초록 ▼

An article inventory control system for articles, such as books, uses RFID tags attached to each article. Each tag has a unique identification or serial number for identifying the individual article. An inventory database tracks all of the tagged articles and maintains circulation status information

An article inventory control system for articles, such as books, uses RFID tags attached to each article. Each tag has a unique identification or serial number for identifying the individual article. An inventory database tracks all of the tagged articles and maintains circulation status information for each article. Articles are checked out of the library using a patron self-checkout system. Checked out articles are returned to the library by being deposited into an exterior smart book drop which reads the RFID tag and automatically checks the article back in. Article data from the exterior smart book drop are used to generate reshelving reports for efficiently reshelve the articles. Articles which are used in the library, but not checked out, are returned to interior smart book drops within the library for reshelving. The interior smart book drops capture data regarding in-house use of articles. The data are used to generate historical usage reports. The uncirculated articles are stored on shelves of the library. The shelves are periodically scanned with an RFID scanner for updating inventory status.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] An inventory control system for use in conjunction with articles which are maintained in a storage area, of the articles having a radio frequency tag attached thereto, each tag including an antenna for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signa

[ We claim:] [1.] An inventory control system for use in conjunction with articles which are maintained in a storage area, of the articles having a radio frequency tag attached thereto, each tag including an antenna for use in detecting the presence of the article by receiving an interrogation signal and returning a response signal and an integrated circuit connected to the antenna for storing article identification information and for outputting the article identification information with the response signal upon interrogation of the tag, the system comprising:(a) at least one article return area for receiving articles which were removed from the storage area and which are to be returned to the storage area, the article return area including an interrogation zone and a collection bin for holding returned articles, the returned articles passing through the zone and into the collection bin as the articles are returned, wherein plural articles may be simultaneously placed in the zone;(b) an interrogator for monitoring the zone for disturbances in the form of a response signal caused by the presence of one or more tags within the zone, the interrogator substantially simultaneously interrogating each article in the zone, the interrogator outputting an interrogator output signal for each tag detected in the zone, each interrogator output signal including the identification information stored in the integrated circuit of an interrogated tag; and(c) a database for receiving the interrogator output signals, the database including inventory data for articles monitored by the system including checkout status data, the received interrogator output signals being used to update the checkout status data of each returned article.