Terminal for libraries and the like

• US 6,542,070 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2000
• Issued: 04/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Company
• Original Assignee: 3M Company
• Inventors: Nelson, John E., Grunes, Mitchell B., Marsolek, Gerald G., Karel, Gerald L., Willems, Richard M., Schwietz, Joseph E. Jr., McLeod, Kathleen M., Fergen, James E., Kieffer, Michael J., Larson, Roger D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US09/713,445
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 340/286.01, 340/286.02, 235/375, 235/470, 345/329, 345/331, 345/961, 707/1, 707/10, 710/8, 710/10, 700/1, 700/2, 700/3, 700/9
• US Class Current: 340/286.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/005 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0054 with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles

Abstract

A library terminal permits a user to execute a loan transaction without assistance. The library terminal (i) provides a visible scan line from a bar code reader indicating the correct positioning of the bar code on a circulating item, (ii) leads a user through a loan transaction, (iii) provides an explicit feedback to a user when an article has an improper position on the article receiving area, (iv) both checks out and checks in circulating items, (v) stores fonts in bit maps of screen displays instead of in a separate font memory, (vi) integrates a security marker reader, a printer, and a controller in the same housing, (vii) processes financial transaction related to the borrowing of circulating items, and/or (viii) displays actions for helping the user to correct errors in use of the terminal.

Claims

1. A method of preparing configuration data for multiple self-service library terminals and of storing the configuration data in data storage memories of the multiple self-service library terminals, wherein the multiple self-service library terminals are configured by the configuration data to interact with users during loan transactions, the method comprising the following steps:

a) preparing the configuration data on an administration terminal; and

b) transferring the configuration data from the administration terminal to the data storage memories of the multiple self-service library terminals, wherein the configuration data includes bit maps.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a first of the self-service library terminals has a video display memory, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

c) preparing the bit maps representing screen displays;

d) storing the bit maps in the data storage memory of the first self-service library terminal; and

e) transferring the bit maps from the data storage memory of the first self-service library terminal to the video display memory during interaction with at least one of the users.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein step c) comprises the step of preparing the bit maps by use of a screen display editor which is separate from the first self-service library terminal.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein step c) comprises the step of preparing the bit maps by use of a screen display editor which is part of the first self-service library terminal.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein step e) comprises the step of transferring the bit maps from the data storage memory to the video display memory in order to render fonts.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of reading a code on an article placed on an article receiving area of one of the self-service library terminals.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of reading a code comprises the step of reading a code on a circulating item.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of reading a code comprises the step of reading a code on an identification card.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of reading a code comprises the step of reading an idle indicator on the article receiving area in order to determine whether an article is placed in the article receiving area.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of sensing proximity of the borrower.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of presenting the configuration data in screen displays to a user so as to lead the user through configuration of the self-service library terminal.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transferring the configuration data from the administration terminal to the data storage memories of the multiple self-service library terminals comprises the following steps:

transferring the configuration data from the administration terminal to a first self-service library terminal; and

transferring the configuration data from the first self-service library terminal to a second self-service library terminal.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the administration terminal is one of the self-service library terminals.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transferring the configuration data from the administration terminal to the data storage memories of the multiple self-service library terminals comprises the following steps:

transferring the configuration data from a first self-service library terminal to a second self-service library terminal; and

,

transferring the configuration data from the second self-service library terminal to a third self-service library terminal.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the bit maps comprise first and second sets of bit maps representing screen displays in corresponding first and second different languages.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration data pertain to machine setup data.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration data pertain to language selection data.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration data pertain to bar code filters.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration data pertain to layout of receipts.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration data pertain to sends/selects.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration data pertain to upgrades.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration data pertain to diagnostics.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration data pertain to communication diagnostics.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the configuration data pertain to a host interface.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of projecting visible indicators onto article receiving areas of the multiple self-service library terminals and changing the visible indicator between first and second visible states.

26. A method of preparing configuration data for multiple self-service library terminals and of storing the configuration data in data storage memories of the multiple self-service library terminals, wherein each of the multiple self-service library terminals has a loan transaction user interface, and wherein the loan transaction user interfaces are configured by the configuration data, the method comprising:

a) preparing the configuration data on an administration terminal; and

,

b) transferring the configuration data from the administration terminal to the data storage memories of the multiple self-service library terminals, wherein the configuration data includes bit maps.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the bit maps comprise first and second sets of bit maps representing screen displays in corresponding first and second different languages.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein at least a first of the self-service library terminals has a video display memory, and wherein the method further comprises:

c) preparing the bit maps to represent screen displays;

d) storing the bit maps in the data storage memory of the first self-service library terminal; and

,

e) transferring the bit maps from the data storage memory of the first self-service library terminal to the video display memory during interaction with at least one of the users.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein c) comprises preparing the bit maps by use of a screen display editor which is separate from the first self-service library terminal.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein c) comprises preparing the bit maps by use of a screen display editor which is part of the first self-service library terminal.

31. The method of claim 26 wherein e) comprises transferring the bit maps from the data storage memory to the video display memory in order to render fonts.

32. The method of claim 26 further comprising presenting the configuration data in screen displays to a user so as to lead the user through configuration of the self-service library terminal.

33. The method of claim 26 wherein the transferring of the configuration data from the administration terminal to the data storage memories of the multiple self-service library terminals comprises:

transferring the configuration data from the administration terminal to a first self-service library terminal; and

,

transferring the configuration data from the first self-service library terminal to a second self-service library terminal.

34. The method of claim 26 wherein the configuration data pertain to language selection data.

35. The method of preparing configuration data for multiple self-service library terminals and of storing the configuration data in data storage memories of the multiple self-service library terminals, wherein the configuration data includes bit maps, wherein the multiple self-service library terminals are configured by the configuration data to interact with users during loan transactions, the method comprising:

a) preparing the configuration data on an administration terminal; and

,

b) transferring the configuration data from the administration terminal to the data storage memories of the multiple self-service library terminals.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein at least a first of the self-service library terminals has a video display memory, and wherein the method further comprises:

c) preparing the bit maps to represent screen displays;

d) storing the bit maps in the data storage memory of the first self-service library terminal; and

,

e) transferring the bit maps from the data storage memory of the first self-service library terminal to the video display memory during interaction with at least one of the users.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein e) comprises transferring the bit maps from the data storage memory to the video display memory in order to render fonts.

38. The method of claim 35 further comprising reading a code on an article placed on an article receiving area of one of the self-service library terminals.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the code comprises a code on a circulating item.

40. The method of claim 38 wherein the code comprises a code on an identification card.

41. The method of claim 38 wherein the code comprises an idle indicator on the article receiving area.

42. The method of claim 35 wherein the configuration data comprises screen displays.

43. The method of claim 35 wherein the bit maps comprise first and second sets of bit maps representing screen displays in corresponding first and second different languages.