Open library management method and system based on RFID and camera

Abstract

The invention discloses an open reading room management method and system based on RFID and a camera, and the method comprises the steps: pasting an RFID electronic tag on a book, and setting an RFID card reader in a reading room; deploying video monitoring equipment in the top area of the library; establishing an intelligent borrowing management system, uniformly accessing the RFID card reader and the video monitoring equipment into the intelligent borrowing management system, and performing timestamp alignment on the video monitoring equipment and RFID identification data; and when the book leaves the reading room, the RFID card reader captures the unique identifier of the RFID tag of the book in real time, and uploads the event together with the timestamp to the borrowing management system so as to compare the event with the borrowing state of the book. According to the invention, no physical access control or channel limitation is needed, and intelligent and lightweight management of small open-type reading rooms in enterprises can be realized with low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of information management technology, and in particular relates to an open library management method and system based on RFID and cameras. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of information technology, intelligent library management has become a trend. At present, most public libraries or university libraries generally adopt a library management system based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. By embedding RFID tags in books and cooperating with access control and anti-theft systems, self-service borrowing and returning equipment and back-end management platforms, functions such as automatic book identification, borrowing record tracking and anti-theft alarms can be realized. However, the applicant found that such systems usually require the deployment of dedicated RFID reading and writing access control, self-service terminals, servers and supporting software, resulting in high overall construction and maintenance costs. They also have certain requirements for site space, power supply and personnel operation capabilities. Therefore, they are mainly suitable for large library scenarios with sufficient funds and high traffic. While open libraries established within enterprises, community activity centers, or small offices play an important role in enhancing employees' cultural literacy and promoting knowledge sharing, they are often limited by practical conditions such as limited budgets, small spaces, and a lack of dedicated management personnel. They cannot afford the high investment of traditional library management systems. At the same time, these small libraries generally suffer from problems such as no records of book circulation, chaotic returns, high loss rates, and difficulties in inventory, resulting in low utilization of book resources or even gradual abandonment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a low-cost, easy-to-deploy, highly automated library management method and system that does not require complex access control equipment, in order to meet the efficient management needs of small open libraries under the premise of lightweight operation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art by providing an open library management method and system based on RFID and cameras, which eliminates the need for physical access control or channel restrictions and enables intelligent and lightweight management of small open libraries within enterprises at a lower cost.

[0004] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solution: An open library management method based on RFID and cameras includes: RFID electronic tags are affixed to books, and RFID readers are installed in the library. Deploy video surveillance equipment in the ceiling area of ​​the library; Establish an intelligent borrowing management system, and integrate RFID card readers and video surveillance equipment into the intelligent borrowing management system, and align the timestamps of the video surveillance equipment and RFID identification data. When a book leaves the library, the RFID reader captures the unique identifier of the book's RFID tag in real time and uploads the event along with a timestamp to the borrowing management system for comparison with the book's borrowing status.

[0005] In one implementation, affixing RFID electronic tags to books includes: A passive UHF RFID electronic tag with a unique identification code is affixed to the inside of the spine or the cover of each book.

[0006] In one implementation, an RFID reader is installed in the library, including: Install one or more RFID readers with different operating frequencies on the ceiling or walls of the library to create a seamless identification area throughout the library.

[0007] In one implementation, video surveillance equipment is deployed in the overhead area of ​​the library, including: Install one or more cameras high on the ceiling or walls of the library to create a comprehensive surveillance area without blind spots throughout the library.

[0008] In one implementation, it further includes: The intelligent borrowing management system also has a borrowing interface for users to log in. Users can use this interface to view their personal borrowing status, manually select or scan a code to enter information about the books they want to borrow, and return books to change the borrowing status of those books.

[0009] In one implementation, comparing the book's borrowing status includes: When a book is detected leaving the library's preset monitoring area; The RFID reader captures the RFID electronic tag of the book, and the event, along with a timestamp, is uploaded to the intelligent borrowing management system. The intelligent borrowing management system is then used to query the current borrowing status of the book. If the book has already been registered for borrowing, record this operation as a "normal borrowing" operation and update the book's status to "borrowed". If the book does not have a valid borrowing record, the operation will be recorded as an "illegal removal" operation, and an abnormal alarm mechanism will be triggered.

[0010] In one implementation, comparing the book's borrowing status includes: When a book is detected leaving the library's preset monitoring area; The RFID reader captures the RFID electronic tag of the book, and the event, along with a timestamp, is uploaded to the intelligent borrowing management system. The intelligent borrowing management system is then used to query the current borrowing status of the book. If the book has already been registered for borrowing, record this operation as a "normal borrowing" operation and update the book's status to "borrowed". If the book does not have a valid borrowing record, the operation will be recorded as an "illegal removal" operation, and an abnormal alarm mechanism will be triggered.

[0011] In one implementation, it further includes: The library administrator notifies the person who took the book to complete the borrowing procedures based on the alarm information, thereby deactivating the abnormal alarm mechanism.

[0012] This invention also provides an open library management system based on RFID and cameras, which applies the above-mentioned management method and includes: The identification module includes RFID electronic tags affixed to the books and RFID card readers placed in the library. The video surveillance module has one or more cameras that provide a view of the library without any angle of view. The borrowing management module has a user interface for updating the status of books. The identification module and the video surveillance module are both integrated into the borrowing management module; The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: (1) This method eliminates the need for traditional access control gates or dedicated staff in the library. It only requires the deployment of several low-cost RFID readers, several cameras, and a lightweight back-end management system to complete core functions such as book borrowing registration, exit verification, abnormal warning and return closed loop. In other words, it can achieve intelligent and lightweight management of small open libraries within enterprises at a low cost. The entire system has low hardware investment, flexible deployment and no need to modify the building structure. It is particularly suitable for small library scenarios with limited budgets and space, such as within enterprises, community activity centers and entrepreneurial parks. (2) The hybrid mode of “user active scanning + system seamless verification” is adopted, which ensures the effectiveness of management, avoids forced intervention in user behavior, improves user experience and acceptance, and effectively solves the management dilemma of “wanting to manage but not being able to, and easily losing things if not managing”. (3) Video surveillance equipment is not only used for daily security protection, but also provides visual traceability in the process of book management, which makes it easy for administrators to quickly locate the current location of books and identify the identity of operators, thereby improving the transparency and management efficiency of book circulation. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to embodiments and the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the book management process of the present invention is shown; In the accompanying drawings, the same parts use the same reference numerals. The drawings are not to scale. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] This invention provides a method for managing an open library based on RFID and cameras, comprising the following steps: Step S1, Deployment Phase: RFID electronic tags are affixed to books, and RFID readers are installed in the library. Deploy video surveillance equipment in the ceiling area of ​​the library; Step S2: Establish an intelligent borrowing management system, and connect the RFID card reader and video surveillance equipment into the intelligent borrowing management system, and align the timestamps of the video surveillance equipment and RFID identification data. When a book leaves the library, the RFID reader captures the unique identifier of the book's RFID tag in real time and uploads the event along with a timestamp to the borrowing management system for comparison with the book's borrowing status. It should be noted that in the deployment phase of step S1, all books in the library are standardized, that is, a passive UHF RFID electronic tag with a unique identification code is affixed to a designated location (such as the inside of the spine or the cover) of each book. This tag has the ability to resist metal and liquid interference and supports long-distance reading, ensuring stable operation in an open environment. Multiple fixed RFID readers can be strategically placed on the ceiling or walls of the library's public areas. Depending on the library's actual building structure, floor height, area, and furniture layout, different RFID readers with different operating frequencies (such as the 860–960MHz band) and reading ranges can be flexibly selected. Furthermore, signal coverage can be optimized by adjusting the antenna direction, transmission power, and reading cycle. In one embodiment, omnidirectional short-range card readers can be used in small spaces with low floor height (≤3 meters), while in areas with high floor height or large area, high-gain directional antennas or multiple card readers can be deployed to form a network to create a seamless identification area. This design ensures that throughout the entire open library space, regardless of whether a book is placed on a shelf, table, sofa area, or temporarily moved, as long as it remains within the physical boundaries of the room, at least one RFID reader can identify the RFID tag information of that book in real time or periodically. This provides the basic data support for subsequent functions such as borrowing status monitoring, abnormal book removal alerts, and automatic inventory checks. This design eliminates the need for physical access control or passage restrictions, truly achieving "seamless and open" intelligent library management. Furthermore, video surveillance equipment can be deployed in the ceiling area of ​​the library. Depending on the actual area, layout and lighting conditions of the library, one or more wide-angle high-definition cameras (such as network cameras that support 1080P and above resolution) can be reasonably installed on the ceiling or walls to ensure that the field of view can cover the entire open area of ​​the library without blind spots, including key locations such as bookshelf areas, reading tables, entrances and exits and temporary storage corners. In one embodiment, a single 360° panoramic camera can be used to achieve full coverage in a small library (less than 30 square meters). In one embodiment, in medium to large open spaces, multiple cameras are used in a coordinated manner across different areas, and a complete visual monitoring network is constructed through image stitching or linkage analysis technology. Furthermore, all cameras are connected to the backend management system and timestamped with RFID identification data to form a dual sensing mechanism of "RFID tag triggering + video evidence". This mechanism is not only used for daily security protection, but also provides visual traceability in the process of book management: when a book is taken away without registration or is moved abnormally, the system can automatically retrieve video clips of the corresponding time period and spatial location. The administrator can quickly locate the current location of the book and identify the identity of the operator, thereby improving the transparency and management efficiency of book circulation. It should be noted that in step S2, the deployed RFID card readers and cameras are uniformly connected to the library's intelligent borrowing management system. The intelligent borrowing management system is responsible for coordinating functional modules such as RFID data collection, video stream processing, user identity authentication, and borrowing and returning operation records. The system is deployed based on cloud or local server and has data storage, real-time analysis, and message push capabilities. In one embodiment, such as Figure 1 As shown, the intelligent borrowing management system generates a unique dynamic WeChat QR code, which is posted in a prominent location at the library entrance and return area. Users can generate a unique dynamic WeChat QR code and post it in a prominent location at the library entrance and return area. On this interface, users can view their personal borrowing status, manually select or scan the code to enter the information of the books they want to borrow, and complete the self-service borrowing registration. When returning the books, users can also enter the return process by scanning the QR code, check the returned books and submit confirmation. The system will then update the book status to "available for borrowing". At the same time, the system will correlate the user's borrowing behavior timestamp with the book removal event captured by the RFID card reader and the camera image to perform multi-source data association. If it is detected that a book has been taken out but the scanning registration has not been completed, the system will automatically trigger an early warning mechanism to notify the administrator to intervene. This forms a closed-loop management process of "user active operation + system seamless verification + video-assisted traceability". That is, the entire system does not require traditional access control gates or dedicated personnel, and can realize the automated management of book borrowing and returning and the effective prevention and control of abnormal behavior in a low-cost, open environment. Furthermore, when a book leaves the system's preset monitoring area (i.e., the physical boundary of the library), RFID readers deployed at the exit or boundary area will capture the unique identifier of the book's RFID tag in real time and upload the event along with a timestamp to the borrowing management system. The system will then query the book's current borrowing status. If the book has already been legally borrowed by a user by scanning the code, the system will record this "normal removal" operation, update the book's location status to "borrowed", and the process will end. If the book does not have a valid borrowing record in the system, it is judged as a "suspected illegal removal" behavior.

[0016] At this moment, the system immediately triggers the abnormal alarm mechanism, and promptly notifies the library administrator via WeChat message, SMS or management backend push. The alarm information includes: book name, RFID tag, removal time, triggering card reader location, and video footage or key frame images captured by the camera within the corresponding time period.

[0017] Administrators can quickly identify the actual person taken away based on the operation time, location, and video footage provided by the system, and proactively contact the person via WeChat, telephone, or internal communication tools to remind them to complete the borrowing registration procedures. If it is confirmed that the error was due to a mistake or that the temporary access was not registered in time, the user can complete the supplementary registration within the specified time limit, and the system will automatically remove the abnormal status. If multiple instances of unregistered removal occur, the system can also record a credit log for future management reference. This mechanism achieves intelligent sensing and flexible control of book movement without setting up physical barriers, taking into account openness, user experience, and asset management security. This method truly realizes intelligent and lightweight management of small open libraries. By combining RFID identification technology with video surveillance and using WeChat QR code as the user interaction entry, the system does not need to install high-cost equipment such as anti-theft doors, self-service borrowing and returning machines, and turnstiles required by traditional libraries. It only needs to deploy a few low-cost RFID card readers, a number of cameras, and a lightweight back-end management system to complete core functions such as book borrowing registration, leaving verification, abnormal warning and return closed loop. This invention also provides an open library management system based on RFID and cameras, which applies the above-mentioned management method and includes: The identification module includes RFID electronic tags affixed to the books and RFID card readers placed in the library. The video surveillance module has one or more cameras that provide a view of the library without any angle of view. The borrowing management module has a user interface for updating the status of books. The identification module and the video surveillance module are both integrated into the borrowing management module; The entire system requires low hardware investment, is flexible in deployment, and does not require modification of the building structure. It is particularly suitable for small bookstores with limited budgets and space, such as enterprise interiors, community activity centers, and startup parks. At the same time, the system adopts a hybrid mode of "user-initiated QR code scanning + system-initiated seamless verification", which ensures the effectiveness of management while avoiding forced intervention in user behavior, improving user experience and acceptance. The system effectively solves the management dilemma of "wanting to manage but unable to, and easily losing data if not managed". In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "bottom", "top", "front", "rear", "inner", "outer", "left", "right", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0018] While the invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that these embodiments are merely examples of the principles and applications of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that many modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments, and other arrangements can be designed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. It should be understood that different dependent claims and features described herein can be combined in ways different from those described in the original claims. It is also understood that features described in conjunction with individual embodiments can be used in other described embodiments.

Claims

1. A method for managing an open library based on RFID and cameras, characterized in that, include: RFID electronic tags are affixed to books, and RFID readers are installed in the library. Deploy video surveillance equipment in the ceiling area of ​​the library; Establish an intelligent borrowing management system, and integrate RFID card readers and video surveillance equipment into the intelligent borrowing management system, and align the timestamps of the video surveillance equipment and RFID identification data. When a book leaves the library, the RFID reader captures the unique identifier of the book's RFID tag in real time and uploads the event along with a timestamp to the borrowing management system for comparison with the book's borrowing status.

2. The open library management method based on RFID and camera according to claim 1, characterized in that, Attach RFID electronic tags to books, including: A passive UHF RFID electronic tag with a unique identification code is affixed to the inside of the spine or the cover of each book.

3. The open library management method based on RFID and camera according to claim 2, characterized in that, Install RFID card readers in the library, including: Install one or more RFID readers with different operating frequencies on the ceiling or walls of the library to create a seamless identification area throughout the library.

4. The open library management method based on RFID and camera according to claim 3, characterized in that, Deploy video surveillance equipment in the ceiling area of ​​the library, including: Install one or more cameras high on the ceiling or walls of the library to create a comprehensive surveillance area without blind spots throughout the library.

5. The open library management method based on RFID and camera according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: The intelligent borrowing management system also has a borrowing interface for users to log in. Users can use this interface to view their personal borrowing status, manually select or scan a code to enter information about the books they want to borrow, and return books to change the borrowing status of those books.

6. The open library management method based on RFID and camera according to claim 5, characterized in that, Compare with the book's borrowing status, including: When a book is detected leaving the library's preset monitoring area; The RFID reader captures the RFID electronic tag of the book, and the event, along with a timestamp, is uploaded to the intelligent borrowing management system. The intelligent borrowing management system is then used to query the current borrowing status of the book. If the book has already been registered for borrowing, record this operation as a "normal borrowing" operation and update the book's status to "borrowed". If the book does not have a valid borrowing record, the operation will be recorded as "illegal removal" and an abnormal alarm mechanism will be triggered.

7. The open library management method based on RFID and camera according to claim 6, characterized in that, Triggering the abnormal alarm mechanism includes: The alarm information will be immediately notified to the library administrator. The alarm information includes the book name, the corresponding RFID electronic tag, the time of removal, the location of the RFID reader that triggered the alarm, and the video footage captured by the camera during that time period.

8. The open library management method based on RFID and camera according to claim 7, characterized in that, Also includes: The library administrator notifies the person who took the book to complete the borrowing procedures based on the alarm information, thereby deactivating the abnormal alarm mechanism.

9. An open library management system based on RFID and cameras, employing the management method described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, include: The identification module includes RFID electronic tags affixed to the books and RFID card readers placed in the library. The video surveillance module has one or more cameras that provide a view of the library without any angle of view. The borrowing management module has a user interface for updating the status of books. The identification module and the video surveillance module are both integrated into the borrowing management module.

Images