JPH04313146A - Automatic lending system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the processing speed in an automatic leading system by facitating the automatic lend-out and return processing when a member carries a member card and the matters to be lended out like the books, etc., and passes through a point near an ID data reader. CONSTITUTION:Both a member who wants to borrow a book 5 and a member who wants to return a book 5 pass through a gate with the member ID cards 2 carried together with the members. An ID data reader 3 is provided at the gate part and a non-contact ID card 1 is attached to the back of each book 5. When the book 5 passes through the gate part, the ID data on the book 5 are sent to the reader 3 through the card 1. At the same time, the member ID data are sent to the reader 3 from the ID card 2 of the member. The reader 3 can read the both ID data at one time since these data have different frequencies.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic lending system for automatically lending and returning books in libraries, for example.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional automatic lending systems, for example those installed in libraries, record barcodes on membership cards and books, which are non-rental items, when lending and returning work occurs. The lending and return process was carried out by reading the information with a reader.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, although this method uses barcodes to automate the lending and return processing, it does not require scanning the barcode to read the ID data. There is a problem in that it takes time to operate the terminal to which the barcode is connected and the barcode reader.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic lending system that solves the above problems by exchanging ID data for identification in a non-contact manner.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides an identification ID for an article identification section provided on a rented article and a membership card.
In an automatic lending system that records data and performs lending and return processing by reading identification ID data recorded in the article identification section of the rented item and the member card with an ID data reader at the time of lending and returning, The present invention is characterized in that the article identification section of the rented article and the membership card are provided with a data transmission section that performs contactless data transmission with an ID data reader.

[0006]

[Operation] When performing a lending process, a person holding a membership card passes near an ID data reader along with the loaned item. Data processing is performed without contact between the ID data reader, the loaned item, and the membership card, so human operations such as reading barcodes are not required. In other words, data registration etc. will be performed automatically.

[0007]

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an automatic book lending system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] Figure 1 shows the structure of a non-contact ID card provided on the back of a book, and 2 shows the structure of a non-contact ID card carried by a member. Further, 3 indicates the configuration of the ID data reading device.

[0009] The contactless ID card 1 provided in the book has the same configuration as the contactless ID card owned by the member.
Each includes power supply circuits 1a and 2a, oscillation circuits 1b and 2b, data generation circuits 1c and 2c, and modulation circuits 1d and 2d. Data generation circuits 1c and 2c store book ID data and member ID data, respectively, and modulation amplification circuits 1d and 2d modulate and amplify these data with frequency signals oscillated by oscillation circuits 1b and 2b. output from the antenna. In this case, the oscillation circuit 1b,
The oscillation frequencies of 2b are set to different values.

The ID data reading device 3 is composed of receiving means 3b including a receiving section 3a made of an LC resonant circuit, demodulating means 3c for demodulating received data, storage means 3d, and control means 3e. The storage means 3d stores information such as that shown in FIG.
As shown in A) and (B), a rental data management file and a return data management file are provided. The rental data management file contains book ID data (area M1
), member ID data (area M2), and rental date (area M3) are provided, and the return data management file includes storage areas for book ID data (area M4), member ID data (area M5), and return date (area M3). Area M6)
Each has its own storage area.

FIG. 3 shows an external view of the automatic book lending system.

A member who wants to borrow a book and a member who wants to return a book carry a member ID card 2 along with the book 5 and pass through a gate not shown. An ID data reading device 3 is arranged in the gate section.

A non-contact ID card 1 is attached to the back of the book 5, and when the book 5 passes through the gate, the ID data of the book is transmitted from the non-contact ID card 1 to the ID data reading device 3. . Further, member ID data is transmitted from the member ID card 2 carried by the member to the ID data reading device 3. Since the frequencies of both are different, the ID data reading device 3 can read both data at the same time and process them at the same time.

FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B) schematically show the operation of the control means 3e in the ID data reading device 3.

FIG. 2A shows a lending flow. At the time of lending, it is first determined whether the member ID data has been correctly received (n1). When receiving ID data, if the received data is not correct member ID data, an alarm buzzer is activated at n6. If the member ID data is correct, the data is read (n2), and it is determined whether the book ID data is transmitted from the book to be lent (n3). If there is no real ID data, the process ends. When you receive the real ID data, the ID
The data is read (n4), and the book ID data, member ID data, and rental date are registered in the rental data management file, and rental is permitted.

When returning a book, it is first determined whether the book ID data has been correctly received from the book to be returned (n10). Note that whether the item is lent or returned can be determined by the member's direction of travel. When the member moves in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 3, the lending flow is executed, and when the member moves in the direction of arrow B, the return flow is executed. The moving direction can be detected by a moving direction detection sensor 3f provided in the ID data reading device 3. Alternatively, the staff member may select either the rental flow or the return flow by switching an unillustrated switch.

When it is determined in n10 that there is a book to be returned, the book ID data is read in n11, and the book ID data, member ID data, and return date are registered in the return data management file, and the process ends.

In the above embodiment, the power supply circuits 1a and 2a of the ID card can be constructed from batteries, but
Constantly supplying battery voltage to each circuit would be a waste of power, so each ID card should be provided with a power switch, or the ID data reading device 3 could receive power from the ID data reader 3 in a non-contact manner. Each circuit may be driven by power received by the card itself. In this case, it is preferable to provide a specific place on the ID card reading device 3 for placing the member ID card 2 and the book 5, and to automatically perform data transmission when they are placed on this place. . FIG. 5 shows a state in which the book 5 and member ID card 2 are placed on the top of the ID data reading device 3. If a data transmission section and a power transmission section are provided on the top of the ID data reading device 3, by placing the book 5 and the ID card 2 on the top of the reading device 3 as shown in the figure, it is possible to avoid installing a battery or the like on the ID card. Data transmission is performed automatically. In the figure, 6 is a gate.

The ID card attached to the book 5 may be attached to the front or back cover of the book, or may be hung as a tag.

Further, although the above embodiment has been exemplified as a book lending system, the present invention can also be applied to other lending systems such as videos and CDs.

[0021]

[Effects of the Invention] By passing near the ID data reader with the member card and the item to be lent such as a book, the member can automatically perform the lending and return processing, unlike conventional methods. This has the advantage of speeding up processing by eliminating the need to operate a terminal or a barcode reader.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

[Fig. 1] Configuration diagram of an automatic book lending system according to an embodiment of the present invention

[Figure 2] (A), (B) Rental data management file,
Diagram showing each return data management file

[Figure 3] External view of automatic book lending system

[Figure 4] (A), (B)
Flowchart showing the general operation at the time of lending and returning

[Fig. 5] A diagram showing an example in which power is transmitted to an ID card.

[Explanation of symbols]

1- Contactless ID card (attached to the book) 2- Contactless ID card (possessed by the member) 3- ID data reader

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: Identification ID data is recorded on an article identification section provided on a rented article and on a membership card, and is recorded on the article identification section of the rented article and the membership card at the time of lending and return. In an automatic lending system in which identification ID data is read by an ID data reader and lending and return processing is performed, data is transmitted between the ID data reader and the article identification section of the rented item and the membership card in a non-contact manner. An automatic lending system characterized by having a data transmission section that performs the following operations.