Abstract: An electronically addressable a-polar document receptacle identification circuit has first and second terminals adapted to be connected to a two conductor data bus for supplying data signals to the terminals and for receiving responses from the circuit. The circuit has a two phase diode bridge circuit with first and second nodes connected to the first and second terminals. The diode bridge circuit is connect to the data signal input of a circuit microcontroller having an output connected to the first and second nodes for furnishing response signals to the nodes. The associated receptacle can be a file folder removably received in a file cabinet or a notebook binder removably received on a cabinet shelf. The circuit will function correctly regardless of the orientation of the terminals with respect to the data bus conductors so a file folder or a notebook binder can be installed in either one of two possible orientations without affecting the functionality of the circuit.

Abstract: An intelligent fastener unit for fastening together structural members. The fastener unit includes a fastener with an externally threaded shank, an internally threaded mating member for threaded engagement with the fastener, and an intelligent washer having an RFID tag and an antenna mounted on one surface of a centrally aperture body member, and a pressure sensor mounted on the opposite surface for generating electrical signals representative of the compressive force applied to structural members captured by the fastener, the mating member and the washer. An air gap is formed in the washer body member between the outer periphery and the central aperture to reduce eddy current formation when the RFID tag is interrogated by an RFID tag reader using r.f. signaling.

Abstract: A collective objects management system using addressable object tracking devices attached to objects without the need for specially constructed cabinets having mounting pegs or locking apertures. Receptacles are slidably stored in ordinary cabinet cavities. Each receptacle has a first Bluetooth® antenna mounted on an outside wall surface and a second Bluetooth® antenna mounted on an inside wall surface. Each antenna communicates with a supervisory MCU via a separate Bluetooth® unit. An electronic lock and a visible indicator mounted on the receptacle front wall are controlled by the MCU. The MCU communicates with an outside host requesting device via the first antenna, and communicates with any object tracking devices in the receptacle via the second antenna. The object tracking devices have a battery and a battery management components which are powered by a transmitting array located in the receptacle.

Abstract: A document storage system for removably storing individual documents. A shelved cabinet has a track receptacle mounted to the lower shelf surface adjacent the cabinet front. The track receptacle has a plurality of tracks extending from the cabinet front to the cabinet rear. Each track has an open slot extending from the front to the rear of the cabinet. The track also has a rearwardly extending lip providing a rearwardly directed open notch. The cabinet further includes a back with an inner surface and a pair of ohmic conductors mounted on the inner surface and extending laterally thereof. An electronically searchable flexible file folder has a thin main body portion and a header secured to the top of the main body portion. The header is dimensioned to be removably received in any track of the track receptacle with the main body portion slidably received in the slot.

Abstract: A hand stamp with a use count mechanism and security elements for preventing unauthorized use. The use count mechanism includes a magnet mounted on an inner shell for relative movement with a stamp image platen carried by an outer shell, a magnetic field sensor carried by the outer shell for sensing movement between the magnet and the outer shell when the platen is moved to a stamping position, and an MCU for converting sensor signals to signals for a display. The security elements include print sensors mounted on the outer shell for sensing the finger prints of a user, with the MCU configured to convert these signals for transmission via a Bluetooth module to a smart phone containing finger print signals of an authorized user. If the fingerprint signals match, the smart phone sends an authorization signal to the MCU, which responds by unlocking the hand stamp.

Abstract: A document storage and retrieval system for securely storing documents. A mass storage device contains document identification data and document location information but not the document data. A host computer extracts the document identification data and document location information from the mass storage device and sends this information to a storage cabinet containing the document. Each document is removably stored in a file folder contained in a cabinet drawer. Each file folder has a memory unit which stores an electronic version of each physical document contained in the file folder. The host computer directs the initial storage of a document in folder memory. Thereafter, the host computer is denied access to the electronic versions stored in file folder memory. Access to the electronic versions is only possible using a special reader device.

Abstract: A hand stamp with a use count mechanism and security elements for preventing unauthorized use. The use count mechanism includes a magnet mounted on an inner shell for relative movement with a stamp image platen carried by an outer shell, a magnetic field sensor carried by the outer shell for sensing movement between the magnet and the outer shell when the platen is moved to a stamping position, and an MCU for converting sensor signals to signals for a display. The security elements include print sensors mounted on the outer shell for sensing the finger prints of a user, with the MCU configured to convert these signals for transmission via a Bluetooth module to a smart phone containing finger print signals of an authorized user. If the fingerprint signals match, the smart phone sends an authorization signal to the MCU, which responds by unlocking the hand stamp.

Abstract: An electronically addressable object carrier for enabling the management of removably suspended objects, such as keys, distributed in an object location space, The object carrier includes a housing having an object retention element for securing an object to the object carrier and a lock element for releasable engagement with an associated locking device, the microcontroller having a unique object address serving to identify an object secured to the object carrier; a plurality of electrically conductive contact pads in the housing for electrically coupling the microcontroller to a source of object address signals and electrical power signals and a visible indicator coupled to the microcontroller for activation whenever the microcontroller receives an address signal representative of the unique object address. The lock element is a recess formed in a surface of the housing with an abutment edge.

Abstract: An electronically addressable object carrier for enabling the management of removably suspended objects, such as keys, distributed in an object location space, The object carrier includes a housing having an object retention element for securing an object to the object carrier and a lock element for releasable engagement with an associated locking device, the microcontroller having a unique object address serving to identify an object secured to the object carrier; a plurality of electrically conductive contact pads in the housing for electrically coupling the microcontroller to a source of object address signals and electrical power signals and a visible indicator coupled to the microcontroller for activation whenever the microcontroller receives an address signal representative of the unique object address. The lock element is a recess formed in a surface of the housing with an abutment edge.

Abstract: A binder management system having a cabinet with shelves for removable storage of searchable binders. Each binder has a body with front and rear covers and a spine. Inside the body is a binder mechanism for removably retaining sheet media. Each binder has a planar receiving antenna mounted on the spine in a plane parallel to the lower margin of the spine or mounted on one of the covers in a plane parallel to the cover plane Each binder has a binder identification circuit coupled to the receiving antenna and to an LED mounted on the binder spine in a location visible when the binder rests on a shelf. When a binder identification signal from a host computer is detected by the receiving antenna it is transferred to the binder identification circuit. If the signal matches an address code stored in the binder identification circuit, the LED is activated to aid the user in finding the binder.

Abstract: An electronically addressable object carrier for enabling the management of removably suspended objects, such as keys, distributed in an object location space, The object carrier includes a housing having an object retention element for securing an object to the object carrier and at least one through aperture for removably receiving an electrically conductive suspension member capable of manifesting object address signals and power signals supplied by a source; a microcontroller carried by the housing, the microcontroller having a unique object address serving to identify an object secured to the object carrier; an electrically conductive element located in the at least one aperture for electrically coupling the microcontroller to the electrically conductive suspension member when the aperture is removably received on the electrically conductive suspension member; and a visible indicator coupled to the microcontroller for activation whenever the microcontroller receives an address signal representative of th

Abstract: A searchable binder which is operationally compatible with a binder management system having a cabinet with shelves or a file cabinet with file drawers for removable storage of searchable binders. Each binder has a body with front and rear covers and a spine. Inside the body is a binder mechanism for removably retaining sheet media. Each binder has a pair of binder contact mechanisms mounted to the spine at opposite ends, a binder identification circuit electrically coupled to the binder contact mechanisms, and a visible indicator. Each binder contact mechanism has a base element and a sliding element. The sliding element can be manually set to a retracted position in which the sliding element is extended a first distance and an extended position in which the sliding element is extended a second greater distance. In the retracted position, the sliding elements can make contact with conductive elements of a binder cabinet when a binder is placed on a shelf.

Abstract: A searchable binder which is operationally compatible with a binder management system having a cabinet with shelves or a file cabinet with file drawers for removable storage of searchable binders. Each binder has a body with front and rear covers and a spine. Inside the body is a binder mechanism for removably retaining sheet media. Each binder has a pair of binder contact mechanisms mounted to the spine at opposite ends, a binder identification circuit electrically coupled to the binder contact mechanisms, and a visible indicator. Each binder contact mechanism has a base element and a sliding element. The sliding element can be manually set to a retracted position in which the sliding element is extended a first distance and an extended position in which the sliding element is extended a second greater distance. In the retracted position, the sliding elements can make contact with conductive elements of a binder cabinet when a binder is placed on a shelf.

Abstract: A collective objects management system with enhanced security for objects contained in object receptacles distributed throughout the system. Each object receptacle has a microcontroller with a unique system address which enables generation of a response signal whenever an incoming address from a source is a match. An object container microcontroller periodically polls the object receptacle microcontrollers in the cabinet and stores an updated version of the cabinet object data base. When an object is detected as missing, the object container microcontroller checks whether the absence of the object was authorized by a host computer. If not, a local alarm is activated and the host computer is informed. The host computer can take additional security measures.

Abstract: An electronically addressable object carrier for enabling the management of removably suspended objects, such as keys, distributed in an object location space, The object carrier includes a housing having an object retention element for securing an object to the object carrier and at least one through aperture for removably receiving an electrically conductive suspension member capable of manifesting object address signals and power signals supplied by a source; a microcontroller carried by the housing, the microcontroller having a unique object address serving to identify an object secured to the object carrier; an electrically conductive element located in the at least one aperture for electrically coupling the microcontroller to the electrically conductive suspension member when the aperture is removably received on the electrically conductive suspension member; and a visible indicator coupled to the microcontroller for activation whenever the microcontroller receives an address signal representative of th

Abstract: A binder management system having a cabinet with shelves for removable storage of searchable binders. Each binder has a body with front and rear covers and a spine. Inside the body is a binder mechanism for removably retaining sheet media. Each binder has a planar receiving antenna mounted on the spine in a plane parallel to the lower margin of the spine or mounted on one of the covers in a plane parallel to the cover plane Each binder has a binder identification circuit coupled to the receiving antenna and to an LED mounted on the binder spine in a location visible when the binder rests on a shelf. When a binder identification signal from a host computer is detected by the receiving antenna it is transferred to the binder identification circuit. If the signal matches an address code stored in the binder identification circuit, the LED is activated to aid the user in finding the binder.

Abstract: A searchable binder which is operationally compatible with a binder management system having a cabinet with shelves for removable storage of the binder. Each binder has a body with front and rear covers and a spine. Inside the body is a binder mechanism for removably retaining sheet media. Each binder has a binder contact mechanism mounted to the spine at the upper end, a binder lock mechanism mounted to the spine at the lower end, a binder identification circuit electrically coupled to the binder contact mechanism and the binder lock mechanism, and a visible indicator. The binder contact mechanism has a contact element extending outwardly of the upper end of the spine and engaged with one of several first conductive shelf elements of the binder cabinet. The binder lock mechanism has a lock bolt extending outwardly of the lower end of the spine with an end portion engaged with one of several grooved second conductive shelf elements of the binder cabinet to normally lock the binder in the cabinet.

Abstract: A secure document receptacle for use in file cabinets having slidable drawers with laterally spaced support rails for removable supporting file folders. The secure document receptacle has a single support brace along the top edge with downwardly opening channels for removable engagement with the drawer support rails. The receptacle has a closed top edge and openings to the interior of the receptacle on the side edge or the bottom edge of the receptacle. Documents can only be inserted and removed via the open side or bottom edges. The receptacle must be partially or completely removed from the drawer support rails before a document can be removed from the receptacle. This interrupts contact between the brace channels and the support rails, an event which can be detected by cabinet sensing circuitry.

Abstract: A brushless D.C. motor has a rotor with a plurality of magnets secured to a mounting surface. Each magnet has an RF transmitter secured to a magnet surface, with each RF transmitter having stored therein a unique identification character serving to identify the magnet. A transmitter power generator having several coils mounted on the rotor and a power conditioning unit supplies power to the transmitters, which continuously broadcast their identification character. A stator has a plurality of pole teeth separated by slots, each pole tooth having a power coil wound thereabout. A plurality of RF receiver antennae are mounted adjacent the pole teeth each coupled to a different RF receiver. The position and magnet identification information received by the RF receiver is processed and coupled to a microprocessor, which extracts the information and sends it to a motor controller and driver unit, which supplies operating power to the individual power coils.

Abstract: A brushless D.C. motor has a rotor with a plurality of magnets secured to a mounting surface. Each magnet has an RF transmitter secured to a magnet surface, with each RF transmitter having stored therein a unique identification character serving to identify the magnet. A transmitter power generator having several coils mounted on the rotor and a power conditioning unit supplies power to the transmitters, which continuously broadcast their identification character. A stator has a plurality of pole teeth separated by slots, each pole tooth having a power coil wound thereabout. A plurality of RF receiver antennae are mounted adjacent the pole teeth each coupled to a different RF receiver. The position and magnet identification information received by the RF receiver is processed and coupled to a microprocessor, which extracts the information and sends it to a motor controller and driver unit, which supplies operating power to the individual power coils.