Distributed book lending system and method based on cloud edge collaboration
By using a cloud-edge collaborative distributed library lending and return system, combined with demand forecasting models and proactive services, the system addresses the supply-demand mismatch problem in university libraries, enabling dynamic allocation and rapid access to resources, and improving the reader service experience.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ZHENGZHOU UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-04
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-02
AI Technical Summary
University libraries have limited collections of books, and readers’ needs fluctuate dynamically, leading to a mismatch between supply and demand. Some readers leave books for extended periods or occupy them beyond their expiration date, making it impossible for readers to obtain the resources they need in a timely manner.
The system adopts a distributed book lending and return system based on cloud-edge collaboration. It dynamically allocates books by combining a book demand prediction model with the book collection of each library, providing instant satisfaction and proactive guidance services, and supporting book scheduling, face-to-face lending, and acquisition of alternative resources.
This has improved the overall effectiveness of the collection, optimized resource allocation, reduced overdue occupancy and waiting times, and ensured that readers can quickly obtain the books they need, thus meeting dynamic needs.
Smart Images
Figure CN122134439A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of book lending and returning, and specifically to a distributed book lending and returning system and method based on cloud-edge collaboration. Background Technology
[0002] To facilitate reading and information retrieval, universities typically have a main library and branch libraries located on different campuses. Additionally, some libraries also serve the general public; for example, the library of a university in central China also functions as a municipal science and technology library.
[0003] The existing book lending and return system faces at least the following problems: First, limited by space size and book purchase costs, the variety and quantity of books in each main and branch library are limited, resulting in a consistently limited supply of printed books in terms of subject coverage and variety. Meanwhile, the needs of different reader groups are dynamic, fluctuating with time, key events, and social hot topics. This mismatch between supply and demand makes supply-demand mismatch a common predicament for library services, making it difficult to effectively meet the dynamic needs of reader groups. Second, due to the combined effects of individual reader negligence, lack of understanding of borrowing rules, malicious resource occupation, as well as the imperfect library reminder mechanism, the lagging reminder function of the circulation system, and the imbalance in the allocation of duplicate copies in the collection, individual readers... The phenomenon of borrowers occupying books for extended periods or beyond their permitted time is commonplace, leaving other readers with genuine needs to passively "make reservations and wait." This problem is particularly pronounced in specific resource types, such as specialized classics, popular bestsellers, classic textbooks, out-of-print documents, and expensive foreign language books, where the number of copies is scarce. This creates a structural contradiction between "the difficulty in obtaining a book" and "the prolonged occupation of a book," which seriously erodes the principle of fair access to public information resources. Furthermore, when readers' borrowing needs cannot be directly met due to limitations in library resources, books already being checked out, missing editions, insufficient digitization, or copyright constraints, how to adopt alternative methods to promptly meet readers' information retrieval or reading needs is also an important issue in this field. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a distributed book lending and returning system and method based on cloud-edge collaboration to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background section.
[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the specific technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: The distributed book borrowing and returning method based on cloud-edge collaboration includes the following steps: S1: Receives the reader's borrowing request and, when the library detects that the target book is in the library, provides the reader with the location of the target book in its collection; S2: Readers borrow books based on the location of the target book in the library; S3: In response to the reader's request to return the book, return the book; S4: Periodically input information on the impact of book demand fluctuations into the book demand forecasting model to determine the book demand quantity; S5: Based on the collection size and demand of books in each library, book allocation is carried out; S6: Provide immediate satisfaction and proactive guidance services when the target book is not available in the library; Borrowing requests may include basic personal information and book information; Optionally, the book demand forecasting model includes a first book demand forecasting model and a second book demand forecasting model; Optionally, S4: periodically inputting information on the impact of book demand fluctuations into the book demand forecasting model to determine the book demand quantity includes: S41: Input the information on the impact of the first book demand fluctuation into the first book demand forecasting model to determine the first book demand quantity; S42: Input the information on the impact of fluctuations in the demand for the second book into the demand forecasting model for the second book to determine the demand for the second book; S43: Determine the book demand for each main library and branch library by combining the first book demand and the second book demand; Optionally, the first information on the impact of fluctuations in book demand includes information on teachers and students and information on key time points; the second information on the impact of fluctuations in book demand includes information on social hot topics and information on time points. Optionally, it also includes: S7: In response to the fact that the target book is not in the library, obtain the current borrowing information of the target book and generate a reminder message; Optional features also include: S8: Initiating and executing face-to-face transfer processes with user permission.
[0006] According to another aspect of the present invention, a cloud-edge collaborative distributed book lending and returning system is also provided, the system comprising: Control modules, cloud servers, main and branch libraries distributed across different campuses, and self-service stations located in different locations; The control module can receive borrowing requests from readers and, when it detects that the target book is in the library, provide the reader with the location of the target book; the reader can then borrow the book based on its location; the control module can also respond to the reader's return request and return the book. The control module also periodically inputs information on fluctuations in book demand into the book demand prediction model to determine the book demand; it performs book scheduling based on the collection and demand of each library; and it provides immediate fulfillment and proactive guidance services when the library does not have the target book. Optionally, the control module can also respond to the situation where the target book is not in the library, obtain the current borrowing information of the target book, and generate a reminder message; Optionally, the control module can also initiate and execute face-to-face transfer processes with user permission.
[0007] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: (1) This invention can predict the book borrowing needs of different groups and dynamically allocate books in combination with the book collection of each main and branch library. It changes the book collection from "static distribution and manual allocation" to "data-driven and intelligent allocation", breaking through the experience dependence and response lag of traditional manual allocation. It makes the book layout evolve from a fixed and rigid physical distribution into an organic network that moves with demand and optimizes itself, significantly improving the overall efficiency of the library collection and the reader service experience. It transforms the library from a static book warehouse into a dynamic, reader-driven knowledge circulation network. (2) When individual readers linger or overstay their books, the present invention will remind them. At the same time, it can simplify the borrowing process based on the face-to-face book transfer method, which is conducive to users quickly obtaining the target books. To a certain extent, it can alleviate the book borrowing dilemma caused by "overstaying and waiting for reservations". It transforms the traditional "return reminder-waiting" confrontation mode into a collaborative mechanism of "reminder-circulation". It significantly improves the turnover rate of popular paper books, alleviates the pressure of "insufficient copies", and optimizes resource allocation. (3) When the borrowing needs of readers cannot be met, the present invention adopts a variety of alternative methods to meet the readers' information search or reading needs in a timely manner, ensuring that readers' knowledge acquisition and academic research are not interrupted due to the limitations of physical collections. Attached Figure Description
[0008] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a distributed book borrowing and returning method based on cloud-edge collaboration; Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the face-to-face lending process. Detailed Implementation
[0009] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the various embodiments of the invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.
[0010] Distributed book borrowing and returning methods based on cloud-edge collaboration, such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes the following steps: S1: Receives the reader's borrowing request and, when the library detects that the target book is in the library, provides the reader with the location of the target book in its collection; S2: Readers borrow books based on the location of the target book in the library; S3: In response to the reader's request to return the book, return the book; S4: Periodically input information on the impact of book demand fluctuations into the book demand forecasting model to determine the book demand quantity; S5: Based on the collection size and demand of books in each library, book allocation is carried out; S6: Provide immediate satisfaction and proactive guidance services when the target book is not available in the library; In S1, receiving the reader's borrowing request can be done through a book borrowing query terminal, a personal PC, or a mobile terminal. The borrowing request can include personal basic information and book information. The basic personal information includes name, student ID / employee ID number, contact information, and reader category; the reader category can be student, teacher, or general reader; the book information includes: book title, author, ISBN, subject category, keywords, etc. The library consists of a main library and branch libraries located on different campuses, with each main library and branch library having a different number of books. S2: The reader borrows books based on the location of the target book in the library, including: S21: Readers can move to the location of the target book in the library to obtain the target book and borrow the book on-site at the book lending and return terminal; S22: When the target book is located in another library, in response to the reader's request for express delivery, the staff will mail the target book to the designated address, and the reader can pick up the target book at the designated address; Readers can submit their borrowing requests via the website or app; the designated address can be the main library, branch library, self-service station, or other address specified by the reader that is closest to them. The self-service station is used for temporary storage of books, facilitating remote borrowing, convenient return, and retrieval by readers. Logistics vehicles equipped with GPS and onboard RFID readers can be used to transfer books between the main library, branch libraries, and self-service stations. Each book is affixed with a high-frequency RFID tag, which is linked to the system's catalog record and the library's information. Each node has a unique code. The statistics regarding book transfer, outbound, and inbound processes are based on existing technology and will not be detailed here. Similarly, S3: In response to a reader's request to return a book, returning the book includes: S31: Readers can bring the books to be returned and return them on-site at the book lending and return terminal; S32: In response to readers' requests for book returns, readers can mail the books to be returned to the main library, branch library, or self-service station that is closest to them, and library staff will then return the books. The online / on-site book borrowing and returning process combined with self-service stations makes it convenient for readers to borrow and return books. S4: Periodically inputting information on the impact of book demand fluctuations into the book demand forecasting model to determine the book demand quantity, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the book demand forecasting model includes a first book demand forecasting model and a second book demand forecasting model, comprising: S41: Input the information on the impact of the first book demand fluctuation into the first book demand forecasting model to determine the first book demand quantity; The first book demand forecasting model predicts the book demand of teachers and students within the school. The first information on the impact of fluctuations in book demand includes information on teachers and students and information on key time points; The information on the faculty and students includes at least one of the following: the distribution of majors and grades across campuses, class schedule information, and teaching calendar; The professional and grade distribution includes the campuses where students of different majors and grades are located, and different campuses have corresponding main buildings and branch buildings; the teaching calendar includes course progress, which corresponds to the timetable information; The key time node information includes at least one of the following: semester node, key event node; The semester nodes include the start of the semester, mid-term, and final exams. Different semester nodes will cause a surge in borrowing demand for corresponding types of books. For example, textbooks are borrowed at the start of the semester, extended reading is done during the mid-term, and review exercises are done at the final exam. Key event nodes include at least one of the following: CET-4 / 6, postgraduate entrance exam, civil service exam, etc. Different event nodes correspond to different fluctuations in borrowing demand. The first book demand prediction model is specifically a time series model (such as LSTM), which can efficiently handle long-term dependencies in sequence data and has an automatic learning mode. It can automatically learn the complex and non-linear time patterns between the characteristics of teachers and students and key time nodes and book borrowing demand from historical borrowing data, and predict book demand based on the characteristics of teachers and students and key time nodes. The first book demand prediction model can be trained based on historical borrowing data. S42: Input the information on the impact of fluctuations in the demand for the second book into the demand forecasting model for the second book to determine the demand for the second book; The second book demand forecasting model forecasts the book demand of social readers. The second set of information on the impact of fluctuations in book demand includes information on social hot topics and time points. The aforementioned social hot topics include at least one of the following: data on film and television dramas / IP linkages, and books that have won literary prizes such as the Nobel Prize or Mao Dun's Prize; the aforementioned social hot topics can significantly increase the demand for borrowing corresponding books; The time node information includes at least one of the following: season, month, and holiday; the holidays may include winter and summer vacations, National Day holiday, Spring Festival, etc.; the above time node information will affect the fluctuation of social readers' book borrowing demand; Similar to the first book demand prediction model mentioned above, the second book demand fluctuation impact information can be a time series model (such as LSTM), or other linear or nonlinear models, or a mapping relationship obtained through training or fitting. No specific limitations are made here, as long as it can combine social hotspot information and time node information to predict the book demand of social readers. The first and second book demand prediction models are set up in the cloud and can be periodically trained and updated based on historical borrowing data and real-time borrowing data; S43: Determine the book demand for each main library and branch library by combining the first book demand and the second book demand; The book demand of each main library and branch library can be the total borrowing demand for the corresponding category of books in the future, such as professional books, CET-4 and CET-6 tutoring books, etc.; or it can be the future borrowing demand for a specific single book, such as the potential popularity demand after the release of a new book. S5: Based on the collection size and demand of books in each library, book scheduling is performed, including: S51: Calculate the difference between the book collection and the book demand of each library to obtain the book demand deviation value; S52: Book scheduling based on the book demand deviation values of each library, including: S521: When the book demand deviation value of a library is positive, a book relocation operation is performed; S522: When the book demand deviation value of a library is negative, a book transfer operation is performed; S523: Transfer corresponding books from libraries with positive demand deviation values to libraries with negative book demand deviation values; Optionally, S53 is also included: when the book demand cannot be met through book scheduling, a purchase order or an electronic copy order is generated, and then the book borrowing demand of readers is met through book purchase or electronic books. Optionally, if the library's book demand deviation is still greater than the preset value after the book scheduling is completed, a purchase order or an electronic copy order will be generated. Optionally, purchase orders or electronic copy orders can be generated based on the frequency of book scheduling within the annual cycle, including: when the scheduling frequency of a certain type of book within the annual cycle is greater than a preset value, purchase orders or electronic copy orders can be generated. S6: When the target book is not available in the library, provide immediate satisfaction and proactive guidance services, wherein the immediate satisfaction service includes at least: querying and obtaining the electronic version of the target book from the cloud, initiating the document delivery process, and opening the interlibrary loan channel; The proactive guidance service includes at least: recommending alternative books based on the personal basic information and book information in the borrowing request; the alternative books are books in the same field and with similar content as the target books. The method for obtaining alternative books includes: obtaining readers' basic personal information, analyzing the borrowing history of readers with the same or similar basic personal information during the same period, and combining the book information in the borrowing request to determine alternative books. Optionally, it also includes: S7: In response to the library not having the target book in its library, obtain the current borrowing information of the target book and generate a reminder message, including: S71: When none of the main libraries or branch libraries have the target book in their libraries, retrieve the current borrowing information of the target book, which includes the borrower and the borrowing time. S72: Sort borrowers based on the borrowing time and send friendly inquiry notifications to borrowers who have overdue borrowing; Optionally, the existence of overdue occupancy can be determined by comparing the borrower's borrowed time with the average borrowing time of the target book; the average borrowing time is calculated based on historical data. Optionally, a friendly notification could be: "Dear reader, you have exceeded the usual reading time for the book you borrowed; if you have finished reading it, would you like to return it or lend it to other waiting readers?" Borrowers may choose to "return it to help other waiting readers" or "lend it to help other waiting readers", or they may choose not to make a choice. Optionally, the notification can be pushed through multiple channels such as the library website, WeChat service account, SMS or email; Optionally, readers can customize whether to receive friendly inquiry notifications in their personal center; Optionally, it also includes S8: with user permission, initiating and executing in-person transfer processes, including: S81: In response to a borrower's choice to "borrow to help other waiting readers", notify the requester to initiate a face-to-face book re-borrowing process; S82: Verify and authorize the identities of borrowers and requesters to ensure that borrowers are legitimate borrowers and requesters are valid registered users; S83: When exchanging books face-to-face, the borrower and the person in need scan the book's barcode or NFC tag through the library's app to confirm the book exchange process. S84: The borrower confirms on the library APP that the book has been transferred to the borrower, and the borrower confirms on the library APP that the book has been received. The system sends an electronic certificate of successful transfer to both parties. S85: The system backend changes the person responsible for borrowing the book from the borrower to the person in need, and the borrowing period is recalculated from the date of transfer; the original borrower's responsibility is released after the person in need successfully receives the book, and the process ends. Optionally, S83 can also be: the borrower can enter the book ID in the APP and store the book ID at the self-service station or mail it to the designated location of the borrower; when the borrower receives the book, he enters the book ID in the APP to confirm the book exchange process, and then proceeds to steps S84 and S85. Optionally, books that have already been borrowed cannot be borrowed again; Optionally, borrowers and borrowers can agree on a location for face-to-face lending, such as the main library, branch libraries, self-service stations, or other mutually agreed locations.
[0011] According to another aspect of the present invention, a distributed library borrowing and returning system based on cloud-edge collaboration is also provided. The system includes: a control module, a cloud server, main libraries and branch libraries distributed in different campuses, and self-service stations distributed in different locations; and a library borrowing and query terminal is provided at each main library and branch library. The control module can receive borrowing requests from readers and, when it detects that the target book is in the library, provide the reader with the location of the target book; the reader can then borrow the book based on its location; the control module can also respond to the reader's return request and return the book. The control module also periodically inputs information on fluctuations in book demand into the book demand prediction model to determine the book demand; it performs book scheduling based on the collection and demand of each library; and it provides immediate fulfillment and proactive guidance services when the library does not have the target book. The borrowing request includes basic personal information and book information; The self-service station is used for the temporary storage of books, which facilitates readers' remote borrowing, return and retrieval at nearby locations; The control module can also respond to readers' book return requests and return books, including: readers can bring the books to be returned and return them on-site at the book lending and return terminal; in response to readers' express return requests, readers can mail the books to be returned to the main library, branch library, or self-service station that is closest to them, and library staff will return the books. The control module also periodically inputs information on the impact of book demand fluctuations into the book demand prediction model to determine the book demand quantity, including: The information on the impact of fluctuations in the demand for the first book is input into the demand forecasting model for the first book to determine the demand for the first book. The information on the impact of fluctuations in the demand for the second book is input into the demand forecasting model for the second book to determine the demand for the second book. The book demand for each main library and branch library is determined by combining the first and second book demand. The book allocation based on the collection size and demand of each library includes: The difference between the book collection and the book demand of each library is calculated to obtain the book demand deviation value; book scheduling is carried out based on the book demand deviation value of each library. Optionally, it also includes: generating a purchase order or an electronic copy order when book demand cannot be met through book scheduling; Optionally, if the library's book demand deviation is still greater than the preset value after the book scheduling is completed, a purchase order or an electronic copy order will be generated. Optionally, purchase orders or electronic copy orders can be generated based on the frequency of book scheduling within the annual cycle, including: when the scheduling frequency of a certain type of book within the annual cycle is greater than a preset value, purchase orders or electronic copy orders can be generated. Optionally, the control module can also respond to situations where the target book is not in the library, obtain the current borrowing information of the target book, and generate a reminder message, including: When none of the main libraries or branch libraries have the target book in their collections, the current borrowing information of the target book is retrieved, including the borrower and the borrowing time. Based on the borrowing time, borrowers who have overdue borrowing will be sent a friendly inquiry notification. Optionally, the control module can also initiate and execute face-to-face transfer processes with user permission, including: In response to a borrower's choice to "borrow to help other waiting readers", the requester is notified to initiate a face-to-face book lending process; Verify and authorize the identities of borrowers and requesters to ensure that borrowers are legitimate borrowers and requesters are valid registered users; When exchanging books face-to-face, the borrower and the person in need scan the book's barcode or NFC tag through the library's app to confirm the exchange process. The borrower confirms the transfer of the book to the borrower on the library APP, and the borrower confirms receipt of the book on the library APP. The system then sends an electronic certificate of successful transfer to both parties. The system backend changes the person responsible for borrowing the book from the borrower to the person in need, and the borrowing period is recalculated from the date of transfer; the original borrower's responsibility is released after the person in need successfully receives the book, and the process ends. The cloud-edge collaborative distributed book lending and returning system of this invention can run the cloud-edge collaborative distributed book lending and returning method described above.
[0012] This invention provides a distributed book borrowing and returning system and method based on cloud-edge collaboration, comprising: receiving a reader's borrowing request; providing the reader with the location of the target book when the library detects that the target book is in the library; the reader borrowing the book based on its location; returning the book in response to the reader's return request; periodically inputting information on fluctuations in book demand into a book demand prediction model to determine the book demand; scheduling books based on the library's collection and demand; and providing immediate fulfillment and proactive guidance services when the target book is not available in the library. This invention can improve the overall efficiency of the library collection and the reader service experience, and optimize resource allocation.
[0013] The above content is merely a technical concept of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications made to the technical solution based on the technical concept proposed in this invention shall fall within the scope of protection of the claims of this invention.
Claims
1. A distributed book borrowing and returning method based on cloud-edge collaboration, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: Receives the reader's borrowing request and, when the library detects that the target book is in the library, provides the reader with the location of the target book in its collection; S2: Readers borrow books based on the location of the target book in the library; S3: In response to the reader's request to return the book, return the book; S4: Periodically input information on the impact of book demand fluctuations into the book demand forecasting model to determine the book demand quantity; S5: Based on the collection size and demand of books in each library, book allocation is carried out; S6: Provide immediate satisfaction and proactive guidance services when the target book is not available in the library.
2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Borrowing requests may include basic personal information and book information.
3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The book demand forecasting model includes a first book demand forecasting model and a second book demand forecasting model.
4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, S4: Periodically inputting information on the impact of book demand fluctuations into the book demand forecasting model to determine the book demand quantity, including: S41: Input the information on the impact of the first book demand fluctuation into the first book demand forecasting model to determine the first book demand quantity; S42: Input the information on the impact of fluctuations in the demand for the second book into the demand forecasting model for the second book to determine the demand for the second book; S43: Determine the book demand for each main library and branch library by combining the first book demand and the second book demand.
5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, The first set of information on the impact of book demand fluctuations includes information on teachers and students and key time points; the second set of information on the impact of book demand fluctuations includes information on social hot topics and time points.
6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: S7: In response to the fact that the target book is not in the library, obtain the current borrowing information of the target book and generate a reminder message.
7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, Also includes: S8: With user permission, initiate and execute face-to-face transfer processes.
8. A distributed book lending and returning system based on cloud-edge collaboration according to the method of any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, include: Control modules, cloud servers, main and branch libraries distributed across different campuses, and self-service stations located in different locations; The control module can receive borrowing requests from readers and, when it detects that the target book is in the library, provide the reader with the location of the target book; the reader can then borrow the book based on its location; the control module can also respond to the reader's return request and return the book. The control module also periodically inputs information on fluctuations in book demand into the book demand prediction model to determine the amount of books needed; it performs book scheduling based on the collection size and demand of each library; and it provides immediate fulfillment and proactive guidance services when the library does not have the target book.
9. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The control module can also respond to situations where the target book is not in the library, obtain the current borrowing information of the target book, and generate a reminder message.
10. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The control module can also initiate and execute face-to-face transfer processes with user permission.