Abstract:
A system for automatically indexing printed documents comprising a database for maintaining indexing data indicative of the identity and location of the documents, a processor interfacing with the database, the processor producing a document file containing both a printable content and an RFID taggable content, a printing device for printing the documents including a controller, an RFID tag writer and an RFID tag dispenser, wherein the controller directs the printable content to the printing device and the taggable content to the RFID writer, a plurality of file folders for retaining the tagged documents, an RFID tag attached to each of the file folders and a storage unit for storing the plurality of tagged file folders.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    In a typical office environment, printed documents of various sorts are filed and stored in file cabinets, desks, shelves, drawers and other office furniture. Paper or plastic labels are affixed to the drawers or doors to describe the contents in a broad way. Labeled file folders or containers are used to group related papers in a drawer or on a shelf. In some sophisticated operations, indexes are manually created and maintained to record the documents that are supposed to be in each area, for example, card catalogs. If a document is erroneously filed, it may be lost for all practical purposes. 
         [0002]    The retrieval of misplaced or lost files is time consuming and costly. In offices, warehouses and other facilities having large volumes of files, significant time and energy are frequently expended searching for missing or lost files. 
         [0003]    In the past, a variety of systems have been implemented to track and control different sorts of objects, including files and printed documents. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,407,665 issued to J. D. Stanfield et al. on May 12, 1998, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, there is disclosed a tracking system including a processor which interfaces with a database, a plurality of file folder retainers and a plurality of file folders. The database includes file information, file location and a unique file address for the plurality of files in the system. The system actively maintains and updates the database by providing interactive communication between the processor, the folder retainers and the file folders. Communication is achieved by an electrical bus system to which the components are connected. Bus systems of this type are complicated, expensive to install and difficult to maintain in a typical office environment. 
         [0004]    Radio frequency (RF) identification systems utilizing RFID tags are known in the art and are often used to identify an object and its location. In such a system, an RF signal is directed onto a tag attached to the object enabling the tag to emit a response. The system can determine from the response not only the identity of the object but also its location. RFID systems typically include an RFID reader or coupler, sometimes referred to as an “exciter”, and an RFID tag which is attached to the object. Since the typical RFID reader or exciter communicates with the tagged object by RF energy, the reader does not require a direct line-of-sight between the reader and the tagged object. The object may be located inside a closed box, cabinet or drawer and may still be identified by the RFID reader. 
         [0005]    In recent years, RFID systems have been used for identifying many different kinds of objects such as vehicles, animals, parcels, laundry, railroad cars and warehouse inventories, for example. However, such systems have enjoyed only limited success in tracking files and documents in an office environment. A reason for this limitation may be the enormity of the task of attaching RFID tags to literally thousands, if not millions, of printed documents and files that are generated in a typical office. In addition to printing the documents, each tag must be individually “written to” or embedded with a unique code identifying the document as well as other data and information indicative of its location, category, etc., in a storage system. The tag must then be attached to the documents in a separate operation either by hand or by use of some mechanical device. 
         [0006]    Another problem has been that office documents are typically stored in metal cabinets which impede RF transmission and make difficult reading RFID tags placed inside the cabinets. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,127,928 issued to M. Issacman et al. on Oct. 3, 2000, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, this problem is addressed by employing a host transceiver which transmits a coded RF signal, at a first frequency, to a local RFID reader inside the metal cabinet. The local reader then retransmits the coded signal at a second frequency via an antenna. A passive RFID tag containing the same code and attached to a document inside the cabinet, when in the vicinity of the antenna, is energized by the RF field and modulates the second frequency signal from the local reader. The second frequency signal modulated by the energized tag is then directly received by the host transceiver. Although these patentees have provided a means for identifying documents held in metal cabinets, there still remains a need for changing or modifying the ID codes and/or other data in RFID tags attached to documents held in many different types of storage units 
         [0007]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,407,665 issued to W. C. Maloney on Jun. 18, 2002, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, discloses a document tracking system for locating file folders in a file cabinet having a plurality of drawers. The file folders are provided with inductive RFID tags and each drawer has an inductive loop antenna attached to the back of the drawer. The loop antenna is connected through flexible cabling to a controller. The other drawers of the cabinet are similarly provided with an antenna which are all coupled to the same controller by means of an electrical buss. A user can request the controller to poll all of the file folders in each drawer to determine if any folders are missing. However, there is still a need to change or modify the data stored in each RFID tag held in the file cabinet. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0008]    According to one aspect, there is provided a system for automatically indexing printed documents comprising a database for maintaining indexing data indicative of the identity and location of a plurality of printed documents, a processor interfacing with the database and a printing device for printing the printed documents. The processor produces a document file which is fed electronically to the printing device, the document file containing both a printable content and an associated RFID taggable content including the indexing data stored in the database. The printing device includes a controller and an RFID tag writer. The controller directs the printable content to the printing device and the taggable content to the RFID writer. An RFID tag dispenser may be employed to apply the tag containing the indexing data to the document before or after the document exits the printing device. The system may further include a storage unit for storing the tagged documents in a plurality of file folders having a separate RFID tag attached to each file folder. 
         [0009]    According to another aspect, there is provided a printing apparatus for printing documents and applying an RFID tag to at least one of the printed documents. The printing apparatus includes a marking device for printing each document and an RFID tag writer for installing indexing data onto the RFID tag. An RFID tag dispenser may also be provided in the printing apparatus for applying the RFID tag to the documents before or after they have been printed. The tag dispenser may be embedded within the printing apparatus and may be located ahead of the printing output or tray. 
         [0010]    In still another aspect, there is provided a storage unit for storing a plurality of printed documents, at least one of which has an RFID tag attached thereto. The storage unit comprises an outer case and a plurality of file folder retainers for holding a plurality of file folders within the case, each of the file folders holding at least one printed document. At least one file folder and document has an RFID tag attached thereto, the tag containing indexing data indicative of the identity and location of the folder and document. An RFID reader is associated with the storage unit and addresses and reads the RFID tags attached to both the documents and file folders. Also associated with the storage unit is an RFID writer for addressing and installing or changing the stored data within an RFID tag relative to the identify and location of the document. A two-way communicating device, such as a transceiver, may also be associated with the storage for wirelessly transmitting indexing data between the RFID tags and a remotely located database. A warning device may also be associated with the storage unit for indicating when a printed document has been erroneously placed inside a file folder. 
         [0011]    In yet another aspect, there is provided a method for automatically indexing printed documents comprising compiling a database including indexing data indicative of the identity and location of the documents; creating printable data or content for the documents; creating an RFID taggable content containing the indexing data; merging the printable and taggable contents into a document file; communicating the document file to a printer having an associated RFID tag writer, processing the document file to separate the printable and taggable content; directing the printable content to the printer and the taggable content to the RFID tag writer, printing the printable content onto the document, writing the taggable content to an RFID tag; and applying the tag onto the document. The RFID tag may be applied to the sheet medium before the document is printed, during the printing process or after the document has been printed. 
         [0012]    The term “printed document” as used herein and in the appended claims, is intended to include any information or data printed onto a paper sheet material, for example, as well as onto other similar media including, but not limited to, fiber board, cardboard, photographic paper and film, microfilm, plastic sheet and film material and generally any kind of sheet or film material on which information and data, including text and photographs, can be printed. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0013]    Referring now to the drawings, which are exemplary embodiments, wherein like items are numbered alike: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a typical RFID tag; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a similar view of an RFID tag and associated reader or coupler; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a schematic view of a system for automatically indexing printed documents employing an RFID enabled printer; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a similar view illustrating the components and operation of an RFID enabled printer; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a schematic view of a modification of the system shown in  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2  of the drawings, there is shown a typical RFID tag  10  for use in a system for automatically indexing printed documents. The tag  10  includes a tag antenna  12  composed of a plurality of antenna elements  14  which, in this particular embodiment, are wound in a substantially rectangular pattern and connected to an integrated circuit chip  16 , also known as a radio frequency identification chip. Within the tag  10 , data storage and processing as well as radio frequency (RF) communication functions are performed by the RF identification chip  16 . 
         [0020]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the chip  16  is a passive type and may include, for example, a memory core  18  (e.g. an EEPROM or flash memory), which stores the data, a power supply regulator  20 , which rectifies and otherwise conditions alternating current induced in the antenna  12  by a time-varying RF signal provided by a reader or coupler  22  and its antenna  24  for use in the tag  10  as a direct current power source, and receiver/emitter modules  26 ,  28  (e.g., compatible with the ISO 14443 standard). 
         [0021]    The reader  22  includes a transmitter  30  that generates the time-varying RF signal transmitted by the antenna  24 . As a result of electromagnetic coupling between the tag antenna  12  and the reader antenna  24 , a portion of the RF signal transmitted by the tag antenna  12  enters the reader antenna  24  and is separated from the transmitted signal by a detector  32  (e.g., an envelope detector). The separated signal is passed to a receiver  34 , where it is amplified, decoded and presented via a microcontroller  36  to a controller  38 , which may be a host computer, for example. 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , there is shown an RFID system for automatically indexing and managing printed documents in a typical office environment. The system includes a database  40 , which may be created and maintained by a host computer  42 , and an RFID enabled printer  44 . The printer  44  may be any standard type office printer equipped with the usual components, such as a marking device, toner, fuser rolls and media supply such as plain paper sheets. However, the printer  44 , in this case, is equipped with an RFID writer  46  (see  FIG. 4 ), an RFID tag dispenser  48  and a print controller  50 . The print controller  50  is configured to handle the RFID indexing data or taggable content as well as the usual print content for printing the documents  52 . The RFID tag dispenser  48  may be a separate unit for attaching or printing the RFID tags  10  directly onto the documents  52  or the tag dispenser and RFID writer may be combined into a single unit as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
         [0023]    In the illustrated embodiment, the RFID tags  10  are applied to the printed documents  52  after the documents have been printed but before they exit the printer  44 , usually via an output station  54 . The tag  10  may be placed onto only the first page of the document, on all pages or just on a title page, for example. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the tag  10  is placed on the backside of the printed document  52  as shown by the folded-down right hand corner facing the front of the document. This location is ideal since it is non-intrusive to reading or handling of the document and yet is readily accessible to both the RFID writing and reading processes. 
         [0024]    Once an RFID tag  10  has been printed and attached to a document  52 , the document is transferred to a file folder  56  for safe-keeping in an assigned area, such as a file cabinet  58  or other storage unit. The term “file folder” as used herein and in the appended claims is intended to mean a real or physical file folder as distinguished from a virtual file that might be used in a virtual world. Typical file folders that may be used include bi-fold, side-fold, expandable and tri-fold file folders as well as various types of binders, jackets, dockets, envelopes, boxes, cartons, clips and generally anything that can retain or hold together a plurality of printed documents. 
         [0025]    A separate RFID tag  60  is then attached to the file folder  56  to identify the folder as well as the document  52  and its location inside the file cabinet  58 . The RFID tag  60  can also be employed to identify a particular class or category of files to which the document  52  belongs and which should be kept in a separate location inside the cabinet  58 . 
         [0026]      FIG. 4  shows schematically the components and operation of the RFID enabled printer  44 . The RFID tags  10  are created and attached to the documents  52  at the time of printing in a non-intrusive operation. As shown, the computer  42  prepares or publishes the document file  62  that communicates both the printable content of the document and an RFID taggable content to the print controller  50 . The printable content is normally created at the computer  42  and is stored in the database  40  as an electronic copy of the document  52 . The taggable content may be created by the computer  42  and may also be stored within the database  40 . The taggable content includes appropriate RFID indicator markings which are indicative of the identity and location of the document  52  when placed inside a file folders  56  and stored in the file cabinet  58 . The user or creator loads the document file  62  appropriately so that it can be leveraged or used by all the day-to-day office applications from which printing can be invoked. Usually, at the time of printing, any office application can be employed to print the document  52 . 
         [0027]    The database  40  contains all of the information extracted from the document  52  received by the controller  50  such as electronic copy of the document, the indexed content such as document ID, summarized content, key words in the document, meta-data such as username, time of printing, job data, etc. It is this database that helps to deal with the size of the indexed data, that is, if the size of the data is too large to fit into the RFID tag memory, only an appropriate URL or a pointer will go on the RFID memory and that pointer will point to the content stored in the database  40 . The database  40  may be associated with the computer  42  as shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  or it may be located in another area or part of the system, for example, the database may be located inside the printer  44 . 
         [0028]    The document file  62  computes the markings or indexing which include all of the key terms included in the document, compressed byte-stream of the entire content or the content as-is, summary of the content, any automated classification information, subject, key word, author, etc. In general, any of the electronic indexing techniques can be employed to create the taggable content of the RFID tag  10 . The document file  62  adds all the index information with clear identification marks into the same file that includes the traditional printable content. The document file  62  can also be configured to produce an interface  64  associated with the host computer  42  for the user&#39;s input of any desired modification of the RFID content. 
         [0029]    Once the print job has been created, the document file  62  is transferred to the print controller  50  inside the printer  44 . The print controller  50  parses the print job and identifies the RFID taggable content  66  and the printable content  68 . The print controller  50  delivers the printable content  68  in a traditional way to the printing or marking device  70  and the RFID content  66  to the RFID writer  46  The marking device  70  prints the printable content onto plain paper from the paper supply  72  while the RFID writer  46  electronically embeds the applicable indexing data onto a blank RFID tag  10  from the tag supply  74 . The RFID tag dispenser  48  attaches the data loaded tag  10  onto the printed document  52 , ideally on the back side of the document as described above. It is contemplated that the tag  10  can be allocated to any specific page, the first or last page, for example, and can be attached to either side of the printed document. 
         [0030]    In the embodiment illustrated, the tag dispenser  48  is located between the printing or marking device  70  and the printer output  54  so that the RFID tag  10  can be attached to the document  52  as it exits the printer  44 . It is contemplated, however, that the tag dispenser  48  may be independent of the printer  44 , located either ahead of the printer or after the printer, in the disclosed system. In fact, the tag dispenser  48  may be eliminated altogether in a system that employs a medium, such as paper sheets, that are manufactured with an RFID tag already attached to or embedded within the medium at the paper mill. The tag dispenser  48  also would not be required in systems employing a printer  44  capable of printing the RFID tag directly onto the sheet medium during the printing process. In all such cases, of course, the printer  44  may still employ an RFID writer for electronically loading the indexed data and/or other information onto the printed RFID tag. 
         [0031]    The RFID tags  10  can be created for the file folders  54  shown in  FIG. 3  using standard writing processes or by using the above described printing operation that is employed for creating and attaching document tags. The folder tags  60  can describe the overall nature of the documents as well as the class/category of the documents to be contained in each folder. 
         [0032]    Turning now to  FIG. 5 , there is shown one example of a storage unit that may be employed for storing a plurality of file folders  56  and documents  52  retained inside the folders. The exemplified storage unit is a rectangular shaped cabinet  80  having an outer metal case  84  provided with two separate sliding drawers  86 , one of which is shown in an open position exposing the plurality of file folders  56 . It is contemplated, however, that many other types of storage units besides the cabinet  80  may be employed for storing the plurality of file folders  56  and printed documents  52 . For example, the storage unit may be a box, a bookcase or bookshelves, stacked file retainers, a whole room or section of a room having dividers or more broadly any space having a perimeter which defines an enclosure. 
         [0033]    The documents  52  each have an RFID tag  10  attached thereto and each file folder  56  has an RFID tag  60  attached in the same way as shown in  FIG. 3  An RFID reader or coupler  88  is embedded within the cabinet  80  to detect and read all identifiable document and folder tags  60  inside the cabinet  80 . Multiple readers  88  are preferred and may be located within each drawer  86 , for example. Metal cabinets are best suited for this embodiment since they deter RF transmission and exclude all RFID tags outside the cabinet from being erroneously read by the RFID reader  88 . 
         [0034]    Also disposed within the cabinet  80  is an RFID writer  90  for addressing, installing or changing the stored data within each RFID document tag  10  and folder tag  60  relative to the identity and location of each document  52  and each folder  56 , respectively. A two-way communication device  92 , such as a transceiver, is disposed inside the cabinet  80  for wirelessly receiving and transmitting indexing data between a remotely located database, such as the database  40 , and one or more of the RFID document/folder tags  10 ,  60 , respectively. The RFID tag writer  90  can be used for writing any updates to the document/file folder tags  10 / 60  coming from the database via the connectivity channel  94  provided by the transceiver  92  and for updating the folder tags  60  as and when new documents are filed. This system can also verify the correct placement of the documents  52  in the right file folders  60  by cross checking the general category assigned to the documents as well as the content of any new document. It is important to note that the data embedded in each RFID tag  10 ,  60  is always linked directly to a database, such as the database  40 , as depicted by the arrowed line in  FIG. 4 . Any changes made in the file system, such as updating the tags  10 ,  60  assigned to the documents  52  and folders  60  are registered and maintained by the database even though made by the RFID writer  90  within the cabinet  80 . A warning device  96  may also be provided for indicating when a printed document has been erroneously placed inside a wrong file folder. 
         [0035]    The RFID reader  88  and the RFID writer  90  embedded in the file cabinet  80  can not only read/write the RFID tags  10 ,  60  and their content, they can also sense if and when the file folders  56  are taken out of the cabinet  80 . When a folder is taken out, the system quickly checks which of the document tags  10  went out by taking an inventory of all the documents in the database  40  which are assigned to the cabinet  80  and to its individual drawers  86 . Also by associating the documents  52  with their assigned folders  56 , the system can easily determine which specific folders were taken out with the documents  52  when removed from the cabinet  80 . Over a period of time while checking its inventory in the database  40 , the system actually begins to learn about which folders  56  have what documents  52  and, more importantly, if there are any documents  52  that are erroneously filed in the cabinet  80 . Such an error can occur, for example, if a document  52  is in a particular folder  56  which is different from what the indexed database  40  indicates on the computer  42 . Similarly, a smart software could be employed to compare the keywords and other data associated with the document  52  and compare it to the information associated with a particular folder  56 . 
         [0036]    As the number of documents  52  and folders  56  accumulate in the file and storage system, a more finely tuned indexing process based on sub-categories may be required. Also, as documents  52  need to be archived, aggregation of different categories may also be needed. Such requirements can be accomplished electronically by a computer in a manner similar to the way electronic files and folders are handled today. Thus, if sub-categories are created for any group of documents  52  or file folders  56 , these changes are automatically communicated by a host computer to a database, such as the database  40 , and corresponding data is then updated on both the RFID tags  10  and the folder tags  60 . The physical documents that are regrouped into a new folder electronically may continue to reside temporarily in the same old folder in cabinet  80 . However, the next time that the cabinet doors  86  are opened or closed, the system will show a warning, either on the computer screen or by activating a warning light  96  attached to the cabinet  80 , such as to each drawer  86 , to encourage office personnel to refolder the documents  52  consistent with the changes made in the database.