Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A MONITORING SYSTEM
The invention relates to a monitoring system, and especially,
a system to identify and monitor the location of library
items, such as books.
Existing library identification and tracking systems
generally use a combination of a barcode system to track the
location of an item being borrowed and a magnetic strip as a
security device to prevent unauthorised removal of an item
from the library. The disadvantages of this conventional
system are that the barcodes require each book to be
individually opened and the bar code scanned when the user
wishes to borrow a book and for the books to be individually
scanned again when they are returned. In addition, the
deactivation of the magnetic strip when the item is borrowed
and reactivation of the magnetic strip when it is returned
are additional separate operations which are required.
As this is a labour intensive process, a number of libraries
have commenced use of bookdrop bins in which users may
deposit, returned books in a designated bin which is
periodically emptied and the books returned are scanned when
the bin is emptied not when the book is returned. Hence,
this has the disadvantage that a book which is returned to
the library and is in a bookdrop is not recorded in the
library system as actually being returned until after the
bookdrop bin has been emptied and the books scanned. Hence,
with the conventional system there are inaccuracies in the
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record system maintained by the library and it is not a
real time reflection of the books that are located on
the library premises.
In addition, a user can only borrow a certain number of
books. If that number of books have been deposited in a
bookdrop, the borrower is unable to borrow any further
books until after the books deposited in the book drop
have been scanned as being returned. For example, the
total number of books which may be borrowed by a user
may be limited to four.
There is also the additional disadvantage that sorting
of the books must all be performed manually prior to
returning the books to the correct location.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present
invention, a library monitoring system comprises a
number of borrowable items, each item having a radio
frequency identification device mounted thereon, the
radio frequency identification device having a unique
identification code; a processing unit coupled to a
database containing an indication of the location of
each library item, and to a borrowed item returning
location; wherein the borrowed item returning location
comprises a receptacle into which the borrowed item may
be inserted, the receptacle comprising an antenna which
detects an insertion of a library item having a radio
frequency identification device mounted thereon, the
borrowed item returning location, in response to the
insertion of a library item into the receptacle,
detecting the identification code and sending the
identification code corresponding to the returned
library item to the processing unit, the processing
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unit, in response to the received identification code,
updating the information on the database relating to the
returned library item to indicate that the returned
library item has been returned to the library.
An advantage of the invention is that by having a
library system in which radio frequency identification
devices are mounted on the items in the library which
may be borrowed, it is possible to detect when the
borrowed items are returned to the library as soon as
they enter a designated area.
Typically, the radio frequency identification device may
also be used as a security feature, such that if it is
attempted to remove a library item from the library or
from an area within the library without authorization,
this is detected by the processing unit which generates
an alert signal which may be visual or audio.
Preferably, when the returning location detects that a
library item has been inserted into the receptacle, the
returning location also sends a signal to the processing
unit to indicate the location to which the item has been
returned.
Preferably, the processing unit is additionally coupled
to a returned item sorting location. Thus, the library
system may further comprise a conveying mechanism
between the returning location and the sorting location,
the conveying mechanism conveying returned items from
the receptacle to the sorting location.
Preferably, the sorting location includes a radio
frequency identification device reader which detects a
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library item to be sorted in the sorting location and
sends an identification signal corresponding to the item
to be sorted to the processing unit, in response to
which the processing unit displays on a display device
in the sorting location, sorting information to enable
an operator in the sorting location to identify the
location to which the library item is to be returned.
Alternatively, the processing unit may send a signal to
an automated sorting unit, in response to the
identification signal, to instruct the automated sorting
unit to sort the library item to the correct location to
which it is to be returned.
Preferably, the processing unit is additionally coupled
to a borrowing location. Thus, the borrowing location
may include a radio frequency identification device
reader which reads the radio frequency identification
device on a library item which a user wishes to borrow
and the borrowing location sends the identification
signal relating to that library item and an
identification signal relating to the borrower to the
processing unit, and the processing unit updates the
database with the identification information relating to
that library item and the borrower to show that the item
has been borrowed by that borrower.
Typically, a number of returning stations may be located
at different geographical locations which may be within
or without the library premises.
Preferably, there may be a number of borrowing systems
and typically, all the borrowing stations are located
within the library premises.
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In accordance with a second aspect of the present
invention, a monitoring system comprises a number of
items to be monitored, each monitored item having a
radio frequency identification device having a unique
identification code mounted thereon; and a number of
radio frequency identification device readers located
within an area to be monitored; a processing unit
coupled to a database containing an indication of the
location of each item within the area and to each of the
radio frequency identification device readers; whereby
the radio frequency identification device readers
perform scan operations to identify all the items within
the vicinity of each reader and send the identification
codes of each item located to the processing unit, the
processing unit, in response to the received
identification codes from each reader, identifying the
location of each item located within the area and
updating the database accordingly.
Preferably, the processing unit instructs the radio
frequency identification device readers to periodically
perform a scan operation to identify all the items
within the vicinity of each reader. Further, the
processing unit may preferably display a message to an
operator of the system that an item is in an incorrect
location if the processing unit detects that an item is
in a location other than its correct location.
Preferably, the database contains information on each
item, including unique identification information, the
correct location of the item within the area and the
actual location of the item.
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Preferably, in the second aspect of the invention, the
monitoring system is a library monitoring system and the
items are library items. Typically, the area to be
monitored is a library.
Typically, the actual location may be a location within
the library which may or may not be the correct location
or a location outside the library, such as that the item
has been borrowed by a user of the library.
An example of a library monitoring system in accordance
with the invention will now be described with reference
to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing a library
monitoring system;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a borrowing
station for use with the library system shown in
Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a schematic view of a returning station
for use with the library shown in Figure 1; and,
Figure 4 is a schematic view of a sorting station
for use with the library system shown in Figure 1.
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Figure 1 shows a library system which includes a host
computer 1 which is connected to a number of returning
stations (or bookdrops) 2, a number of borrowing stations 3,
two counter stations 4 and a sorting station 5. In addition,
the host computer 1 is also connected to a local server 6 and
a supervisory computer 7.
The library system also includes a conveyor system 8 which
transports library items, such as books, videos, CDs or
cassette tapes, from the returning station 2 to the sorting
station 5. Each of the returning station 2, the sorting
station 5, the borrowing station 3 and the counter station 4
are connected to a radio frequency identification device
reader 9 and a reader antenna 10. In addition, each of the
borrowing station 3 and the counter station 4 are coupled to
a mini printer 11 and a barcode reader 12.
Each item in the library has a radio frequency identification
device (RFID tag) mounted on it.
The borrowing stations 3 are shown in more detail in Figure
2. Figure 2 shows that the borrowing station 3 includes a
housing 20 and also includes a pentium personal computer (PC)
21 which is connected to a visual display unit 22 and a key
pad 23. In addition, the antenna 10, the reader 9, the mini
printer 11 and the barcode reader 12 are also mounted within
the housing 20 and are coupled to the pentium PC 21. The
antenna 10 is located on a desk surface 24 which forms part
of the housing 20.
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Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a return station 2
which includes a personal computer (PC) 30 which is coupled
to the reader 9 which is in turn connected to the antenna 10
and a visual display unit 31 connected to the PC 30. The
antenna 10 is located within a chute 32 across which books
pass after being inserted through a book slot 33 from the
other side of the book slot 33 by a user returning a book 34
to the library. The conveyor system 8 is located at the
bottom of the chute 32 such that books pass across the chute
32 and onto the surface of the conveyor system 8. The
conveyor system 8 then transports return the books 34 to the
sorting station 5.
The sorting station 5 is shown in more detail in Figure 4.
The sorting station 5 includes a visual display unit 31 and
a PC 30. The PC 30 is connected to the reader 9 and the
reader is connected to the antenna 10. Books arrive at the
sorting station 5 via the conveyor system 8 and the books 34
drop into a receiving bin 35. The books are then removed
from the receiving bin 35 by an operator 36 and passed across
the antenna 10 to permit scanning of the RFID located on the
book 34 by the reader 9. The PC receives identification
information concerning the book 34 being scanned from the
reader 9 and passes the identification information to the
host computer 1. The host computer 1 determines the correct
location of the book 34 being scanned and illuminates a light
36 on a sorting compartment to indicate the area of the
library in which the book 34 is to be returned to. The
operator 36 places the book 34 in the correct compartment for
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return to the correct section of the library.
In use, a user may borrow a book 34 from the library by
inserting the library membership card or identity card into
the barcode reader 12. For multilingual use the borrowing
station 3 may incorporate a multilingual interface which
permits a user to select which language they wish the
borrowing station to use for communicating with them during
the borrowing procedure.
After inserting the library membership card or identity card,
the borrowing station displays instruction on the screen and
at the correct point in the borrowing procedure, the user
places the book 34 above the RFID antenna 10 on the surface
24. A receipt is printed by the mini-printer 11 as each book
is scanned. The PC 21 with the identification information
for the book 39 from the reader 9 and the identification
information of the borrower from the barcode reader 12,
passes this information to the host computer 1 to permit the
host computer 1 to update a database to indicate that the
book borrowed is now located with the borrower corresponding
to the borrower's identification card. When the user has
finished scanning all the books they wish to borrow they
remove the library card or identity card which activates a
cutter (not shown) in the mini-printer to cut the receipt and
the receipt of books borrowed is dispensed to the user.
Alternatively, the user may present the book to one of the
counter stations to enable the book to be scanned by a member
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of the library staff as being borrowed by that user.
When a user wishes to return the book 34, the user goes to a
returning station 2 and drops the book 34 through the book
slot 33. The book 34 then passes over the RFID antenna 10 in
the chute 32 on its way to the conveyor system 8. As the
book 34 passes over the antenna 10 in the chute 32, the PC 30
reads the identification code of that book from the reader 9
and passes identification information to the host computer 1.
The host computer 1 then updates its database to indicate
that the book 34 dropped through the book slot 33 is now
located in the library.
In addition, the host computer 1 can allocate a number of
different locations to the book 34 such that when the book 34
enters the book slot 33 the book is entered in the computer
database as being located at the returning station 2. When
the book 34 is scanned at the sorting station the computer
can update the database to indicate that the book 34 has been
sorted and is located in a sorting compartment.
In addition, antennas 10 and readers 9 may be located
throughout the library. These readers 9 may be interrogated
periodically by the host computer 1 to determine all the
books 34 in the vicinity of that particular reader 9 and
update the database with the locations of the books detected
in the vicinity of that reader. This has the advantage of
permitting the location of all the books 34 in the library to
be maintained on a virtually real time basis.
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In addition to books, the same library system may be used
with any other item which may be borrowed from a library,
such as compact discs, cassette tapes and videos.
In addition, this system has the advantage that returning
stations may be located outside the library itself and
provided that the PC 30 is connected to the host computer 1
by a suitable communication link, the host computer 1 can
determine the location of the bookdrop in which a book 34 has
been returned. It is possible that certain bookdrops outside
of the library may not be connected to the library by a
conveyor mechanism 8 in which case the books may be collected
manually, for example, by delivery van or courier, or other
collection agencies to return the books to the library.
Advantages of the invention are that by using an RFID based
system it is not necessary to manually scan each book during
borrowing of the book, returning of the book and sorting of
the book.
In addition, the RFID tag can also be used as a security
device to minimise the risk of books being removed from the
library without authorisation. Typically, the security
feature is deactivated when a user borrows a book at a
borrowing station 3 and is reactivated when the book is
returned to the library, either at a returning station 2 or
a sorting station 5. This security feature can be enable by
using a memory location within an' EEPROM in the RFID tag.
For example, a typical EEPROM in a RFID tag will have a 128
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bit memory. Approximately 75~ of the memory locations are
used to identify the library item. For example, if the
library item is a book the identification information may
include the Dewey decimal number and/or the Library of
Congress classification and the library branch code to which
the book belongs. One of the remaining memory bits is
allocated to indicate whether the removal of the library item
from the library has been authorised. Hence, if the memory
location contains a "0" it indicates that removal from the
library has not been authorised. However, if the memory
location contains a "1" it indicates that removal from the
library (for example, by an authorised user borrowing the
book) has been authorised. Hence, if a person tries to
remove a book from the library which has not been officially
borrowed, a scanner at or adjacent to the exit of the library
detects the "0" in the security memory location of the EEPROM
and triggers an alarm. If the scanner detects a "1" in the
security memory location of the EEPROM, the system knows the
book has been officially borrowed and no alarm sounds.
This feature operates by the scanner in the borrowing station
3 writing a "1" to the memory location when an item is
borrowed, and the scanner in the returning station 2 writing
a "0" to the memory location when the book is returned to
reactivate the security feature.
Suitable RFID tags that may be mounted on the books 34 are
tags such as those manufactured by Motorola Indala
Corporation, such as the mini disk tag model IT-52E or the
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high stress tag model IT-54E. Suitable readers 9 that may be
used with the library system include Motorola Indala
Corporation readers such as the IR-24E or the IR-36E long
range reader, the IR-50E general purpose reader or the IR-12E
compact reader.
In addition, hand held readers such as those manufactured by
Motorola Indala Corporation, such as the IR-200E Geo
Technology reader and the IR-2E focus point reader and the
IR-100E portable reader, may be used for portable
applications, such as manual scanning of books if necessary.
