WO2008072213A2

WO2008072213A2 - Paper management system

Info

Publication number: WO2008072213A2
Application number: PCT/IB2007/055124
Authority: WO
Inventors: Timothy John Fleischer
Original assignee: Timothy John Fleischer
Priority date: 2006-12-15
Filing date: 2007-12-14
Publication date: 2008-06-19
Also published as: WO2008072213A3

Abstract

The invention is concerned with a paper management system for managing and controlling supply and consumption of paper at a paper consumption site. The system includes a secure magazine (10) at the paper consumption site arranged to store paper and to dispense stored paper only to authorised persons. The system further includes signal transmission means (22) associated with the magazine for automatically transmitting to a control site, remote from the paper consumption site, signals (24) which are at least indicative of the quantity of paper dispensed by the magazine. The system further also includes control means (30) at the control site for receiving signals from the magazine, for maintaining data in respect of paper dispensed by the magazine and for controlling the replenishment of the magazine with further paper when necessary.

Description

PAPER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

THIS invention relates to a paper management system.

In many offices and other paper consumption sites where substantial amounts of paper are consumed, management and control of the supply and consumption of paper is a major problem.

It is an object of this invention to provide a system which will simplify the management and control of paper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a paper management system for managing and controlling supply and consumption of paper at a paper consumption site, the system comprising:

- a secure magazine at the paper consumption site arranged to store paper and to dispense stored paper only to authorised persons,

- signal transmission means associated with the magazine for automatically transmitting to a control site, remote from the paper consumption site, signals which are at least indicative of the quantity of paper dispensed by the magazine, and

- control means at the control site for receiving signals from the magazine, for maintaining data in respect of paper dispensed by the magazine and for controlling the replenishment of the magazine with further paper when necessary. The magazine may be arranged to dispense paper only to persons holding a mechanical key for accessing the magazine. Preferably, however, the magazine is arranged to dispense paper to persons entering an authorisation code on a code entry device associated with the magazine. There may, for instance, be a digital keypad at the magazine by means of which persons can enter an authorisation code and a request for a certain quantity of paper to be dispensed.

The control means at the control site may for instance include means for receiving signals from the signal transmission means associated with the magazine and a computer for processing such signals, maintaining a digital record of quantities of paper dispensed by the magazine and/or the identities of persons to whom paper has been dispensed and/or the quantity of paper still stored by the magazine, and for controlling the supply of replenishment paper to the magazine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 schematically illustrates a paper management system according to the invention;

Figure 2 diagrammatically illustrates one type of paper storage magazine, in a closed state;

Figure 3 diagrammatically illustrates the magazine seen in Figure 2, in an open state;

Figure 4 diagrammatically illustrates another type of paper storage magazine, in a closed state; and Figure 5 diagrammatically illustrates the magazine seen in Figure 4, in an open state.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

Referring firstly to Figures 2 and 3 there is shown a paper storage magazine 10 including a cabinet 12 having a lockable door 14. The door has a slot 16 through which reams of A4 paper stored in the magazine can be dispensed. There is also a digital keypad 18 on the door.

The reams of paper 20 are arranged in a stack inside the cabinet with the uppermost ream aligned with the slot 16. Inside the cabinet is a feed mechanism (not visible in the Figures) for pushing this ream laterally through the slot, and, after the ream has been dispensed in this way, for elevating the entire stack incrementally to bring the next ream into alignment with the slot.

Instead of having a mechanism to push the reams out of the slot 16, the slot may be large enough to allow a person to reach through the slot and extract the top ream manually.

The magazine is in use located at a paper consumption site, typically an office, where paper is consumed in printers, copiers and so on. During normal usage the door of the cabinet is locked, so office personnel do not have direct access to the paper therein. An authorised person needing a ream of paper is required to enter a PIN (personal identification number) or other code into the digital keypad 18 in order to have access to the stored paper. Typically, the person then enters the required number of reams. In response to the keypad entries, the feed mechanism dispenses the requested number of reams through the slot 16 or makes them available for manual extraction by the authorised person. -A-

Referring also to Figure 1 , located within the cabinet and linked to the keypad is a digital processor and signal transmission device 22. This may include a telephony device operating, for instance, on a GSM network. The processor of the device records the number of reams dispensed and the identity of the person to whom the reams were dispensed. The transmission device transmits a signal 24 indicative of the recorded data as well as the identity of the magazine 10 itself. In practice, the processor may store relevant data for a period of time, for example a day or a week, and then transmit a signal indicative of all the stored data from the relevant time period.

After transmission through the network, the signal is received by a receiver 26 situated at a remote control site 28 and the data is input from the signal to a computer 30, at that site, which records the transmitted data.

The computer accordingly keeps a record of the number of reams dispensed by the magazine 10 as well as a record of the persons to whom reams were dispensed. By consulting the computer at the remote site 28, a person tasked with stock control and supply is able to determine whether the magazine 10 is running low on paper and, accordingly, whether replenishment is necessary. In the event that replenishment is necessary, the necessary quantity of reams are acquired from a supplier, taken to the magazine 10 and loaded into the magazine. It would of course also be possible for necessary supplies of paper to be kept at the remote control site. It will be understood that in these cases, only the person who actually supplies the paper will be able to open the door 14 of the magazine 10.

In practice, the receiver at the site 28 will receive signals from a number of corresponding magazines 10 located at different sites, and the computer will maintain records for all the sites and control the supply of replenishing paper to all the sites. It is within the scope of the invention for the apparatus at the site 28 to include a transmitter which will, on receipt and processing of signals from magazines 10 on the network, automatically transmit one or more signals to a receiving and processing apparatus at a paper supply depot, which may be at a different, remote site, such signals constituting orders for the supply and delivery of replenishing paper directly to the magazines 10 which need it or alternatively to the control site for onward delivery to the magazines 10.

The computer 30 at the remote site 28 may be programmed to produce regular reports for each of the magazines 10 which it serves. Such reports may for instance give details of the number of reams dispensed over a given period of time and the identities of the persons to whom the reams were dispensed and when the reams were dispensed. It is perceived that such reports would be useful for management purposes at the site of the magazine, for example an office where the magazine is installed.

The reports which are generated by the computer will typically also include invoices or accounts for replenishment of paper.

Given that the magazine 10 provides secure storage for the paper and the fact that paper will only be dispensed to authorised persons, it is believed that management of paper will be enhanced compared to existing systems in which paper is dispensed manually from a stationery store by a person acting as stationery controller at the paper consumption site. Given also that the system operates automatically and that stock control is managed remotely it will also be understood that there is in fact no need to have any person at the paper consumption site to manage the supply of paper at that site.

Figures 4 and 5 illustrate a different paper storage and dispensing magazine in which the reams of paper 20 are stored on rotary carousels and are dispensed through vertical slots 16 in a lockable door 14. Digital keypads 18 are provided at each dispensing slot. It will be understood that the magazine in this case will include mechanisms for rotating the carousels to bring the reams into alignment with the slots at each level and for pushing the reams outwardly through the slots. As in the case of the magazine 10 of Figures 2 and 3, the slots may be large enough to allow a person to reach into the slot and extract the ream which is being dispensed.

It also within the scope of the invention for the processor in the magazine 10 to be programmed with certain control protocols. For instance, the processor may be programmed to allow certain persons to take only a certain number of reams of paper at certain time intervals.

Although not specifically described above it is envisaged that the magazine could be arranged to dispense paper only to persons holding a mechanical key for accessing the magazine.

Claims

1. A paper management system for managing and controlling supply and consumption of paper at a paper consumption site, the system comprising:

- control means at the control site for receiving signals from the magazine, for maintaining data in respect of paper dispensed by the magazine and for controlling the replenishment of the magazine with further paper when necessary.

2. A paper management system according to claim 1 wherein the magazine is arranged to dispense paper to persons entering an authorisation code on a code entry device associated with the magazine.

3. A paper management system according to claim 2 wherein the code entry device comprises a digital keypad by means of which persons can enter an authorisation code and a request for a certain quantity of paper to be dispensed.

4. A paper management system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the signal transmission means includes a telephony device.

5. A paper management system according to claim 4 wherein the telephony device operates on a GSM network.

6. A paper management system according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the control means at the control site includes means for receiving signals from the signal transmission means associated with the magazine and a computer for processing such signals.

7. A paper management system according to claim 6 wherein the computer maintains a digital record of quantities of paper dispensed by the magazine and/or the identities of persons to whom paper has been dispensed and/or the quantity of paper still stored by the magazine, and controls the supply of replenishment paper to the magazine.