Collective objects management system with object identification using addressable decoder units
First Claim
1. A device for enabling the management of objects distributed in an object location space, said device comprising:
- a receptacle for an object, said receptacle having two electrically conductive members, one of said electrically conductive members being provided to receive address signals supplied by a source;
an address decoder circuit associated to said object, said address decoder circuit having a unique system address, said address decoder circuit further having two electrically conductive terminals in electrical contact with said two electrically conductive members;
an indicator coupled to said address decoder circuit for activation whenever said address decoder circuit detects an address signal present on said one of said two electrically conductive members and representative of said unique system address; and
circuitry coupled to said one of said electrically conductive members and said address decoder circuit for deriving operating power for said address decoder circuit from said address signal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A collective objects management system for objects such as documents contained in file folders in drawers of file cabinets. Each file folder has an electrical circuit with a visible indicator mounted on the file folder. Each folder circuit has an address decoder with a unique system address which enables generation of a VALID signal whenever an incoming address from a source is a match, and a circuit for deriving operating power for the address decoder from an incoming address signal. A local microcomputer and optional encoder receive incoming object identification signals from the source and supplies the desired object address to all the file folders in the cabinet. To aid the user, each file drawer has a visible indicator mounted on the front panel, the panel indicator being illuminated when the sought folder is contained in that drawer. The invention can be applied to a wide variety of collective objects management systems, such as supermarkets, automobile parts distributors, and various manufacturing operations.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A device for enabling the management of objects distributed in an object location space, said device comprising:
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a receptacle for an object, said receptacle having two electrically conductive members, one of said electrically conductive members being provided to receive address signals supplied by a source; an address decoder circuit associated to said object, said address decoder circuit having a unique system address, said address decoder circuit further having two electrically conductive terminals in electrical contact with said two electrically conductive members; an indicator coupled to said address decoder circuit for activation whenever said address decoder circuit detects an address signal present on said one of said two electrically conductive members and representative of said unique system address; and circuitry coupled to said one of said electrically conductive members and said address decoder circuit for deriving operating power for said address decoder circuit from said address signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system for managing objects distributed in an object location space, said system comprising:
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a container having two mutually electrically isolated electrically conductive paths; a plurality of object receptacles positioned in said container, each of said plurality of object receptacles having (a) two electrically conductive members, each of said two electrically conductive members of each of said plurality of object receptacles being electrically coupled to a different one of said two mutually electrically isolated electrically conductive paths, one of said electrically conductive paths being provided to receive address signals supplied by a source; (b) an address decoder circuit associated to said object, said address decoder circuit having a unique system address, said address decoder circuit further having two electrically conductive terminals in electrical contact with a different one of said two electrically conductive members; (c) an indicator coupled to said address decoder circuit for activation whenever said address decoder circuit detects an address signal present on said one of said two electrically conductive members and representative of said unique system address; and (d) circuitry coupled to said one of said electrically conductive members and said address decoder circuit for deriving operating power for said address decoder circuit from said address signal. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification