Patent ID: 7461784

Claim:
A system for self-checkout of secured items from a lender comprising: a first scanning mechanism for reading a patron's identification card, where the first scanning mechanism is connected to a first database which contains the previously stored patron's status for checkout of secured items; a first processor for authenticating a patron's identification card by comparing the information stored on the identification card when the previously stored patron's status to determine eligibility to checkout a secured item; a second scanning mechanism for receiving information about a scanned item; a second database containing previously stored information identifying certain items as secured items; a second processor for determining whether the scanned item is contained in a secure locked case based at least in part on information previously stored in the second database and associated with the scanned item; an unlocking mechanism for unlocking a secure locked case from a secured item, wherein access is denied to the unlocking mechanism unless the secured item is determined to be contained in a secure locked case by the second processor and the patron has been authenticated; and a blocking mechanism to prevent use of the unlocking mechanism, wherein the blocking mechanism comprises at least one retractable member to prevent access to the unlocking mechanism to prevent secured item from being inserted into unlocking mechanism, and wherein the blocking mechanism is released to allow insertion of the secure item into the unlocking mechanism only after a secured item has been approved for checkout.