Order system, and control method

Abstract

To provide an order system and a control method capable of suitably outputting merchandise information.SOLUTION: An order system is provided with: an input unit for receiving input on liquor shop merchandise information in respect to a list of merchandise dealt in by a liquor shop; a management unit for uniquely managing merchandise information for a system in the order system managing each of the merchandise dealt in by one or more of restaurants and liquor shops; a collation unit for determining correspondence between the merchandise included in the liquor shop merchandise information and the merchandise included in the merchandise information for the system; an identification unit for determining same merchandise different in at least either of volume, numbers, or packages for each of merchandise included in the merchandise information for the system; and a display control unit for integrally outputting, to restaurants, the liquor shop merchandise information corresponding to the merchandise identified as the same merchandise different in at least either of the volume, the numbers, and the packages in the merchandise information for the system when outputting the list of the merchandise included in the liquor shop merchandise information to restaurants.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this application relates to an ordering system and control method for placing orders for products from one or more restaurants or the like to one or more wholesalers such as liquor stores. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, systems that support commercial transactions from product retailers to restaurants have been considered (for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a commercial transaction support system that is applied to a commercial transaction form in which multiple retailers are present between multiple restaurants and at least one provider that provides multiple types of products to be sold at each restaurant, and each restaurant has a business relationship with at least one retailer, and that instructs a logistics center where the product is stored to ship the product in response to an order for the product from each restaurant, and processes the order from each restaurant as a product transaction between the provider of the product included in the order, the retailer that has the business relationship with each restaurant, and each restaurant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-097475 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Beverages on sale often have variations (hereinafter referred to as "variants" in this specification) that have the same contents but differ only in volume, quantity, etc. However, when displaying a list of products, if various variations of the same product are displayed in addition to products with different contents, there is a problem that the visibility of each product is reduced.

[0005] Some aspects of the present invention have been made in consideration of any of the above-mentioned problems, and their objective is to provide an ordering system and a control method that enable product information to be presented in an optimal manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the ordering system is an ordering system for placing orders for products from one or more drinking establishments to one or more liquor stores, and includes an input unit that receives liquor store product information regarding a list of products handled by the liquor store, a management unit that manages system product information that uniquely manages each product handled by the one or more drinking establishments and the one or more liquor stores within the ordering system, a comparison unit that determines a correspondence between the products included in the liquor store product information and the products included in the system product information by comparing the input liquor store product information with the system product information, an identification unit that determines identical products that differ in at least one of capacity, quantity, or packaging for each product included in the system product information, and a display control unit that, when presenting a list of products included in the liquor store product information to the drinking establishment, aggregates liquor store product information corresponding to products that are determined to be identical products in the system product information but differ in at least one of capacity, quantity, or packaging, and presents the aggregated liquor store product information to the drinking establishment.

[0007] In one embodiment, the control method includes a process in which an ordering and placing system that places orders for products from one or more drinking establishments to one or more liquor stores receives input of liquor store product information regarding a list of products handled by the liquor store, a process in which system product information is managed uniquely within the ordering and placing system for managing each product handled by the one or more drinking establishments and the one or more liquor stores, a process in which the input liquor store product information is compared with the system product information to determine a correspondence between the products included in the liquor store product information and the products included in the system product information, a process in which, for each product included in the system product information, identical products that differ in at least one of capacity, quantity, or packaging are determined, and when presenting a list of products included in the liquor store product information to the drinking establishment, the process in which the liquor store product information corresponding to the products determined in the system product information to be identical products that differ in at least one of capacity, quantity, or packaging are aggregated and presented to the drinking establishment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an order placement and receipt system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a specific example of liquor store product information. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a specific example of product information for the system. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a specific example of a display screen displayed on a restaurant terminal. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a specific example of a display screen displayed on a restaurant terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a specific example of a display screen displayed on the liquor store terminal. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a specific example of a display screen displayed on the liquor store terminal. [Figure 8] 2 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of a functional configuration of the order placement and receipt server illustrated in FIG. 1. [Figure 9] 2 is a flowchart for explaining a specific example of a process flow of the order placement and receipt server shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 10]2 is a functional block diagram showing a specific example of a hardware configuration for realizing the order placement and receipt server shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a specific example of a display screen displayed on a restaurant terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Various embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that common components in the drawings are given the same reference numerals. Also, please note that components shown in one drawing may be omitted in another drawing for convenience of explanation. Furthermore, please note that the attached drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0010] The various systems, methods, and devices described herein should not be construed as being limited in any way. Indeed, the present disclosure is directed to all novel features and aspects of each of the various disclosed embodiments, combinations of these various embodiments with each other, and combinations of parts of these various embodiments with each other. The various systems, methods, and devices described herein are not limited to a specific aspect, a specific feature, or a combination of such a specific aspect and a specific feature, and the products and methods described herein do not require that one or more specific advantages exist or problems be solved. Moreover, various features or aspects of the various embodiments described herein, or parts of such features or aspects, may be used in combination with each other.

[0011] Although operations of some of the various methods disclosed herein have been described in a particular order for convenience, it should be understood that description in such a manner encompasses rearranging the order of the operations, unless a particular order is required by specific text below. For example, operations described in a sequence may in some cases be rearranged or performed simultaneously. Moreover, for purposes of simplicity, the accompanying drawings do not show various ways in which the various items and methods described herein may be used in conjunction with other items and methods.

[0012] Any theories of operation, scientific principles or other theoretical descriptions presented herein in connection with the devices or methods of the present disclosure are provided for the purpose of better understanding and are not intended to limit the scope of the technology, and the devices and methods in the appended claims are not limited to devices and methods that operate in a manner described by such theories of operation.

[0013] Any of the various methods disclosed herein may be implemented using computer-executable instructions stored in one or more computer-readable media and executed in a computer. The one or more media may be non-transitory computer-readable storage media, such as at least one optical media disk, volatile memory components, or non-volatile memory components, where the volatile memory components include, for example, DRAM or SRAM. Also, the non-volatile memory components include, for example, hard drives and solid-state drives (SSD). Furthermore, the computer may include any computer available in the market, including, for example, smartphones and other mobile devices having hardware to perform calculations.

[0014] Any such computer-executable instructions for implementing the techniques disclosed herein, together with any data generated and used during the implementation of the various embodiments disclosed herein, may be stored in one or more computer-readable media (e.g., non-transitory computer-readable storage media). Such computer-executable instructions may be, for example, part of a separate software application, or part of a software application accessed or downloaded via a web browser or other software application (such as a remote computing application). Such software may be executed, for example, on a single local computer (e.g., as a process executed on any suitable computer available on the market) or in a network environment (e.g., the Internet, a wide area network, a local area network, a client-server network (such as a cloud computing network), or other such network) using one or more networked computers.

[0015] For clarity, only certain selected aspects of various software-based implementations are described. Other details that are well known in the art are omitted. For example, the techniques disclosed herein are not limited to a specific computer language or program. For example, the techniques disclosed herein may be implemented by software written in C, C++, Java, or any other suitable programming language. Similarly, the techniques disclosed herein are not limited to a specific computer or a specific type of hardware. Specific details of suitable computers and hardware are well known and need not be described in detail herein.

[0016] Moreover, any of the various such software-based embodiments (e.g., including computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to perform any of the various methods disclosed herein) may be uploaded, downloaded, or accessed in a remote manner by suitable communications means including, for example, the Internet, the World Wide Web, an intranet, a software application, cable (including fiber optic cable), magnetic communication, electromagnetic communication (including RF, microwave, infrared), electronic communication, or other such communications means.

[0017] 1. Overview 1 to 11 are diagrams for explaining an order-receiving system and a control method thereof according to an embodiment. Below, the system configuration of the order-receiving system is broadly explained, and then specific examples of processing are explained while showing specific examples of the database (hereinafter also referred to as "DB") and display screen, and then the functional configuration, processing flow, etc. are explained.

[0018] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an order receiving and placing system 1. The order receiving and placing system 1 according to this embodiment is used in transactions when one or more (usually multiple) drinking establishments each purchase products from one or more (usually multiple) liquor stores.

[0019] Although referred to here as a "liquor store," the "liquor store" in this embodiment does not necessarily have to sell only alcoholic beverages; it may sell non-alcoholic beverages and other foods in addition to alcoholic beverages, or it may sell only non-alcoholic beverages without selling alcoholic beverages.

[0020] The ordering system 1 can be broadly composed of an ordering server 100, beverage store terminals 200A-200N (hereinafter collectively referred to as "bar terminals 200"), and liquor store terminals 300A-300M (hereinafter collectively referred to as "liquor store terminals 300"), and the ordering server 100, the beverage store terminals 200, and the liquor store terminals 300 can communicate with each other via a network N. The beverage store terminals 200 and the liquor store terminals 300 can be realized by various information processing devices, such as PCs (personal computers, whether notebook / laptop or desktop), mobile phones (whether so-called smartphones or feature phones), tablet terminals, etc.

[0021] The ordering server 100 is a server operated by a system provider that provides a transaction system between a restaurant and a liquor store. The ordering server 100 displays a display screen on the restaurant terminal 200 and the liquor store terminal 300, respectively, and performs transactions between the restaurant and the liquor store according to operations on the display screen. As a method for displaying the display screen on the display device of the restaurant terminal 200 and the liquor store terminal 300, it is possible to display the display screen by transmitting information of a web page written in HTML or the like to the browser of the restaurant terminal 200 and the liquor store terminal 300, or to display the display screen by mutually cooperating with an application program (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "app") installed on the restaurant terminal 200 and the liquor store terminal 300 via a network N.

[0022] The order receiving and placing server 100 manages liquor store product information relating to the products handled by each liquor store in order to carry out transactions between restaurants and liquor stores, and also manages system product information that unifies information relating to all products handled by all liquor stores (i.e., all products that can be handled on the order receiving and placing server 100). Specific examples of the liquor store product information and the system product information will be described later with reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

[0023] It should be noted that the order server 100 does not have to be realized as one physical computer, and the functions of the order server 100 may be realized by a plurality of computers working together.

[0024] The liquor store operates the liquor store terminal 300 to register liquor store product information related to the products it sells in the order receiving and sending server 100, and also updates the liquor store product information as appropriate. It is also possible for the system provider to register the liquor store product information in the order receiving and sending server 100 on behalf of the customer. In addition, when a drinking establishment orders products from the liquor store, the order information can be confirmed on the display screen of the order receiving and sending server 100. The screen for updating the liquor store product information will be described later with reference to FIG. 7.

[0025] Furthermore, since transactions are concluded between individual liquor stores and individual drinking establishments, each liquor store can set different prices for each drinking establishment even for the same product, and it is also possible to set certain products so that they can only be ordered from certain drinking establishments.

[0026] The establishment operates the establishment terminal 200 to check the product information sold to it by each liquor store and to place an order with each liquor store as appropriate. At this time, on the screen displayed on the establishment terminal 200, products that have the same contents but differ in at least one of the capacity, quantity, or packaging are displayed together. This makes it easier for the establishment to select products, since a large number of identical products are not lined up on the display screen. Specific examples of the display screen displayed on the establishment terminal 200 will be described later with reference to Figs. 4 and 5.

[0027] 2.Specific examples of product information A specific example of the liquor store product information 20 and the system product information 30 managed on the order receiving and placing server 100 will be described below.

[0028] 2.1 Liquor store product information 20 First, a specific example of liquor store product information 20 registered / managed by a liquor store will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of liquor store product information 20. Note that in the example of Fig. 2, the liquor store product information 20 is expressed as one list (database), but it is also possible to realize the liquor store product information 20 by a relational database in which multiple databases are mutually combined.

[0029] As described above, the liquor store product information 20 is information about a list of products sold by each liquor store. Therefore, for each liquor store, liquor store product information 20 about the products that the store handles on the order receiving and placing system 1 is prepared.

[0030] Typically, the liquor store product information 20 is registered on the order receiving server 100 after the liquor store provides a list of products handled by the order receiving system 1 or more to the system provider, who then supplements the necessary information as appropriate based on the list. However, this is not limited to this, and for example, the liquor store itself may register the liquor store product information 20 on the order receiving server 100.

[0031] As shown in Figure 2, liquor store product information 20 can include information such as the product name, SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), SKU ID, liquor store product ID, capacity, container type (packaging form), sales form (packaging form), quantity (number of pieces), sales price, sales start date, and stock status.

[0032] The name and SKU of a product are names by which the user (a natural person who operates the ordering system 1, including a liquor store or restaurant) can identify the product. In particular, the SKU name includes information such as "350 ml" or "30 bottles" in addition to the product name "** Juice". In this way, by including information such as capacity, number (quantity), and sales form (packaging) in the SKU name in addition to the normal product name, the user can easily distinguish between the same products (SKUs) that have the same contents but differ in at least one of the capacity, number, or packaging.

[0033] SKU ID is an ID for identifying each product (SKU). For example, JAN code can be used as SKU ID, and even if the contents of a product with the same product name are the same, if at least one of the capacity, number, or packaging is different, a different SKU ID is assigned. However, if a seller of a product sells a variation of a product with the same product name but with at least one of the capacity, number, or packaging changed, a different SKU ID is assigned. However, if a liquor store creates a variation of a product with its own number or packaging changed, the SKU ID will not be unique. For example, if a manufacturer sells the same product in the form of a single PET bottle and in the form of a set of six PET bottles, the SKU IDs for both are different. On the other hand, if a liquor store sells a product in the form of a set of two PET bottles, even though the manufacturer does not sell it, the single PET bottle and the set of two PET bottles will have the same SKU ID.

[0034] The liquor store product ID is an identifier that is assigned by the liquor store to identify individual products, and is assigned uniquely to each product within the liquor store product information 20. That is, even if the liquor store in the above example independently prepares a product such as a set of two plastic bottles, a different liquor store product ID is assigned to the set from that for a single plastic bottle.

[0035] Capacity, container type, sales form, and quantity indicate the content volume, packaging form, and number of items included in the sales form of one product. In this book, container type (e.g., plastic bottles, bottles, cans, etc.) and sales form (cardboard, etc.) are collectively referred to as "packaging form."

[0036] The selling price is the normal selling price of the liquor store. If you want to prepare a different selling price for a specific beverage store, you can set such information in "Custom Price Information".

[0037] 2.2 Product Information for System 30 Next, a specific example of system product information 30 managed on the order receiving and placing server 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of system product information 30. Note that, although the example of Fig. 3 shows system product information 30 as one list (database), it is also possible to realize system product information 30 by a relational database in which a plurality of databases are mutually combined, similarly to the liquor store product information 20 described above.

[0038] As mentioned above, the system product information 30 is a database for unified management of information on all products that can be handled on the order receiving and placing server 100. In the system product information 30, even if the contents are the same, products are treated as different products if their capacity, packaging form, etc. are different.

[0039] Therefore, the system provider can create the system product information 30 by combining the liquor store product information 20 related to each liquor store. Here, in the system product information 30, if a manufacturer sells a product with the same product name but with at least one of the capacity, number, or packaging changed, those products are treated as different products. On the other hand, even if a product with the exact same product name, content volume, packaging form, etc. is sold by liquor store A and by liquor store B, they are treated as the same product in the system product information 30 regardless of the store. Also, if a specific liquor store A prepares its own product form in which two PET bottles are bundled together, that product is treated as different from other products in the system product information 30. In other words, the system product information 30 is generated by combining the liquor store product information 20 related to the products handled by each liquor store, and then aggregating those that are determined to be the same product, including the capacity and packaging form, into one item.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, system product information 30 may include information such as a system product code, a SKU ID, a liquor store code, a liquor store product ID, a variant identifier, a product name, a volume, a container type, and a sales format.

[0041] The system product code is an identifier that is uniquely assigned to each product in the system product information 30. In other words, even if there are multiple products with the same product name and contents, but with different volumes and packaging forms, the system product code makes it possible to uniquely identify the products.

[0042] The SKU ID is the same as that used in the above-mentioned liquor store product information 20, and is an identifier uniquely assigned to each product sold by the manufacturer using a JAN code, etc. As mentioned above, even if the SKU ID is used, if there are products in formats that are prepared independently by the liquor store, the products cannot be uniquely identified.

[0043] The liquor store code is an identifier uniquely assigned to each liquor store to identify each individual liquor store. The liquor store product ID is the same as that contained in the liquor store product information 20 described above, and is assigned uniquely to a product within the liquor store product information 20 pertaining to one liquor store. In other words, by using both the liquor store code and the liquor store product ID, it becomes possible to identify each product handled by a liquor store. As described above, since the same product is often handled by multiple liquor stores, the liquor store code and liquor store product ID items contain information for each liquor store that handles the product.

[0044] A variant identifier is an identifier used to identify product variations (products / variants that have the same product name and contents but differ in capacity, number of items in a set, or packaging form). The same variant identifier is assigned to identical variants. On the other hand, different variant identifiers are assigned to products with different product names or contents. This makes it possible to identify whether a product is a variation with the same product name, contents, etc. but different capacity, number, or packaging form using the variant identifier.

[0045] 3. Specific examples of display screens displayed on the restaurant terminal 200 Hereinafter, specific examples of display screens displayed on the establishment terminal 200 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0046] 3.1 Product list screen 40 4 is a diagram showing a specific example of a product list screen 40 displayed on the restaurant terminal 200. The product list screen 40 displays a list of products that the restaurant connected to the restaurant terminal 200 can order from a specific liquor store, for example.

[0047] 4, product icons 41A-41D (hereinafter collectively referred to as "product icons 41"; the same applies below) relating to four products, "** Juice", "** Juice X", "** Tea Peach", and "** Cafe", are displayed on the product list screen 40. However, five or more products may be displayed on the product list screen 40 by scrolling, or only three or fewer products may be displayed on the product list screen 40.

[0048] On the product icon 41, a product image 42, a product name 43, volume information 44, price information 45, number of variations information 46, and unit price information 47 are arranged.

[0049] In the example of FIG. 4, for example, for the information of a product whose product name 43 is "** Juice", the volume information 44 is described as "350ml-2L", the price information 45 is described as "￥1,200-￥4,500" with a range, and in addition, the number of variations information 46 is described as "other types + 5". This means that the product whose product name 43 is "** Juice" has a total of six variations with different volumes and prices, and these variations are aggregated and displayed on the product list screen 40 as one product icon 41A. The same is true for a product whose product name 43B is "** Juice X". When the user selects the product icon 41A related to the product whose product name 43A is "** Juice", the display screen transitions to the display screen shown in FIG. 5 described later.

[0050] On the other hand, for the two products with product name 43 "Tea **Peach" and "**Cafe", there is no range of the product name in the volume information 44 and price information 45, and there is also no information on the number of variations in the variation number information 46, so it is clear that there are no variations of the product.

[0051] The presence or absence of a variation product can be determined by checking whether there is another product with the same variant identifier by referring to the system product information 30, a specific example of which is shown in Fig. 3. The order placement and receipt server 100 generates a product list screen 40 based on the system product information 30 by displaying a single product icon 41 for a group of products with the same variant identifier and different product icons 41 for products with different variant identifiers.

[0052] When there are many variations of a product, a problem arises as to which product to select as the product image 42. In this case, the product image 42 of the product selected as the main product from among the variations of the product group is selected.

[0053] 3.2 Product details screen 50 Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a specific example of a product details screen 50, which is a display screen that displays detailed product information for ordering an individual product. The product details screen 50 is displayed, for example, when one product icon 41 is selected on the product list screen 40 shown in Fig. 4. At this time, if the product associated with the product icon 41 has variations, the product details screen 50 for the product selected as the main product is displayed, similar to the product image 42 on the product list screen 40 described above.

[0054] 5, detailed product information is displayed, including information on the product name "** Juice", volume "350ml", sales price "¥1,200 tax included", and unit price "¥40 / bottle". The order quantity can be selected in an order quantity selection area 51, and when an "Add to cart" button 53 is selected, the product displayed on the product details screen 50 is added to the cart in the quantity set in the order quantity selection area 51. Similarly, when an "Order now" button 54 is selected, the product displayed on the product details screen 50 is ordered from the liquor store in the quantity set in the order quantity selection area 51.

[0055] The product details screen 50 has a variation product display field 52 for "other products". This is for displaying the variation products as icons when the product displayed on the product details screen 50 has the same product name and contents but has at least one different capacity, quantity, or packaging form. In the example of FIG. 5, the product with the product name "** Juice" is shown as having variations such as a "1.25L" plastic bottle and 12 "350ml" cans, each of which is shown as an icon. For example, when the user selects the icon for the product in the "1.25L" plastic bottle form, the screen transitions to the product details screen 50 for the product in the selected form.

[0056] It should be noted that if the product displayed on the product details screen 50 does not have any variation products, the variation product display field 52 is not displayed.

[0057] Furthermore, the method of displaying the variation products is not limited to the form shown in Fig. 5. For example, as shown in Fig. 11, it is also possible to select the variation products using a pull-down menu 55 (in the example of Fig. 11, "Case (4)" indicating a unit of 4 cases is selected, but individual products can be selected by operating the pull-down menu 55), and to order the number of units set in the order quantity selection area 51.

[0058] 4. Specific examples of display screens displayed on the liquor store terminal 300 Hereinafter, specific examples of display screens displayed on the liquor store terminal 300 will be described with reference to Figs.

[0059] 4.1 Product List Screen 60 6 is a diagram showing a specific example of a product list screen 60 displayed on the liquor store terminal 300. The product list screen 60 displays a list of products handled by the liquor store related to the liquor store terminal 300 on the order receiving and placing system 1.

[0060] 6, products with product names such as "** Syrup (for dilution)", "**** Orange (for dilution)", and "**** Grapefruit (for dilution)" are displayed as a product list 61. The product list 61 presents information about each product, such as the product name, SKU, SKU ID, product image, capacity, container type (packaging form), sales form (packaging form), quantity (number of pieces), and sales price.

[0061] It should be noted that even if there are variations of a product, each variation is displayed as a different item on the product list 61. Specifically, for a product with the product name "(For dilution) **** Grapefruit", products with different volumes, container types, etc. are displayed on different lines on the product list 61.

[0062] The liquor store owner can then select an operation button 62 provided for each product item to transition to a detailed setting screen for each product, as shown in FIG.

[0063] 4.2 Advanced Settings Screen 70 7 is a diagram showing a specific example of a detailed setting screen 70 displayed on the liquor store terminal 300. As described above, the detailed setting screen 70 is a screen that is displayed when a user selects an operation button 62 related to a specific product on the above-mentioned product list screen 60, and is a screen that displays detailed information about the selected product and allows the liquor store to update the information as necessary.

[0064] On the detailed setting screen 70, information such as the SKU name, liquor store name, sales format (packaging format), capacity, container type, quantity (number of pieces), list price, selling price, sales start date, sales end date, stock status, and product image is displayed in a detailed display area 71. Of these, the SKU name, liquor store name, sales format, capacity, container type, and quantity cannot be edited by the liquor store, since changing these would result in a different product. On the other hand, the selling price, sales start date, sales end date, and stock status can be edited by the liquor store itself.

[0065] In addition, a custom price button 72 and a target customer button 73 are also arranged on the detailed setting screen 70. A user who is a liquor store can set a sales price specific to a specific drinking establishment for that drinking establishment by selecting the custom price button 72 on the detailed setting screen 70. In addition, a user who is a liquor store can set drinking establishments to which the product is to be sold by selecting the target customer button 73 on the detailed setting screen 70. In other words, even if a drinking establishment to which the liquor store does not sell the product is displayed the product list screen 40 for purchasing products from the liquor store, the product will not be displayed.

[0066] 5. System configuration of the order receiving and placing server 100 Hereinafter, the functional configuration of the order server 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the order server 100. The order server 100 includes a product information control unit 110, a restaurant UI (user interface) control unit 120, a liquor store UI control unit 130, an order control unit 140, and a database 150. Note that the product information control unit 110, the restaurant UI control unit 120, the liquor store UI control unit 130, and the order control unit 140 are typically realized as programs, but may be implemented as a single program, or may be implemented as multiple programs that can operate in cooperation with each other by inputting and outputting data.

[0067] The product information control unit 110 manages the system product information 30 and the liquor store product information 20 stored in the database 150. The product information control unit 110 includes a product information input unit 111, a product matching unit 113, a product information editing unit 115, and a main product determination unit 117.

[0068] The product information input unit 111 receives an input of a list of products handled by the liquor store provided by the liquor store. The list may be input by a system provider managing the order receiving and placing server 100, or may be input by the liquor store itself via the liquor store UI control unit 130.

[0069] The product matching unit 113 compares the liquor store product list input from the product information input unit 111 with the system product information 30 to determine whether each product listed in the input product list is the same or different from each product registered in the system product information 30. The product matching unit 113 is considered to be a classifier that has previously been machine-learned using correct answer data to determine whether the information on the input product list and the information on products included in the liquor store product information 20 are the same product or not.

[0070] The product information editing unit 115 appropriately edits the result of the judgment by the product matching unit 113 as to whether each product listed in the input product list is the same or different from each product registered in the product information for the system 30, according to the user's input. The product list of the liquor store is created by the liquor store itself, and the liquor store is not necessarily good at information processing, so the method of entering various information such as product names is usually different from that of the system provider, and there are often missing information. Therefore, even if the product matching unit 113, which is a discriminator trained in advance by machine learning, is used, a certain degree of error in the matching result often occurs. Therefore, the user individually checks whether the products judged by the product matching unit 113 to be the same or different between the product list provided by the liquor store and the product information for the system 30 are actually as they are, and if there is an error, corrects it using the product information editing unit 115. In this way, the product information control unit 110 prepares correspondence by automating matching using the product matching unit 113, and also enables users to edit information individually using the product information editing unit 115, thereby improving the accuracy of the database.

[0071] The main product determination unit 117 determines which product is to be the main product when there are products with the same product name and contents but different content amounts, numbers, packaging forms, etc. The product list screen 40 shown in FIG. 4 displays a product image 42 of the main product, and the product details screen 50, which is transitioned to when a product icon 41 is selected on the product list screen 40, displays information on the main product among the product groups of the variations. The main product determination unit 117 determines the main product. For example, the main product determination unit 117 can set different main products for each restaurant. More specifically, for example, when a specific product form has been purchased or viewed among the product groups of the variations, the product form purchased or viewed can be determined as the main product. At this time, when the product group of the variations has been purchased or viewed multiple times, the product form most recently purchased or viewed may be the main product, or the product form most frequently purchased or viewed may be the main product. In many cases, a business relationship exists between a drinking establishment and a liquor store before the use of the ordering server 100 is started, and since the liquor store often registers products that have been purchased from the drinking establishment on the ordering server 100, the main product can often be easily determined using the purchase history. Also, for example, if a drinking establishment has not purchased or viewed any product form, it is possible to determine the product that has been viewed or viewed frequently in all drinking establishments that use the ordering system 1 as the main product.

[0072] The restaurant UI control unit 120 performs various processes for displaying various display screens, such as a product list screen 40 and a product details screen 50, specific examples of which are shown in Figures 4 and 5, on the restaurant terminal 200. The restaurant UI control unit 120 may, for example, send display information to the browser of the restaurant terminal 200 as web page information written in HTML or the like, or may cooperate with an app installed on the restaurant terminal 200 to display various display screens.

[0073] The liquor store UI control unit 130 performs various processes for displaying various display screens, such as a product list screen 60 and a detailed setting screen 70, specific examples of which are shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, on the liquor store terminal 300. The liquor store UI control unit 130 may, for example, send display information to the browser of the liquor store terminal 300 as web page information written in HTML or the like, or may display various display screens in cooperation with an application installed on the liquor store terminal 300.

[0074] The order control unit 140 performs processing for ordering products from the liquor store as appropriate in response to the input of the restaurant name on the display screen displayed by the restaurant UI control unit 120 on the restaurant terminal 200.

[0075] The database 150 manages various information including liquor store product information 20 and system product information 30. The information managed by the database 150 is not limited to the liquor store product information 20 and system product information 30. For example, it is conceivable that the database 150 manages information on liquor stores and restaurants that use the ordering system 1, ordering information related to product orders from restaurants to liquor stores, and the like.

[0076] 6. Processing flow The flow of processing by the order server 100 will be described below with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the procedure of processing by the order server 100.

[0077] The product information input unit 111 of the order receiving and placing server 100 receives an input of a list of products provided by the liquor store. This list corresponds to the liquor store product information 20 registered in the database 150. At this time, the product information input unit 111 checks whether any required information has been omitted, and if any information has been omitted, it may notify the user to that effect and prompt the system provider or the liquor store to enter the information.

[0078] The product matching unit 113 matches the product list input from the product information input unit 111 (corresponding to the liquor store product information 20) with the system product information 30 for centrally managing all products handled on the order receiving and placing system 1 (S903). Through this matching, the product matching unit 113 identifies whether the product listed in the system product information 30 and the product listed in the liquor store product information 20 are the same product.

[0079] The system provider checks the result of the matching by the product matching unit 113, and if it is determined that the products are the same, checks whether the matching is correct, and if it is determined that the products are not the same, checks whether the products are really the same. If the matching by the product matching unit 113 is incorrect, the system provider corrects the matching using the product information editing unit 115 (S905).

[0080] As a result, if it is determined that the product included in the liquor store product information 20 is the same as the product included in the system product information 30 (YES in S907), the product information included in the liquor store product information 20 is associated with the information included in the system product information 30 (S909). More specifically, for example, information related to the read liquor store product information 20 may be added to the items of the liquor store code and liquor store product ID included in the system product information 30.

[0081] On the other hand, if it is determined that the product included in the read liquor store product information 20 does not match any product included in the system product information 30 (NO in S907), the product is newly registered in the system product information 30 (S911). Then, the product matching unit 113 determines whether or not there is a variation of the newly registered product that has the same product name and contents but differs in at least one of the capacity, number, packaging form, etc. The user who is the system provider checks the result, and if there is an error, corrects the result in the product information editing unit 115. Then, the product information input unit 111 sets, for example, a variant identifier included in the system product information 30 depending on whether or not there is a product of the variation.

[0082] If there are variations of products with the same product name and contents but different volumes, quantities, etc. (YES in S915), the main product determination unit 117 determines the main product for the target restaurant from among the variations (S917). At this time, the main product determination unit 117 can determine the product that has been most recently purchased or viewed by the restaurant from among the variations, or the product that has been purchased or viewed many times, as the main product for the restaurant. Alternatively, if there is no / little purchase or viewing history, the number of times that the product has been viewed or purchased by all restaurants using the ordering system 1 can be tallied, and the product with the most number of views can be determined as the main product.

[0083] 7.Hardware Configuration A specific example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device 1000 in which the order receiving and placing server 100 is realized will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a specific example of a hardware configuration diagram in which the functional configuration of the order receiving and placing server 100 shown in Fig. 8 is realized. The information processing device 1000 can be a commonly available computer system, such as a server computer, a desktop PC, or a notebook PC.

[0084] The information processing device 1000 may include a control unit 1010, a memory 1030, a storage device 1050, an input I / F unit 1070, a data I / F unit 1090, a communication I / F unit 1110, and a display device 1130.

[0085] The control unit 1010 controls various processes in the order receiving and placing server 100 by executing programs stored in the memory 1030. For example, the product information control unit 110, the restaurant UI control unit 120, the liquor store UI control unit 130, and the order receiving and placing control unit 140 described in Fig. 8 can be realized as programs that are temporarily stored in the memory 1030 and run mainly on the control unit 1010.

[0086] The memory 1030 is a storage medium such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory 1030 temporarily stores the code of the program executed by the control unit 1010 and data required when executing the program. For example, the storage area of ​​the memory 1030 stores part or all of the system product information 30 and the liquor store product information 20 contained in the database 150.

[0087] The storage device 1050 is a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk or a flash memory. The storage device 1050 stores an operating system, various programs for implementing the product information control unit 110, the restaurant UI control unit 120, the liquor store UI control unit 130, and the order control unit 140, and various data in the database 150. The programs and data stored in the storage device 1050 are loaded into the memory 1030 as necessary, and are referred to by the control unit 1010.

[0088] The input I / F unit 1070 is a device for receiving operation input. Specific examples of the input I / F unit 1070 include a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, various sensors, etc. The input I / F unit 1070 may be connected to the information processing device 1000 via an interface such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB).

[0089] The data I / F unit 1090 is a device for inputting data from outside the information processing device 1000. A specific example of the data I / F unit 1090 is a drive device for reading data stored in various storage media. The data I / F unit 1090 may be provided outside the information processing device 1000. In this case, the data I / F unit 1090 is connected to the information processing device 1000 via an interface such as a USB.

[0090] The communication I / F unit 1110 is a device for communicating data with an external device of the information processing device 1000, such as the restaurant terminal 200 or the liquor store terminal 300. The communication I / F unit 1110 may be provided outside the information processing device 1000. In this case, the communication I / F unit 1110 is connected to the information processing device 1000 via an interface such as a USB.

[0091] The display device 1130 is a device for displaying various types of information. Specific examples of the display device 1130 include a liquid crystal display and an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The display device 1130 may be provided outside the information processing device 1000. In that case, the display device 1130 is connected to the information processing device 1000 via, for example, a display cable or the like.

[0092] 8. Additional Notes The configurations of the above-described embodiments may be combined or some of the components may be replaced. Furthermore, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1···Ordering system, 20···Liquor store product information, 30···Product information for system, 40···Product list screen, 50···Product details screen, 60···Product list screen, 70···Detailed setting screen, 100···Ordering server, 110···Product information control section, 111···Product information input section, 113···Product matching section, 115···Product information editing section, 117···Main product determination section, 120···Price Bar UI control unit, 130... liquor store UI control unit, 140... order control unit, 150... database, 200... bar terminal, 300... liquor store terminal, 1000... information processing device, 1010... control unit, 1030... memory, 1050... storage device, 1070... input I / F unit, 1090... data I / F unit, 1110... communication I / F unit, 1130... display device

Claims

1. An ordering system for placing orders for products from one or more drinking establishments to one or more liquor stores, an input unit for receiving input of liquor store product information relating to a list of products handled by the liquor store; A management unit that manages system product information that uniquely manages each product handled by the one or more drinking establishments and the one or more liquor stores within the ordering system; A collation unit that determines a correspondence between the products included in the liquor store product information and the product information for the system by collating the input liquor store product information with the product information for the system; an identification unit that determines identical products that are different in at least one of capacity, quantity, and packaging from each product included in the system product information; a display control unit that, when presenting a list of products included in the liquor store product information to a restaurant, aggregates liquor store product information corresponding to products that are determined to be the same product but differ in at least one of capacity, number, or packaging in the system product information, and presents the aggregated information to the restaurant; An ordering system comprising:

2. A main product determination section that determines which product to present to the drinking establishment among one or more products that are the same product but differ in at least one of capacity, number, or packaging when presenting a list of products included in the liquor store product information to the drinking establishment. The ordering system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

3. When a product is selected by a drinking establishment from the list of products included in the liquor store product information, the display control unit displays detailed information of the selected product as well as information on the same product that differs in at least one of capacity, number, or packaging.

2. The ordering system according to claim 1.

4. When presenting a list of products included in the liquor store product information to a restaurant, the list to be presented to the restaurant can be edited to determine whether or not to include a particular product in the list, or to edit the price of the product for the restaurant.

2. The ordering system according to claim 1.

5. An ordering system for placing orders for products from one or more drinking establishments to one or more liquor stores, receiving liquor store product information relating to a list of products carried by the liquor store; A process of managing system product information that uniquely manages each product handled by the one or more drinking establishments and the one or more liquor stores within the ordering system; A process of determining a correspondence relationship between the products included in the liquor store product information and the product information for the system by collating the input liquor store product information with the product information for the system; A process of determining, for each product included in the system product information, a product that is the same as the product but has a different capacity, quantity, or packaging; When presenting a list of products included in the liquor store product information to a restaurant, a process of aggregating liquor store product information corresponding to products that are determined to be the same product but have at least one of different capacity, number, or packaging in the system product information and presenting the information to the restaurant; A control method for performing the above.

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