unique address that was not previously stored in said database.

17. The file tracking system of claim 16, wherein said processor automatically creates a database entry for the new file folder, inserts the detected unique address associated therewith into an address field, and inserts the location at which the new file folder was detected into a location field in said database.

18. The file tracking system of claim 14, wherein said processor detects the presence of the file folders by determining the unique address stored in the addressable devices of each file folder and determines that a file folder has been removed when the file folder had a particular location stored in said database and said processor determines that the file folder is no longer present at that location.

19. The file tracking system of claim 18, wherein said processor automatically updates said database to indicate that the removed file folder was removed, a time and date that the filed folder was removed, and an identity of an individual who removed the file folder.

20. The file tracking system of claim 19, wherein said processor determines the identity of the individual who removed the file folder by determining which individual last requested the location of the file folder.

21. The file tracking system of claim 19, wherein said processor determines the identity of the individual who removed the file folder by awaiting a subsequent detection of the file folder by said processor and determining which individual is associated with the location in which said processor detects the file folder.

22. The file tracking system of claim 13, wherein said processor further:

receives a reply signal from the polled file folder, which was transmitted in response to a control signal transmitted by said processor to the polled file folder, the reply signal including the unique address corresponding to the polled file folder;

verifies the file location in the database corresponding to the unique address of the polled file folder received in the reply signal; and

updates the database to indicate a new file location for the polled file folder when the location from which the reply signal was transmitted is different from the file location previously stored in the database.

23. The file tracking system of claim 13, wherein said processor issues control signals to said file folders through a wireless link.

24. The file tracking system of claim 23, wherein said wireless link is an RF link.

26. The file tracking system of claim 25, wherein said processor determines that a file folder was removed from its last location by sending and receiving signals from said file folders over said communication link and comparing information in a received signal to information stored in said database, and said processor automatically updates said database to indicate that the removed file folder was removed and an identity of an individual who removed the file folder.

27. The file tracking system of claim 25, wherein said portion of said communication link is a wireless RF link.

28. The file tracking system of claim 25, wherein said communication link includes a first segment connecting said processor to said folder retainer, and a second segment connecting said folder retainer to file folders that are stored within said folder retainer.

29. The file tracking system of claim 28, wherein said first segment of said communication link is a wireless link.

13. A file tracking system comprising:

a database for maintaining file folder information including file location, and a unique address of each file folder;

a processor for interfacing with said database and issuing control signals; and

a plurality of file folders, each file folder including an addressable device that transmits a reply signal to said processor when said addressable device receives a control signal from said processor,

wherein said processor is adapted to periodically poll said file folders to obtain information from each file folder, detect differences between the obtained information and the file folder information stored in said database, and to update said database when said processor detects a difference between the file folder information stored in said database and the obtained information.

25. A file tracking system comprising:

a database for maintaining file location and unique file addresses for a plurality of files, said database further maintains user identification data for a plurality of files indicating which user last accessed the file;

a processor for interfacing with said database and issuing control signals;

a folder retainer; and

a plurality of file folders, each file folder including an addressable device in communication with said processor through a communication link, wherein at least a portion of said communication link is wireless.

30. A file locating system comprising:

a database for maintaining file location code and unique file addresses for a plurality of files, said database further maintains general file information for a plurality of files including at least one of a description of contents within the file, file classification, a key word list, associated with the file, a title of the file, an originator of the file, accessibility permission lists for the file, location descriptions associated with each file location code, and historical information for a plurality of files;

a processor for interfacing with said database and issuing control signals;

a plurality of file folders, each file folder including an addressable switch in communication with said processor through a communication link; and

a file locating device adapted to aid in the location of a file folder in response to control signals issued by said processor.

31. The file locating system of claim 30, wherein at least a portion of said communication link includes a wireless link.

32. The file locating system of claim 31, wherein said wireless link is an RF link.

33. The file locating system of claim 30 and further comprising a folder retainer in communication with said processor through said communication link, wherein filer folders placed in said folder retainer are in communication with said processor through said folder retainer.

34. The file locating system of claim 30, wherein the general file information stored in said database includes a key word list, which lists certain key words that describe or may be found in a file.

35. The file locating system of claim 30, wherein the general file information stored in said database includes file classification, which indicates any classification groups with which a file folder is associated.

36. The file locating system of claim 30, wherein the general file information stored in said database includes accessibility permission lists, which are used to prevent certain individuals from accessing certain file folders.

37. The file tracking system of claim 30 and further including a plurality of folder retainers connected to said processor through said communication link and remotely located relative to a memory device in which said database is stored, wherein the location descriptions stored in said database for each of said plurality of files identifies the folder retainer in which the corresponding file folder is located.

38. The file tracking system of claim 30, wherein said historical information includes at least one of file location history, file access history, and file retention history.

39. The file tracking system of claim 38, wherein the historical information stored in said database includes file location history, which indicates the locations and dates at which a file folder has been located over a period of time.

40. The file tracking system of claim 38, wherein the historical information stored in said database includes file access history, which indicates who checked out a file folder and when the file folder was checked in or out.

41. The file tracking system of claim 38, wherein the historical information stored in said database includes file retention history, which identifies the length of time since a file folder was last accessed in order to determine whether the file may be purged.

42. The file tracking system of claim 30, wherein said database further maintains a time stamp for a plurality of files indicating a time that a file was added, removed, and/or detected at a new location.

43. A file tracking system comprising:

a database for maintaining file folder information including file location, and a unique address of each file folder;

a processor for interfacing with said database and issuing control signals;

a folder retainer; and

a plurality of file folders, each file folder including an addressable switch in communication with a wireless receiver via a wireless connection constituting at least a portion of a communication link between said processor and said addressable switches.

44. The file tracking system of claim 43, wherein said folder retainer is a furniture unit.

45. The file tracking system of claim 44, wherein said furniture unit includes a horizontal surface on which the file folders may be vertically stacked.

46. The file tracking system of claim 44, wherein said furniture unit is a desk.

47. The file tracking system of claim 44, wherein said furniture unit is configured to support hanging file folders.

48. The file tracking system of claim 44, wherein said furniture unit is a file cabinet drawer.

49. The file tracking system of claim 43, wherein said wireless receivers are RF receivers and said wireless connection is a wireless RF connection.

50. The file tracking system of claim 43, wherein all of said communication link between said file folders and said processor is wireless.