JP2000235600A - Lending/return system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a means capable of easily executing lending and returning procedure and operation, quickly processing article management and completely managing the positions of articles in respect of a lending/return system for books/articles in a library or the like. SOLUTION: The lending/return system is provided with a remote storage operation means 102 for remotely operating contents stored in an information storage medium 101, a lending/return discrimination means 105 for discriminating that an article is an object to be returned when a lent party information is stored or discriminating that the article is an object to be lent when the lent party information is not stored, a lending processing means 104 for storing a user's identification(ID) code as lent party information and storing an article ID code on a user's ID card, and a returning processing means 106 for erasing the lent party information of the article to be returned and erasing the article information recorded on the user's ID card.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for lending / returning books, information media, and articles in a library, a library, or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, a lending system in a library, a library, or the like is based on the premise that a user who becomes a borrower has an ID card for certifying his / her identity by registering in advance.

[0003] A user ID card may be used as an ID card for certifying that a user belongs to a school or an organization, or may be an ID card dedicated to a lending system. Has a unique user identification code.

[0004] Also, the articles to be rented have an article identification code for identifying each of them, and a card recorded on an optically or electromagnetically readable medium for each article is attached to an envelope or the like, and attached. They were attached so that they could not be removed.

For example, a bar code or the like as a non-removable medium is attached to a book, and a counter or user operates a terminal at a counter to read an article identification code.
Recognizing the book, the management record of lending or returning was updated by the connected processing system in combination with the user identification code similarly read.

[0006]

However, in the conventional processing method using a bar code or the like attached to an article so that it cannot be removed, the lending process requires a counter in charge of scanning the bar code for each article. Met. In addition, the return processing is usually piled up at the return place, and later, the person in charge collectively performs a barcode reading operation to update the management file. At this time, the returning process to the browsing shelf has been performed after a lapse of further time.

[0007] As described above, the lending and returning processes require a series of procedures by the person in charge of the counter, and therefore the processing time is long for the user, and until the returned articles are newly rented. There was a problem that it took time.

A handwritten book card has been used as a medium on which a removable article identification code is recorded.
There has also been proposed a device for making the card electromagnetically readable and writable to automate and speed up the loan return process.

[0009] That is, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-30115 (lending / return management method), both the personal information storage medium (card) for each user and the article information storage medium (card) attached to the article are readable and writable. By storing the mutual identification code, the lending manager can store the article information storage medium extracted from the article, eliminating the need for handwriting on paper cards, and automatically determining whether to lend or return based on the stored contents. The technology that has made it possible has been disclosed.

[0010] As a result, the self-service by the user himself has been simplified, but the article information storage medium attached to each article is removed from the article at the time of lending and is collectively stored at the counter and returned. At times, they were not released from the task of finding the corresponding medium and re-attaching it to the article.

In addition, there is a system in which a library for use in a facility such as a library can be taken out and browsed without any particular processing procedure. Because the status was unknown, there was a case where efforts were made to uselessly search or use opportunities were lost.

[0012] As described above, in the lending / returning mechanism of articles according to the prior art, the operation of the contact person at the time of lending / returning is complicated, and the user has to wait for the sorting of articles and to retrieve the desired article. Issues such as the loss of usage opportunities due to missing or the like were issues, and a solution for them was required.

In view of the above, the present invention relates to a system for renting and returning books, information media, articles, and the like, which facilitates procedures and operations for renting and returning, speeds up the processing of article management, and improves article management. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a means for realizing an improvement in the use of rental exhibitions by enhancing the location management.

[0014]

The above object is achieved by a rental / return system configured as described below.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the present invention. (A) shows a configuration corresponding to claims 1 to 3, and (b) shows a configuration corresponding to claim 4.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 102 denotes an information storage medium 101.
Storage operation means for remotely operating the storage contents of
Reference numeral 5 indicates that the lending information is stored in the storage contents read by the remote storage operation means 102, and that the item is determined to be a return processing object. If the lending information is not stored, the lending processing object is determined. Is a lending / return determining means for determining that the user ID code is stored in the information storage medium 103 on the user ID card as the rent destination information of the information storage medium 101 of the article to be lent. Lending processing means for additionally storing the article identification code stored in the information storage medium 101 attached to the article in the information storage medium 103 on the person ID card as article information, and 106 is an information storage medium of the article to be returned. 101
Of the user identification code stored as the lender information of the user and the information storage medium 1 on the user ID card
Return processing means for erasing the corresponding article identification code stored in 03 as article information.

[0016] In addition, 112 is provided for the divided area,
Remote storage reading means 115 for remotely reading the storage contents of the information storage medium. Reference numeral 115 reads the unique identification code stored in the information storage medium attached to each of the one or more articles by the remote storage reading means 112. This is an article location management means that manages the area where the article is located by storing it together with the area identification code of the area provided with the remote storage reading means 112.

[0017]

FIG. 2 shows a configuration diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is an example of a loan return processing system at a library window.

In the present embodiment, a mode realized by a computer program executed on a computer used for general purposes such as a personal computer and a workstation will be described.

The lending / returning system of the present invention is realized by executing a computer program on a computer including a processing device, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, an input / output device, and the like. The computer program is provided by being stored in a portable medium such as a floppy disk or a CD-ROM, or in a main storage device or an auxiliary storage device of another computer connected to a network. The recording medium of the present invention corresponds to the portable medium, the main storage device, and the auxiliary storage device.

The provided computer program is loaded directly from the portable medium to the main storage device of the computer, or once copied or installed from the portable medium to the auxiliary storage device, and then loaded into the main storage device and executed. Also, when provided by being stored in another device connected to a network, it is also copied to an auxiliary storage device, loaded into a main storage device, and executed after receiving from another device via a network.

Each of the books shown in FIG. 2 is provided with a non-contact readable / writable information tag. The information tag can be read and written by wireless technology without contact. Examples of actual use of information tags include reading and writing information stored in each information tag from a remote location, such as checking and checking a lift use ticket at a ski resort or a train ticket, or paying a highway toll. The user can read and write the necessary information simply by putting on the body without having to insert the troublesome ticket into the machine, or by presenting it to a reader / writer or passing through a gate.
Some information tags require a power source such as a battery, while others use energy generated by reading / writing induced by electromagnetic waves from the reader / writer.

The information tag to be attached to each book used in the present invention does not require the mounting of a battery and is made thin, so that it can be attached not only to the outside of the cover but also to the inside of the book. It can also be less noticeable. In addition, reading and writing is possible even if a number of books are stacked. When reading and writing a plurality of information tags attached to a plurality of books, the information tags within a readable / writable range by a reader / writer are recognized collectively. That is, in the information tag, a unique identification code is stored in advance for each book, and a plurality of identification codes can be recognized. Thereafter, information can be read and written individually by designating each identification code.

In the present embodiment, a user who has registered an ID card having a built-in information tag similar to the one attached to the above-mentioned book has a user who uses the library. That is, the library qualification is confirmed and the books borrowed can be recorded.

At the book lending / return window, a reader / writer 202 capable of reading and writing information tags attached to the book and information tags attached to the user ID card is installed. In FIG. 2, a portion 201 surrounded by a dotted line indicates a book to be rented and returned and a user ID card at the rent / return window in order to read / write the reader / writer 202 collectively. The information tags are indicated by a triangle on books and ID cards.

The arrangement shown in FIG. 2 is a window processing unit 203 which collectively performs a lending / returning process with a combination of a book to be returned / returned recognized by the reader / writer 202 and a user recognized by the ID card. . Reference numeral 206 denotes a display screen and an operation unit for the user or the person in charge of the window to check the processing result.

Although the details of the processing in step 203 will be described in detail later, even if books to be lent and books to be returned are provided in a mixed state by the invention shown in claims 1 to 3 of the present invention, these may be provided. Are performed collectively for each book.

Reference numeral 204 denotes a core system processing unit,
Reference numeral 5 denotes a backbone database that stores data managed by the backbone system. The window processing unit 203 completes the loan return process, but the management of the loan return history, the management of the collections in the entire library, and the like are performed by the conventional core system, and are thus connected as a cooperative process.

In the following, with respect to the collective lending return processing in FIG. 2, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to an example of a change in data of each information tag and a confirmation of processing on a screen.
The operation will be described with reference to a flowchart.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the stored contents of the user ID card. (A) shows the state before the loan return processing, and (b) shows the state after the processing. First, the ID card holds a code indicating that the user is a member, a name, and a loan limit as fixed information as user information. In addition, the number of books currently borrowed (borrowed from the library) is borrowed as borrowed book information.
In the column, the book codes and book titles of that number are stored in pairs. That is, the user “ABC” having the code “R12” is a member of the condition of the loan limit of three books, and when requesting the lending return process this time, the user has already borrowed three books. The book borrowed may be the book name "abc" with the code "S10", the book name "def" with the code "S20", and the code "S30" (the book name "ghi" not shown in FIG. 3). I understand.

Conventionally, in a library, lending information is managed by a backbone system that performs business processing of the entire library. Therefore, in order to check the lending limit, a check request to the backbone system was required, which took time. In addition, if a temporary acceptance was made at the counter and a check request was made to the core system later, an error such as exceeding the lending limit occurred, although it did not take much time. However, by storing the information in the ID card as described above, the loan return process can be performed while checking the loan limit without waiting for the processing of the core system.

FIG. 4 shows the storage contents of the information tag similarly fixedly attached to each book. Again, (a) shows the state before the loan return processing, and (b) shows the state after the processing. Specifically, borrower information is stored for three books “abc”, “def”, and “ghi” borrowed by the user “ABC” in FIG. 3, and the other books “jkl” ,
Since “mno” and “pqr” are not rented, the respective borrower information fields are blank.

In this state, first, the user “ABC” returns one book “abc”, and newly obtains book names “jkl” and “m”.
no ”and“ pqr ”for a total of 4 to be newly borrowed
Bring the books together with your ID card to the lending / return window. The reader / writer reads and writes these information tags and performs lending and return processing in a lump. Conditions that cannot be handled, such as books that exceed the lending limit, bring in many books, or browse only inside the library It is necessary to ask the user to take action when borrowing the lending. Therefore, these checks are collectively performed, and the lending and returning process is performed only when the determination is OK.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the screen. (A) shows a screen when the above-mentioned determination is NG for the first time. (B) is a screen displayed as a result of the user who looks at the screen removing the condition of NG determination and performing the lending return process again.

In the screen of (a), four books to be rented and returned in the above combination have been submitted.
As a result of the determination made by No. 3, "Lending limit exceeded" and lending prohibition "pqr" are set to "Not eligible for lending", and "Check book and start over again" is displayed. At this time, only the message is displayed, and the lending and returning are not processed. As described above, the lending / returning process is requested again collectively, thereby simplifying the process of the user, thereby preventing erroneous operations and realizing self-service.

Here, the screen when the user clears the judgment by returning one more borrowed book except for the above-mentioned banned book is the OK judgment screen of (b). It is. That is, two books are returned and two books are newly borrowed. "Unreturned = 1 book" indicates "ghi" which has been borrowed from the past, and it means that a total of 3 books have been borrowed.

FIGS. 3 (b) and 4 (b) show the changed state of the storage contents of the information tag of the user ID card and the information tag of each book.

Next, the operation of the above-described lending and return process will be described with reference to the operation flowchart of the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.

In step S601, a batch reading process is performed. When an ID card and a plurality of books are stacked and submitted to the operation position of a reader / writer at a lending / return window, what kind of processing is required to proceed based on the storage contents of the information tags attached to each of them? Whether the information tags have been submitted or not and the identification codes attached to each are read together. As a result, a sequence of the identification codes of the ID card and the identification codes of the information tags attached to each book is obtained. Specifically, in the above example, the identification code “R1
2 ", book identification codes" S10 "," S40 "," S
50 "and" S60 "are recognized. Thereafter, each information tag is individually accessed using these identification codes, and the process proceeds.

Step S602 is a return process determination.
Step S607 is performed by recognizing the book to be returned.
To provide for loan return processing. The determination is made for each book by designating the book identification code to check for the presence or absence of borrower information. When the borrower information is stored, it is determined that the book has already been borrowed and is a book to be returned. If there is no borrower information, it is determined that a new loan is to be requested, and the following loan limit and loan object determination are made.

In step S603, a lending limit is determined. The lending limit is determined based on the lending limit book number and the borrowed book information stored in the ID card, the returned book determined as described above, and the number of new lending books. The result is temporarily stored and displayed in step S605, step S606.
It is used for the judgment in.

In step S604, a lending target is determined. The determination is made by reading the book information in the information tag of the book indicated to be newly borrowed and indicating whether or not lending is possible.

The result determined in step S605 is displayed on the screen. The example screen has already been described. In step S606, it is determined whether the user changes the processing request and resubmits the processing request based on the result of the above determination, or executes the lending return processing when it is determined that the processing request can be processed.
In step S607, a lending return process is performed. Here, the writing process of step S608 for updating each information tag is performed, and the information is organized so that the history of lending and returning can be recorded and provided as a backbone system cooperation.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention. 1 shows a browsing processing system for managing the location of a borrowed book in a library. In each book, the identification code of the book is stored and mounted on an information storage medium that can be read from a remote place in the same manner as described above, and the books are arranged on the bookshelf 701 so that the user can take it out freely.

Then, the book shelf area and the browsing area are divided, and a reader 706 capable of reading the information storage medium mounted on each book in a non-contact manner at an entrance 705 to the book shelf area and an exit 709 from the book shelf area to the browsing area. , 708 are installed. When a user takes out a book from the bookcase 701 and browses it at the viewing corner, the reader 7 passes through the exit 709.
The reading processing device 707 connected to the reader 708 informs the reading processing device 707 that the book having the identification code read at 08 is taken out to the viewing corner. Similarly, the reader 70 at the entrance 705
The identification code of the user's book read by 6 is also sent to the browsing processor 707 and processed as if it had been returned to the bookshelf area.

That is, when the user moves between the book shelf area and the browsing area, a plurality of books to be moved are collectively presented to the readers 708 and 706 so that the browsing processing device 70
The book 7 can always store the book that has been borrowed and taken out of the shelf area and present it to the user or the administrator as needed.

This makes it possible to clarify the location of a newly-issued book or a book for which reading is prohibited in the reading corner, so that it is possible to prevent a useless search for a book. Delivery is possible and limited books can be used effectively.

FIG. 8 shows a configuration diagram of the third embodiment of the present invention. Here, a state is shown in which the entrance 802 and the exit 813 are provided independently in the library, and the user carries in the lending / returning of the books in the library managed by attaching the information tag,
The structure of a lending / returning system that can be automatically taken out simply by passing through these entrances and exits is shown. When the user passes through the entrance and the exit, the user carries a remote readable / writable ID card issued as a use certificate of the library and presents it to the reader / writer 805, 810 together with the book to be returned or lent. The processing status and the processing result can be confirmed by the user on the screens 804 and 811. The lending / returning process at the entrance and the exit is automatically performed by the operation described in the first embodiment of the present invention.

According to the operation of the library as shown in FIG. 8, the user can return the borrowed book simply by presenting the ID card and entering the library with the book, and the books to be returned are collected on a return shelf. Return. Popular books are often rented out, but conventionally books returned at the counter are piled up in the backyard as an intermediate state and viewed or borrowed only after the person in charge arranges and arranges them on the regular bookshelf I couldn't do that, but when I look at the open return shelves, the ones that have just been returned are lined up and can be used effectively without waiting. Books returned to the library in this way can be used effectively without sleeping, which is effective in improving the efficiency of the library.

At the exit, the lending process is completed simply by passing the ID card and the book to be borrowed through the reader / writer at the exit. At this time, if books already borrowed at the time of entering the library are not arranged on the return bookshelf, they can be used again in the hall and taken out as they are, so that they can be borrowed again.

Here, the entrance and the exit are set separately for the purpose of simplifying the processing and ensuring thorough self-service. However, if the operation is performed carefully, only the entrance / exit is possible. However, in this case, for example, when the processed book is re-applied to the reader / writer, a reverse operation, that is, a process of returning the borrowed book may be performed. Processing such as operating the distinction of leaving is required.

In the above embodiment, a book in a library is taken as an example of an article to be lent, but any article to which an information tag can be attached can be applied. For example, the same applies to a rental / return system for a CD, a video tape, or the like in a member-only video rental store. The object of the browsing processing system shown as the second embodiment can be applied not only to books but also to trial listening of CDs, video tapes, and the like.

In the above-described embodiment, the operation in the case where the user's ID card can be read and written remotely in addition to the information tag attached to the article has been described. However, the ID card can be used in a normal reader / writer. The effect of remote reading and writing of a plurality of articles does not change even if the reading and writing are performed by inserting.

[0053]

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, an information tag is fixedly attached to each article and one
By reading and writing the above information tags and performing batch processing, compared to the conventional management of lending / returning of an information tag attached to an article as a removable ID card, Eliminating attachment / detachment work and simplifying the work by eliminating any inconsistency between the article and the information tag attachment, self-service by users of lending / returning work saves labor and improves processing work quality. In addition, since the lending / returning process is completed at the counter, new lending processing of the returned article is possible immediately after the return, thereby shortening the unusable time for the user and improving the use efficiency of the article. This has the effect.

In addition, since it is possible to grasp the area where the articles to be rented and used are located in some of the divided areas, there is an effect that the management quality of the article lending can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of stored contents of a user ID card.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of storage contents of information tags attached to each book.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a screen.

FIG. 6 is an operation flowchart of the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Information storage medium (attached to article) 102 Remote storage operation means 103 Information storage medium (ID card) 104 Lending processing means 105 Lending return determination means 106 Return processing means

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Koichi Kataoka 3-5, Ichibancho, Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture Inside Fujitsu Tohoku System Engineering Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tohru Tadano Aoba-ku, Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture 3-3-5 Ichibancho F-term in Fujitsu Tohoku System Engineering Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5B049 BB58 BB60 DD04 EE59

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A lending / returning system for articles mounted so that lending destination information is stored in an information storage medium, comprising: remote storage operation means for remotely operating storage contents of the information storage medium; Lending is determined to be a return-targeted item when the lending information is stored in the storage content read by the means, and is determined to be a lending-targeted item when the lending information is not stored. A lending / return system having return determining means. 2. The information storage medium stores a unique identification code in advance, and when the remote storage operation means recognizes one or more identification codes, specifies the identification code and stores the information for each article. 2. The lending / returning system according to claim 1, wherein the storage content of the medium is remotely operated. 3. A user who lends or returns an article stores a unique identification code in advance, and stores an information storage medium in which article information is stored when the user lends the article.
The information storage operation means has a D card, and the remote storage operation is performed by distinguishing the user identification code of the information storage medium on the user ID card and the lent article information, and the recognized one or more articles According to the result determined by the lending / return determining means for each of the items, if the item is a lending process target, the user identification code of the information storage medium on the user ID card is stored as the lending destination information of the information storage medium of the item. Lending processing means for additionally storing, as article information, an article identification code stored in an information storage medium attached to an article in an information storage medium on a user ID card; Deletes the user identification code stored as the renter information on the information storage medium and stores the information on the information storage medium on the user ID card as article information. 3. The lending / returning system according to claim 2, further comprising return processing means for deleting the corresponding article identification code stored. 4. An article lending / returning system in which a unique identification code is stored in advance in an information storage medium capable of remotely reading the stored content, and wherein the stored content of the information storage medium is remotely read. The reading means is provided in the partitioned area, and each unique identification code stored in the information storage medium attached to each of the one or more articles is read by the remote storage reading means, and the area provided with the remote storage reading means is read. Article location management means for storing the article location together with the area identification code to manage the location of the article;
Lending / returning system. 5. A program for a lending / returning system for articles mounted so as to store lending destination information in an information storage medium whose storage contents can be remotely operated, wherein the computer stores the information in the information storage medium. Remote storage operation means operated from a remote location; When the rental content is stored in the storage content read by the remote storage operation means, it is determined that the item is a return processing object, and when the rental information is not stored. Is a computer-readable recording medium that records a program for functioning as a lending return determining unit that determines that the item is a lending process target. 6. A program for an article lending / returning system in which a unique identification code is stored in advance in an information storage medium capable of reading stored contents from a remote place, and wherein a computer is provided in a partitioned area. Remote storage reading means for remotely reading the storage content of the information storage medium; reading each unique identification code stored in the information storage medium attached to each of one or more articles by the remote storage reading means; A computer-readable recording medium which stores a program for functioning as an article location management means for managing an area where an article is located by storing the information together with an area identification code of an area including: