System for processing financial transactions in a self-service library terminal

• US 8,002,182 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bibliotheca RFID Library Systems AG (Bibliotheca Group GmbH)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Nelson, John E., Brace, Thomas J., Wurz, Ronald C., Marsolek, Gerald G., Willems, Richard M., Schwietz, Joseph E. Jr., McLeod, Kathleen M., Fergen, James E., Kieffer, Michael J., Larson, Roger D., Grunes, Mitchell B., Karel, Gerald L., Yorkovich, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): ST CYR, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US12/418,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20090188975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/385, 235/382, 235/462.01, 235/492, 235/487
• US Class Current: 235/385
• 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. A self-service library terminal comprising a controller and a display, wherein the controller is arranged to detect an error state of the self-service library terminal and, while the self-service library terminal is in the error state, to notify a patron through use of the display that the patron may elect to continue a transaction based on the error state.

2. The self-service library terminal of claim 1 wherein the controller is arranged to detect first and second error states, wherein the controller is arranged to notify a patron that the patron may elect to continue a transaction upon detection of the first error state, and wherein the controller is arranged to block the transaction upon detection of the second error state.

3. The self-service library terminal of claim 1 further comprising a printer, and wherein the error state is the printer being out of paper.

4. The self-service library terminal of claim 1 further comprising a printer, and wherein the error state is the printer being out of service.

5. The self-service library terminal of claim 1 wherein the error state is a failure of a communication link.

6. The self-service library terminal of claim 1 further comprising 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.