Monitoring system

• US 20010016800A1
• Filed: 12/08/2000
• Published: 08/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Library Board, St Logitrack Pte Limited
• Original Assignee: St Logitrack Pte Limited
• Inventors: Seah, Moon Ming, Chia, Teck Khiam Christopher, Koh, Soo Keong
• Granted Patent: US 6,704,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/069 by box-like containers, e.g. videocassettes, books

Abstract

A library monitoring system includes a number of borrowable items. Each item has a radio frequency identification device mounted thereon and the radio frequency identification device has a unique identification code. A processing unit is coupled to a database containing an indication of the location of each library item and is coupled to a borrowing location, a borrowed item returning location and the returned item sorting location. The borrowed item returning location includes a receptacle into which the borrowed item is inserted. The receptacle includes an antenna which detects an insertion of library item having a radio frequency identification device mounted thereon. The borrowed item returning location responds to the insertion of a library item into the receptacle detects the identification code and sends the identification code corresponding to the returned library item to the processing unit. The processing unit responds to the received identification code, updates the information on the database relating to the returned library item to indicate that the returned library item has been returned to the library.

Claims

1. A library monitoring system comprising 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 as well as a number of returning stations located at different geographical locations remote from said library location;

wherein the borrowed item returning location and returning stations comprise 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 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.

2. A system according to

claim 1

, wherein the returning location or returning station also sends a signal to the processing unit to indicate the location to which the item has been returned when the returning location or returning station detects that the library item has been inserted into the receptacle.

5. A system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the processing unit is additionally coupled to a returned item sorting location.

6. A system according to

claim 5

, wherein the sorting location includes a radio frequency identification device reader which detects a 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, information to enable an operator in the sorting location to identify the location to which the library item is to be returned.

7. A system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the processing unit is additionally coupled to a borrowing location.

8. A system according to

claim 7

, wherein the borrowing location includes a radio frequency identification device reader which reads the radio frequency identification device on a library item which the user wishes to borrow and the borrowing location sends the identification signal relating to that library item and the identification signal relating to the borrower to the processing unit, and the processing unit updates the database with identification information relating to that library item and the borrower to show that the item has been borrowed by that borrower.

9. A system according to

claim 8

, wherein the borrowing location writes a borrowed code to a memory device within the radio frequency identification device after reading the radio frequency identification device and the sorting location writes a returned code to the memory device within the radio frequency identification device in response to insertion of a library item into the receptacle.

10. A system according to

claim 8

, wherein the borrowing location writes a borrowed code to a memory device within the radio frequency identification device after reading the radio frequency identification device and the returning location or returning station writes a returned code to the memory device within the radio frequency identification device in response to insertion of a library item into the receptacle.

12. A system according to any of

claims 7

to

11

, wherein a number of borrowing stations are provided within the library.

3. A library monitoring system comprising 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 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 and a conveying mechanism between the returning location and a sorting location, the conveying mechanism conveying returned items from the receptacle to the sorting location.

4. A system according to

claim 3

wherein the returning location also sends a signal to the processing unit to indicate the location to which the item has been returned when the returning location detects that the library item has been inserted into the receptacle.

11. A system according to

claim 3

, further comprising a number of returning stations located at different geographical locations remote from said library.

13. A monitoring system comprising 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.

14. A system according to

claim 13

, wherein 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.

15. A system according to

claim 13

or

claim 14

, wherein the processing unit displays 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.

16. A system according to any of

claims 13

to

15

, wherein 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.

17. A system according to any of

claims 13

to

16

, wherein the monitoring system is a library monitoring system and the items are library items.