Human Look-Alike Electronic Filing Cabinet and a System Thereof

The present invention relates to a human look-alike electronic file cabinet. The electronic file cabinet is configured to provide a secure filing system in offices and to replace paper-filing cabinets. The cabinet includes cameras as the eyes and nose, microphone as mouth, two filing slots for dispensing files and receiving files, a fingerprint analysis screen for authorizing users for interacting with the cabinet, speakers, paper shredder, and trash receptacle. The microphone captures user voice requests and accordingly a processor operates the cabinet for dispensing a requested file or digitally storing a re-filed file. The cabinet can be a part of electronic filing system connecting a plurality of cabinets to a central cloud server. The cabinet can understand different languages and can contact emergency services when required.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of electronic filing cabinets and secure filing systems. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel office professional look-alike electronic filing cabinet. The electronic filing cabinet authorizes users and enables authorized users to request a file by audibly speaking the name of the client file and re-filing files by submitting physical files. The cabinet obviate the delay in locating files and mismanagement of files in tax offices, hospitals, and more. Accordingly, the present disclosure makes specific reference thereto. Nonetheless, it is to be appreciated that aspects of the present invention are also equally applicable to other like applications, devices, and methods of manufacture.

BACKGROUND

By way of background, small offices, tax offices, hospitals, and many more use paper-filing cabinets to store documents, such as customer files, folders, and other documents. Such documents and files are stored in physical form that not only takes physical space for storage but are difficult to handle. Physical documents are prone to damage and tearing, and further security is not assured in paper-filing cabinets. No effective access control mechanism can be applied to such cabinets. Files, especially customer files, contain confidential information including, but not limited to, personal details and financial details. The information can be easily accessed in paper-filing cabinets and can become compromised.

Further, files in paper-filing cabinets can be easily lost and misplaced. Important information both for the offices and the customers are periodically lost and are required to be re-filed by a user. This is not only time consuming and laborious, but also expensive. Further, an office professional is always required to be physically present to provide the necessary files to a user. In paper-filing cabinets, time is wasted for manually looking for files and often files are accidentally misfiled.

It is a common problem for users to fully comprehend information or make another office professional understand responses because of language issues. Especially, when a user visits a branch of an office in a different state or country, language and accent problems are faced by individuals and therefore, individuals desire a system that helps them in locating their files easily without any associated language issues.

Therefore, there exists a long felt need in the art for an improved filing cabinet system that can replace manual paper-filing cabinets. There is also a long felt need in the art for an electronic filing cabinet system that provides a secure filing system for all types of offices. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for electronic filing cabinets that obviate the need of an office professional to be physically present for retrieving and storing files. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for electronic filing cabinets that reduce time for locating requested files. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for electronic filing cabinets that obviate manual searching for stored files and misfiling of files. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for electronic filing cabinets that securely stores customer files and records and maintains their confidentiality. Also, there is a long felt need in the art for electronic filing cabinets that understand different languages and accents and can automatically retrieve and dispense files for users. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for electronic filing cabinets that enables only authorized users to access requested information on a need basis and maintains logs of access of files.

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a human look-alike electronic filing cabinet. The electronic filing cabinet is designed in the likeness of an office professional for dispensing or distributing requested files and take back returned file folders for filing. The cabinet further comprising a face having a pair of eyes, a pair of ears, a nose, a mouth, and hair; the pair of eyes and the nose having integrated high-definition cameras for recording videos; the pair of ears have integrated speakers for playing out instructions; the mouth having an integrated directional microphone for capturing sound of a user standing in front of the cabinet; the front surface having a fingerprint scanner for scanning a fingerprint image of the user for authorizing a user; a pair of slots for dispensing physical files and receiving physical files from the user interacting with the cabinet wherein the cabinet dispenses or retrieves files upon receiving a user voice request captured by the microphone. The microphone understands different languages and can process the request accordingly.

In this manner, the electronic filing cabinet of the present invention accomplishes all of the forgoing objectives and provides users with an electronic filing cabinet designed in the likeness of an office professional. The cabinet automatically dispenses requested files and receives re-filed files from authorized users. The cabinet can understand different languages and can store files in digital format. The cabinet maintains security and uses fingerprint recognition for authorization of users. The cabinet is useful for eliminating paper-filing cabinets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter disclosed and claimed herein, in one embodiment thereof, comprises a human look-alike electronic filing cabinet. The electronic filing cabinet includes a one-piece structure and further comprising a housing having a front surface in the shape of an office professional, a face having a pair of eyes, a pair of ears, a nose, a mouth, and hair; the pair of eyes and the nose having integrated high-definition cameras for recording videos; the pair of ears have integrated speakers for playing out instructions; the mouth having an integrated directional microphone for capturing sound of a user standing in front of the cabinet; the front surface having a fingerprint scanner for scanning a fingerprint image of the user for authorizing a user; a pair of slots including a first slot and a second slot; the first slot is configured to dispense physical files therefrom wherein the dispensed files are printed form of digital files stored in internal memory of the cabinet; the second slot is configured to receive physical files from the user interacting with the cabinet, wherein the received files are scanned and digitized by the cabinet for storing in internal memory, the cabinet dispenses or retrieves files upon receiving a user voice request captured by the microphone.

In yet another embodiment, the cabinet processes the voice request received in one or more languages from English, German, Spanish, Chinese, French, and more.

In yet another embodiment, the cabinet includes a hand that is configured to move during processing of the files by the cabinet.

In yet another embodiment, the cabinet includes a shredder slot at the rear surface and a trash repository disposed at the bottom thereof.

In yet another embodiment, the authorization of user is completed using a passcode.

In yet another embodiment, the cabinet uses file name or username as the identifier for a file for retrieving same from the memory.

In yet another embodiment, an electronic filing cabinet designed to distribute requested files and take back returned file folders for filing is disclosed. The electronic filing cabinet is fixed to a floor and resembles an office professional. The cabinet further comprising a pair of slots including a first slot and a second slot; the first slot is configured to dispense the requested files wherein the files are retrieved in digital form a memory module, printed by a printer module and dispensed from the first slot; the second slot is configured to receive re-filed files wherein the re-filed files are scanned to convert into digital form and are stored in the memory module; a fingerprint scanner for scanning fingerprint images of a user wherein the scanned fingerprint images are authorized by a processor for authorizing the user before interacting with the cabinet; a microphone for receiving the requests for dispensing or distributing files and taking back returned files from the user; the cabinet includes a network surface for contacting emergency services such as 911 in case an emergency service is needed and is a part of cloud network.

In yet another embodiment, a secure electronic filing system is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of human look-alike electronic filing cabinets connected to a central server; each filing cabinet includes a slot for file distribution and another slot for receiving files, a fingerprint analysis for receiving and authorizing fingerprints, a microphone for capturing user requests wherein the requested files for file distribution are retrieved from the central server and re-filing of files are stored in the central server thereby enabling a user to store and retrieve files from any cabinet from the plurality of human look-alike electronic filing cabinets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

As noted above, there is a long felt need in the art for an improved filing cabinet system that can replace manual paper-filing cabinets. There is also a long felt need in the art for an electronic filing cabinet system that provides a secure filing system for all types of offices. Additionally, there is a long felt need in the art for electronic filing cabinets that obviate the need of an office professional to be physically present for retrieving and storing files. Moreover, there is a long felt need in the art for electronic filing cabinets that reduce time for locating requested files. Further, there is a long felt need in the art for electronic filing cabinets that obviate manual searching for stored files and misfiling of files. Furthermore, there is a long felt need in the art for electronic filing cabinets that securely stores customer files and records and maintains their confidentiality. Also, there is a long felt need in the art for electronic filing cabinets that understand different languages and accents and can automatically retrieve and dispense files for users. Finally, there is a long felt need in the art for electronic filing cabinets that enables only authorized users to access requested information on a need basis and maintains logs of access of files.

The present invention, in one exemplary embodiment, is a novel electronic filing cabinet designed to distribute requested files and take back returned file folders for filing. The electronic filing cabinet is fixed to a floor and resembles an office professional. The cabinet further comprising a pair of slots including a first slot and a second slot; the first slot is configured to dispense the request files wherein the files are retrieved in digital form a memory module, printed by a printer module, and dispensed from the first slot; the second slot is configured to received re-filed files wherein the re-filed files are scanned to convert into digital form and are stored in the memory module; a fingerprint scanner for scanning fingerprint images of a user wherein the scanned fingerprint images are authorized by a processor for authorizing the user before interacting with the cabinet; a microphone for receiving the requests for dispensing or distributing files and taking back returned files from the user; the cabinet includes a network surface for contacting emergency services such as 911 in case an emergency service is needed and is a part of cloud network.

Referring initially to the drawings,FIG.1illustrates a perspective view of one potential embodiment of an electronic filing cabinet of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The human look-alike electronic filing cabinet100is designed in the likeness of an office professional wearing a professional office attire. The cabinet100is configured to function as a virtual office professional for receiving and dispensing or distributing files and documents to authorized users. More specifically, the cabinet100includes a housing102resembling an office professional from a front side104and includes a face106. The face106includes a pair of eyes108and a nose110, wherein the pair of eyes108and the nose110have high-definition cameras112disposed on them. The cameras112are used for recording video around the cabinet100for recording and surveillance. Further, the cameras112can be used for authorizing and detecting a user using the cabinet100. A pair of ears114have integrated speakers116for playing out instructions and notifications for users. The mouth118includes at least one microphone120for capturing voice/instructions of a user using the filing cabinet100for storing and retrieving documents. The microphone120is preferably a directional microphone that spatially filters received sound so that sounds arriving from the field of view of the cameras112are accepted (constructively combined) and sounds arriving from other directions are rejected (destructively combined).

For enabling only authorized users to access the cabinet100and for authorizing a user, the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet100provides a fingerprint detection screen122on the housing. The fingerprint detection screen122is configured to scan a fingerprint of a user and upon successful authorization of the fingerprint, access for retrieving and filing documents using the cabinet100is provided to the user. The fingerprint detection screen122can use any state of art technology such as optical scanners, thermal scanners, capacitive scanners, E-field sensors, ultrasonic scanners, and many more to obtain an image of the finger placed on the screen122.

A first slot124is disposed on the front side104for dispensing one or more files by the cabinet100. The first slot124preferably dispenses a physical file for immediate access by a user. The electronic cabinet100on capturing a file request from a user, locates the physical or a digital file corresponding to the file request, and dispenses the file in physical format to the user. Additionally, a digital copy can be sent electronically to an email address of the user. A second slot126is disposed below the first slot124and is used by a user for filing (i.e. receiving) file or document to the electronic cabinet100. The files received by the electronic cabinet100are stored in both physical and digital form for later access and retrieval. The advantage of the electronic filing cabinet is that files are securely stored in both physical and digital form ensuring that files are not misplaced and always remain protected. Further, time for retrieving files for a user takes less time in comparison to locating file manually in conventional cabinets.

The rear surface128of the housing102includes a paper shredder slot130for receiving papers that can be shredded by the cabinet100. A paper shredder module is disposed inside the housing102and is coupled to the paper shredder slot130. A trash receptacle132is positioned at the base of the cabinet100for storing the waste and shredded paper. It should be noted that the electronic cabinet100has the capability of understanding a plurality of languages including, but not limited to, English, French, German, Chinese, Spanish and more, and provides basic greeting messages in the same language of the user, enabling for a smooth file retrieval process for users.

In the preferred embodiment, the electronic cabinet100is secured to a floor using fasteners134and is immovable. In alternative embodiments, the electronic cabinet100may have wheels enabling a user to move the cabinet100as per their preferences. Further, the cabinet100can be used in tax offices, hospitals, and more where a lot of files are conventionally stored in physical form and where it requires a lot of time to locate a request file.

In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a hand136of the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet100is raised when an action such as dispensing a file or receiving a file is performed by the cabinet100.

FIG.2illustrates a schematic block diagram of the electronic filing cabinet100of the present invention showing the internal components and modules in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The electronic filing cabinet100internally includes an authorization module202for checking and authorizing the received fingerprint from the fingerprint detection screen122for enabling access of the cabinet100for a user. The authorization module202is coupled to a memory unit204which stores the authorized fingerprints of users. The fingerprints can be stored in the memory unit204during registration of a user to the cabinet100.

A file scanner206is used for scanning and digitizing the files received from the second slot126. The files filed by a user are scanned in real time by the file scanner206and the scanned/digital copies of the files are stored in the hard disk2040of the memory unit204for later access. The physical files submitted by a user are also stored in a physical cabinet (not shown) of the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet100. The physical cabinets can be external to the electronic filing cabinet and may be coupled to the cabinet100. A printer module208is used for printing a requested file by a user and is coupled to the first slot124of the cabinet100.

A processor210is configured to manage the operations of the electronic filing cabinet100and execute the dispensing and storage of the files. The processor210may include a variety of system on chips (SoC) such as a multi-core processor, a graphic processing unit (GPU), an application processor (AP) and so on. A network interface212enables the electronic filing cabinet100to wirelessly connect to an emergency and security service such as 911 in case of an emergency. This enables the cabinet100to automatically alert the authorities about an emergency. In one embodiment, the cabinet100is programmed to call911service when the cameras112detect a weapon such as a gun. The network interface212also enables the cabinet100to be wirelessly connected to intranet of the premises or organization in which the cabinet100is stored. Without limitation, the cabinet100can be a part of NFC, Zigbee, WiMAX, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and IEEE 802.11, among other examples, over one or more types of networks, such as wide area networks (WAN), local area networks (LAN), and personal area networks (PAN), among other possibilities.

It should be noted that the processor210operates the cabinet100based on the received query or request from a user of the cabinet100and accordingly, instructs components of the cabinet100to perform the required functionality.

FIG.3illustrates a schematic view of one potential embodiment of the electronic filing cabinet system of the present invention used in an organization for automatic and secure filing system in accordance with the disclosed architecture. The electronic filing cabinet100of the present invention can be used to make a complete and secure system300for big organizations that span across multiple floors, buildings, areas or even countries. More specifically, a plurality of cabinets100are connected to a central server which can be a cloud server302. The connection can be using a public or private network304and can be wired or wireless.

Each cabinet100works in a manner as described earlier in the disclosure and in the present embodiment, syncs the files with server302enabling a central, and secured repository of files of the users. The physical copies of the files submitted by users may be stored locally by each cabinet but the digital or electronic copies are stored locally as well as in central cloud server302. This enables an authorized user to submit and retrieve files from any location and thus makes the system300centralized.

In the present embodiment, the video recorded by cameras of the cabinets and the transaction records of the files submitted and retrieved using the cabinets are also stored in the cloud server302. Each cabinet100can act as an independent electronic filing cabinet and can also function as a part of the electronic filing cabinet system300.

FIG.4illustrates a perspective view showing the electronic file cabinet100positioned in an office dispensing a requested file in accordance with the disclosed architecture. As described earlier, an authorized requesting user400can interact with the cabinet100using voice command which is captured by directional microphone of the cabinet100for processing. In the present embodiment, the user400after authorizing using the fingerprint scanner122can interact with the cabinet100and submits a fill access request402including an identifier of the requested file. The identifier can be a name of the user or any other identifier of the file. The microphone120captures the file request402and processes the request to retrieve the requested file. Then, using the first slot124, the cabinet100dispenses the requested file for immediate access by the user400.

It should be appreciated that the cabinet100is programmed and configured to provide the files for which the user400is authorized. Upon successful fingerprint authorization of the user, the processor210is configured to provide access only to the files which are accessible to the user400on a permission basis.

FIG.5illustrates a flow chart depicting a process of authorization of a user for interacting with the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet of the present invention in accordance with the disclosed architecture. Initially, a user is registered in the electronic filing cabinet (Step502). It should be noted that user can be registered on any cabinet of cloud system in which a plurality of cabinets is connected to the cloud. In a standalone cabinet, a user is required to physically register at the cabinet (Step504). Then, the existing files of the registered user are stored in the cabinet. If no existing files are present, then, a user may be asked to file the files in the cabinet.

Then, for using the electronic filing cabinet, a fingerprint image is received by the cabinet from the fingerprint sensor (Step506). Upon receiving the fingerprint image, a user authorization is performed by a processor of the cabinet (Step508). In situations where the user is not authorized, then, the access to the cabinet is denied and optionally, a message may be played out or displayed (Step510). When the fingerprints are authorized, then, the process moves to step512and access to the cabinet is enabled (Step512). When access to the cabinet is enabled, the microphone of the cabinet is activated.

FIG.6illustrates a flow chart depicting process of working of the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet of the present invention post authorization of a user in accordance with the disclosed architecture. Once, a user is authorized and a request is received, then the request type is determined by the cabinet (Step602). In situations where the request is determined to be a file retrieval request (Step604), then the required file is retrieved from the memory of the cabinet or from the cloud server and is printed by the print module (Step608). Thereafter, the printed file is dispensed from the first slot for immediate access by the user (Step612).

In situations where the request is determined to be a file re-filing request (Step606), then, the files from the second slot are received by the cabinet (Step610) and the received files are scanned by the cabinet and are stored in internal memory or cloud memory (Step612).

It should be appreciated that the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet and associated system allow users to easily retrieve their files without delay or any mismanagement. Further, for organizations like tax offices, hospitals and more, the cabinet saves cost, space and ensures more security. Further, the cabinet are HIPAA compliant and can store the information in encrypted format. Also, only authorized users are enabled to interact with the cabinet and confidentiality of the files are maintained and are provided only to authorized users.

Other shapes, designs, and configurations of the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet100are contemplated and fall within the scope of the invention without affecting the utility of the device.

Certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular features or components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, different persons may refer to the same feature or component by different names. This document does not intend to distinguish between components or features that differ in name but not structure or function. As used herein “human look-alike electronic filing cabinet”, “electronic filing cabinet”, “filing cabinet”, and “cabinet” are interchangeable and refer to the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet100of the present invention.

Notwithstanding the forgoing, the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet100of the present invention can be of any suitable size and configuration as is known in the art without affecting the overall concept of the invention, provided that it accomplishes the above stated objectives. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet100as shown in the FIGS. are for illustrative purposes only, and that many other sizes and shapes of the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet100are well within the scope of the present disclosure. Although the dimensions of the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet100important design parameters for user convenience, the human look-alike electronic filing cabinet100may be of any size that ensures optimal performance during use and/or that suits the user's needs and/or preferences.