Apparatus and method for monitoring a plurality of coded articles and for identifying the location of selected articles
First Claim
1. An apparatus for monitoring a plurality of coded articles and for determining the location of a selected article, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of carriers each having a plurality of receptacles each adapted to receive any of a plurality of the coded articles, including articles inserted in random order;
a plurality of memory means, each associated with one of the coded articles, for storing the code of the respective, associated article, each carrier having associated memory processing means for repetitively and sequentially reading the memories associated with any coded articles stored in respective receptacles of the carrier and for storing the codes read from the respective memory means, each carrier having article polling circuitry connected between the associated memory processing means and each receptacle and connectable to the memory means of each coded article received in one of the receptacles;
circuit means, coupled to the memory processing means of the carriers, for determining whether the article code of a selected coded article has been previously stored in one of the memory processing means and, if so, for identifying the location of the selected coded article; and
means associated with the circuit means for indicating the location of the selected coded article.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for storing and monitoring a plurality of articles, including at least one cabinet or carrier having a plurality of receptacles in which the articles are stored. In one application, the apparatus is utilized to maintain a library of magnetic tapes or other storage media associated with a data processing center. Each of the articles is identified by a respective code or volser number, and requests for the articles are received by the system in the form of requests for a particular volser number. In a preferred embodiment, the articles may be randomly stored in any of the receptacles in any of a plurality of carriers. The system includes a polling and searching system operable to identify the carrier in which a requested article is currently stored, and a display system operable to display the carrier'"'"'s location. A host computer controls the operation of the system, but no central data base is maintained of the coded articles. Instead, their volser numbers and usage histories are stored in respective memories associated with each coded article.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. An apparatus for monitoring a plurality of coded articles and for determining the location of a selected article, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of carriers each having a plurality of receptacles each adapted to receive any of a plurality of the coded articles, including articles inserted in random order; a plurality of memory means, each associated with one of the coded articles, for storing the code of the respective, associated article, each carrier having associated memory processing means for repetitively and sequentially reading the memories associated with any coded articles stored in respective receptacles of the carrier and for storing the codes read from the respective memory means, each carrier having article polling circuitry connected between the associated memory processing means and each receptacle and connectable to the memory means of each coded article received in one of the receptacles; circuit means, coupled to the memory processing means of the carriers, for determining whether the article code of a selected coded article has been previously stored in one of the memory processing means and, if so, for identifying the location of the selected coded article; and means associated with the circuit means for indicating the location of the selected coded article. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An apparatus for storing a plurality of coded articles and for identifying the location of a selected coded article, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of carriers, each having a plurality of receptacles each adapted to receive one of the coded articles, each coded article having an associated memory, comprising means for storing the code of the respective coded article; a plurality of processing means, respectively associated with the carriers, for repetitively and sequentially reading the memories of coded articles stored within the carrier receptacles, each processing means having a respective carrier memory, which comprises means for storing the codes and receptacle identities of each coded article received within any of the receptacles of the respective carrier, each carrier having circuitry connected between the carrier processing means and each receptacle and connectable with the memories of each coded article received in one of the carrier receptacles; computer means for generating an inquiry containing the code of a selected, coded article; and circuit means for transmitting the inquiry from the computer means to each of the processing means, each processing means further comprising means for determining whether the code of the selected coded article matches one of the codes previously stored in the respective, associated carrier memory during the repetitive and sequential reading of the coded article memories and for providing a return message indicating the location of any matching coded article stored in a receptacle of the respective carrier, the circuit means further comprising means for transmitting the return message to the computer means. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An apparatus for storing a plurality of coded articles and for identifying the location of a selected coded article, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of carriers, each having a plurality of receptacles each adapted to receive one of the coded articles, each coded article having an associated memory, comprising means for storing the code of the respective coded article; a plurality of processing means, respectively associated with the carriers, for reading the memories of coded articles stored within the carrier receptacles, each processing means having a respective carrier memory, which comprises means for storing the codes and receptacle identities of each coded article received within any of the receptacles of the respective carrier; computer means for generating an inquiry containing the code of a selected, coded article; and circuit means for transmitting the inquiry from the computer means to each of the processing means, each processing means further comprising means for determining whether the code of the selected coded article matches one of the codes stored in the respective, associated carrier memory and for providing a return message indicating the location of any matching coded article stored in a receptacle of the respective carrier, the circuit means further comprising means for transmitting the return message to the computer means; wherein the circuit means comprises a plurality of circuit modules, each module being associated with at least one carrier and comprising means, connected to receive inquiries derived from the computer means, for transmitting corresponding inquiries to the processing means associated with the at least one carrier associated with the respective circuit module, and wherein the computer means comprises means for generating inquiries in a digital format, the circuit means further comprising converter means, connected between the computer means and the plurality of circuit modules, for translating digital inquiries received from the computer means into differential voltage signals for transmission to the circuit modules, and for translating return signals, received in differential voltage format, into digital format for retransmission to the computer means.
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29. An apparatus for storing a plurality of coded articles and for identifying the location of a selected coded article, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of carriers, each having a plurality of receptacles each adapted to receive one of the coded articles, each coded article having an associated memory, comprising means for storing the code of the respective coded article; a plurality of processing means, respectively associated with the carriers, for reading the memories of coded articles stored within the carrier receptacles, each processing means having a respective carrier memory, which comprises means for storing the codes, and receptacle identities of each coded article received within any of the receptacles of the respective carrier; computer means for generating an inquiry containing the code of a selected coded article; circuit means for transmitting the inquiry from the computer means to each of the processing means, each processing means further comprising means for determining whether the code of the selected coded article matches one of the codes stored in the respective, associated carrier memory and for providing a return message indicating the location of any matching coded article stored in a receptacle of the respective carrier, the circuit means further comprising means for transmitting the return message to the computer means; said circuit means comprising a plurality of circuit modules, each module being associated with at least one carrier and comprising means connected to receive inquiries derived from the computer means for transmitting corresponding inquiries to the processing means associated with the at least one carrier associated with the respective circuit module; and wherein the circuit modules are serially interconnected, and further comprising means for relaying differential voltage output signals to associated circuit modules in the series of circuit modules.
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30. An apparatus for storing a plurality of coded articles and for identifying the location of a selected coded article, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of carriers, each having a plurality of receptacles each adapted to receive one of the coded articles, each coded article having an associated memory, comprising means for storing the code of the respective coded article; a plurality of processing means, respectively associated with the carriers, for repetitively and sequentially reading the memories of coded articles stored within the carrier receptacles, each processing means having a respective carrier memory, which comprises means for storing the codes and receptacle identities of each coded article received within any of the receptacles of the respective carrier; computer means for generating an inquiry containing the code of a selected, coded article; and circuit means for transmitting the inquiry from the computer means to each of the processing means, each processing means further comprising means for determining whether the code of the selected coded article matches one of the codes previously stored in the respective, associated carrier memory during the repetitive and sequential reading of the coded article memories and for providing a return message indicating the location of any matching coded article stored in a receptacle of the respective carrier, the circuit means further comprising means for transmitting the return message to the computer means wherein each of the coded article memories comprises a non-volatile memory, further comprising encoding means for storing the respective code of each coded article in the memory associated with the respective coded article. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An apparatus for storing a plurality of coded articles and for identifying the location of a selected coded article, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of carriers, each having a plurality of receptacles each adapted to receive one of the coded articles, each coded article having an associated memory, comprising means for storing the code of the respective coded article; a plurality of processing means, respectively associated with the carriers, for reading the memories of coded articles stored within the carrier receptacles, each processing means having a respective carrier memory, which comprises means for storing the codes and receptacle identities of each coded article received within any of the receptacles of the respective carrier; computer means for generating an inquiry containing the code of a selected, coded article; and circuit means for transmitting the inquiry from the computer means to each of the processing means, each processing means further comprising means for determining whether the code of the selected coded article matches one of the codes stored in the respective, associated carrier memory and for providing a return message indicating the location of any matching coded article stored in a receptacle of the respective carrier, the circuit means further comprising means for transmitting the return message to the computer means, wherein each of the coded article memories comprises a non-volatile memory; further comprising encoding means for storing the respective code of each coded article in the memory associated with the respective coded article; wherein the encoding means comprises; a receptacle for receiving a coded article and having probe means for conducting encoding signals to the non-volatile memory associated with the coded article; encoding circuit means, connected to the probe means, for generating a sequence of encoding signals for programming the non-volatile memory of a coded article received in the encoding means receptacle; and control means, associated with the encoding circuit means, for applying a series of signals to the encoding circuit means corresponding to the characters of the code assigned to said coded article, the encoding circuit means comprising means for applying a sequence of digital encoding signals corresponding with the signals applied by the control means; and wherein the control means comprises means for generating encoding signals in TTL format. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. An apparatus for storing a plurality of coded articles and for identifying the location of a selected coded article, the apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of carriers, each having a plurality of receptacles each adapted to receive one of the coded articles, each coded article having an associated memory, comprising means for storing the code of the respective coded article;
.a plurality of processing means, respectively associated with the carriers, for reading the memories of coded articles stored within the carrier receptacles, each processing means having a respective carrier memory, which comprises means for storing the codes and receptacle identities of each coded article received within any of the receptacles of the respective carrier; computer means for generating an inquiry containing the code of a selected, coded article; and circuit means for transmitting the inquiry from the computer means to each of the processing means, each processing means further comprising means for determining whether the code of the selected coded article matches one of the codes stored in the respective, associated carrier memory and for providing a return message indicating the location of any matching coded article stored in a receptacle of the respective carrier, the circuit means further comprising means for transmitting the return message to the computer means, further comprising carrier programming means for encoding carrier position information in the carrier memories associated with the respective carriers, wherein the carrier programming means comprises circuitry means for generating encoded position information and means for transmitting the encoded position information to a respective carrier. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
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44. A method for monitoring a plurality of coded articles and for identifying the location of a selected coded article, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of carriers, each having a plurality of receptacles adapted to receive one of the coded articles, the carriers having respective memories, and the coded articles having respective memories associated therewith; storing in the coded article memories the article codes of the respective, associated coded articles; inserting coded articles in at least some of the carrier receptacles; repetitively and sequentially polling the memories of coded articles received in the carrier receptacles and repetitively storing the codes and locations of said coded articles in the respective carrier memory means; polling the carrier memories, in response to a request for a selected coded article, for determining whether a code previously stored in one of the carrier memories during the step of repetitively and sequentially polling the memories of the coded articles matches the code of the selected coded article; and providing an indication of the current location of a selected coded article. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46)
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47. A method for monitoring a plurality of coded articles and for identifying the location of a selected coded article, comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of carriers, each having a plurality of receptacles adapted to receive one of the coded articles, the carriers having respective memories, and the coded articles having respective memories associated therewith; storing in the coded article memories the article codes of the respective, associated coded articles; inserting coded articles in at least some of the carrier receptacles; polling the memories of coded articles received in the carrier receptacles and storing the codes and locations of said coded articles in the respective carrier memory means; polling the carrier memories, in response to a request for a selected coded article, for determining whether a code stored in one of the carrier memories matches the code of the selected coded article; and providing an indication of the current location of a selected coded article, wherein the carrier memories comprise respective non-volatile memory devices each associated with a respective one of the carriers, further comprising the step of; programming the non-volatile carrier memory devices by encoding therein the current locations of the respective, associated carriers. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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Specification