Documents management using remote document location and retrieval
First Claim
1. A method of remotely locating and retrieving a document physically located in a file folder in a file cabinet in a document storage system having a master list of documents, file folders in which individual documents are registered, and file cabinets in which file folders are located, said method comprising the steps of:
- (c) designating a document to be found;
(d) transmitting a file folder request to the file cabinet in which the file folder containing the document is located according to the master list;
(c) locally searching the file cabinet for the file folder identified in the request;
(d) transmitting a file folder found signal to the source of the file folder request when the file folder is found;
(e) transmitting a document identifier signal to the file cabinet containing the found file folder;
(f) locally searching the found file folder for the document specified by the document identifier signal; and
(g) transmitting the contents of the found document to the source of the document identifier signal when the document specified by the document identifier signal has been found.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A documents management system with remote location and retrieval of documents contained in file folders positioned in file drawers in a collection of file cabinets. Each document has an RFID tag containing a document identifier and the contents of the document stored in a read-only memory. Each file folder has a circuit containing a unique identifier for that folder. Each file cabinet has a control unit which searches for a specific file folder in response to receipt of a file folder request from a source. If the folder is found, each cabinet has an R.F. reader which searches for a specific document in response to receipt of a document request from the source. If the document is found, the R.F. reader extracts the document contents and transmits them to the source.
27 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of remotely locating and retrieving a document physically located in a file folder in a file cabinet in a document storage system having a master list of documents, file folders in which individual documents are registered, and file cabinets in which file folders are located, said method comprising the steps of:
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(c) designating a document to be found; (d) transmitting a file folder request to the file cabinet in which the file folder containing the document is located according to the master list; (c) locally searching the file cabinet for the file folder identified in the request; (d) transmitting a file folder found signal to the source of the file folder request when the file folder is found; (e) transmitting a document identifier signal to the file cabinet containing the found file folder; (f) locally searching the found file folder for the document specified by the document identifier signal; and (g) transmitting the contents of the found document to the source of the document identifier signal when the document specified by the document identifier signal has been found. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A document management system for enabling remote location and retrieval of documents, said system comprising:
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a plurality of file cabinets having a plurality of file drawers; a plurality of file folders located in said file drawers; a plurality of documents located in said plurality of file folders, each document having an RFID tag containing a document identifier and an electronic copy of the contents of the document; each file cabinet having a control unit for receiving file folder request signals from a source, performing a file folder search in response to receipt of a file folder request signal, and sending a response to the source indicating the result of the file folder search; each file folder having a circuit responsive to a search initiated by a file folder request signal for generating a response signal when the file folder request signal matches the identity of the file folder; each file cabinet further including an RFID reader for receiving document request signals from a source, performing a document search in response to receipt of a document request signal, and sending the contents of a found document to the source. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification