Terminal for libraries and the like

US6857568B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• 3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY · US

Inventors

• James E. Fergen · North St. Paul, US
• John E. Nelson · Eden Prairie, US
• Michael J. Kieffer · Apple Valley, US
• John D. Yorkovich · Maplewood, US
• Gerald G. Marsolek · South St. Paul, US
• Joseph E. Schwietz, Jr. · Forest Lake, US
• Mitchell B. Grunes · Minneapolis, US
• Kathleen M. McLeod · Powell River, CA

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 15, 2000
• Grant date: Feb 22, 2005
• Expiry date: Feb 16, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07G1/0054
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

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.