Intelligent self-service meal selection system

Abstract

The utility model relates to an intelligent self-service meal selection system, and belongs to the field of catering services. The system comprises a dinner plate and a self-service meal selection terminal, the self-service meal selection terminal comprises a core control module and a weighing and metering module, the weighing and metering module is connected with the core control module, and a dish placing space for placing dishes to be taken is arranged above the weighing and metering module; the bottoms of the dinner plates are provided with identification codes used for binding dinner plate information and dish information, the self-service meal selection terminal is further provided with a first code scanning identification unit used for identifying the identification codes at the bottoms of the dinner plates, and the first code scanning identification unit is connected with the core control module. The identification code is arranged at the bottom of the dinner plate, so that the situation that the identification code of other people is stolen for dining can be prevented, the type selection range of dinner plate media is widened, and the cost of the dinner plate media is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the field of catering services, and specifically relates to an intelligent self-service meal selection system. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of technology and the gradual increase in labor costs, unmanned self-service restaurants are becoming increasingly popular. They not only save labor costs and increase capacity for businesses, but also reduce queuing and payment time for consumers, enhancing their dining experience. Existing self-service restaurants and canteens typically have self-service food selection terminals with weighing and barcode scanning functions. These terminals hold food items; consumers obtain a tray, bind their identity, and then proceed to the terminal. The terminal binds the food information to the tray information, and the consumer selects food from the tray. The terminal calculates the total price of the selected food and transmits it to the payment system in real time. After the food is collected, a bill is generated for the consumer to pay.

[0003] To link menu information with plate information at self-service food selection terminals, identification codes (such as barcodes or QR codes) are typically placed on the side of the plate. However, side-mounted identification codes limit the plate's shape (usually square), making round plates unusable. Furthermore, side-mounted codes are easily photographed by other diners, leading to unauthorized use. Some systems use RFID tags on the plates. For example, utility model patent CN215182123U discloses a payment system based on a weighing-and-pay model. This system embeds an electronic tag at the bottom of the plate. However, when the plate is metal, the RFID tag is easily interfered with, leading to inaccurate identification or even failure to recognize the plate information. Therefore, this RFID identification method also limits the range of plate types that can be used. Thus, existing self-service food selection systems restrict the choice of plate types and are prone to the theft of plate identification codes. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent self-service meal selection system to solve the problems of limited selection range of tray media in existing self-service meal selection systems and the easy occurrence of tray identification code theft.

[0005] This utility model provides an intelligent self-service meal selection system to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. The system includes a plate and a self-service meal selection terminal. The self-service meal selection terminal includes a core control module and a weighing and measuring module. The weighing and measuring module is connected to the core control module. A food placement space for placing food items is provided above the weighing and measuring module. An identification code for binding plate information with food information is provided at the bottom of the plate. The self-service meal selection terminal is also provided with a first barcode scanning unit for recognizing the identification code at the bottom of the plate. The first barcode scanning unit is connected to the core control module.

[0006] Furthermore, at least one side of the plate is also provided with an identification code for binding the plate information with the dish information. The self-service meal selection terminal is also provided with a second scanning identification unit for identifying the identification code on the side of the plate. The second scanning identification unit is connected to the core control module. The setting position of the second scanning identification unit meets the following requirements: when scanning the plate, the scanning head of the second scanning identification unit and the scanning head of the first scanning identification unit can be simultaneously aligned with the identification code on the side of the plate and the identification code on the bottom of the plate, respectively.

[0007] Furthermore, the self-service meal selection terminal also includes a plate placement area, where the first barcode scanning unit is located, with its scanning head facing upwards. When the plate is placed bottom-down in the plate placement area, the scanning head of the first barcode scanning unit can be aligned with the barcode on the bottom of the plate.

[0008] Furthermore, the plate placement area is adjacent to the weighing and measuring module, and the second barcode scanning and identification unit is provided on the side of the weighing and measuring module facing the plate placement area.

[0009] Furthermore, the self-service meal selection terminal is also equipped with a food pick-up tool. The handle of the food pick-up tool is connected to the self-service meal selection terminal through a connecting structure, and the connecting structure allows the food pick-up tool to move freely within the entire food placement space.

[0010] Furthermore, the food-retrieving tool is suspended above the food placement space by an elastic rope. The length of the elastic rope when it is not under stress is between an upper and a lower limit. The lower limit is when the elastic rope extends to its maximum extent, allowing the food-retrieving tool to move freely within the food placement space. The upper limit is when the food-retrieving tool hangs down naturally, with a set distance between it and the food placement space.

[0011] Furthermore, the self-service food selection terminal is equipped with a protective cover, which is located above the food placement space, and the food retrieval tools are suspended on the protective cover by elastic ropes.

[0012] Furthermore, an indicator light is provided on one side of the protective cover, and the core control module controls and connects to the indicator light.

[0013] Furthermore, the self-service meal selection terminal is equipped with a facial recognition module, and the core control module controls and connects to the facial recognition module.

[0014] Furthermore, the self-service meal selection terminal is equipped with a display module, and the core control module controls and connects to the display module.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: The intelligent self-service meal selection system of this utility model not only solves the problem of photographing and copying the identification code of the plate to steal the payment, but also addresses the limitations of side-scanning identification methods on plate shapes, making them unsuitable for independent round plates or other plate shapes. Furthermore, it solves the problem of interference from metal trays and metal cutlery when using RFID to identify plate information, thus restricting the choice of plate medium. Therefore, by placing the identification code on the bottom of the plate, this utility model not only prevents the theft of other people's identification codes but also expands the selection range of plate mediums and reduces the cost of the plate medium. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a side view of the structure of the intelligent self-service meal selection system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a front view of the structure of the intelligent self-service meal selection system according to an embodiment of this utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the intelligent self-service meal selection system according to an embodiment of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 1 , 2 In the diagram, 1 is the weighing and measurement module, 2 is the first barcode scanning and recognition unit, 3 is the food placement space, 4 is the second barcode scanning and recognition module, 5 is the food taking tool, 6 is the protective cover, 7 is the indicator light, 8 is the face recognition module, 9 is the display module, 10 is the heat preservation oven, 11 is the base, 12 is the supplementary light, and 13 is the core control module. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] The basic idea of ​​this utility model is to set the identification code (such as barcode or QR code) used to bind the information of the dishes and the information of the plate at the bottom of the plate. In this way, when consumers are carrying the plate or picking up food, the identification code will not be exposed in a conspicuous position, so it is not easy for the identification code to be photographed by others and used to pick up food.

[0022] Based on the above basic ideas, the intelligent self-service meal selection system of this utility model includes a meal tray and a self-service meal selection terminal, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the self-service meal selection terminal includes a core control module 13 and a weighing and measuring module 1. Above the weighing and measuring module 1 is a food placement space 3 for placing the food to be taken. The bottom of the food tray is equipped with an identification code for binding the tray information with the food information. The self-service meal selection terminal is also equipped with a first barcode scanning unit 2 for recognizing the identification code on the bottom of the food tray. Both the first barcode scanning unit 2 and the weighing and measuring module 1 are connected to the core control module 13.

[0023] In this embodiment, a single identification code is provided on the bottom of the plate to bind the plate information with the dish information. In other embodiments, two, three, or other codes can also be provided. Therefore, the first scanning identification unit 1, used to identify the identification codes on the bottom of the plate, needs to simultaneously identify all the bottom identification codes to prevent unauthorized use. The first scanning identification unit 1 can have the same number of scanning heads as the number of identification codes. Of course, if the scanning head diameter is large enough to cover all the identification codes, only one head can be used. The specific structure of the first scanning identification unit 1 can be adaptively configured according to the location and size of the identification codes.

[0024] like Figure 1 As shown, the intelligent self-service meal selection system of this utility model also includes a plate placement area. The first barcode scanning and identification unit 1 is set in the plate placement area, and the scanning head of the first barcode scanning and identification unit 1 is set facing upward. When the plate is placed in the plate placement area with the bottom facing down, the scanning head of the first barcode scanning and identification unit 1 can be aligned with the identification code on the bottom of the plate.

[0025] Preferably, to further reduce the probability of misuse of the identification code, for square or other easily accessible plates, an identification code can be set on at least one side of the plate to bind the plate information with the food information. Correspondingly, the self-service food selection terminal is equipped with a second scanning unit 4 for recognizing the identification code on the side of the plate, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the second barcode scanning and identification unit 4 is connected to the core control module 13, and the setting position of the second barcode scanning and identification unit 4 must meet the following requirements: when scanning the plate, the scanning head of the second barcode scanning and identification unit 4 and the scanning head of the first barcode scanning and identification unit 2 can be simultaneously aligned with the identification code on the side of the plate and the identification code on the bottom of the plate, respectively. That is, while the scanning head of the second barcode scanning and identification unit 4 is aligned with the identification code on the side of the plate, the scanning head of the first barcode scanning and identification unit 2 is also aligned with the identification code on the bottom of the plate.

[0026] In the core control module 13 of the self-service food selection terminal, the following settings are implemented: the bottom and side identification codes are simultaneously and correctly identified before the plate information is bound to the food information. Therefore, if someone steals another person's identification code, different cameras are needed to photograph the identification codes at different locations on the plate, and these images must be simultaneously displayed to the first scanning unit 2 and the second scanning unit 4 on the self-service food selection terminal when the food is picked up. Since few people typically carry multiple cameras, this significantly reduces the probability of identification code theft.

[0027] Preferably, such as Figure 1 As shown, supplementary lights 12 are also provided at the first scanning and recognition unit 2 and the second scanning unit 4 respectively, so as to assist the first scanning and recognition unit 2 and the second scanning unit 4 in scanning and recognition when the light is insufficient, thereby improving the accuracy of scanning and recognition.

[0028] Preferably, such as Figure 1 As shown, the self-service meal selection terminal includes a base 11, on which a tray placement area and a weighing module 1 are arranged. The tray placement area and the weighing module 1 are adjacent to each other. A second barcode scanning unit 4 is arranged on the side of the weighing module 1 facing the tray placement area. In this way, the second barcode scanning unit 4 is integrated with the weighing module 1, making the structure of the self-service meal selection terminal more compact.

[0029] For hygiene and safety reasons, customers typically use special food-retrieving tools provided by the restaurant, such as common food-retrieving tongs. These tools are generally placed in two ways: one is that customers obtain a tool while taking their food tray and use it to retrieve food; the other is that a tool is placed next to each dish, i.e., at each self-service food selection terminal. The first method, where customers use the same tool to retrieve multiple dishes, can affect the taste of the food; the second method, because the tongs can be easily removed, leads to customers forgetting to return them after taking food, leaving the next customer without a tool and impacting the dining experience. Therefore, this embodiment binds the food-retrieving tool 5 to the self-service food selection terminal. Specifically, one end of the food-retrieving tool 5, where the handle is located, is connected to the self-service food selection terminal via a connecting structure, and this connecting structure allows the food-retrieving tool 5 to move freely within the food placement space. Preferably, the connecting structure can be an elastic rope, such as a spring rope or rubber rope; it can also be a non-elastic structure, but it must ensure that the food-retrieving tool 5 can retrieve food from the food placement space.

[0030] Because the intelligent self-service meal selection system in this embodiment calculates the price of the food taken based on the reduction in the amount of food in the food placement space, if the weight of the food-taking tool 5 is not included in the initial weight before taking the food, and the consumer places the food-taking tool 5 in the food placement space after taking the food, then a portion of the price of the taken food will be under-calculated (this portion of the price = weight of the food-taking tool × unit price of the food). If the weight of the food-taking tool 5 has been included in the initial weight before taking the food, and the consumer does not place the food-taking tool 5 in the food placement space after taking the food, then a portion of the price of the food will be over-calculated (this portion of the price = weight of the food-taking tool × unit price of the food). Therefore, the setting of the food-taking tool 5 is very important; an unreasonable setting will result in under-charging or over-charging.

[0031] In response to the above problems, such as Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the food-retrieving tool 5 is suspended above the food placement space 3 by an elastic rope. The length of the elastic rope in its unstressed state is limited; it cannot be too long or too short. If it is too long, it will easily fall into the food and interfere with the measurement of the food's weight; if it is too short, it cannot pick up the food. Specifically, this application has the following settings: the length of the elastic rope in its unstressed state is between an upper and a lower limit; the lower limit is when the elastic rope extends to its maximum extent, allowing the food-retrieving tool 5 to move freely within the food placement space; the upper limit is when the food-retrieving tool 5 hangs naturally, with a set distance between the food-retrieving tool 5 and the food placement space 3. This ensures that the food-retrieving tool does not interfere with the measurement of the food's weight and can easily pick up food from any position within the food placement space.

[0032] Furthermore, to prevent droplets from talking by customers from splashing into the food, or dust from falling into the food, such as... Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, a protective cover 6 is provided on the self-service food selection terminal, which is located above the food placement space 3. Therefore, the food pick-up tool 5 can be suspended on the protective cover 6 using an elastic rope.

[0033] When a consumer picks up food at a self-service terminal, if the consumer has not linked the food tray information to their user identity information (account information), or has not linked the food tray information to the dish information (i.e., the dish information is not linked to the user's account or identity information), or if the consumer's account balance is insufficient to pay for the dish being picked up, a warning should be issued to remind restaurant management or prompt the consumer to link the information. Therefore, this embodiment includes an indicator light 7 on the self-service terminal, and the core control module 13 controls and connects to the indicator light 7.

[0034] Preferably, for a compact structure and easier visibility to the user, the indicator light 7 in this embodiment is positioned on one side of the protective cover 6. Furthermore, to enhance the indicator effect, the protective cover 6 in this embodiment is made of acrylic material. Utilizing the light-guiding properties of acrylic, the indicator light 7, when combined with the protective cover 6, forms a larger area of ​​light column. Preferably, the indicator light 7 in this embodiment is a tri-color light. Under different conditions, the core control module controls the indicator light 7 to use different colors of light to prompt the user to perform different operations. For example, a red light indicates no binding, a yellow light indicates insufficient balance, and a green light indicates a normal balance, etc.

[0035] Preferably, the self-service meal selection terminal in this embodiment is equipped with a facial recognition module 8, and the core control module 13 controls and connects to the facial recognition module 8. In some cases, the diner may not need to bind the plate information with the food information. For example, when the diner is an internal employee or a guest invited by the restaurant, they can take any plate to take food without scanning a code. After taking the food, the facial recognition module 8 can link the food consumption amount to the corresponding account for billing or allow direct facial recognition payment. Therefore, with the facial recognition module 8, the system in this embodiment can adapt to more application scenarios and is more flexible in use.

[0036] Preferably, the self-service meal selection terminal in this embodiment is equipped with a display module 9, and the core control module 13 controls and connects to the display module 9. The display module 9 is typically used to display information such as the user's account name (to prevent the leakage of user privacy, it is usually not displayed in full; if the account name is the user's name, such as Zhang San Si, only Zhang * Si is displayed), account balance, current dish name, current dish unit price, weight of the current dish picked up, consumption amount of the current dish picked up, and cumulative consumption amount of all picked-up dishes. In this way, it is convenient for the user to keep track of their consumption at all times.

[0037] Preferably, for some hot dishes, the taste will be affected if they are not kept warm. Therefore, the self-service food selection terminal in this embodiment is equipped with a heat preservation furnace 10 to keep the dishes warm. This heat preservation furnace 10 is typically located between the food placement space 3 and the weighing module 1, such as... Figure 1 As shown.

[0038] like Figure 3As shown, the system in this embodiment can also bind plate information with user account information. Specifically, this can be achieved by swiping a card, scanning a code, using facial recognition, or scanning the identification code on the plate with a mobile phone on the binding device, thereby binding the plate information with the user account information. The core control module 13 of this embodiment is connected to the menu database and can update the menu information in real time based on the menu items placed on the self-service selection terminal. The weighing and measurement module 1 is connected to the consumption module through the network access module. The weighing and measurement module 1 weighs the menu items in real time, calculates the actual price of the menu items based on the unit price and the actual weight, generates the current menu item bill, and sends it to the consumption module. The consumption module will summarize the amount consumed by the user on each menu item to generate a total consumption bill, and the payment module will complete the deduction function. Preferably, the network access module is one of TCP, Wi-Fi, or 4G. The specific implementation methods of the above modules are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0039] In summary, the intelligent self-service meal selection system of this utility model has the following advantages:

[0040] 1) It expands the scope of application of plates, breaks the limitation of the side-scanning of the tray shape on the tray shape, and enables the use of independent round plates and other shaped plates, providing more plate options for catering establishments.

[0041] 2) Enhanced security: Effectively prevents the tray code from being photographed, copied, and stolen, thus improving the security of the smart weighing and settlement counter.

[0042] 3) Optimize cost and selection: Solve the problem of metal tableware interfering with RFID tray identification, improve the selection range of tableware media, and reduce the cost of tableware media.

[0043] 4) Improved ease of use: The food pick-up tools are suspended on the protective cover by spring ropes, making them easy for diners to access.

[0044] 5) Ensure weighing accuracy: Eliminate the interference of the weight of the food pick-up tool itself on the weighing measurement of the self-service food selection terminal, making the weighing results more accurate.

[0045] 6) Enhanced management standardization: It can prevent abnormal alarms caused by diners taking food pick-up tools to other smart self-service food selection terminals, and helps to standardize the management order of catering establishments.

Claims

1. An intelligent self-service meal selection system, comprising a food tray and a self-service meal selection terminal, wherein the self-service meal selection terminal comprises a core control module and a weighing and measuring module, the weighing and measuring module being connected to the core control module, and a food placement space for placing food items to be taken is provided above the weighing and measuring module, characterized in that, The bottom of the plate is equipped with an identification code for binding the plate information with the dish information. The self-service meal selection terminal is also equipped with a first scanning identification unit for recognizing the identification code on the bottom of the plate. The first scanning identification unit is connected to the core control module.

2. The intelligent self-service meal selection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one side of the plate is also provided with an identification code for binding the plate information with the dish information. The self-service meal selection terminal is also provided with a second scanning identification unit for identifying the identification code on the side of the plate. The second scanning identification unit is connected to the core control module. The setting position of the second scanning identification unit meets the following requirements: when scanning the plate, the scanning head of the second scanning identification unit and the scanning head of the first scanning identification unit can be simultaneously aligned with the identification code on the side of the plate and the identification code on the bottom of the plate, respectively.

3. The intelligent self-service meal selection system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The self-service meal selection terminal also includes a tray placement area. The first barcode scanning unit is located in the tray placement area, and the scanning head of the first barcode scanning unit is positioned upwards. When the tray is placed in the tray placement area with the bottom down, the scanning head of the first barcode scanning unit can be aligned with the barcode on the bottom of the tray.

4. The intelligent self-service meal selection system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The tray placement area is adjacent to the weighing module, and the second barcode scanning unit is set on the side of the weighing module facing the tray placement area.

5. The intelligent self-service meal selection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The self-service food selection terminal is also equipped with a food pick-up tool. The handle of the food pick-up tool is connected to the self-service food selection terminal through a connecting structure, and the connecting structure allows the food pick-up tool to move freely within the entire food placement space.

6. The intelligent self-service meal selection system according to claim 5, characterized in that, The food retrieval tool is suspended above the food placement space by an elastic rope. The length of the elastic rope when it is not under stress is between an upper and a lower limit. The lower limit is when the elastic rope extends to its maximum extent, allowing the food retrieval tool to move freely within the food placement space. The upper limit is when the food retrieval tool hangs down naturally, with a set distance between it and the food placement space.

7. The intelligent self-service meal selection system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The self-service food selection terminal is equipped with a protective cover, which is located above the food placement space. Food retrieval tools are suspended on the protective cover by elastic ropes.

8. The intelligent self-service meal selection system according to claim 7, characterized in that, An indicator light is provided on one side of the protective cover, and the core control module controls and connects to the indicator light.

9. The intelligent self-service meal selection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The self-service meal selection terminal is equipped with a facial recognition module, and the core control module controls and connects to the facial recognition module.

10. The intelligent self-service meal selection system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The self-service meal selection terminal is equipped with a display module, and the core control module controls and connects to the display module.

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