Information processing equipment, book shelving management equipment, and library systems

Abstract

Generate information to identify the location of books on library shelves. [Solution] The information processing device comprises: a required width acquisition unit (S23) that divides the width size of a bookshelf into multiple unit widths and assigns an address to each unit width, and acquires the number of unit widths required to place books on the bookshelf as required width information; an address information generation unit (S26) that generates shelving address information representing an address that identifies the position on the bookshelf where the books should be placed, based on the required width information; a table information generation unit (S27) that generates a book shelving management table that associates book information identifying the books with the shelving address information; and a storage unit (S28) that stores the book shelving management table generated by the table information generation unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that generates information for specifying the shelving position of books on a bookshelf, a book shelving management apparatus using this information, and a library system.

Background Art

[0002] The lending operation that takes out and delivers the books requested by users from the bookshelf (appropriately referred to as "reservation"), and the operation of returning the books returned by users to the original bookshelf, together constitute the main operations of library staff, and there are problems such as a large amount of labor and excessive occupation of working hours. In order to reduce the large amount of time and labor required for such lending operations, an automated lending system that mechanizes the reservation and return operations in libraries has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The automated lending system described in Patent Document 1 uses a storage device that stores data obtained by comparing bookshelf / section shelf identification information with collection book identification information and a computer, and a collection book robot takes out and conveys the collection books desired by users from the shelved bookshelves / section shelves, and also shelves the returned collection books on the original shelves. As a result, a self-propelled collection book robot can take out and deliver the desired collection books, and accurately shelve the returned collection books on a predetermined bookshelf, so that the lending operations of collection books, which had to rely entirely on manual labor in the past, can be greatly automated.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] According to the automated retrieval system of Patent Document 1, returned books are placed back on their designated original shelves, but the mechanism involves pushing them between the end of the book row on the original shelf and the bookend. Therefore, when books are retrieved by allocation and then returned and placed back on the shelves, they return to the end of the book row. If allocation and placement are repeatedly performed using this technology, the order of books on the shelves will be random. Most libraries currently arrange books on the shelves in a library-defined order, such as by the Nippon Decimal Classification or by author's name. This is not only so that users or library staff can see at a glance where the materials they need are located on which shelf, but also to help users discover similar materials by placing them close together, a process called browsing. If the books are not in order, this opportunity for discovery may be lost.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide an information processing device that generates information to identify the shelving location of books on bookshelves, a book shelving management device that uses this information, and a library system, so that in the shelving operations of a library, allocation and shelving can be performed automatically without changing the shelving order determined by the library. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the information processing device according to the present invention divides the width size of a bookshelf into a plurality of unit widths, and assigns an address to each unit width, and has a required width acquisition unit that acquires the number of unit widths required to place books on the bookshelf as required width information; an address information generation unit that generates shelving address information representing an address that identifies the position on the bookshelf where the books should be placed based on the required width information; a table information generation unit that generates a book shelving management table that associates book information identifying the books with the shelving address information; and a storage unit that stores the book shelving management table generated by the table information generation unit.

[0008] With this configuration, the width of the bookshelf is divided into multiple unit widths, each unit width is assigned an address, and based on the required width information, which is the number of unit widths required to place books on the bookshelf, shelving address information is generated that represents the address that specifies the shelving position of the books to be placed on the bookshelf. Then, a book shelving management table is generated that associates book information that identifies a book with shelving address information. Therefore, when a book is identified by the book information, the shelving position of the book can be determined by the shelving address information, which is the address that specifies the location where the book should be placed on the bookshelf.

[0009] Furthermore, the book shelving management device according to the present invention has the following configuration: an information acquisition unit that acquires book information to identify books using the book shelving management table; an address acquisition unit that acquires shelving address information corresponding to the book information acquired by the information acquisition unit by referring to the shelving management table; and an information provision unit that provides the shelving address information acquired by the address acquisition unit together with the corresponding book information to an external device.

[0010] With this configuration, the system obtains book information and, by referring to the shelving management table, retrieves shelving address information corresponding to the book information, and provides this shelving address information along with the corresponding book information to an external device. This allows external devices such as robots that transport and shelv books, or book search devices, to be provided with book information and their corresponding shelving address information, enabling them to correctly shelv books in designated locations and to quickly determine the location of desired books.

[0011] Furthermore, the library system according to the present invention is a library system for shelving books on bookshelves in a library, comprising: a robot capable of self-propelling between a predetermined location and the bookshelves, transporting books from the predetermined location and placing them on the bookshelves; and a control device, wherein the control device comprises: an information acquisition unit that uses the book shelving management table to acquire book information that identifies books in the predetermined location; and an address acquisition unit that refers to the shelving management table to acquire shelving address information corresponding to the book information acquired by the information acquisition unit; and the robot, in accordance with instructions from the control device, uses the shelving address information acquired by the control device along with the book information to transport the books from the predetermined location to the installation location of the bookshelves and place them in the position specified by the shelving address information on the bookshelves, comprising: an operation control device.

[0012] This configuration provides a library system comprising a robot for transporting books and a control device. The robot uses shelving address information acquired by the control device along with the book information to transport books from a designated location to the location on the bookshelf. The books can then be placed in the location specified by the shelving address information of the bookshelf.

[0013] Furthermore, the library system according to the present invention is a library system for removing books from bookshelves in a library, and comprises a robot that is self-propelled between a predetermined location and the bookshelves, and which takes books from the bookshelves and transports them to the predetermined location, and a control device, wherein the control device comprises an information acquisition unit that uses the book shelving management table to acquire book information that identifies the books to be taken out from the bookshelves, and an address acquisition unit that refers to the shelving management table to acquire shelving address information corresponding to the book information acquired by the information acquisition unit, and the robot, in accordance with instructions from the control device, uses the shelving address information acquired by the control device along with the book information to take out the books at the location specified by the shelving address information on the bookshelves and transports them to the predetermined location, and has an operation control unit.

[0014] With this configuration, the library system includes a robot for transporting books and a control device, wherein the robot uses shelving address information acquired by the control device along with book information to retrieve books from the location specified by the shelving address information on the bookshelf and transport them to the predetermined location. As a result, by using a book shelving management table, it becomes possible to retrieve books from the bookshelf at the location specified by the shelving address information and transport them to the predetermined location. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, by assigning shelving address information indicating the location on the bookshelf to each book, a book shelving management table is generated that associates book information with shelving address information, thereby determining the shelving location of each book. This allows the shelving location on the bookshelf to be specified, making it possible to maintain the shelving order even when the retrieval and collection operations are repeated. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall layout of a library, including an information processing device, a book shelving management device, and a library system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] Figure 2A is a front view of the robot used for cashiering operations in the library system shown in Figure 1. [Figure 2B] Figure 2B is a plan view of the robot used for cashiering operations shown in Figure 2A. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for assigning addresses to bookshelves. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing a bookshelf divided into unit widths and assigned addresses. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for generating a staffing management table using a management device as an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the book shelving management table generated by the management device, which is an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7A]FIG. 7A is a front-side perspective view of a bookstand provided on a bookshelf. [Figure 7B] FIG. 7B is a rear-side perspective view of a bookstand provided on a bookshelf. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for providing shelf address information together with book information to an in-library terminal, which is an external device, by a management device as a book shelf management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing shelf address information provided by a management device as a book shelf management device to an in-library terminal, which is an external device, and corresponding book information. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure until a management device as a control device provides shelf address information of a returned book and corresponding book information to a robot when returning a book. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing shelf address information provided by a management device as a control device to a robot when returning a book and corresponding book information. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a procedure for a robot to shelve a returned book when returning a book. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure until a management device as a control device provides shelf address information of a book requested for lending and corresponding book information to a robot when a lending request for a book is made. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing shelf address information provided by a management device as a control device to a robot when a lending request for a book is made and corresponding book information. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a procedure for a robot to take out and convey a book located at a position specified by shelf address information of a bookshelf when a lending request for a book is made. Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] Referring to Figure 1, the overall layout of the library will be outlined. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the overall layout of a library, including an information processing device, a book shelving management device, and a library system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the library system 11 includes a management device 12 for managing information about the library's books, an in-house terminal 13 for staff use to input and output information about books to and from the management device 12, a search device 14 for library users to search for books held in the library, a robot 15 for accounting operations (hereinafter referred to as "robot 15" as appropriate) that allocates and transports books to be placed on the bookshelves in the library and transports and shelvs returned books, and user terminals 17 and smartphones 18 that use a communication line 16 such as the internet to search for information about books to the management device 12 from the outside.

[0019] The management device 12 consists of a communication unit 21 that communicates with external devices (wired and wireless), a storage unit (e.g., hard disk, flash memory, etc.) 22 that stores data such as book information and various programs for operating the library system, an input / output unit 23 that inputs and outputs data to and from peripheral devices including in-library terminals 13 and search devices 14, a display unit 25 that outputs and displays images, etc., and a control unit 22 (CPU, RAM, ROM, etc.) connected to these and controlling each unit. The communication unit 21 is connected to user terminals 17 and smartphones 18 via a communication line 16. User terminals 17 and smartphones 18 can connect to the management device 12 to search for books held in the library, request loans, etc.

[0020] The in-library terminals 13 are for the exclusive use of library staff, and multiple units are in use. Library staff can use the in-library terminals 13 to process requests from users to borrow books and to process returns of borrowed books. The in-library terminal 13 consists of a communication unit 31 that communicates with the management device 12, etc., a storage unit 32 that stores various programs for searching library books, etc., an input / output unit 33 that inputs and outputs data from external sources, a display unit 35 that displays images etc. associated with various processes, consisting of an LCD, etc., and a control unit 36 ​​(CPU, RAM, ROM, etc.) connected to these and controlling each unit. The search device 14 is used by users visiting the library and allows them to search for desired books and find the location of those books on the shelves.

[0021] The robot 15 for accounting operations has a mechanism for autonomously transporting books between the reception counter, where book lending and returns are handled, and the bookshelves, as well as a device for taking books in and out of the bookshelves. It can take books that have been requested for viewing or borrowing at the reception counter from the bookshelves and transport them to the reception counter, and can also transport returned books from the reception counter to the bookshelves and place them back in their original positions. The robot 15 includes a communication unit 51 that communicates wirelessly with the management device 12, a storage unit 52 that stores various programs, a book shelving management table (described later) transmitted from the management device 12, a proximity sensor 53 provided to prevent the moving robot 15 from colliding with people and objects in its surroundings, a camera 55 that acquires images of barcodes, labels, etc. of shelved books, a distance measuring sensor 57 that measures the distance to bookshelves and books on bookshelves, a hand unit operating mechanism 58 that operates a hand unit 71 (see Figures 2A and 2B) that grasps books from the left and right to shelv or retrieve them, a travel mechanism 61 that moves the robot 15 between bookshelves and reception counters, etc., and a control unit 62 that controls these.

[0022] Next, an overview of the structure of the robot 15 will be described with reference to Figures 2A and 2B, which show a front view and a top view of the robot 15. The robot 15 has a rectangular parallelepiped body 70 that moves automatically, a hand part 71 that grips and holds books, and a hand part operating mechanism 72 that allows the hand part 71 to move up and down, forward and backward, and left and right. The body 70 has a pair of drive wheels 73a and 73b and a pair of steering wheels 75a and 75b provided on the bottom surface of the body 70, and proximity sensors 53a and 53b provided on the front and rear sides (left and right sides on the page) of the body 70 in the direction of travel.

[0023] A rectangular mounting base 76 is installed on the top surface of the trolley body 70 at one end in the direction of travel, and a lifting drive shaft 78 that moves up and down through the trolley body 70 is inserted through the mounting base 76. The upper end of the lifting drive shaft 78 is connected to one end of a cylindrical first joint 80a, and one end of a rod-shaped arm 81 is connected to the other end of the first joint 80a. The other end of the arm 81 is connected to a hand 71 that has the function of detachably gripping and holding books. The hand 71 is a rectangular box-shaped body, with the arm 81 connected to its rear side, and a pair of movable left and right holding parts 83a and 83b on its front side, with a bottom plate 85 provided below the holding parts 83a and 83b. The base plate 85 is a long, narrow plate that supports the bottom of the book sandwiched between the left and right sides of the holding parts 83a and 83b. The holding parts 83a and 83b and the base plate 85 can slide inside and outside the hand part 71. On the top surface of the hand part 71, a camera 55 for photographing books on the bookshelves and book labels, and a distance measuring sensor 57 for measuring distance are provided side by side. On the top surface of the trolley body 70, a placement space 88 for placing books is provided on the other end in the direction of travel. A book stand 103 (details will be described later) is provided in the placement space 88 to prevent books from falling or tipping over. Books 84 taken out for loan (indicated by a dashed line) and books 84 returned (indicated by a dashed line) are temporarily placed in the placement space 88. In order to place a relatively large number of books, it is also possible to have the robot 15 tow a towable book truck with multiple shelves.

[0024] The robot 15 can navigate autonomously using either a marker-based or mapping-based system, similar to those used in so-called serving robots. The marker-based system involves installing markers on the ceiling along the route within the library, which the robot 15 reads using an infrared sensor mounted on top of the robot. The mapping-based system involves performing a mapping operation first to create a map of the robot's position, enabling autonomous navigation. The mapping method has the advantage of not requiring construction work as it does not require the installation of markers on the ceiling. The proximity sensor 53 for collision prevention uses an infrared sensor to detect people, bookshelves, etc. in the surrounding area to prevent collisions. The distance measurement sensor 57 measures the short distance between the hand unit 71 and the bookshelves, and between the hand unit 71 and the books on the bookshelves. While the use of a laser sensor for distance measurement using laser beam irradiation is conceivable, it is preferable to use a small and relatively inexpensive ultrasonic sensor. The robot 15's operations, such as movement, shelving, and retrieval, can be controlled by the control unit 26 of the management device 12 via wireless communication. In this embodiment, the management device 12 transmits book information and shelving address information for returned books and books to be retrieved for allocation to the robot 15, so that the control unit 62 of the robot 15 is configured to autonomously move and shelv and retrieve books for allocation.

[0025] Next, referring to Figures 3 and 4, the procedure for dividing the width of a bookshelf into multiple unit widths and assigning an address to each unit width will be explained. Here, the unit width is defined as a standard for representing width in a bookshelf and is set to a predetermined value. This unit width can be set to a predetermined value that is less than or equal to the thickness of the thinnest book expected. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure for assigning addresses to bookshelves, and Figure 4 is an overview diagram of the bookshelf after it has been divided into unit widths and addresses have been assigned. The management device 12, which acts as an information processing device, is responsible for assigning addresses to each unit width of the bookshelf. The control unit 26 of the management device 12 obtains the width size of the bookshelf 101 to be addressed, for example, based on a creation instruction from an in-library terminal 13 (S11). The example bookshelf 101 is the shelf at shelf number 5 (shelf number is the number of the shelf counted from the bottom, and shelf number 5 refers to the 5th shelf from the bottom) of bookshelf A31, which is one of many bookshelves arranged in the library. Note that shelf number 5 is also the top shelf of bookshelf A31. This bookshelf 101 has a width size (effective internal dimension) L, and as a specific example, L = 860 mm. Next, the control unit 26 divides the acquired width size into unit widths (S12). As a specific example, if the unit width is 20 mm, the width size of bookshelf 101 (860 mm) is divided into 43 unit widths (see Figure 4). Next, the control unit 26 assigns an address to each unit width (S13). As an example, addresses are assigned to each unit width from the left end as a1, a2, ... a43. The control unit 26 determines if there are any other bookshelves to which addresses should be assigned (S14), and if there are other bookshelves to which addresses should be assigned (No. in S14), it acquires the width size of the bookshelves in the same way as above, divides them into unit widths, and assigns an address to each unit width (S11~S13). If there are no other bookshelves to assign addresses to (Yes in S14), the process terminates. In this embodiment, the management device 12 assigns addresses to each unit width of the bookshelves, but this is not the only way. For example, addresses may be assigned to each unit width of the bookshelves by the in-library terminal 13.

[0026] Next, an overview of the book shelving management table and its generation procedure will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for generating the book shelving management table by the management device as an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 6 is an overview diagram of the book shelving management table generated by the management device as an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 5, the control unit 26 of the management device 12, which is an information processing device, acquires information on bookshelves to which addresses are assigned to each unit width divided into unit widths (S21). Next, the control unit 26 initializes the internal counter N (N=0) (S22). Then, the control unit 26 acquires the number of unit widths required to shelve books on bookshelves as required width information (S23: required width acquisition unit). When books are shelved on bookshelves, the number of unit widths corresponding to the thickness of the books is used as required width information. For example, if the unit width is 20 mm and the thickness of the book is 38 mm, the number of unit widths required for shelving is 2, so this is acquired as required width information.

[0027] Next, the control unit 26 increments the internal counter value N by +1 (N=N+1: S24) and determines whether the total number of acquired unit widths is greater than or equal to the total number of unit widths in the bookshelf (S25). If the control unit 26 determines that the total number of acquired unit widths is not greater than or equal to the total number of unit widths in the bookshelf, it further acquires the number of unit widths required to shelve the books on the bookshelf as required width information (S23). On the other hand, if it determines that the total number of acquired unit widths is greater than or equal to the total number of unit widths in the bookshelf, it exceeds the number of books that can be shelved on the bookshelf, so the control unit 26 generates shelving address information for one less book (N-1) (S26: Address information generation unit). For example, if the required width information for the first book on the left is 2, a1 is assigned as the shelving address information. Although the shelving address information could also be (a1~a2) since the required width information is 2, a1, which is the first book on the left, is used as the shelving address information as a simpler method. When the required width information for the next book to be shelved is 3, the shelving address information is set to a3, and when the required width information for the next book to be shelved is 4, the shelving address information is set to a6. In this way, shelving address information is generated sequentially from the required width information of books. The control unit 26 then generates a book shelving management table that associates book information identifying a book with shelving address information (S27: Table Information Generation Unit). Book information includes the book's ID number, call number, etc. The control unit 26 then stores the generated book shelving management table in the storage unit 22 (S28: Storage Unit).

[0028] The shelving management table generated by the above procedure will be explained with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the book shelving management table generated by the management device 12, which is an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, the book shelving management table includes book information indicating the title of the book, classification information, etc., shelving address information indicating the position on the bookshelf where the book is shelved, bookshelf address information including the name of the bookshelf to which the bookshelf belongs, the shelf number (a number indicating which shelf it is from the bottom), and required width information which is the number of unit widths, and a return allocation flag (described later). The book information includes a material ID indicating the shelving order of the book, a call number indicating classification information etc. written on a label attached to the spine of the book, the title of the book, author name etc., and the size of the book (thickness, height). The bookshelf address information includes the name of the bookshelf where the book is shelved, the shelf number of the bookshelf where the book is shelved, and the number of unit widths corresponding to the book (required width information). The shelving address information includes the location of the book on the shelf (e.g., a17). There is a return / allocation flag display field to indicate when a book on the shelf is returned or allocated due to a loan, and a numerical value is displayed according to each status, as described later. In addition, information including the name of the shelf to which the bookshelf belongs, the number of shelves it is placed on, and the required width (number of units of width) is provided as shelving address information, but it is also possible to include this information in the shelving address information. By shelving the library's books according to the above shelving management table, the location on the bookshelf is identified, so in addition to browsing books, tasks such as returning and retrieving books can be performed efficiently. Furthermore, when new books are introduced to the library, the shelving management table can be accessed using the in-library terminal 13, the books that are currently shelved can be discarded, and their ID numbers can be exchanged for new books. Moreover, it is also possible to modify and change the shelving management table from the in-library terminal 13 when rearranging books that are currently shelved.

[0029] Next, a book stand installed to prevent books placed on the bookshelf 101 from tipping over will be described with reference to Figures 7A and 7B. Figure 7A is a front perspective view of a book stand installed on a bookshelf, and Figure 7B is a rear perspective view of a book stand installed on a bookshelf. As shown in Figures 7A and 7B, a book stand 103 is installed on the bookshelf 101 to prevent books placed on the bookshelf from tipping over. The book stand 103 has a bottom plate 105 which is a horizontally elongated rectangular thin plate, a back plate 106 which stands upright on one end in the longitudinal direction of the bottom plate 105, side plates 107 provided on the left and right sides of the back plate 106, and a plurality of triangular stoppers 108 provided on the upper end side of the back plate 106. The stoppers 108 have a thickness approximately equal to the unit width of the bookshelf 101 shown in Figure 4. When books are placed on the bookstands 103 installed on the bookshelf 101, a number of stoppers 108 corresponding to the thickness of the books rotate backward. Once the books are inserted into the bookstands 103, the other non-rotating stoppers 108 adjacent to the rotated stoppers 108 prevent the books from tipping over to the left or right (see Figure 7B). When the books are removed, the stoppers 108 that were rotated backward rotate back to their original positions (see Figure 7A). The thickness (width) of the stoppers 108 corresponds to the unit width of the bookshelf 101 (Figure 4) as described above (approximately the same thickness), but they may also be thinner than the unit width. However, if the thickness is greater than the unit width, the anti-tipping effect will decrease, so it is required that the thickness not be greater than the unit width. The book stand 103 described above is also provided in the placement space 88 on the upper surface of the robot 15's trolley body 70, which is a place to stack books (see Figures 2A and 2B). By providing the book stand 103, it is possible to prevent books from falling while the robot 15 is moving.

[0030] Next, with reference to Figures 8 and 9, the provision of book information and shelving address information to an external device by the book shelving management device will be explained. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure for providing shelving address information along with book information to an in-library terminal, which is an external device, by a management device as a book shelving management device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the shelving address information and corresponding book information provided to an in-library terminal, which is an external device, by a management device as a book shelving management device. As shown in Figure 8, the control unit 26 of the management device 12, which is a book shelving management device, acquires book information input from the search device 14 (see Figure 1), which is an external device (S31: Information acquisition unit). Book information includes the author of the book, the book title, classification information, and call numbers. Library users use the search device 14 to search for the desired book. Next, the control unit 26 refers to the shelving management table and acquires shelving address information corresponding to the acquired book information (S32: Address acquisition unit). The shelving management table referred to is stored in the storage unit 22 of the management device 12. The control unit 26 then provides the shelving address information and the corresponding book information to the external device, the search device 14 (S34: Information Provision Unit). Users of the search device 14 who receive the information can search for the desired book and obtain information on the shelving location of that book, improving the convenience of browsing and borrowing. Note that the external device is not limited to the search device 14, but also includes user terminals 17, smartphones 18, in-house terminals for staff 13, and even the robot 15 for cashier operations. For example, when a user enters the author's name (e.g., Ichiro Oyama) into the search terminal 14, the management device 12, which is a book shelving management device, provides information such as the book's information, shelf address information, shelving address information, and return allocation flag, and the user can obtain this information on the screen of the search device 14 (see Figure 9). This makes it easier to browse books, as the user can obtain book information in the required field from the book information and information on the book's shelving location from the shelving address information, etc. Furthermore, the return reservation flag information can also be used to obtain information on whether the desired book is currently checked out or not (as described later).

[0031] Next, the procedure for returning books to the bookshelves using a robot will be explained with reference to Figures 10, 11, and 12. Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure from the management device, which acts as a control device, to the robot providing the shelving address information of the returned books and the corresponding book information when books are returned. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the shelving address information and corresponding book information provided to the robot by the management device, which acts as a control device, when books are returned. Figure 12 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the robot to shelve books on the bookshelves when books are returned.

[0032] As shown in Figure 10, the control unit 26 (control device) of the management device 12 initializes the internal counter N (N=0) (S41). Next, the control unit 26 acquires book information of the returned books (S42: Information Acquisition Unit). The book information of returned books is transmitted to the management device 12 along with authentication of the return, for example, when a library staff member reads the book information from the barcode attached to the returned book using a barcode reader at the library's reception counter following the user's return procedure. The return procedure is the same whether the user brings the book directly to the reception counter or drops it off in the return box. After acquiring the book information of the returned books, the control unit 26 refers to the shelving management table and acquires the shelving address information corresponding to the book information (S43: Address Acquisition Unit). Next, the control unit 26 increments the internal counter value N by +1 (N=N+1: S44). Then, the control unit 26 determines, based on the book information, whether the total thickness of the returned books is equal to or greater than the book stacking limit thickness of the placement space 88 of the robot 15 trolley body 70 (S45). This is because if the amount of books exceeds the amount that can be loaded into the placement space 88, they cannot be transported to the bookshelf. If the control unit 26 determines that the total thickness of the books is not greater than the maximum book stacking limit (No in S45), it obtains the book information of the repeatedly returned books (S42), obtains the shelving address information corresponding to the book information (S43), increments N by +1 (S44), and makes the determination again (S45). If the control unit 26 determines that the total thickness of the books is greater than the maximum book stacking limit (Yes in S45), it reduces the number of books by 1 and provides the robot with the shelving address information and corresponding book information for (N-1) returned books (S46: Information provision unit). At this time, it records 1 in the shelving allocation flag. The reason for recording 1 in the shelving allocation flag is to indicate that the books are in the process of being returned to the bookshelf.

[0033] As shown in Figure 11, when books are returned, the management device 12 provides the robot 15 with shelving address information and corresponding book information. In Figure 11, the returned books are listed in order of their material ID numbers. The robot 15, having received the book information, shelving address information, and bookshelf address information shown in Figure 11, receives instructions from the control unit 26 to transport the returned books from the reception counter (designated location) to their location on the bookshelf and place them in the position specified by the bookshelf shelving address information.

[0034] Next, referring to Figure 12, the procedure for transporting and returning books by the robot 15, which receives instructions from the control unit 26, will be explained. The control unit 62 of the robot 15 acquires the shelving address information of the returned book and the corresponding book information from the control unit 26 of the management device 12 (S51). At the reception counter, the control unit 62 operates the hand unit 71 with the hand unit operating mechanism 58 to load the book with the acquired book information into the placement space 88 (S52). Next, based on the shelving address information and shelving address information of the loaded book, the control unit 62 transports the book to the corresponding shelving unit using the travel mechanism 61 (S53). During transport, proximity sensors 53a and 53b are provided at the front and rear of the robot 15's trolley body 70, so that contact with bookshelves or people can be prevented. Next, the control unit 62 reads the book label and barcode image with the camera 55 and identifies the corresponding book. Then, while measuring the distance to the book with the distance measuring sensor 57, the control unit 62 uses the hand unit 71 via the hand unit operating mechanism 58 to grasp and retrieve the corresponding book. The control unit 62 then measures the distance to the bookshelf with the distance measuring sensor 57 and places the book in the position specified by the shelving address information of the bookshelf (S54). At this time, the control unit 62 deletes the return allocation flag 1 to indicate that the return to the bookshelf is complete. As a specific procedure, for example, if the bookshelf name is A31, the shelving shelf number is 5 (the 5th shelf from the bottom), and the shelving address information is a6, the robot 15 will travel to the front of bookshelf A31 and recognize that the shelving position for the returned book is from the 6th item from the left in a unit width on the 5th shelf from the bottom. Therefore, the robot can operate the hand unit 71 with the hand unit operating mechanism 58 to place the book in the position specified by the shelving address information. If other books are already placed in the location where the books should be placed, the control unit 62 can notify the management device 12 of an error, indicating that placement is impossible. Next, the control unit 62 determines whether there are zero books with a return allocation flag of 1 among the stacked books (S55).If it is determined that there are more than 0 items with return allocation flag 1 (No in S55), it means that there are books that have not yet been returned to the bookshelves. In this case, the control unit 62 transports the book to the corresponding bookshelves using the travel mechanism 61 based on the bookshelves address information and shelving address information of one of the loaded books (S53), reads the book's label and barcode image with the camera 55, and picks up the book using the hand unit 71 via the hand unit operating mechanism 58. Then, the book is placed in the location specified by the shelving address information of the bookshelves (S54), and the return allocation flag 1 is deleted. If it is determined that there are 0 items with return allocation flag 1 (Yes in S55), it means that there are no books to be returned to the bookshelves, and the return of all loaded books is complete. As described above, the robot 15 uses book information, shelving address information, etc., to perform book return operations and can return books to their original positions on the shelves without changing the shelving order. Therefore, it can contribute to the efficiency of library cash handling operations without allocating personnel.

[0035] Next, referring to Figures 13, 14, and 15, the procedure for book allocation, which involves using the robot 15 to retrieve and transport books requested by a user from the bookshelves, will be explained. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the procedure from the management device, which acts as a control device, to the robot providing the shelving address information of the requested book and the corresponding book information in response to a book loan request. Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing the shelving address information and corresponding book information provided to the robot by the management device, which acts as a control device, in response to a book loan request. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the procedure in which the robot retrieves and transports the book located at the position identified by the shelving address information on the bookshelf in response to a book loan request.

[0036] As shown in Figure 13, the control unit 26 (control device) of the management device 12 initializes the internal counter N (N=0) (S61). Next, the control unit 26 acquires the book information of the book related to the loan request (S62: Information Acquisition Unit). The book information of the book requested for loan is acquired, for example, when a library staff member inputs the book information of the requested book from the library's reception counter in response to a request procedure from a user and transmits it to the management device 12. In addition to the user directly applying at the reception counter, the loan request procedure can also be performed directly to the management device 12 from a user terminal 17 or smartphone 18. After acquiring the book information of the book requested for loan, the control unit 26 refers to the shelving management table and acquires the shelving address information corresponding to the book information (S63: Address Acquisition Unit). Next, the control unit 26 increments the internal counter value N by +1 (N=N+1: S64). The control unit 26 then determines, based on the book information, whether the total thickness of the books requested for loan is equal to or greater than the book loading limit thickness of the placement space 88 of the robot 15 trolley body 70 (S65). This is because if the amount of books exceeds the amount of books that can be loaded into the placement space 88, the robot 15 cannot be loaded. If the control unit 26 determines that the total thickness is not equal to or greater than the book loading limit thickness (No in S65), it obtains the book information of the repeatedly requested books (S62), obtains the shelving address information corresponding to the book information (S63), increments N by +1 (S64), and makes the determination again (S65). If the control unit 26 determines that the total thickness is equal to or greater than the book loading limit thickness (Yes in S65), it reduces the number of books by 1 and provides the robot with the shelving address information and corresponding book information for (N-1) books requested for loan (S66). At this time, in addition to the book information and shelving address information, it records 2 in the shelving allocation flag (see Figure 14). The reason for recording a "2" in the shelving allocation flag is to indicate that the book is in the process of being checked out.

[0037] As shown in Figure 14, when a book loan request is made, the management device 12 provides the robot 15 with shelving address information and corresponding book information. In Figure 14, the requested books are listed in order of their material ID numbers. The robot 15, having received the book information, shelving address information, and bookshelf address information shown in Figure 14, receives instructions from the control unit 26 (control device) to move to the respective bookshelf locations identified based on this information, retrieve the books at the locations identified by the bookshelf shelving address information, and transport them to the reception counter (designated location).

[0038] Next, referring to Figure 15, the procedure for robot 15 to retrieve and transport books in response to instructions from control unit 26 will be explained. The control unit 62 of robot 15 obtains the shelving address information of the book requested for loan and the corresponding book information from the control unit 26 of the management device 12 (S71). The control unit 62 causes robot 15 to move autonomously using the travel mechanism 61 toward the bookshelf identified by the bookshelf address information of the book requested for loan (see Figure 14) (S72). During travel, proximity sensors 53a and 53b are provided on the front and rear of the robot 15's trolley body 70, so that contact with bookshelves or people can be prevented. Then, the control unit 62 operates the hand unit 71 with the hand unit operating mechanism 58 to retrieve the book located at the position identified by the shelving address information of the bookshelf by gripping it from both sides and loading it into the placement space 88 (S73). When retrieving a book, the control unit 62 reads the book's label and barcode image with the camera 55, identifies the book, measures the distance to the book with the distance measuring sensor 57, and uses the hand unit 71 via the hand unit operating mechanism 58 to grasp and retrieve the book. Then, it changes the return allocation flag from 2 to 3 to indicate that the requested book has been retrieved from the bookshelf. As a specific procedure, for example, if the bookshelf name is A31, the shelf number is 5 (the 5th shelf from the bottom), and the shelving address information is a6, the robot 15 will travel to the front of bookshelf A31 and recognize that the return book is located on the 5th shelf from the bottom, starting from the 6th item from the left in a unit width. The robot can then use the hand unit operating mechanism 58 to operate the hand unit 71 and retrieve the book located at the position identified by the shelving address information.

[0039] Next, the control unit 62 determines whether there are zero books in the loan request with a return allocation flag of 2 (S74). If there are more than 0 books, i.e., if there are books in the loan request with a return allocation flag of 2 (No in S74), it means that there are books that have not yet been taken from the bookshelf, so the robot 15 is made to move autonomously to the bookshelf identified by the repeated bookshelf address information (S72), and the hand unit 71 is operated to pick up the books at the location identified by the bookshelf's shelving address information by gripping them from both sides, and then loaded onto the robot 15's placement space 88 (S73). If it is determined that there are zero books in the loan request with a return allocation flag of 2 (Yes in S74), it means that all the requested books have been taken from the bookshelf, and the control unit 62 transports the books loaded onto the reception counter using the travel mechanism 61 (S75). In this embodiment, the location of books on the bookshelves can be identified using the shelving address information, making it possible to perform book allocation tasks using the robot 15. As described above, the robot 15 uses book information, shelving address information, etc., to perform book allocation tasks through lending, and since the shelving location of books can be recognized, efficiency in library operations can be improved without requiring human intervention. In this embodiment, the management device 12 is used as the information processing device and book shelving management device, but the in-library terminal 13 can be used instead. Similarly, the control device is not limited to the management device 12, and the management device 12 can also be used.

[0040] Although several embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments and modifications are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments described above can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the invention described in the claims. [Industrial applicability]

[0041] According to the information processing device of the present invention, by assigning shelving address information indicating the position on a bookshelf to books, a book shelving management table is generated that associates book information with shelving address information, thereby determining the shelving position of books. This allows the shelving position on the bookshelf to be specified, and the shelving order to be maintained even when the retrieval and collection operations are repeated. Therefore, the information processing device having a table information generation unit that generates a book shelving management table is useful. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0042] 11. Library System 12 Management device 13 In-house terminals 14 Search device 15 Robots 16 letters Communication line 17. User terminals 18 Smartphones 21 Communications Department 22 Memory section 23 Input / output section 25 Display section 26 Control Unit 31 Communications Department 32 Storage section 33 Input / output section 35 Display section 36 Control Unit 51 Communications Department 52 Storage section 53a, 53b Proximity sensors 55 Camera 57 Distance measuring sensor 58 Hand Unit Operating Mechanism 61. Running mechanism 62 Control Unit 70 Bogie body 71 Hand Section 73 Drive wheels 75 Steering Wheel 78 Lifting drive shaft 83a, 83b holding part 85 Bottom plate part 88 placement spaces 101 Bookshelf 103 Bookstand

Claims

1. The width of the bookshelf is divided into multiple unit widths, and each unit width is assigned an address. A required width acquisition unit acquires the number of unit widths required for shelving books onto the aforementioned bookshelf shelves as required width information, An address information generation unit generates shelving address information that represents an address that identifies the location on the bookshelf where the books should be placed, based on the required width information. A table information generation unit generates a book shelving management table that associates book information identifying the aforementioned book with the shelving address information. A storage unit that stores the book shelving management table generated by the table information generation unit, An information processing device having

2. Using the book shelving management table described in claim 1, An information acquisition unit that acquires book information to identify a book, An address acquisition unit that obtains shelving address information corresponding to the book information obtained by the information acquisition unit by referring to the shelving management table, A book shelving management device having an information providing unit that provides shelving address information acquired by the address acquisition unit, along with the corresponding book information, to an external device.

3. A library system for shelving books on bookshelves in a library, A robot capable of self-propelling between a designated location and the bookshelf, which transports books from the designated location and places them on the bookshelf, It has a control device, The control device is Using the book shelving management table described in claim 1, An information acquisition unit that acquires book information to identify a book located in the aforementioned predetermined location, The system includes an address acquisition unit that, by referring to the shelving management table, acquires shelving address information corresponding to the book information acquired by the information acquisition unit, The aforementioned robot, A library system comprising: an operation control unit that, in accordance with instructions from the control unit, uses the shelving address information acquired by the control unit along with the book information to transport the book located at the predetermined location from the predetermined location to the location where the bookshelf is installed, and places it in the position on the bookshelf specified by the shelving address information.

4. A library system for retrieving books from bookshelves in a library, A robot capable of self-propelling between a designated location and the bookshelf, which retrieves books from the bookshelf and transports them to the designated location, It has a control device, The control device is Using the book shelving management table described in claim 1, An information acquisition unit that acquires book information to identify the book to be taken from the bookshelf, The system includes an address acquisition unit that, by referring to the shelving management table, acquires shelving address information corresponding to the book information acquired by the information acquisition unit, The aforementioned robot, A library system comprising: an operation control unit that, in accordance with instructions from the control unit, uses the shelving address information acquired by the control unit along with the book information to retrieve a book from the location specified by the shelving address information on the bookshelf and transport it to the predetermined location.

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