JPH0269870A - Book information retrieving device for library - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible for a user to operate the title device cheerfully by providing a communication control device with a means to transmit picture information to a terminal equipment, and providing the terminal equipment with the means to receive the picture information from a communication line and display it on a picture screen at real time. CONSTITUTION:The communication control device 6 is provided with a wired color television transmitting part 6B as the means to transmit the picture information through the communication line 2 to the terminal equipment 3A having issued an instruction, and the processor 34 of the terminal equipment 3A is provided with a picture control part 34A to control so that the above-mentioned picture information received from the communication line 2 is displayed on a displaying part 32 at real time. Then, a retrieving and reading means 7 shows a menu by conversational system as the logic of retrieval stored beforehand in a memory 7A, and this is controlled by the operation of the keyboard 31 of the terminal equipment 3A according to a program to select an object by multiple-branched tree structure. Thus, even a general user and a school boy and girl or a junior high school student not familiar with book retrieval can retrieve the book enjoyably by the selection menu of the multipe-branched tree structure.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention is applied to a search device that searches library book information stored in a center device from a terminal device. It is particularly suitable for use in terminal devices installed in schools.

〔overview〕

The present invention provides a search device for searching library book information stored in a center device from a plurality of terminal devices via a communication line, in which books corresponding to a classification item selected by a multi-purpose selection are displayed in a display state. By displaying images, the search work is made more enjoyable and the chances of making mistakes are reduced.

[Conventional technology]

When searching for book information stored in a center device, in conventional search devices, all the book information displayed on the display section of the terminal device is expressed as character strings or symbols.

The searcher needs to have some knowledge about the search target, and the range of the search target is gradually limited by searching by book title, author name, keyword, etc.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, visually viewing character strings displayed on a display unit such as a CRT or liquid crystal panel not only causes eye fatigue when the number of character strings becomes large, but also tends to cause errors in detection. Therefore, this type of search work is not at all fun for the searcher, but is rather troublesome and burdensome.

For this reason, general users often avoid using this type of search device, and the utilization of the devices and systems constructed at great expense is extremely low.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve these drawbacks and provide a library book information retrieval device that can be operated easily even by general users without special knowledge.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention includes a center device and a plurality of terminal devices connected to the center device through a communication line, and the center device includes a memory device storing book information and a plurality of terminal devices connected to the communication line. A communication control device that controls communication, a search and read means that searches and reads out the contents stored in the memory device according to an instruction from a terminal device given via the communication control device, and information read by this means to the terminal device. In a library book information retrieval device comprising a central processing unit including a transmission information editing means for editing transmission information to a destination, the communication control device includes means for transmitting image information to a terminal device, and the terminal device The search and readout means includes means for receiving image information from a communication line and displaying it on the screen in real time, and the search and reading means presents menu x- to the terminal device in a conversational manner as the logic of the search, and the operator of the terminal device displays the menu x-. It includes a multi-branch tree structure in which one of the branches is selected, and the memory device stores at least images of bookshelves arranged in the library by classification and images displayed on the bookshelves as menu display images of the multi-branch tree structure. Images of book covers are accumulated,
The transmission information editing means is characterized in that it includes a control means for setting an image for displaying a menu as transmission information in accordance with a branch selected by an operator of the terminal device.

The image for displaying a menu with a multi-branched tree structure can include an image of the table of contents of the book in addition to an image of a bookshelf and a cover image of the book.

It is preferable that the image for displaying a menu with a multi-branch tree structure includes an image of some pages of a book.

[Effect]

Image information about each library and the books it stores is stored in the center device. This is provided to users who operate multiple terminal devices located at remote locations via communication lines. Users can freely search and display image information. Therefore, users can remotely use the library and select books by actually going to a designated library and picking up a book.

Therefore, general users who are not familiar with book searches, as well as young elementary and junior high school students, can enjoy searching through the multi-branch tree-structured selection menu. Furthermore, compared to searches that display only characters, long-term search operations can be easily performed without causing errors.

Since combinations of books and bookshelves that display them are synthesized within the device, they can be created regardless of the actual collection of books in the library. In other words, even books stacked in a warehouse can be displayed on the screen as if they were displayed on a bookshelf.

Furthermore, it is possible to arbitrarily select a desired arrangement, such as arranging book titles in alphabetical order, chronological order, or author name.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, a center device 1 is connected via a communication line 2 to a plurality of terminal devices 3A to 3N.

The center device 1 includes a memory device 4 in which book information is stored.
, a communication control device 6 that controls communication with terminal devices 3A to 3N connected to the communication line 3 via a line control device 5, and a terminal to which the stored contents of the memory device 4 are given via the communication control device 6. Transmission information editing means 8 includes a search and reading means 7 that searches and reads out information according to instructions from the keyboard 31 of the device 3A, and a character information editing section 8A that edits the information read thereby into transmission information addressed to the terminal device 3A. A central processing unit 10 is included via a bus 9. The memory device 4 includes a character information area 11 for storing character information of the book information, and the communication control device 5 has character information area 11 that is read out from this character information area 11 by the search/read means 7 and edited by the transmission information purchasing means 8. It includes a character information transmitter 6A that transmits the received character information to the communication line 2. Also, each terminal device 3A
~3N is the communication line 2 and the communication control circuit 30A~
3ON, and each terminal device has a code 3.
As shown in the terminal device A, it includes the keyboard 31, a display section 32, a print output section 33, and a processor 34 that controls them.

Here, the feature of the present invention is that the communication control device 6 includes a wired color television transmitter 6B as a means for transmitting image information to the terminal device 3A that has issued the instruction via the communication line 2. , the terminal device 3A is connected to the communication line 2.
The processor 34 includes an image control section 34A that controls the display section 32 to display the image information received by the processor 34 in real time, and the search/read means 7 includes a memory 7A.
A menu is presented in a conversational manner as search logic stored in advance in the keyboard 3 of the terminal device 3A.
The memory device 4 includes an image information area 12 for storing images for displaying menus with a multi-branched tree structure, and the memory device 4 includes an image information area 12 for storing images for displaying menus with a multi-branched tree structure. The editing means 8 includes an image information editing section 8B that edits image information searched and read from the images stored in the image information area 12 into transmission information according to a selected branch of the multi-branched tree structure. .

Furthermore, the images stored in the image information area 12 include an image 14 of a bookshelf in an image 13 of a room by classification, images 15A and 15B containing book covers, and an image 16A of each table of contents.
, 16B... and images 17A of some pages of each,
17B, it includes an exterior image 18A of the library and an interior image 18B of the library including a guide board.

The transmission information editing means 8 also edits the memo 'J8C, in which audio information for the conversation format of the program stored in the memo IJ7A and audio information for explaining the exterior image 18A1 of the library interior image 18B, etc. Each terminal device 3 includes an audio information editing section 8D for editing transmission information.
A to 3N include a headphone speaker 35 that notifies the user of the edited audio.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a frame arrangement of images displayed on the display unit 32, which is a color television CRT, when an operator performs a search operation by operating the keyboard 31 of each terminal device in this embodiment. It is.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained using FIGS. 1 and 2.

In the terminal device 3A, when the user starts a search operation using the keyboard 31, the central control unit 10 gives an instruction to the search readout means 7, and the search readout means 7 stores the information stored in the character information area of the memory device 4 in advance. Display the library name on frame screen B1.

The user uses the mouse device 31A to select × with the cursor.
×Select the city library. This is the same as conventional operation.

After this selection operation, the search/read means 7 sends the exterior image 18A and internal image 18B of the XX City Library from the image information area 12 of the memory device 4 to the transmission information editing means 8. The transmission information editing means 8 reads the audio information stored in advance in the memo I78C regarding this XX city library,
The two pieces of image information are edited together and sent to the communication control device 6 via the bus 9. A color television transmitter 6B provided in the communication control device 6 transmits the output of wired television broadcast to the terminal device 3A via the communication line 2 by the line control device 5. Among the transmitted book information signals, the image signal is displayed in color on the display section 32 by the image control section 34A of the processor 34. The audio signal is reproduced by headphone speaker 35. That is, frame screens B2 and B3 are displayed, and an overview of XX City Library is broadcast for a short period of time. These frame screens B2 and B3 are not fixed images, but are displayed in a moving image format in which the operator actually visits the library and walks from the gate through the passageway to the information board. During this time, if the operator determines that he has selected the wrong library, he performs a reset operation using the keyboard 31 to return to the frame screen B1.

A classification table based on the decimal classification method is enlarged on the information board, and when the operator selects the literature category, frame screens 85 to B7 are sequentially displayed as a moving image. On the frame screen B7, the image information 12
Images 13 of rooms by classification stored in are displayed,
Next, as shown in frame image B8, the nameplate "98 Literature Department" is enlarged.

If this display is not selected by the operator, the frame screen B4 is redisplayed by performing a reset operation.

Next, as shown in frame screen B9, the details of the literature department are displayed, and the operator selects the Japanese department in section 910.

As described above, the logic of searching by selection on the frame screens B1, B4, and B9 is performed by the operator selecting one of the branches of the multi-branch tree structure from the conversational menu stored in advance in the memo IJ7A. It is something. In other words, selections are made such as library branch, classification department technique, and detailed technique within the department, so the operator can
No special knowledge required.

After "Japanese literature" is selected in this way, secondary items in this Japanese literature, novels, poems, dramas, etc. are classified, and by period, modern, modern, etc. are selected, and finally, for example, " Dramatic songs, contemporary novels, and historical novels" will be selected. In this case, the search/read means 7 reads the image 14 of the bookshelf together with the image including the cover of the book belonging to the classification from the image information area 12 of the memory device 4, and sends it to the transmission information editing means 8.
In the transmission information editing means 8, the image information editing section 8B displays a frame screen BIO in which books in the classification range are displayed one by one on a bookshelf so that the cover can be seen, and then the cover of each book is displayed. The book is displayed as if it were moved one after another (see frame screens Bll and B12). When a selection is made on the frame screen B12, this book is further enlarged two-dimensionally, and the cover of ``Dabutsu Kaikan'' by Hideo Nagata is displayed (see frame screen B13). In cases where the book title or author's name on the cover image of an actual book is unclear, these characters can be composited into the image using a computer. When the operator wishes to refer to the contents of this book, by selecting page open, the table of contents page and part of its contents will be displayed (see frame screens B14 and B15).
The content of book information is clearly displayed to the operator.

When the above-described search operation is completed, the operator can print out information on the selected book using the printout section 33, if necessary.

The image described above is a color television image and is accompanied by audio, so the searcher gets the impression that it is almost the same as looking at an actual book on display. Since the audio sends out appropriate explanations and background music, this search work can be done in an enjoyable manner, and errors are less likely to occur.

Displaying the library itself and each book as an image in this way is effective when a searcher visits the library himself and picks out a book from the actual bookshelf. Books actually stored on bookshelves are stacked so that only the spines are visible.

In carrying out the present invention, the library's working procedures include, in addition to the conventional procedure, capturing an image of the cover, table of contents, and a portion of representative pages of each book using a video device, and transmitting this image information to the library by conventional means. It only needs to be stored in the memory device in association with the salt.

Furthermore, since the shape and dimensions of a book can be easily estimated from the displayed image using a close-up video imaging device, it is possible to eliminate the need for measuring the dimensions and manually operating them, which were conventionally written on index cards.

In addition, it is useful to have a record of the appearance of a book when restoring a book that has been damaged during lending, or when searching for a book that got mixed up in the wrong department.

On the other hand, the processing of image information and audio information in the communication control device and transmission information editing means can be easily performed live by using a conventional color television system, and the memory device for storing image information can be an optical disk or the like. This makes it easy to accumulate large amounts of high-quality information.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, searching for books can be carried out in a fun manner and with fewer mistakes, thereby improving the effectiveness of using library information. It has a great effect on independent learning and education.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a frame diagram of a screen displayed on the display unit of the terminal device of the above embodiment. 1... Center device, 2... Communication line, 3A to 3N.
...Terminal device, 4...Memory device, 5...Line control device, 6...Communication control device, 6A...Character information transmitter, 6B...Color television transmitter, 7... -Search reading means, 7A, 8C...Memory, 8...Transmission information editing means, 8A...Character information editing section, 8B...Image information editing section, 8D...Audio information editing section, 9 ... bus, 10 ... central processing unit, 11 ... text information area, 12 ... image information area, 13 ... images of rooms by classification, 14 ... images of bookshelves, 15A, 15B...Image including the cover of the book, 16A, 16B...Image of the table of contents, 17A, 17B...Image of some pages, 18A, 18
B...Library exterior and interior images, 3
0A to 3ON...Communication control circuit, 31...Keyboard, 31A...Mouse device, 32...Display section, 33
...Print output unit, 34...Processor, 34A...
・Image control unit, 35...Head pause power, 3
1-B15...Frame screen.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A center device, and a plurality of terminal devices connected to the center device through a communication line, the center device having a memory device storing book information, and a memory device connected to the communication line. A communication control device that is connected and controls communication with the terminal device, a search and read means that searches and reads out the stored contents of the memory device according to an instruction from the terminal device given via the communication control device, and this means. In a library book information retrieval device comprising a central processing unit including a transmission information editing means for editing read information into transmission information addressed to the terminal device, the communication control device transmits an image to the terminal device. The terminal device includes means for receiving image information from a communication line and displaying it on a screen in real time, and the search and reading means communicates conversationally to the terminal device as the logic of the search. It includes a multi-branch tree structure in which a menu is presented and one of its branches is selected by the operator of the terminal device, and the memory device has at least images arranged in the library as menu display images of the multi-branch tree structure. Images of bookshelves classified by classification and images of covers of books displayed on the bookshelves are accumulated, and the transmission information editing means selects the corresponding menu display image according to the branch selected by the operator of the terminal device. A search device for book information in a library, characterized in that it includes a control means for using an image as the transmission information. 2. The library book information retrieval device according to claim 1, wherein the multi-branched tree-structured menu display image includes an image of a table of contents of the book in addition to an image of a bookshelf and a cover image of the book. 3. The library book information retrieval device according to claim 2, wherein the image for displaying the multi-branched tree-structured menu includes images of some pages of the book.