Wireless data management system

• US 7,526,108 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2004
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Topaz Systems Inc
• Original Assignee: Topaz Systems Inc
• Inventors: Jacques, Thomas M., Zank, Anthony E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chawan; Sheela C
• Application Number:
  US10/777,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20040223660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 382/119, 382/124, 382/125, 382/305, 455/562.1, 455/67.14, 455/69, 455/517, 455/466, 455/67.11, 455/423, 455/522, 235/380, 235/375, 235/381, 235/376, 235/383, 370/310, 370/329, 370/342, 370/328, 370/277, 370/343, 370/442, 370/335, 340/539.21, 340/539.1, 340/539.13
• US Class Current: 382/119
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 51/36 Other devices for indicating or controlling movements of carriers, e.g. for supervising individual tube sections, for counting carriers, for reporting jams or other operating difficulties
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/30 Writer recognition; Reading and verifying signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1427 with transmitter-receiver for distance detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/025 System arrangements wherein the alarm criteria uses absence of reply signal after an elapsed time

Abstract

A portable electronic data management and transport system includes a base unit and a wireless remote unit. The wireless remote unit can incorporate a graphic tablet digitizer for signaling signature data to a personal computer.

Claims

1. A transport system comprising a housing adapted to be transported through a pneumatic tube, the housing having an exterior surface and an interior surface, wherein the housing comprises:

a. a compartment inside the housing;

b. a door attached to the housing which provides access to the compartment;

c. a device for capturing data in electronic form in said compartment;

d. a wireless communications device for communicating data from the device for capturing data to a second device; and

e. a memory for storing said data,

wherein the data is selected from the group consisting of fingerprint data, signature data, voiceprint data, data in magnetic form, digital photographic data, alphanumeric data, data from a breathalyzer, and data stored in a smart card.

2. The transport system of claim 1, wherein the device for capturing data in electronic form is adapted to detect data which indicates that a user of the device is under duress.

3. The transport system of claim 1, further comprising a receiver.

4. The transport system of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver.

5. The transport system of claim 1, wherein the memory is contained in the device for capturing data.

6. The transport system of claim 1, wherein the memory is contained in a stylus.

7. The transport system of claim 1, wherein the memory is contained in the wireless communications device.

8. The transport system of claim 1, wherein the memory is a storage buffer.

9. The transport system of claim 1, wherein the door is an integral part of the housing.

10. The transport system of claim 1, wherein the compartment is adapted to transport medication for an individual.

11. The transport system of claim 1, further comprising a stylus, wherein the compartment is adapted to carry a stylus.

12. The transport system of claim 11, wherein the stylus is reversibly attached to a surface of the compartment.

13. The transport system of claim 11, wherein the compartment further comprises a foam material adapted to restrain the stylus when the door is in a closed position.

14. The transport system of claim 1, wherein the device for capturing data is fixedly attached to the compartment.

15. The transport system of claim 1, wherein the device for capturing data is reversibly attached to the compartment.

16. The transport system of claim 1, wherein the data is alphanumeric data and the device for capturing data in electronic form is selected from the group consisting of a keypad and a touch screen.

17. A transport system comprising:

(1) a stylus; and

(2) a housing having an exterior surface and an interior surface, wherein the housing comprises;

a. a compartment adapted to carry the stylus inside the housing,

wherein an interior surface of the compartment has attached thereto a first piece of hook-and-loop material and the stylus has attached thereto a corresponding second piece of hook-and-loop material to which the first piece becomes reversibly bound when brought into contact with the second piece;

b. a door attached to the housing which provides access to the compartment;

c. a device for capturing data in electronic form in said compartment;

d. a wireless communications device for communicating data from the device for capturing data to a second device; and

e. a memory for storing said data,

wherein the data is selected from the group consisting of fingerprint data, signature data, voiceprint data, data in magnetic form, digital photographic data, alphanumeric data, data from a breathalyzer, and data stored in a smart card.

18. A transport system comprising:

(1) a global positioning system; and

(2) a housing, the housing having an exterior surface and an interior surface, wherein the housing comprises;

a. a compartment inside the housing;

b. a door attached to the housing which provides access to the compartment;

c. a device for capturing data in electronic form in said compartment;

d. a wireless communications device for communicating data from the device for capturing data to a second device; and

e. a memory for storing said data,

wherein the data is selected from the group consisting of fingerprint data, signature data, voiceprint data, data in magnetic form, digital photographic data, alphanumeric data, data from a breathalyzer, and data stored in a smart card.

19. The transport system of claim 18, wherein the global positioning system provides location data to a computer in the housing, and wherein a remote alarm circuit is activated by the remote computer when the location data indicates that the housing is beyond a predetermined distance from a predetermined location.

20. A transport system comprising a housing, the housing having an exterior surface and an interior surface, wherein the housing comprises:

a. a compartment inside the housing;

b. a door attached to the housing which provides access to the compartment;

c. an optical switch, said switch comprising;

(i) a pair of posts attached to a surface of the compartment, wherein one of said posts includes an infrared emitting diode and the other of said posts includes a sensor, and wherein a beam of infrared light is transmitted from the diode to the sensor; and

(ii) an opaque material attached to the door, wherein when the door is in a closed position the opaque material is positioned in between the pair of posts and blocks the beam of infrared light

d. a device for capturing data in electronic form in said compartment;

e. a wireless communications device for communicating data from the device for capturing data to a second device; and

f. a memory for storing said data,

wherein the data is selected from the group consisting of fingerprint data, signature data, voiceprint data, data in magnetic form, digital photographic data, alphanumeric data, data from a breathalyzer, and data stored in a smart card.