Terminal for libraries and the like

• US 6,549,141 B1
• Filed: 11/15/2000
• Issued: 04/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bibliotheca RFID Library Systems AG (Bibliotheca Group GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co (3M Company)
• Inventors: Nelson, John E., Grunes, Mitchell B., Marsolek, Gerald G., Schwietz, Joseph E. Jr., McLeod, Kathleen M., Fergen, James E., Kieffer, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US09/713,269
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 340/691.1, 340/691.6, 235/375, 235/380, 235/382, 235/470
• US Class Current: 340/691.1
• 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 transactions 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. An arrangement comprising a self-service library terminal, a circulation system, and a communication link, wherein the communication link couples the self-service library terminal to the circulation system, wherein the self-service library terminal has a controller arranged to process a loan transaction of the borrower of the circulating item, wherein the controller stores the loan transaction during a period when the communication link between the self-service library terminal and the circulation system is down, and wherein the controller transfers the stored loan transaction from the self-service library terminal to the circulation system during a period when the communication link between the self-service library terminal and the circulation system is not down.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the self-service library terminal comprises an article receiving area and a scanner, wherein the controller is arranged to control the scanner so as to project a visible indicator onto the article receiving area and so as to change the visible indicator between first and second visible states.

3. The self-service library terminal of claim 2 wherein one of the first and second visible states is a steady, and wherein the other of the first and second visible states is a blinking.

4. The self-service library terminal of claim 2 wherein one of the first and second visible states is a long, and wherein the other of the first and second visible states is a short.

5. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein the self-service library terminal is arranged to determine when the communication link is down.

6. A self-service library terminal comprising:

a cabinet;

a memory mechanically affixed to the cabinet;

a borrower'"'"'s interface mechanically affixed to the cabinet;

a communication link extending externally from the cabinet;

a controller mechanically affixed to the cabinet, wherein the controller is arranged to control the borrower'"'"'s interface in order to process a loan transaction of a borrower of a circulating item, wherein the controller stores the loan transaction in the memory during a period when the communication link is down, wherein the controller transfers the stored loan transaction from the memory over the communication link during a period when the communication link is not down, and wherein the controller is arranged to determine when the communication link is down.

7. The self-service library terminal of claim 6 further comprising a scanner mechanically affixed to the single cabinet, wherein the single cabinet comprises a circulating item receiving area, and wherein the controller is arranged to control the scanner so as to project a visible indicator onto the circulating item receiving area and so as to change the visible indicator between first and second visible states.

8. The self-service library terminal of claim 6 further comprising an optical scanner mechanically affixed to the single cabinet.

9. The self-service library terminal of claim 6 wherein the borrower'"'"'s interface comprises a display and a keypad.

10. The self-service library terminal of claim 6 wherein the borrower'"'"'s interface comprises a printer and a keypad.

11. The self-service library terminal of claim 6 wherein the borrower'"'"'s interface comprises a display, a printer, and a keypad.

12. The self-service library terminal of claim 6 further comprising an optical scanner mechanically affixed to the single cabinet, wherein the single cabinet comprises a circulating item receiving area, and wherein the controller is arranged to control the optical scanner so as to project a scan line onto the circulating item receiving area and so as to change the scan line between first and second visible states.

13. The self-service library terminal of claim 6 further comprising a code reader affixed to the single cabinet, wherein the single cabinet comprises a circulating item receiving area, and wherein the controller is arranged to control the code reader so as to read a code on a circulating item when the circulating item is at the circulating item receiving area.

14. A self-service library terminal for processing a loan transaction of a borrower of a circulating item comprising:

a cabinet having a circulating item receiving area, wherein the cabinet is within a library building;

a code reader mechanically affixed to the cabinet, wherein the code reader is arranged to read a code on the circulating item when the circulating item is positioned on the circulating item receiving area;

a memory mechanically affixed to the cabinet; and

,

a communication link extending externally from the cabinet, wherein the memory stores the loan transaction during a period when the communication link is down, wherein the communication link transfers the stored loan transaction from the memory to a remote point during a period when the communication link is not down, and wherein the remote point is within the library building.

15. The self-service library terminal of claim 14 further comprising a borrower'"'"'s interface mechanically affixed to the cabinet, wherein the borrower'"'"'s interface is arranged to lead the borrower through the loan transaction.

16. The self-service-library terminal of claim 15 wherein the borrower'"'"'s interface comprises a display and a keypad.

17. The self-service library terminal of claim 15 wherein the borrower'"'"'s interface comprises a printer and a keypad.

18. The self-service library terminal of claim 15 wherein the borrower'"'"'s interface comprises a display, a keypad, and a printer.

19. The self-service library terminal of claim 14 wherein the code reader is arranged to project a visible indicator onto the circulating item receiving area and to change the visible indicator between first and second visible states.

20. The self-service library terminal of claim 14 wherein the code reader comprises an optical scanner mechanically affixed to the cabinet.

21. The self-service library terminal of claim 20 wherein the optical scanner is arranged to project an optical scan line onto the circulating item receiving area so as to optically read the code on the circulating item, and wherein the optical scanner is arranged to change the optical scan line between first and second visible states.

22. The self-service library terminal of claim 21 wherein one of the first and second visible states is a steady, and wherein the other of the first and second visible states is a blinking.

23. The self-service library terminal of claim 21 wherein one of the first and second visible states is a long, and wherein the other of the first and second visible states is a short.

24. The self-service library terminal of claim 14 further including apparatus arranged to determine when the communication link is down.