Collective objects management system with object identification using addressable decoder units

A system for managing objects distributed in an object location space, said system comprising:

• a container having two mutually electrically isolated electrically conductive paths;
• a plurality of object receptacles positioned in said container, each of said plurality of object receptacles having
• (a) two electrically conductive members, each of said two electrically conductive members of each of said plurality of object receptacles being electrically coupled to a different one of said two mutually electrically isolated electrically conductive paths, one of said electrically conductive paths being provided to receive address signals supplied by a source and to furnish said address signals to a first one of said two electrically conductive members;
• (b) an address decoder circuit associated to said object, said address decoder circuit having a unique system address, said address decoder circuit further having a first electrically conductive terminal coupled to said first one of said two electrically conductive members for receiving said address signals, and a second electrically conductive terminal;
• (c) an indicator having an input terminal and an output terminal, said input terminal of said indicator being coupled to said second electrically conductive terminal of said address decoder circuit for activation whenever said address decoder circuit detects an address signal present on said first one of said two electrically conductive members and representative of said unique system address, said output terminal of said indicator being coupled to a second one of said two electrically conductive members of said receptacle;
• (d) a current detector circuit having an input terminal and an output terminal, said input terminal of said current detector circuit being coupled to said second one of said two electrically conductive members of said receptacle, said current detector providing a VALID signal on the output terminal thereof when said indicator is activated;
• and
• (e) circuitry coupled to said first one of said two electrically conductive members and said address decoder circuit for deriving operating power for said address decoder circuit from said address signal.

A system for managing objects distributed in an object location space, said system comprising:

• a container comprising a file folder drawer having two mutually electrically isolated electrically conductive paths;
• a plurality of object receptacles positioned in said container, each of said plurality of object receptacles comprising:
• (a) a file folder having a pair of support braces, one of said support braces containing two electrically conductive members, each of said two electrically conductive members of each of said plurality of object receptacles being electrically coupled to a different one of said two mutually electrically isolated electrically conductive paths, one of said electrically conductive paths being provided to receive address signals supplied by a source;
• (b) an address decoder circuit associated to said object, said address decoder circuit having a unique system address, said address decoder circuit further having two electrically conductive terminals in electrical contact with a different one of said two electrically conductive members;
• (c) an indicator coupled to said address decoder circuit for activation whenever said address decoder circuit detects an address signal present on said one of said two electrically conductive members and representative of said unique system address, said address decoder circuit and said indicator of each of said plurality of object receptacles being carried by said one of said support braces;
• and
• (d) circuitry coupled to said one of said electrically conductive members and said address decoder circuit for deriving operating power for said address decoder circuit from said address signal,
• said file folder drawer including two electrically non-conductive support members on which different ones of said two mutually electrically isolated electrically conductive paths are located;
• and one of said support braces of each of said plurality of object receptacles comprising an elongate body structure formed from an electrically non-conductive material with a pair of opposite ends, each end having a downwardly opening cut-out channel provided with a pair of spring contacts secured to the elongate body structure, a portion of each spring contact pair being electrically coupled to a different one of said two electrically conductive members, each end of said one of said support braces of said plurality of object receptacles being supported by a different one of said two electrically non-conductive support members when received in said file folder drawer,
• said file folder drawer including two laterally spaced electrically non-conductive support members on which different ones of said two mutually electrically isolated electrically conductive paths are located;
• and wherein one of said support braces of each of said plurality of object receptacles comprises an elongate body structure formed from an electrically non-conductive material with a pair of opposite ends, each end having a downwardly opening cut-out channel provided with a pair of spring contacts secured to the elongate body structure, a portion of each spring contact pair being electrically coupled to a different one of said two electrically conductive members, each end of said one of said support braces of said plurality of object receptacles being supported by a different one of said two electrically non-conductive support members when received in said file folder drawer,
• said two electrically non-conductive support members each having a width, the width of each electrically non-conductive support member being different from the other;
• and the width of said cut-out channel at one of said opposite ends of said elongate body structure of each of said file folders being different from the width of said cut-out channel at the other one of said opposite ends of said elongate body structure of each of said file folders so that a given file folder can only be removably secured to said two support members in one orientation with each of said spring contacts in mechanical and electrical contact with the appropriate one of said electrically conductive paths.