Progress management system, progress management device and progress management method

Abstract

To confirm a processing progress situation of an order by a user, without lowering business efficiency in the whole restaurant.SOLUTION: An information processor 4 includes an attachment / detachment detection part 42 for detecting that an order slip 100 is mounted on a slip holder and the order slip 100 is removed from the slip holder, and transmitting the detection information to a progress management device 5 together with holder position information. The progress management device 5 includes a display control part 52 for transmitting and displaying processing progress situation information related to attachment / detachment of the order slip 100 to / from the slip holder, to a table terminal 1 corresponding to terminal specification information associated with the holder position information, on the basis of the information transmitted from the information processor 4. Thereby, the processing progress situation information on the order is displayed on the table terminal 1 by attaching / detaching the order slip 100 to / from the slip holder of the information processor 4 in relation to the processing progress management of the order by a kitchen employee.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a progress management system, a progress management device, and a progress management method, and is particularly suitable for use in a system for managing the progress of processing food and drink orders. [Background technology]

[0002] In many restaurants, when an order is received, the order details entered on the ordering terminal are printed out on paper slips to manage the order. For example, order management is carried out by placing paper slips in an order clipper (also called slip holder) installed in the kitchen, lining them up on the counter, or placing them directly on the dishes. Although this is essentially a physical method of management that requires manual labor, there is strong demand for this method as it is easy to customize in terms of operation.

[0003] Meanwhile, as labor shortages in restaurants continue to worsen, "smartphone self-ordering systems" that allow customers to order directly from their own smartphones are becoming popular as a means of achieving efficient operations in stores. Patent Document 1 also discloses a system that allows customers to order from their own user terminals. Patent Document 1 also discloses a mechanism that allows customers to place orders by reading two-dimensional codes displayed on a restaurant terminal with a user terminal. Using these systems makes it possible to reduce the number of times wait staff have to go to tables to take orders.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a system that allows users to place orders without the assistance of staff at the store and to check the progress of cooking, etc. In the system described in Patent Document 2, when a user operates a mobile device to send the order details to a management terminal, the order details are sent from the management terminal to a kitchen terminal and displayed. In the kitchen, cooking is performed based on the order details displayed on the kitchen terminal, and when cooking progress information is entered into the kitchen terminal, the cooking progress information is sent to and stored in the management terminal, and the management terminal responds to inquiries about the cooking progress from the user's mobile device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-149185 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2004-199136 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The system described in Patent Document 2 can reduce the workload of wait staff and also reduce the stress of customers from ordering a product until the product is delivered. However, the system requires kitchen staff to manually input cooking progress information into a kitchen terminal each time, which may reduce the work efficiency of kitchen staff. Therefore, from the perspective of comprehensive resource management in a restaurant, including not only wait staff but also kitchen staff, there is a problem that this may hinder efficient operations.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and has an object to enable customers to check the progress of their order processing without reducing the operational efficiency of the entire restaurant. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the progress management system of the present invention comprises an order receiving device that receives orders from an ordering terminal operated by a customer of a store to order food and beverages, an information processing device having a slip holder that detachably holds one or more order slips printed by a printer for orders made through the ordering terminal, a progress management device that manages the progress of processing orders made through the ordering terminal, and a display terminal that displays order processing progress information managed by the progress management device. The information processing device detects when an order slip is attached to a slip holder and when an order slip is removed from the slip holder, and transmits each of the detection information to the progress management device together with holder position information that indicates the position of the slip holder to which the order slip is attached. The progress management device manages terminal identification information that can identify the display terminal in association with holder position information, and based on the information transmitted from the information processing device, transmits at least one of processing progress information related to the attachment of the order slip to the slip holder and processing progress information related to the removal of the order slip from the slip holder to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information associated with the holder position information for display. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention configured as described above, customers in a store order food and drink by operating an order terminal, so that the number of times that a waiter employee has to go to a table to receive an order can be reduced. According to the present invention, when a kitchen employee attaches or detaches an order slip to or from a slip holder, information indicating this is transmitted to the progress management device, and processing progress information related to the attachment of the order slip to the slip holder and processing progress information related to the removal of the order slip from the slip holder are displayed on the display terminal. The attachment of an order slip to a slip holder means that a user's order has been accepted by the kitchen, and the related processing progress information is displayed on the display terminal, so that the user can know that his or her order has been accepted by the kitchen. The removal of an order slip from a slip holder means that the food and drink ordered by the user has been cooked, and the related processing progress information is displayed on the display terminal, so that the user can know that his or her order has been processed. In this way, the user can know the progress of the order, such as the kitchen's acceptance of the order and the completion of cooking, without the kitchen employee having to manually input cooking progress information into the kitchen terminal each time. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to enable users to check the progress of their order processing without reducing the operational efficiency of the entire restaurant. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a progress management system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a progress management system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the progress management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another example of the functional configuration of the progress management system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another example of the functional configuration of the progress management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6]FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a progress management system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a progress management system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing another example of the functional configuration of the progress management system according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a progress management system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the progress management system according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of table terminals 1, an order reception device 2, a printer 3, an information processing device 4, and a progress management device 5. The table terminals 1, the order reception device 2, the printer 3, and the information processing device 4 are installed inside a restaurant. Of these, the plurality of table terminals 1 are installed on a plurality of customer tables inside the restaurant. The printer 3 and the information processing device 4 are installed in the kitchen. The printer 3 may be installed outside the kitchen. Also, the order reception device 2 may be configured by a cloud server outside the store.

[0012] The table terminal 1, the order receiving device 2, the information processing device 4, and the progress management device 5 are connected to a communication network 6 such as the Internet or a mobile phone network. The order receiving device 2 and the printer 3 are connected by a wireless communication means such as a wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), USB (Universal Serial Bus) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). When the order receiving device 2 is configured as a cloud server outside the store, the printer 3 may be connected to the communication network 6, and the order receiving device 2 and the printer 3 may be connected via the communication network 6.

[0013] The tabletop terminal 1 corresponds to the ordering terminal and the display terminal in the claims, and is an example of a configuration in which the ordering terminal and the display terminal are the same terminal. That is, the tabletop terminal 1 has a function as an ordering terminal that is operated by customers of the store to order food and drink, and a function as a display terminal that displays processing progress information regarding the processing progress of orders managed by the progress management device 5.

[0014] A list of foods and drinks that can be ordered is displayed on the display of the tabletop terminal 1. A customer can operate the tabletop terminal 1 to specify the desired food and drink from the list and the number of items to order and then place an order. It is possible to specify one or more foods and drinks for one order, and by pressing the order button after specifying one or more foods and drinks and the number of items to order, a single piece of order information including one or more foods and drinks is sent from the tabletop terminal 1 to the order receiving device 2. The order information sent at this time includes information indicating the order contents, and identification information for identifying the tabletop terminal 1 or identification information for identifying the table (hereinafter the latter is referred to as a table ID). An example using a table ID will be described below. This table ID corresponds to "terminal-specific information" in the claims.

[0015] Furthermore, order processing progress status information managed by the progress management device 5 is displayed on the display of the tabletop terminal 1 in a timely manner. For example, every time a change occurs in the order processing progress status, the progress management device 5 transmits the processing progress status information to the tabletop terminal 1 and displays it. Alternatively, when a customer operates the tabletop terminal 1 to make an inquiry, the progress management device 5 may respond to the inquiry by having the tabletop terminal 1 display the processing progress status information. The order processing progress status information managed by the progress management device 5 will be described in detail later.

[0016] Although an example in which the order terminal and the display terminal are the same terminal (table terminal 1) has been described here, the order terminal and the display terminal may be configured as separate terminals. In this case, the order terminal and the order receiving device 2 are connected via a communication network 6, and the display terminal and the progress management device 5 are connected via the communication network 6. The display terminal and the progress management device 5 may be connected by wireless communication means such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

[0017] Regarding the terminal identification information, for example, a common table ID is associated with the ordering terminal and the display terminal, and the table ID is included in the order information transmitted from the ordering terminal to the order receiving device 2. Note that identification information for identifying the ordering terminal (hereinafter referred to as the ordering terminal ID) and identification information for identifying the display terminal (hereinafter referred to as the display terminal ID) may be associated in advance and registered in the progress management device 5, and the order information transmitted from the ordering terminal to the order receiving device 2 may include the ordering terminal ID or the display terminal ID.

[0018] When the order terminal and the display terminal are configured as separate terminals, the order terminal may be a customer's smartphone. For example, as described in Patent Document 1, a two-dimensional code displayed on the display terminal may be read by the customer's smartphone, allowing the customer to access an order site indicated by the address recorded in the two-dimensional code and place an order. In this case, the address of the order site and a table ID are recorded in the two-dimensional code, and the table ID obtained by decoding the two-dimensional code is included in the order information transmitted from the customer's smartphone to the order receiving device 2.

[0019] Order receiving device 2 accepts orders from tabletop terminal 1 (order terminal). That is, order receiving device 2 receives order information transmitted from tabletop terminal 1. Upon receiving the order information, order receiving device 2 generates print data for printing order slip 100 based on the order information and supplies it to printer 3. Printer 3 prints order slip 100 based on the print data received from order receiving device 2. The information printed on order slip 100 includes at least information indicating the order details. A kitchen employee checks the order details printed on order slip 100 and prepares the food.

[0020] Information processing device 4 is equipped with a slip holder 4a that detachably holds one or more order slips 100 printed by printer 3, and a display 4b for displaying information. In FIG. 1, slip holder 4a is shown as being capable of holding a maximum of four order slips 100, but in reality it is possible to hold a greater number of order slips 100. Also, while FIG. 1 shows a configuration in which one slip holder 4a holds one order slip 100, this is not limiting. For example, a single horizontally long slip holder 4a may be configured to hold multiple order slips 100.

[0021] The kitchen staff places order slip 100, which is printed by printer 3 each time order information is sent to order receiving device 2 from multiple table terminals 1, in slip holder 4a, and prepares one or more ordered foods and drinks according to the order details printed on order slip 100. Then, when all the foods and drinks included in the order details printed on order slip 100 have been prepared, the kitchen staff removes order slip 100 from slip holder 4a and places it near the dishes or hands it to a waiter staff member.

[0022] Slip holder 4a has a built-in sensor (e.g., a reflective optical sensor, a transmissive optical sensor, etc.) for detecting the attachment and detachment of order slip 100, making it possible to detect when order slip 100 is attached to slip holder 4a and when order slip 100 is removed from slip holder 4a. This sensor is installed at each position where an order slip 100 should be attached, making it possible to detect at which position on slip holder 4a order slip 100 was attached or detached. For example, if one slip holder 4a holds one order slip 100, each slip holder 4a has one built-in sensor. Alternatively, if one horizontally long slip holder 4a holds multiple order slips 100, sensors are installed at multiple positions on slip holder 4a and detect when order slip 100 has been attached or detached at each of the multiple positions. Information processing device 4 transmits information detected by the sensor in slip holder 4a regarding the attachment and detachment of order slip 100 to progress management device 5 along with holder position information indicating the position of slip holder 4a in which order slip 100 is attached.

[0023] Display 4b is a horizontally long liquid crystal display device arranged above slip holder 4a so as to span multiple attachment positions for order slip 100. This configuration of information processing device 4 in which slip holder 4a and display 4b are arranged horizontally is called a "rail type." As described above, this rail type configuration may be either a configuration in which multiple slip holders 4a are provided, each holding one order slip 100, or a configuration in which a single horizontally long slip holder 4a is provided, which holds multiple order slips 100. In addition to the configuration in FIG. 1 in which a single horizontally long display 4b is provided so as to span multiple attachment positions for order slip 100, a configuration in which multiple displays 4b are provided for each of the multiple attachment positions for order slip 100 may also be used.

[0024] The information processing device 4 of this embodiment is not limited to the rail-type configuration described above. For example, it may be configured to include a plurality of information processing devices 4, each having a slip holder 4a for holding one order slip 100 and a display 4b (called a binder type). When the information processing devices 4 are configured as binder types, the plurality of information processing devices 4 may be connected to each other via wireless communication means such as BLE.

[0025] Alternatively, a configuration in which multiple slip holders 4a and displays 4b are arranged vertically and horizontally in a rectangular area having a certain area in both the vertical and horizontal directions (called a board type) can be used. The board type information processing device 4 can be configured to have multiple combinations of slip holders 4a and displays 4b arranged horizontally in the vertical direction, similar to the rail type.

[0026] Progress management device 5 manages the progress of orders placed through tabletop terminal 1. In the first embodiment, the order processing progress managed by progress management device 5 is that order receiving device 2 has received order information sent from tabletop terminal 1, that order slip 100 has been attached to slip holder 4a, and that order slip 100 has been removed from slip holder 4a. Receiving order information by order receiving device 2 means that a customer's order has been accepted at the store. Attaching order slip 100 to slip holder 4a means that the customer's order has been accepted in the kitchen. Removing order slip 100 from slip holder 4a means that the food and drink ordered by the customer has been cooked.

[0027] As described above, the progress management device 5 transmits such order processing progress information to the tabletop terminal 1 (display terminal) and displays it on the display. By checking the processing progress information displayed on the display, customers can understand whether their order has been accepted by the store (whether any order has been missed), whether their order has been accepted by the kitchen (whether cooking is in progress), and whether their order has been processed (whether the food will soon be served at the table).

[0028] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the progress management system according to the first embodiment, that is, an example of the functional configuration of each device related to managing the progress status of order processing as described above.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 2, the table terminal 1 includes, as its functional components, an order processing unit 11 and a progress display unit 12. The order receiving device 2 includes, as its functional components, an order receiving unit 21 and a print data generating unit 22. The information processing device 4 includes, as its functional components, an attachment position display unit 41 and an attachment / detachment detection unit 42. The progress management device 5 includes, as its functional components, an association management unit 51 and a display control unit 52. In addition, the progress management device 5 includes, as a storage medium, an association information storage unit 50.

[0030] The function blocks 11 and 12 of the table terminal 1, the function blocks 21 and 22 of the order receiving device 2, the function blocks 41 and 42 of the information processing device 4, and the function blocks 51 and 52 of the progress management device 5 can each be configured by any of hardware, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and software. For example, the above-mentioned function blocks are realized by the operation of a program stored in a storage medium such as a RAM, ROM, a hard disk, or a semiconductor memory under the control of a microcomputer configured with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc.

[0031] The order processing unit 11 of the tabletop terminal 1 executes processing related to ordering food and drink. As described above, the order processing unit 11 displays a list of orderable food and drink on the display of the tabletop terminal 1. When a customer operates the tabletop terminal 1 to specify the desired food and drink and the order quantity, and then presses the order button, the order processing unit 11 transmits order information indicating the order contents, including one or more food and drink items and the order quantity for each, together with a table ID to the order receiving device 2. The table ID is preset in the tabletop terminal 1.

[0032] The order receiving unit 21 of the order receiving device 2 receives the order information transmitted from the table terminal 1. Upon receiving the order information, the order receiving device 2 transmits order reception information indicating that the order has been received from the table terminal 1 together with a table ID to the progress management device 5. The order reception information and table ID transmitted from the order receiving unit 21 are provided to an association management unit 51 and a display control unit 52 of the progress management device 5.

[0033] Print data generation unit 22 generates print data for printing order slip 100 based on the order information received by order receiving unit 21, and supplies the print data to printer 3. Print data generation unit 22 generates print data such that text information indicating at least the order details (the ordered food and drink and the ordered quantity) is printed on order slip 100.

[0034] As described above, the kitchen employee places order slip 100 printed by printer 3 in slip holder 4a of information processing device 4. In this embodiment, association management unit 51 of progress management device 5 sends attachment position instruction information indicating the attachment position of order slip 100 on slip holder 4a to information processing device 4, and the attachment position of order slip 100 is notified on display 4b. The kitchen employee places order slip 100 in the position on slip holder 4a notified on display 4b.

[0035] Association management unit 51 receives attachment / detachment detection information (attachment detection information and removal detection information) indicating the attachment / detachment of order slip 100 from attachment / detachment detection unit 42 of information processing device 4 each time, and manages which positions on slip holder 4a order slip 100 is attached and which positions order slip 100 is not attached, for example, by flag information stored in association information storage unit 50. When association management unit 51 receives order reception information from order receiving device 2, it refers to association information storage unit 50 to identify the positions on slip holder 4a where order slip 100 is not attached, and generates attachment position indication information specifying the positions where order slip 100 is not attached and sends this to information processing device 4.

[0036] Based on the mounting position instruction information sent from association management unit 51, mounting position display unit 41 of information processing device 4 displays the specified mounting position of order slip 100 on display 4b. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, display 4b, such as a liquid crystal display device, can be placed in an area spanning multiple mounting positions on slip holder 4a, and a specified mark can be lit or flashed near slip holder 4a specified as the mounting position. Alternatively, characters indicating the mounting position can be displayed on display 4b. Alternatively, display 4b can be configured with multiple LEDs placed near each of the multiple mounting positions, and an LED placed near the specified mounting position can be lit or flashed.

[0037] Association management unit 51 associates and manages holder position information, which indicates the position of slip holder 4a on which order slip 100 is attached, with the table ID of the table-top terminal 1 for which order processing progress information for the order slip 100 attached at the position indicated by the holder position information is to be displayed. Here, holder position information is information that indicates the position of slip holder 4a specified by the attachment position indication information sent to information processing device 4. In other words, association management unit 51 associates the table ID received from order receiving device 2 together with the order reception information with the holder position information that indicates the position of slip holder 4a specified by the attachment position indication information, and stores this in association information storage unit 50.

[0038] Attachment / detachment detection unit 42 of information processing device 4 detects that order slip 100 has been attached to or removed from slip holder 4a based on the detection results of a sensor built into slip holder 4a, and sends each of the attachment / detachment detection information (attachment detection information and removal detection information) together with the holder position information to progress management device 5. The attachment / detachment detection information and holder position information sent from attachment / detachment detection unit 42 are provided to association management unit 51 and display control unit 52 of progress management device 5.

[0039] If attachment / detachment detection unit 42 detects that order slip 100 has been attached in a position different from the position instructed by progress management device 5, it may display warning information on display 4b to inform the user that the attachment position is incorrect. Alternatively, a table ID may be printed on order slip 100 in addition to the information indicating the order, and the table ID may be displayed on display 4b of information processing device 4 in addition to lighting or flashing a predetermined mark indicating the attachment position. In this way, the kitchen staff can visually compare the table ID printed on order slip 100 with the table ID displayed together with the mark on display 4b, and attach order slip 100 in the correct position.

[0040] Furthermore, when attachment / detachment detection unit 42 detects that order slip 100 has been attached in a position different from the position instructed by progress management device 5, it may notify association management unit 51 of holder position information indicating the position of the attached slip holder 4a, and association management unit 51 may store this notified holder position information in association information storage unit 50 in association with the table ID corresponding to that order slip 100 (the table ID stored in association information storage unit 50 when the attachment position instruction information was transmitted to information processing device 4). In this case, association management unit 51 rewrites the holder position information that was stored in association information storage unit 50 in association with the table ID when the attachment position instruction information was transmitted to information processing device 4 to the holder position information notified by attachment / detachment detection unit 42, and stores the rewritten information.

[0041] The display control unit 52 generates order processing progress status information and transmits it to the tabletop terminal 1 for display. For example, in response to receiving order reception information transmitted from the order reception device 2, the display control unit 52 generates processing progress status information related to the reception of the order from the tabletop terminal 1, and transmits it to the tabletop terminal 1 corresponding to the table ID received together with the order reception information for display. At this time, the progress display unit 12 of the tabletop terminal 1 receives the processing progress status information transmitted from the progress management device 5 and displays it on the display. The processing progress status information in this case can be, for example, a message such as "Order has been accepted."

[0042] In addition, based on the attachment / detachment detection information transmitted from the attachment / detachment detection unit 42 of the information processing device 4, the display control unit 52 generates processing progress status information related to the attachment of the order slip 100 to the slip holder 4a and processing progress status information related to the removal of the order slip 100 from the slip holder 4a, and transmits the information to the table terminal 1 corresponding to the table ID stored in association with the holder position information in the association information storage unit 50 for display.

[0043] At this time, progress display unit 12 of tabletop terminal 1 receives the processing progress information sent from progress management device 5 and displays it on the display. In this case, processing progress information related to the placement of order slip 100 in slip holder 4a can be, for example, a message such as "Your order has been accepted in the kitchen." Also, processing progress information related to the removal of order slip 100 from slip holder 4a can be, for example, a message such as "Cooking is complete."

[0044] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the progress management system according to the first embodiment configured as described above. Fig. 3 shows an example of the operation of the table terminal 1, the order receiving device 2, the printer 3, the information processing device 4, and the progress management device 5 in the form of respective flowcharts. The flowchart in Fig. 3 shows the flow of processing related to one order, and the processing of the flowchart is executed for each order. Note that, for ease of understanding, dotted arrows are used to show how the processing of each flowchart is carried out in cooperation with each other, but the processing of each flowchart is executed independently.

[0045] First, the order processing unit 11 of the tabletop terminal 1 generates order information indicating the order contents according to the operation of the customer on the tabletop terminal 1, and transmits the order information together with the table ID to the order receiving device 2 (step S11). Upon receiving the order information transmitted from the tabletop terminal 1 (step S21), the order receiving unit 21 of the order receiving device 2 transmits the order reception information together with the table ID to the progress management device 5 (step S22).

[0046] The display control unit 52 of the progress management device 5 generates processing progress status information (message such as "Order accepted") related to the acceptance of the order from the tabletop terminal 1 based on the order acceptance information received from the order acceptance device 2, and transmits the processing progress status information to the tabletop terminal 1 (step S51). The progress display unit 12 of the tabletop terminal 1 receives the processing progress status information transmitted from the progress management device 5, and displays the processing progress status information on the display (step S12).

[0047] After processing of step S22 above, print data generation unit 22 of order receiving device 2 generates print data for printing order slip 100 based on the order information received by order receiving unit 21, and supplies the print data to printer 3 (step S23). Printer 3 prints order slip 100 based on the print data supplied from order receiving device 2 (step S31).

[0048] After the processing of step S51 above, the association management unit 51 of the progress management device 5 refers to the association information storage unit 50 to identify the position of the slip holder 4a to which the order slip 100 is not attached, generates attachment position indication information specifying the unattached position, and transmits it to the information processing device 4 (step S52). The association management unit 51 also associates the table ID received together with the order reception information from the order receiving device 2 in the processing of step S22 above with the holder position information indicating the position of the slip holder 4a identified when generating the attachment position indication information in step S52, and stores them in the association information storage unit 50 (step S53).

[0049] Based on the mounting position instruction information sent from association management unit 51 in step S52, mounting position display unit 41 of information processing device 4 displays the indicated mounting position of order slip 100 on display 4b (step S41). Then, attachment / detachment detection unit 42 determines whether order slip 100 has been attached to the indicated position of slip holder 4a based on the detection results of a sensor built into slip holder 4a (step S42). When attachment / detachment detection unit 42 detects that order slip 100 has been attached to slip holder 4a, it sends the attachment detection information together with the holder position information to progress management device 5 (step S43).

[0050] Association management unit 51 of progress management device 5 stores flag information indicating that order slip 100 has been placed in association with the holder position information received from information processing device 4 in association information storage unit 50 (step S54). Display control unit 52 also refers to association information storage unit 50 to identify the table ID stored in association with the holder position information transmitted from information processing device 4, and generates processing progress status information related to the placement of order slip 100 on slip holder 4a (a message such as "Your order has been accepted in the kitchen") based on the placement detection information transmitted from information processing device 4, and transmits the processing progress status information to tabletop terminal 1 corresponding to the identified table ID (step S55). Progress display unit 12 of tabletop terminal 1 receives the processing progress status information transmitted from progress management device 5, and displays the processing progress status information on the display (step S13).

[0051] After processing of step S43 above, information processing device 4 determines whether order slip 100 has been removed from slip holder 4a based on the detection results of a sensor built into slip holder 4a (step S44). When removal detector 42 detects that order slip 100 has been removed from slip holder 4a, it sends the removal detection information together with the holder position information to progress management device 5 (step S45).

[0052] The association management unit 51 of the progress management device 5 stores flag information indicating that the order slip 100 is not attached in the association information storage unit 50 in association with the holder position information received from the information processing device 4 (step S56). The display control unit 52 also refers to the association information storage unit 50 to identify the table ID stored in association with the holder position information transmitted from the information processing device 4, and generates processing progress status information (such as a message "Cooking is completed") related to the removal of the order slip 100 from the slip holder 4a based on the removal detection information transmitted from the information processing device 4, and transmits the processing progress status information to the tabletop terminal 1 corresponding to the identified table ID (step S57). The progress display unit 12 of the tabletop terminal 1 receives the processing progress status information transmitted from the progress management device 5, and displays the processing progress status information on the display (step S14).

[0053] As described above in detail, according to the progress management system of the first embodiment, customers in the restaurant operate the tabletop terminal 1 to order food and drink, so that the number of times that wait staff go to the table to receive orders can be reduced. Furthermore, according to the progress management system of the first embodiment, when the order reception device 2 receives order information from the tabletop terminal 1, processing progress status information related to the reception of the order is displayed on the tabletop terminal 1. Furthermore, when the kitchen staff simply attaches or detaches the order slip 100 to or from the slip holder 4a, processing progress status information related to the attachment of the order slip 100 to the slip holder 4a and processing progress status information related to the removal of the order slip 100 from the slip holder 4a are displayed on the tabletop terminal 1. This allows the user to grasp the processing status of his or her order. In this way, according to the progress management system of this embodiment, it is possible to allow users to check the processing progress of their orders without reducing the business efficiency of the entire restaurant.

[0054] In the first embodiment, the order receiving unit 21 transmits the order reception information and the table ID to the progress management device 5, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the following configuration may be used. That is, the print data generation unit 22 of the order receiving device 2 generates print data such that the table ID is printed on the order slip 100 in addition to the character information indicating the order contents, and the printer 3 is connected to the communication network 6 so as to be able to communicate with the order receiving device 2 and the progress management device 5. The printer 3 may be provided with a table ID extraction unit (corresponding to a terminal-specific information extraction unit in the claims) that extracts the table ID from the print data for the order slip 100 generated by the print data generation unit 22, and the printer 3 may transmit the table ID extracted from the print data to the progress management device 5. Upon receiving this table ID, the progress management device 5 recognizes that the order has been received by the order receiving device 2. Alternatively, the progress management device 5 may include a table ID extraction unit, and the printer 3 may include a print data transmission unit, so that the print data generated as described above is transmitted (transferred) from the printer 3 to the progress management device 5, and the progress management device 5 extracts the table ID from the print data. In this case, the progress management device 5 recognizes that the order has been accepted by the order accepting device 2 upon receipt of the print data. The above modified examples can be similarly applied to the configurations of Figures 4, 5, 7 and 8 described below.

[0055] The method by which association management unit 51 associates holder position information with table IDs is not limited to the method described above. For example, it is also possible to transmit order information together with a table ID from order receiving device 2 to progress management device 5, while transmitting order information recognized by information processing device 4 in a predetermined manner from order slip 100 attached to an arbitrary position on slip holder 4a to progress management device 5 together with holder position information, and have progress management device 5 match the order information from order receiving device 2 with the order information from information processing device 4, thereby associating holder position information and table IDs for order information with the same content.

[0056] 4 and 5 are diagrams showing two configuration examples in which holder position information is associated with a table ID by matching order information in this way. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 4, the order receiving device 2' includes an order receiving unit 21' instead of the order receiving unit 21, the information processing device 4' includes a slip photographing unit 43 instead of the mounting position display unit 41, and the progress management device 5' includes an association management unit 51' instead of the association management unit 51. In addition, the progress management device 5' further includes an order information storage unit 53.

[0057] When the order receiving unit 21' of the order receiving device 2' receives the order information transmitted from the tabletop terminal 1, it transmits the order information and order reception information indicating that the order has been received from the tabletop terminal 1 together with the table ID to the progress management device 5'. The order information is provided to the association management unit 51', and the order reception information and the table ID are provided to the association management unit 51' and the display control unit 52. Note that the transmission of the order reception information may be omitted (this is also true in the configuration of FIG. 5). The processing of the display control unit 52 is as described above. The association management unit 51' stores the order information and table ID received from the order receiving device 2' in the order information storage unit 53. At this time, the association management unit 51' does not perform the processing of generating mounting position instruction information and transmitting it to the information processing device 4'.

[0058] Here, the order receiving unit 21' transfers the order information and table ID received from the tabletop terminal 1 to the progress management device 5', but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the following configuration may be used. That is, the print data generating unit 22 of the order receiving device 2' generates print data such that the table ID is printed on the order slip 100 in addition to the character information indicating the order contents, and the printer 3 is connected to the communication network 6 so as to be able to communicate with the order receiving device 2' and the progress management device 5'. The printer 3 may have a slip information generating unit that generates slip information and table ID from the print data for the order slip 100 generated by the print data generating unit 22, and the printer 3 may transmit the slip information and table ID to the progress management device 5'. Alternatively, the progress management device 5' may have a slip information generating unit and the printer 3 may have a print data transmitting unit, and the printer 3 may transmit (transfer) the print data generated as described above from the printer 3, and the progress management device 5' may generate the slip information and table ID from the print data. The slip information generated by the slip information generation unit also includes information indicating the order contents, similar to the order information sent by the order receiving unit 21'. The above-mentioned modified example can be similarly applied to the configuration of Fig. 5 and the configurations of Figs. 7 and 8 described later as a second embodiment.

[0059] When the attachment / detachment detection unit 42 detects that the order slip 100 has been attached to any position on the slip holder 4a, the slip photographing unit 43 photographs the attached order slip 100 with a camera and transmits the photographed image to the progress management device 5'. The camera is installed at a predetermined position in the kitchen, for example, facing the slip holder 4a. A kitchen employee may photograph the order slip 100 with a portable camera, but this increases the work of the kitchen employee, so it is preferable to install the camera in a fixed position and configure the camera to automatically photograph the order slip 100 when the attachment / detachment detection unit 42 detects that the order slip 100 has been attached. Note that the information processing device 4' may be equipped with a camera, and when the kitchen employee attaches the order slip 100 to the slip holder 4a, the information processing device 4' may be configured to point the printed side of the order slip 100 toward the camera and press a photograph button. With this configuration, the additional work performed by the kitchen employee can be minimized.

[0060] The captured image of order slip 100 is provided to association management unit 51' along with holder position information indicating the position of slip holder 4a detected by attachment / detachment detection unit 42. Association management unit 51' converts the order information from the contents of order slip 100 into text by performing image analysis of the captured image. Association management unit 51' then refers to order information storage unit 53 to search for order information with the same content as the converted text order information, and identifies the table ID stored in association with the order information with the same content. The identified table ID is then associated with the holder position information received from information processing device 4' along with the captured image, and stored in association information storage unit 50.

[0061] Note that, although an example has been described in which a captured image of the order slip 100 is sent from the information processing device 4' to the progress management device 5' and image analysis is performed in the association management section 51' of the progress management device 5', the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the order information may be converted to text by performing image analysis in the information processing device 4', and the textual order information may be transmitted from the information processing device 4' to the progress management device 5'.

[0062] In the configuration example shown in FIG. 5, the order receiving device 2" has an order receiving unit 21" and a print data generation unit 22" instead of the order receiving unit 21 and the print data generation unit 22, the information processing device 4" has a code reader 44 instead of the mounting position display unit 41, and the progress management device 5" has an association management unit 51" instead of the association management unit 51. In addition, the progress management device 5" further has an order information storage unit 53.

[0063] The operation of the order receiving unit 21'' and the operation of the association management unit 51'' to store the order information and table ID received from the order receiving device 2'' in the order information storage unit 53 are similar to the operations of the order receiving unit 21' and the association management unit 51' shown in Figure 4. Even in the configuration example of Figure 5, the association management unit 51'' does not perform the process of generating mounting position instruction information and transmitting it to the information processing device 4''.

[0064] Based on the order information received by order receiving unit 21'', print data generation unit 22'' generates print data for printing order slip 100 and supplies the data to printer 3. In this case, print data generation unit 22'' generates print data that prints on order slip 100 not only text information indicating the order details, but also a barcode or two-dimensional code (hereinafter simply referred to as code) recording the order information. For example, an API (Application Programming Interface) that codes the text information indicating the order details is built into order receiving device 2'' as auxiliary software, and print data generation unit 22'' generates the code using this API.

[0065] Note that, although an example of generating a code in the order receiving device 2" has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a program for encoding the order details indicated by the print data may be incorporated into the firmware of the printer 3, and the printer 3 may use this firmware to encode the order details indicated by the print data supplied from the order receiving device 2" and print the encoded details on the order slip 100. Alternatively, the printer 3 may communicate with another server (not shown) and print the code encoded by a program in the other server together with text information indicating the order details.

[0066] Code reader 44 reads and decodes the code printed on order slip 100 attached to slip holder 4a to obtain text order information. For example, when a kitchen staff member attaches order slip 100 to slip holder 4a, he or she points the code printed on order slip 100 at code reader 44 of information processing device 4" to read it, so that code reader 44 obtains the text order information from the code. Code reader 44 sends the obtained order information to progress management device 5" together with holder position information that indicates the position of slip holder 4a detected by attachment / detachment detection unit 42.

[0067] The association management unit 51'' of the progress management device 5'' refers to the order information storage unit 53, searches for order information having the same content as the order information transmitted from the information processing device 4'', and identifies the table ID stored in association with the order information having the same content. Then, the identified table ID is associated with the holder position information received from the information processing device 4'' and stored in the association information storage unit 50.

[0068] Note that, although an example has been described here in which the table ID is identified by matching order information, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, print data generation unit 22'' generates print data such that, in addition to text information indicating the order details, the table ID received by order reception unit 21'' from table terminal 1 is printed on order slip 100. Then, as in the example of FIG. 4, order slip 100 attached to slip holder 4a is photographed by the camera of slip photographing unit 43, and the captured image is analyzed to identify the table ID printed on order slip 100. The identified table ID is then associated with the holder position information received from information processing device 4'' and stored in associated information storage unit 50.

[0069] Alternatively, print data generation unit 22" generates print data such that, in addition to text information indicating the order details, a code recording the table ID received by order reception unit 21" from table terminal 1 is printed on order slip 100. Then, as in the example of Figure 5, the table ID is identified by reading the code printed on order slip 100 attached to slip holder 4a with code reader 44, and the identified table ID is associated with the holder position information received from information processing device 4" and stored in association information storage unit 50.

[0070] In this way, it is possible to eliminate the need to send table IDs and order information from the order receiving devices 2', 2" to the progress management devices 5', 5". If the sending of order reception information is configured to be omitted, it is possible to eliminate the need to send any information from the order receiving devices 2', 2" to the progress management devices 5', 5". In this case, however, it will be impossible to display on the display 4b processing progress information related to the order reception by the order receiving devices 2', 2" from the table terminal 1. Note that if the above-mentioned configuration is adopted in which a table ID or print data is sent from the printer 3 to the progress management devices 5', 5" instead of omitting the sending of order reception information, it is also possible to display processing progress information related to the order reception.

[0071] In the first embodiment described above, an example was described in which order receiving device 2 displays on display 4b of tabletop terminal 1 processing progress information related to the receipt of an order from tabletop terminal 1, processing progress information related to the attachment of order slip 100 to slip holder 4a, and processing progress information related to the removal of order slip 100 from slip holder 4a, but this is not limited to this. For example, a configuration may be used in which both or only one of the processing progress information related to the attachment and detachment of order slip 100 to slip holder 4a is displayed. The same applies to the second embodiment described below.

[0072] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the progress of order processing is managed by receiving the order information sent from tabletop terminal 1, attaching order slip 100 to slip holder 4a, removing order slip 100 from slip holder 4a, and also delivering the ordered food and drink to the table.

[0073] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a progress management system according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 6, components having the same functions as those shown in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 6, the progress management system according to the second embodiment includes a plurality of table terminals 1B, an order receiving device 2B, a printer 3, an information processing device 4, and a progress management device 5B. The table terminal 1B includes a button (hereinafter, referred to as a serving button 1a) that a waiter operates when serving food. When the ordering terminal and the display terminal are configured as separate terminals, the serving button 1a may be installed on either the ordering terminal or the display terminal. When a customer's smartphone is used as the ordering terminal, the serving button 1a is installed on the display terminal.

[0074] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a progress management system according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 7, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 2 have the same functions, and therefore the duplicated description will be omitted here. As shown in FIG. 7, in the second embodiment, the table terminal 1B further includes a serving detection unit 13. The order receiving device 2B includes an order receiving unit 21' similar to that in FIG. 4, instead of the order receiving unit 21. The progress management device 5B includes a display control unit 52B instead of the display control unit 52, and further includes an order content management unit 54, an elapsed time measurement unit 55, and a served food and drink specification unit 56. The progress management device 5B further includes an order information storage unit 53 similar to that in FIG. 4.

[0075] When the order receiving unit 21' of the order receiving device 2B receives the order information transmitted from the tabletop terminal 1, it transmits the order information and order reception information indicating that the order has been received from the tabletop terminal 1 together with the table ID to the progress management device 5B. The order information and the table ID are provided to the order content management unit 54, and the order reception information and the table ID are provided to the association management unit 51 and the display control unit 52B. The processing of the association management unit 51 and the display control unit 52B at this time is as described in the first embodiment.

[0076] The order content management unit 54 associates the order information received from the order receiving device 2B with the table ID and stores it in the order information storage unit 53. In this way, the order information indicating the contents of the order including one or more foods and drinks ordered through the table terminal 1 is managed in association with the table ID. In addition, the order content management unit 54 manages which of the one or more foods and drinks have been served and which have not, by using flag information stored in the order information storage unit 53, as will be described later.

[0077] The food serving detection unit 13 of the tabletop terminal 1B detects that food and drink ordered through the tabletop terminal 1 have been served based on a predetermined operation performed when the food and drink are served, and transmits the food serving detection information together with the table ID to the progress management device 5B. Here, the predetermined operation is the operation of the food serving button 1a performed by a waiter. In other words, when the food serving detection unit 13 detects that the food serving button 1a has been operated, it transmits the food serving detection information to the progress management device 5B together with the table ID preset in the tabletop terminal 1. The food serving detection information and the table ID transmitted from the food serving detection unit 13 are provided to the display control unit 52B and the elapsed time measurement unit 55.

[0078] In response to the food serving detection information transmitted from the food serving detection unit 13 of the table terminal 1, the display control unit 52B of the progress management device 5B transmits and displays processing progress information related to the serving of food and drink to the table terminal 1 (the table ID where the food serving button 1a was operated) corresponding to the table ID transmitted together with the food serving detection information.

[0079] Here, processing progress status information related to the serving of food and drink is displayed in a timely manner on the display of the tabletop terminal 1. For example, when a waiter operates the serving button 1a, the processing progress status information is transmitted from the progress management device 5B to the tabletop terminal 1 and displayed. Alternatively, when a customer operates the tabletop terminal 1 to make an inquiry, the progress management device 5B may respond to the inquiry by having the tabletop terminal 1 display the processing progress status information on the display.

[0080] However, since all the food and beverages included in one order are not necessarily served at once, there may be some food and beverages that have been served and some that have not been served. Therefore, the processing progress status information related to the serving of food and beverages may be, for example, a message informing the user of the food and beverages that have been served and the food and beverages that have not been served, or a message informing the user of the food and beverages that have not been served, for one or more food and beverages included in the order.

[0081] In this embodiment, as a configuration for grasping the served food and drink, an elapsed time measurement unit 55 and a served food and drink specification unit 56 are provided. In the second embodiment, the attachment / detachment detection information and holder position information transmitted from the attachment / detachment detection unit 42 are provided to the elapsed time measurement unit 55 in addition to the association management unit 51 and the display control unit 52B.

[0082] The elapsed time measurement unit 55 measures the elapsed time from when it is detected that the order ticket 100 has been attached to the ticket holder 4a by receiving attachment detection information sent from the attachment / detachment detection unit 42 of the information processing device 4, to when it is detected that the food and drink have been served by receiving serving detection information sent from the serving detection unit 13 of the tabletop terminal 1B. The elapsed time measurement unit 55 manages the measured elapsed time in association with the table ID received from the serving detection unit 13 and the holder position information received from the attachment / detachment detection unit 42.

[0083] The served food and drink specification unit 56 specifies the food and drink that is estimated to have been served from among one or more foods and drinks included in the order information stored in the order information storage unit 53 in association with the table ID notified from the elapsed time measurement unit 55, based on the elapsed time measured by the elapsed time measurement unit 55 and the cooking time estimates set in advance for each food and drink. That is, the served food and drink specification unit 56 specifies the food and drink that is closest to the elapsed time measured by the elapsed time measurement unit 55 among the cooking time estimates set for one or more foods and drinks, and specifies that the food and drink corresponding to the specified cooking time estimate has been served. Then, the served food and drink specification unit 56 notifies the order content management unit 54 of the specified food and drink. The order content management unit 54 performs a deletion process by setting flag information indicating that the food and drink specified by the served food and drink specification unit 56 has been served to the order information stored in the order information storage unit 53. Note that instead of the cooking time estimate, a serving time estimate (= cooking time + serving time estimate) may be used.

[0084] The display control unit 52B transmits and displays processing progress information related to the serving of food and drink identified by the served food and drink identification unit 56 (such as a message informing of food and drink that has been served / not served, or a message informing of food and drink that has not been served) to the table terminal 1 corresponding to the table ID transmitted from the food serving detection unit 13 together with the food serving detection information or the table ID transmitted from the table terminal 1 when an inquiry is made from the table terminal 1.

[0085] As an example, a case will be described in which three foods and drinks, beer, edamame, and fried chicken, are included as order details in one piece of order information stored in order information storage unit 53. In this case, the estimated cooking times are set in the following order: beer (1 minute) < edamame (2 minutes) < fried chicken (5 minutes).

[0086] This type of order information is stored in the order information memory unit 53 by the order content management unit 54, and when a kitchen employee places the order slip 100 printed by the printer 3 in the slip holder 4a, the elapsed time measurement unit 55 receives the placement detection information sent from the placement / removal detection unit 42 and begins measuring the elapsed time.

[0087] After that, the waiter first serves only the beer to the table. At this time, after the beer has been served, the waiter operates the serving button 1a of the tabletop terminal 1 placed on the table. In response to this, the serving detection unit 13 transmits serving detection information to the progress management device 5B. At this time, the elapsed time measurement unit 55 obtains the elapsed time from when the order slip 100 is placed in the slip holder 4a to when the serving button 1a is operated upon completion of the serving of the beer, and notifies the served food and drink specification unit 56.

[0088] Based on the elapsed time notified from elapsed time measurement unit 55 and the estimated cooking time set in advance for each food and drink, served food and drink specification unit 56 specifies that the food and drink presumed to have been served is "beer", and notifies order content management unit 54 of this fact. At this time, order content management unit 54 stores flag information indicating that, among the food and drink included in the order information stored in order information storage unit 53, beer has already been served.

[0089] At this stage, the display control unit 52B, based on the order information stored in the order information storage unit 53, causes the table terminal 1 to display a message informing the customer that the beer has been served but the edamame and fried chicken have not yet been served, or a message informing the customer that the edamame and fried chicken have not yet been served.

[0090] Next, the waiter serves only the edamame soybeans to the table. The same process as above is executed at this time. At this stage, the display control unit 52B displays on the tabletop terminal 1 a message informing the customer that the beer and edamame have been served but the fried chicken has not been served, or a message informing the customer that the fried chicken has not been served, based on the order information stored in the order information storage unit 53.

[0091] Finally, the waiter serves the fried chicken to the table. The same process as above is executed at this time. At this stage, the display control unit 52B displays on the tabletop terminal 1 a message informing the customer that the beer, edamame, and fried chicken have all been served and that there is no food or drink remaining, or a message informing the customer that there is no food or drink remaining, based on the order information stored in the order information storage unit 53.

[0092] Here, additional orders may come in while processing the first order is being performed. In this case, the above processing is performed for each order individually. For example, by associating the holder position information associated with the table ID with each piece of order information stored in the order information storage unit 53, each piece of order information can be made identifiable by the holder position information, and the above processing is performed for each piece of order information. In this case, by notifying the food and drink serving specification unit 56 of the holder position information in addition to the table ID from the elapsed time measurement unit 55, it is possible to specify which table and which order the food and drink are being served.

[0093] In the above second embodiment, an example has been described in which the identification of food and drink presumed to have been served is performed by progress management device 5B, but it may be performed by tabletop terminal 1B. For example, tabletop terminal 1 includes order information storage unit 53, order content management unit 54, elapsed time measurement unit 55, and served food and drink identification unit 56, and by transmitting attachment detection information output from attachment / detachment detection unit 42 to tabletop terminal 1B, it is possible for tabletop terminal 1B to identify food and drink presumed to have been served.

[0094] In the above second embodiment, the predetermined operation performed when food and drink are served is the operation of the serving button 1a, that is, the configuration in which the serving of food and drink is detected by the operation of the serving button 1a has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the table terminal 1 may be equipped with an IC chip for short-range wireless communication such as NFC (Near Field Communication) or for voice communication, and the serving of food and drink may be detected by the operation of bringing a wireless communication card, tag, or mobile terminal held by a waiter close to the table terminal 1.

[0095] In the case of using a mobile terminal carried by a waiter, the waiter may detect that the food and drink has been served based on an operation of bringing the mobile terminal close to the table terminal 1 when the food and drink is served, and may also identify the served food and drink based on information transmitted from the mobile terminal. FIG. 8 shows an example of the functional configuration of the progress management system in this case. In FIG. 8, the table terminal 1B' includes a food serving detection unit 13' instead of the food serving detection unit 13 shown in FIG. 7. The progress management device 5B' includes a served food and drink identification unit 56' instead of the served food and drink identification unit 56 shown in FIG. 7, but does not include an elapsed time measurement unit 55.

[0096] For example, the waiter selects the food and drink to be served from a list on an order management application installed on the mobile terminal 10, and then brings the mobile terminal 10 close to the tabletop terminal 1B'. At this time, the mobile terminal 10 transmits information indicating the food and drink selected by the waiter to the tabletop terminal 1B'. Upon receiving this information, the serving detection unit 13' of the tabletop terminal 1B' detects that the food and drink have been served, and transmits the information on the food and drink received from the mobile terminal 10 together with the table ID to the progress management device 5B'.

[0097] The served food and drink specifying unit 56' of the progress management device 5B' specifies the served food and drink based on the information received from the tabletop terminal 1B' and notifies the order content management unit 54. Then, the order content management unit 54 performs a deletion process by setting flag information indicating that the food and drink specified by the served food and drink specifying unit 56' has been served to the order information stored in the order information storage unit 53.

[0098] The display control unit 52B transmits processing progress information related to the serving of food and drink identified by the served food and drink identification unit 56' based on information transmitted from the food and drink serving detection unit 13' of the table terminal 1B' based on the order information (including flag information indicating whether the food and drink has been served or not) stored in the order information memory unit 53 to the table terminal 1 corresponding to the table ID transmitted together with the food and drink information from the food and drink serving detection unit 13' or the table ID transmitted from the table terminal 1 when an inquiry is made from the table terminal 1, and displays it.

[0099] Instead of having the waiter carry a wireless communication card, tag, or mobile terminal, a wireless communication tag may be embedded in the tableware of food and drink, and the serving of food and drink may be detected by the serving of the tableware.Furthermore, food and drink category information (drinks, food, ..., etc.) may be stored in the tag of the tableware, and the served food and drink may be identified from the category of the served food and drink.

[0100] As described above in detail, the progress management system of the second embodiment allows customers to know that an order has been accepted at the store (the order accepting device 2 has received the order information sent from the tabletop terminal 1), that an order has been accepted in the kitchen (the order slip 100 has been placed in the slip holder 4a), and that all food and beverage items included in the order have been prepared (the order slip 100 has been removed from the slip holder 4a), as well as the progress of the processing, whether or not each of the one or more foods and beverage items included in the order has been served. Moreover, when configured as shown in FIG. 8, the served food and beverage specifying unit 56' can correctly specify the served food and beverage items without fail, and can accurately inform customers of the progress of the processing, whether or not each of the one or more foods and beverage items has been served.

[0101] In the above first embodiment, an example of applying the progress management system to a restaurant where customers eat and drink at tables inside the store was described, but it can also be similarly applied to stores that sell food and drink for takeout.

[0102] In the above second embodiment, an example has been described in which a configuration for further managing that the ordered food and drink has been served on the table is added to the first embodiment configured as shown in Fig. 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration for further managing that the ordered food and drink has been served on the table may be added to the configuration of Fig. 4 or Fig. 5.

[0103] In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples of the implementation of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited thereby. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist or main characteristics thereof. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1,1B,1B' Table terminal 1a Food Delivery Button 2,2',2”,2B Order reception device 3. Printer 4,4',4” Information processing device 4a Receipt holder 4b Display 5,5',5”,5B,5B' Progress management device 10 Mobile devices 11 Order Processing Unit 12 Progress display section 13,13' Food distribution detector 21,21',21" Order Reception Department 22,22” Print data generation section 41 Installation position indicator 42 Attachment / detachment detection unit 43 Voucher Photography Department 44 Code Reader 50 Association information storage unit 51,51',51” Association Management Section 52, 52B Display control unit 53 Order information storage unit 54 Order Management Department 55 Elapsed time measurement section 56,56' Food and beverage distribution section

Claims

1. an order receiving device that receives orders from an ordering terminal that is operated by customers of the store to order food and beverages; an information processing device having a slip holder for detachably holding one or more order slips printed by a printer for an order made through the ordering terminal; a progress management device for managing the progress of the processing of the order made through the ordering terminal; a display terminal for displaying order processing progress information managed by the progress management device, the information processing device comprises an attachment / detachment detection unit that detects when the order slip is attached to the slip holder and when the order slip is removed from the slip holder, and sends each detection information to the progress management device together with slip holder position information that indicates the position of the slip holder to which the order slip is attached; The progress management device includes: an association management unit that manages the holder location information in association with terminal identification information that can identify the display terminal on which the processing progress status information for the order related to the order slip placed at the position indicated by the holder location information is to be displayed; a display control unit that transmits and displays at least one of the processing progress information related to the attachment of the order slip to the slip holder and the processing progress information related to the removal of the order slip from the slip holder based on the information transmitted from the attachment / detachment detection unit of the information processing device to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information associated with the slip holder position information. A progress management system comprising:

2. the order receiving device includes an order receiving unit that transmits order reception information indicating that the order has been received from the ordering terminal together with the terminal identification information to the progress management device; The display control unit of the progress management device transmits the processing progress status information related to the acceptance of the order from the order terminal based on the information transmitted from the order reception device to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information and displays the processing progress status information. The progress management system according to claim 1 .

3. the order receiving device includes a print data generating unit which generates print data for printing the terminal identification information on the order slip in addition to character information indicating the content of the order received from the order terminal, and supplies the print data to the printer; the printer includes a terminal identification information extraction unit that extracts the terminal identification information from the print data supplied from the print data generation unit and transmits the extracted terminal identification information to the progress management device; The display control unit of the progress management device transmits the processing progress status information related to the acceptance of the order from the order terminal to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information in response to receiving the information transmitted from the printer, and causes the display terminal to display the processing progress status information. The progress management system according to claim 1 .

4. the order receiving device includes a print data generating unit which generates print data for printing the terminal identification information on the order slip in addition to character information indicating the content of the order received from the order terminal, and supplies the print data to the printer; the printer includes a print data transmission unit that transmits the print data supplied from the print data generation unit to the progress management device; The progress management device further includes a terminal identification information extraction unit that extracts the terminal identification information from the print data transmitted from the printer, The display control unit of the progress management device, in response to receiving the print data transmitted from the printer, transmits the processing progress status information related to the acceptance of the order from the order terminal to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information and displays it. The progress management system according to claim 1 .

5. the display terminal further includes a food delivery detection unit that detects that the food and drink ordered through the ordering terminal has been delivered based on a predetermined operation performed when the food and drink ordered through the ordering terminal has been delivered, and transmits food delivery detection information together with the terminal identification information to the progress management device; The display control unit transmits the processing progress information related to the serving of the food and drink to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information in response to the serving detection information transmitted from the serving detection unit of the display terminal, and causes the display control unit to display the processing progress information related to the serving of the food and drink to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information.

5. The progress management system according to claim 1, wherein the progress management system is a system for managing a progress of a user.

6. The progress management device includes: an order content management unit that manages order information, which indicates the content of an order including one or more foods and beverages ordered through the ordering terminal, in association with the terminal identification information; an elapsed time measuring unit that measures the elapsed time from when it is detected that the order slip has been attached to the slip holder by receiving information transmitted from the attachment / detachment detection unit of the information processing device to when it is detected that the food and drink have been served by receiving the food serving detection information transmitted from the food serving detection unit of the display terminal; a served food and drink specification unit that specifies a food and drink that is estimated to have been served from among the one or more foods and drinks included in the order information managed in association with the terminal specification information, based on the elapsed time measured by the elapsed time measurement unit and a cooking time guideline preset for each food and drink, The display control unit transmits the processing progress information related to the serving of the food and drink specified by the served food and drink specifying unit to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal specifying information, and causes the processing progress information to be displayed. The progress management system according to claim 5 .

7. The progress management system described in claim 6, characterized in that the processing progress information related to the food and beverages being served is information informing the customer which foods and beverages have been served and which have not been served, or information informing the customer which foods and beverages have not been served, for the one or more foods and beverages included in the order.

8. The progress management device further includes an order content management unit that manages order information, which represents the content of an order including one or more foods and beverages ordered through the ordering terminal, in association with the terminal identification information, and The food delivery detection unit detects that the food and drink ordered through the ordering terminal has been delivered based on a predetermined operation performed when the food and drink ordered through the ordering terminal has been delivered, and also identifies the delivered food and drink based on information transmitted from a mobile terminal carried by a waiter, and transmits information on the identified food and drink to the progress management device. The display control unit of the progress management device transmits the processing progress status information related to the serving of the food and drink specified based on the information transmitted from the serving detection unit of the display terminal to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal specification information, and displays the processing progress status information. The progress management system according to claim 5 .

9. 5. The progress management system according to claim 1, wherein the order terminal and the display terminal are the same terminal.

10. A system including an order receiving device that receives orders from an ordering terminal operated by a customer of a store to order food and drink, an information processing device having a slip holder that detachably holds one or more order slips printed by a printer for orders made through the ordering terminal, and a display terminal that displays progress status information regarding the processing of orders made through the ordering terminal, comprising: The progress management device includes: an association management unit that manages, in association with each other, holder location information indicating the location of the slip holder to which the order slip is attached, and terminal identification information that can identify the display terminal on which order processing progress information for the order slip attached at the location indicated by the holder location information is to be displayed; and a display control unit that, based on detection information transmitted from the information processing device together with the holder position information when the information processing device detects that the order slip has been attached to the slip holder and that the order slip has been removed from the slip holder, transmits and displays at least one of the processing progress status information related to the attachment of the order slip to the slip holder and the processing progress status information related to the removal of the order slip from the slip holder to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information associated with the holder position information. A progress management device comprising:

11. A method for managing progress status regarding the processing of an order made through the ordering terminal by a progress management device in a system including an order receiving device that receives orders from an ordering terminal operated by a customer of a store to order food and beverages, an information processing device having a slip holder that detachably holds one or more order slips printed by a printer for the order made through the ordering terminal, and a display terminal that displays progress status information regarding the processing of the order made through the ordering terminal, comprising: an association management unit of the progress management device managing, in association with each other, holder position information indicating the position of the slip holder to which the order slip is attached, and terminal identification information capable of identifying the display terminal on which order processing progress information related to the order slip attached at the position indicated by the holder position information is to be displayed; a display control unit of the progress management device, based on detection information transmitted from the information processing device together with the holder position information when the information processing device detects that the order slip has been attached to the slip holder and that the order slip has been removed from the slip holder, transmitting and displaying at least one of the processing progress status information related to the attachment of the order slip to the slip holder and the processing progress status information related to the removal of the order slip from the slip holder to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information associated with the holder position information. A progress management method comprising:

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