Techniques for Performing Actions Based Upon Physical Locations of Paper Documents

• US 20110140857A1
• Filed: 12/28/2010
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Graham, Jamey, Hull, Jonathan J., Lee, Dar-Shyang
• Granted Patent: US 8,493,601 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/10.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 11/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0008 General problems related to the reading of electronic memory record carriers, independent of its reading method, e.g. power transfer
• 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: G06K 7/10356 using a plurality of antennas, e.g. configurations including means to resolve interference between the plurality of antennas

Abstract

According to one set of embodiments, techniques are provided for performing actions based upon physical locations of one or more paper documents. According to another set of embodiments, techniques are provided for tracking the physical locations of paper documents. According to another set of embodiments, techniques are provided for determining electronic document information for paper documents. According to another set of embodiments, techniques are provided for determining and tracking the contents of a container. According to another set of embodiments, a document security system is provided. According to another set of embodiments, techniques are provided for tracking documents in a workflow.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A paper document output device comprising:

a print subsystem configured to print, based on an electronic representation of a document, a hardcopy of the document on one or more pages of physical media, the printing being performed using laser xerography; and

a tag subsystem configured to write an identifier to a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag physically associated with the one or more pages of physical media, the identifier uniquely identifying the hardcopy of the document.

3. The paper document output device of claim 2 wherein the physical media is standard office paper.

4. The paper document output device of claim 2 wherein the paper document output device is a laser printer or a laser copier.

5. The paper document output device of claim 2 wherein the paper document output device is configured to generate the identifier.

6. The paper document output device of claim 2 wherein the RFID tag is physically associated with the one or more pages of physical media by being embedded in at least one page.

7. The paper document output device of claim 2 wherein the RFID tag is physically associated with the one or more pages of physical media by being attached to a surface of at least one page.

8. The paper document output device of claim 2 wherein the RFID tag is physically associated with the one or more pages of physical media by being attached to an object that is physically associated with at least one page.

9. The paper document output device of claim 8 wherein the object is a staple or a clip.

10. The paper document output device of claim 2 wherein the paper document output device is configured to generate the RFID tag as a sticker or label.

11. The paper document output device of claim 10 wherein, subsequent to generating the RFID tag, the paper document output device is configured to affix the RFID tag to at least one page of the one or more pages of physical media.

12. The paper document output device of claim 2 wherein the paper document output device further comprises a communications subsystem configured to enable communication between the paper document output device and a host device.

13. The paper document output device of claim 12 wherein the communication subsystem is configured to receive the electronic representation of the document and the identifier from the host device.

14. The paper document output device of claim 12 wherein, subsequent to writing the identifier to the RFID tag, the communications subsystem is configured to transmit, to the host device, information pertaining to the document.

15. The paper document output device of claim 14 wherein the information pertaining to the document is selected from a group consisting of:

the identifier uniquely identifying the hardcopy of the document, a physical location of the paper document output device, and the electronic representation of the document.

16. The paper document output device of claim 2 wherein the tag subsystem is further configured to write the electronic representation of the document to the RFID tag.

17. A method comprising:

receiving, by a paper document output device, an electronic representation of a document;

printing, by the paper document output device based on the electronic representation, a hardcopy of the document on one or more pages of physical media, the printing being performed using laser xerography; and

writing, by the paper document output device, an identifier to a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag physically associated with the one or more pages of physical media, the identifier uniquely identifying the hardcopy of the document.

18. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program code executable by one or more processors of a paper document output device, the program code comprising:

code that causes the one or more processors to receive an electronic representation of a document;

code that causes the one or more processors to print, based on the electronic representation, a hardcopy of the document on one or more pages of physical media, the printing being performed using laser xerography; and

code that causes the one or more processors to write an identifier to a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag physically associated with the one or more pages of physical media, the identifier uniquely identifying the hardcopy of the document.