File indexing and retrieval system employing RFID visual indicators

• US 20060007000A1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Rosita Yap
• Original Assignee: Rosita Yap
• Inventors: Yap, Rosita
• Application Number:
  US11/177,914
• Publication Number:
  US 20060007000A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.320
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10079 the collision being resolved in the spatial domain, e.g. temporary shields for blindfolding the interrogator in specific directions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders

Abstract

A system for locating a stored item comprises a transmitter, a radio frequency identification tag attached to a stored item, and a search bar. The search bar in turn comprises an antenna for receiving a signal from at least one of the transmitter and the radio frequency identification tag, a wiring harness connected to the antenna, and a plurality of visual indicators connected to the wiring harness. A unique pattern is stored on the radio frequency identification tag. During the transmission of a signal by the transmitter containing a pattern matching the unique pattern stored on the radio frequency identification tag, the wiring harness of the search bar illuminates one or more visual indicators in the proximity of the radio frequency identification tag.

Claims

1. A system for locating a stored item comprising:

a transmitter;

a radio frequency identification tag attached to a stored item; and

a search bar comprising;

an antenna for receiving a signal from at least one of the transmitter and the radio frequency identification tag;

a wiring harness connected to the antenna; and

a plurality of visual indicators connected to the wiring harness,

wherein a unique pattern is stored on the radio frequency identification tag, and

wherein during the transmission of a signal by the transmitter containing a pattern matching the unique pattern stored on the radio frequency identification tag, the wiring harness of the search bar illuminates one or more visual indicators in the proximity of the radio frequency identification tag.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter comprises a data input accessible by a user,

wherein the user inputs one of a number or title corresponding to a file, and

wherein the transmitter uses a database to convert the one of a number or title to a unique pattern to be transmitted to the radio frequency identification tags.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a radio frequency identification tag programming device coupled to the transmitter.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the radio frequency identification tag programming device and the transmitter are provided together as a single peripheral device which may be connected to a personal computer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein a user makes a single input of an identification criteria to the data input of the transmitter, which identification criteria is both converted by the transmitter to a unique pattern and stored in the database, while also being used to program the unique pattern into a radio frequency identification tag.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein radio frequency identification tags include a discriminating circuit such that only a tag having the unique pattern matching the pattern in the signal sent by the transmitter emits a signal in response.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein radio frequency identification tags include modulation sensors which prevent the transmission from a first radio frequency identification tags in the event that a neighboring second radio frequency identification tag is determined by the modulation sensor to be transmitting a signal.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein visual indicators in the search bar may be one of inductively or capacitively coupled to a radio frequency identification tag so as to illuminate in response to a signal emitted by the radio frequency identification tag.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the wiring harness consists of a series of electrical pathways between each visual indicator and the antenna.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the radio frequency identification tag receives a first signal having a first frequency from the transmitter, and wherein the antenna receives in response a second signal having a second frequency different from the first frequency from the radio frequency identification tag.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first signal sent to the radio frequency identification tag from the transmitter is sent along the antenna of the search bar.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the search bar further includes an audio indicator which emits a tone when one or more visual indicators in the proximity of the radio frequency identification tag are illuminated.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the search bar further includes an AC power supply.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the search bar further includes a repeater for receiving and retransmitting a signal from the transmitter.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a length of shelving, to an underside of which the search bar is attached with an adhesive.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the length of shelving is nonmetal and less than 5 cm thick.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising a mechanized device which partially ejects the stored item from the length of shelving when one or more visual indicators in the proximity of the radio frequency identification tag are illuminated.

18. A distributed filing system comprising:

one or more individual communication cells having both a transceiver assembly and at least one search bar connected to the transceiver assembly, wherein the at least one search bar comprises an antenna for receiving a signal from at least one of the transceiver assembly and the radio frequency identification tag, a wiring harness connected to the antenna and in communication with the transceiver assembly, and a plurality of visual indicators connected to the wiring harness;

a plurality of radio frequency identification tags storing unique patterns, wherein each of the plurality of radio frequency identification tags is associated with the transceiver assembly of a particular communication cell; and

a central transmitter in communication with the transceiver assemblies of the communication cells;

wherein when a signal is transmitted by the transmitter to the transceiver assembly of an individual communication cell, a processor of the transceiver assembly attempts to match unique identification information of the signal with a unique pattern stored on a radio frequency identification tag associated with the transceiver assembly, and

wherein when a match is made, the wiring harness of the search bar illuminates one or more visual indicators in the proximity of the radio frequency identification tag having a unique pattern matching the unique identification information of the signal.

19. The distributed filing system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of radio frequency identification tags are provided in separate color coded groups associated with specific individual communication cells.

20. The distributed filing system of claim 18, wherein the unique identification information of the signal contains a precoded sequence unique to one specific communication cell.

21. The distributed filing system of claim 18, wherein the transceiver of the search bar acts as a repeater to receive signals from the central transmitter and retransmit them to the plurality of radio frequency identification tags.

22. The distributed filing system of claim 18, wherein the search bar further includes a pressure sensor,

wherein the plurality of visual indicators includes indicators having both a first color and a second color,

wherein when a match is made, the wiring harness of the search bar illuminates one or more visual indicators of the first color in the proximity of the radio frequency identification tag having a unique pattern matching the unique identification information of the signal, and

wherein when the search bar receives a signal from a pressure sensor and does not receives a signal a radio frequency identification tag in the proximity of the pressure sensor, the wiring harness of the search bar illuminates one or more visual indicators of the second color in the proximity of the pressure sensor.

23. A method for managing a database system, comprising:

periodically and automatically polling a plurality of radio frequency identification tags to induce transmission from the radio frequency identification tags of unique patterns stored thereon;

receiving the unique patterns transmitted by the radio frequency identification tags at a search bar having an antenna and a wiring harness connected thereto;

searching a database of a transceiver connected to the wiring harness to locate files having unique patterns matching those received at the search bar; and

updating presence and location of files stored in the database to reflect the unique patterns most recently received from the radio frequency identification tags,

wherein when the database is accessed by a user to locate a particular file associated with one of the plurality of radio frequency identification tags, the transceiver causes one or more of a plurality of visual indicators connected to the wiring harness of the search bar to illuminate to reflect the last known position of the file.