Indicator circuit for storage container for addressable objects

• US 9,475,612 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2014
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imicrodata Corporation
• Original Assignee: Microdata LLC (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhu, Shengbo, Huang, Su Shiong
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, TOAN NGOC
• Application Number:
  US14/121,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20160083139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 340/570, 340/691.1, 340/691.6, 340/8.1, 340/815.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 15/0035 suspended at both extremities
• CPC Class Codes: B42F 15/0094 with access from above
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/205 Means for the attachment of labels, cards, coupons or the like; cards or coupons for the other types of rigid or semi-rigid containers B65D25/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/0423 Input/output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 45/00 Circuit arrangements for operating light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

An indicator circuit for a storage container designed to enable remote electronic searching for file folders located within the container. Address signals from a host computer are supplied to the storage container to designate a sought file folder. The indicator circuit is activated whenever a sought file folder is located in a given container. When two or more storage containers are interconnected to receive address signals designating a sought file folder, only the indicator circuit of the storage container containing the sought file folder is activated.

Claims

1. A storage container having circuitry for enabling remote location and retrieval of documents located in file folders operationally installed within said storage container, each of said file folders having opposing ends, said storage container including a base wall;

a plurality of upstanding wall members connected to said base wall, said base wall and said plurality of upstanding wall members defining an enclosure volume;

first and second electrically conductive support members each secured to at least one of said wall members in an essentially parallel and mutually spaced manner, the mutually spaced manner between said first and second support members being sufficient to accommodate said ends of a file folder in mechanically supportive fashion;

an electrical input connector secured to one of said upstanding wall members and ohmically coupled to said first and second support members for providing file folder address signals supplied by a source to at least one of said first and second support members, so that said file folder address signals are coupled to any file folder supported by said support members;

a storage container indicator; and

an indicator control circuit for activating said storage container indicator when the file folder operationally installed on said first and second electrically conductive support members has an address matching said file folder address signals and said storage container is electrically coupled to another storage container, said indicator control circuit including a fixed resistance coupled between said electrical input connector and one of said first and second electrically conductive support members, means for sensing a voltage value at a junction of said fixed resistance and said one of said first and second electrically conductive support members, said sensing means having an input coupled to said junction and an output, and a control unit having an input coupled to the output of said sensing means and an output coupled to said storage container indicator for activating said storage container indicator when said voltage value reaches a threshold value.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said storage container indicator comprises a light source mounted to one of said wall members in a visible location.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said light source is an LED.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein said sensing means comprises an operational amplifier.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein said control unit comprises a microcontroller.

6. The invention of claim 1 further including an electrical output connector secured to one of said upstanding wall members and coupled to said electrical input connector for manifesting said file folder search signals supplied by a source to at least one of said first and second support members, so that said file folder search signals are coupled to support members located in another document storage container having an electrical input connector coupled to said electrical output connector.

7. An array of portable document storage containers for enabling remote location and retrieval of documents located in file folders received within said storage containers, each of said file folders having opposing ends. said array comprising:

a plurality of document storage containers each having a base wall;

a plurality of upstanding wall members connected to said base wall, said base wall and said plurality of upstanding wall members defining an enclosure volume;

first and second electrically conductive support members each secured to at least one of said wall members in an essentially parallel and mutually spaced manner, the mutually spaced manner between said first and second support members being sufficient to accommodate said ends of a file folder in mechanically supportive fashion;

an electrical input connector secured to one of said upstanding wall members and ohmically coupled to said first and second support members for providing file folder address signals supplied by a source to at least one of said first and second support members, an electrical output connector secured to one of said upstanding wall members and ohmically coupled to said electrical input connector, the output connector of some of said document storage containers being coupled to the input connectors of other ones of said document storage containers to form an electrically intercoupled array so that said file folder address signals are coupled to any file folder supported by said support members in all of said storage containers in said intercoupled array;

a storage container indicator; and

an indicator control circuit for activating the storage container indicator in said storage container when a the file folder operationally installed on said first and second electrically conductive support members has an address matching said file folder address signals said indicator control circuit including a fixed resistance coupled between said electrical input connector and one of said first and second electrically conductive support members, means for sensing a voltage value at a junction of said fixed resistance and said one of said first and second electrically conductive support members, said sensing means having an input coupled to said junction and an output, and a control unit having an input coupled to the output of said sensing means and an output coupled to said storage container indicator for activating said storage container indicator when said voltage value reaches a threshold value; and

a controller having an output coupled to the input connector of one of said plurality of document storage containers for providing file folder search signals supplied by a source to at least one of said first and second support members of the document storage container connected thereto, said file folder search signals being coupled to all of said document storage containers in said electrically intercoupled array so that said file folder search signals are coupled to any file folder supported by said support members in any of said document storage containers in said intercoupled array.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein all of said plurality of document storage containers are electrically intercoupled.

9. The invention of claim 7 wherein said storage container indicator comprises a light source mounted to one of said wall members in a visible location.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein said light source is an LED.

11. The invention of claim 7 wherein said sensing means comprises an operational amplifier.

12. The invention of claim 7 wherein said control unit comprises a microcontroller.