JP2003216744A - Library and library automation system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To drastically reduce human quantity of work in book lending/book returning services, book storing and management/inventory taking services and a monitoring service against book illegally taking out in operation and management services of a library, an information library, or the like. <P>SOLUTION: In the library, the information library or the like, information obtained by associating identification number, etc., recorded on an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) with stored items is held on a storage device of a computer. The stored items are identified by reading the identification number, etc., recorded on the RFID with an RFID reader to drastically save book lending/book returning services, book storing and management/inventory taking services and a monitoring service against book illegally taking out. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

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 stored items, storing / managing inventory, and illegally taking out monitoring in a library or information library.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in libraries or information libraries, the management of stored items has generally been performed by applying a label with an identification mark or a bar code label.

When a bar code label is attached to a stored item for management, in a lending / returning business, there is a system in which a bar code reading device reads a code and the lending / returning process is performed by information processing on a computer. , In this case, management of the storage location of the collection,
Also, regarding unauthorized monitoring of stored items, human visual confirmation shall be used. On the other hand, regarding the function of monitoring illegal borrowing, there is a theft prevention system that uses RFID tags and labels, but this does not have a symbol to identify each tag (label) and whether it is a legal lending process. It is not possible to judge whether.

[0004]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] There are the following tasks that require particular improvement in the operation of current libraries and information libraries. Streamline lending / return processing and save labor.
Understanding the storage location of stored items and labor saving of inventory work. Prevention of theft of stored items. Currently, in the collection management in libraries and the like, a method of attaching a barcode label is generally used, and a system of this method is widely spread. For the above, the barcode system can save a lot of labor, but for the barcode, the barcode cannot support at all. However, this is a big problem in general libraries that open their bookshelves to users.

[0005]

The present invention is a system that saves labor for operating a library or information library by attaching an RFID to a stored item. That is, RFID is used as follows. Lending / returning work: Desktop IDs such as identification numbers recorded on RFIDs attached to stored items
The information is read by the reading device, and thereby the lending / returning process is performed by the information processing on the computer. Storage management / inventory business: A bookcase containing stored RFID-attached items is scanned by an RFID reader for automatic booklet scanning, and the identification number etc. recorded on the RFID attached to the stored items is read and its location is stored on a computer. The information is stored in the storage device, and the location of the stored item is searched and inquired by the information processing on the computer. Unauthorized carry-out monitoring business: An RFID reader for entrance / exit monitoring was placed at the entrance / exit of users of libraries and information libraries, and RFI attached to the stored items.
The identification number or the like recorded in D is read, and it is determined by the information processing on the computer whether or not the lending process has been performed. In the case of the stored item that is not lending process, various means are used. Raise an alarm.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The system according to the present invention comprises an RFID element attached to a stored item, a tabletop RFID reading device, a RFID reading device for automatic scanning of shelves, a RFID reading device for entrance / exit monitoring, and a computer. Note that various RFID readers and computers, each having a network configuration in which a plurality of RFID readers and computers are connected by communication lines, are included.

[0007]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a basic embodiment of the system of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a desk-top RFID reader, FIG. 3 is an RFID reader for automatic book rack scanning, and FIG.

In FIG. 1, the system according to the present invention is a lending / returning system, a bookshelf automatic scanning system,
It is composed of three types of subsystems of the carry-out monitoring system and a computer as a system server that holds a database commonly used by these subsystems.

The lending / returning system comprises a desk-top RFID reader and a computer connected to the desk-top RFID reader, and the identification number recorded on the RFID attached to the collection item is stored in the desk-top RF.
It is read by the ID reading device, and thereby the lending / returning process is performed by the information processing on the computer. FIG. 2 shows a conceptual diagram of the tabletop RFID reader.

The bookshelf automatic scanning system is composed of an RFID reading device for automatic scanning of the shelves and a computer connected to the reading device. The bookshelf containing the RFID-attached stored items is scanned by the RFID reading device for automatic scanning of the shelving units to obtain the stored items. The identification number or the like recorded on the attached RFID is read and its location is held in the storage device on the computer.
As a result, information processing on the computer searches for and inquires about the location of the stored item. RF for automatic scanning of bookshelves
The ID reader is a device for automatically scanning a predetermined range unmanned by an instruction signal from a computer. FIG. 3 shows a conceptual diagram of the RFID reading device for the automatic scanning of the bookshelf.

The carry-out monitoring system is an RFI for entrance / exit monitoring.
It consists of a D-reader and a computer connected to it,
The identification number recorded on the RFID attached to the collection passing through the doorway is read, and it is determined whether or not the lending process is performed by the information processing on the computer, and the lending process is not performed. In the case of the stored items, an alarm is issued by various means. FIG. 4 shows a conceptual diagram of the RFID reader for doorway monitoring.

The computer serving as the system server is
A database commonly used by the above subsystems is held and various information processing is performed.

Since the subject of the present invention is the method of utilizing RFID, the description of the RFID itself will be omitted.

[0014]

As described above, the system of the present invention significantly increases the human work amount of the lending / returning work, the storage management / inventory work, and the illegal take-out monitoring work in the operation / management work in the library or the information library. Has the effect of reducing.

[Brief description of drawings]

[Figure 1] Basic configuration example of library / library automation system

[Fig. 2] Conceptual diagram of a tabletop RFID reader

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of an RFID reading device for automatic scanning of bookshelves.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of an embodiment of an RFID reader for doorway monitoring.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An RFID (Radio Frequency Ide) is used in a library or an information library.
A system that significantly reduces the labor required for lending / returning operations, storage management / inventory operations, and illegal borrowing monitoring operations by attaching the device) to a book, magnetic tape, CD, or the like. The RFID element referred to here is an element that includes an integrated circuit chip and an antenna and that reads and writes data held in the integrated circuit by wireless communication. 2. The information in which the identification number or the like recorded in the RFID and the stored item are associated with each other is held in a storage device of a computer, and R is stored at the reception of the library or the information library.
A system in which an FID reading device reads an identification number or the like recorded on an RFID affixed to a stored item, and the lending / returning process is performed by information processing on a computer. 3. A storage device which stores information in which the identification number recorded in the RFID and the stored item are associated with each other on a storage device of a computer, and which is stored by an RFID reading device in a library or a bookshelf of the information library. A system that reads the identification number recorded on the RFID attached to the item and manages the storage location of the stored item by information processing on the computer. 4. An item stored in a storage device of a computer, which stores information in which an identification number or the like recorded in the RFID is associated with the item stored, and which is stored by an RFID reader at a doorway of a library or an information library. A system that monitors the unauthorized removal of stored items by reading the identification number recorded on the RFID attached to the computer and processing the information on a computer.