Order support system, order support method, and order support program

Abstract

To provide an order support system configured to properly provide food and drink to a user while improving work efficiency of a kitchen in a facility, an order support method, and an order support program.SOLUTION: In an order support system 1, a control unit of an order support apparatus includes: a reception processing unit 212 which receives an order of food and drink for each table of a facility which provides the food and drink; a calculation processing unit 213 which calculates a difference of time when each of ordered food and drink is provided for each table; a determination processing unit 214 which determines whether time differences for a first table and a second table for food and drink included in a first order corresponding to the first table and food and drink included in a second order corresponding to the second table, which are cooked at a time, fall within a set time or not; and an output processing unit 215 which outputs order information including the first order and the second order when the time differences for the first table and the second table fall within the set time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program for receiving orders for food and drink that can be provided at a facility. [Background technology]

[0002] In facilities such as restaurants, for example, when a waiter accepts an order from a customer, the order is transmitted to the kitchen, and the kitchen staff prepares the food according to the order, and the waiter staff serves the cooked food to the customer. Conventionally, a technology has been proposed to support kitchen staff by displaying a video of the ordered food in the restaurant kitchen (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-128979 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From the perspective of efficiency in kitchen cooking, it is desirable for kitchen staff to prepare the same menu items together when multiple customers order the same menu. However, attempts to improve kitchen efficiency can lead to problems such as delays in serving food and beverages to customers or large time differences in the timing of food and beverages being served at the same table. As such, it is difficult to provide customers with appropriate food and beverages while improving kitchen efficiency.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program that can improve the work efficiency of the kitchen in a facility while appropriately providing food and drink to users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The order support system of the present invention comprises a reception processing unit that receives orders for food and beverages corresponding to tables in a facility that serves food and beverages; a calculation processing unit that calculates a time difference, which is the elapsed time from the time the first of multiple foods and beverages included in a single order at the table is served to the time the last of the multiple foods and beverages included in the single order at the table is served, based on the cooking times of the multiple foods and beverages; and an output processing unit that outputs the order information for the multiple foods and beverages together if the time difference is within a set time, and outputs the order information for the multiple foods and beverages separately if the time difference is not within the set time.

[0007] The ordering support method of the present invention is a method executed by one or more processors, which includes the following steps: a reception step for receiving orders for food and beverages corresponding to tables in a facility that serves food and beverages; a calculation step for calculating a time difference, which is the elapsed time from the time the first of multiple foods and beverages included in a single order at the table is served to the time the last of the multiple foods and beverages included in the single order at the table is served, based on the cooking times of the multiple foods and beverages included in the single order at the table; and an output step for outputting the order information for the multiple foods and beverages together if the time difference is within a set time, and outputting the order information for the multiple foods and beverages separately if the time difference is not within the set time.

[0008] The order assistance program of the present invention is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the following steps: a reception step for receiving orders for food and beverages corresponding to tables in a facility that serves food and beverages; a calculation step for calculating the time difference, which is the elapsed time from the time the first of multiple foods and beverages included in a single order at the table is served to the time the last of the multiple foods and beverages included in the single order at the table is served, based on the cooking times of the multiple foods and beverages; and an output step for outputting the order information for the multiple foods and beverages together if the time difference is within a set time, and outputting the order information for the multiple foods and beverages separately if the time difference is not within the set time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program are provided that can improve the work efficiency of the kitchen in a facility while appropriately providing food and drink to users. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an order support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of product information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of order reception information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of cooking time information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of order reception information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of order reception information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of setting information used in the order assistance system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display example in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a display example in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display example in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an order form in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12]FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of an order support process executed in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to help understand the present invention. Note that the following embodiments are examples that embody the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0012] [Order Support System 1] 1, an order support system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an order support device 2, an order terminal 3, and a kitchen terminal 4. The order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4 can communicate with each other via a communication network N1 such as the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, or a public telephone line. Note that a plurality of order support devices 2, order terminals 3, and kitchen terminals 4 may be provided.

[0013] The ordering terminal 3 is installed at each table (seat, room) in a facility that can provide food and beverages, such as a restaurant or karaoke bar. The ordering terminal 3 is an operation terminal (such as a self-order terminal or a tabletop terminal) that can be operated by facility users to order desired food and beverages. The ordering terminal 3 may be an operation terminal (such as a facility terminal) operated by the facility's customer service staff, and may be an operation terminal (such as a handheld terminal) into which the customer service staff inputs orders received from users. The ordering terminal 3 may also be a user terminal (such as a smartphone) owned by the user, and may be an operation terminal into which the user accesses the facility's website and inputs orders for desired food and beverages. In other words, the ordering terminal 3 includes various operation terminals that can receive customer orders for food and beverages.

[0014] The order support device 2 accepts orders from the order terminal 3 and outputs order information to the kitchen terminal 4. The order support device 2 may be installed in the facility, or may be installed outside the facility and perform data communication with the order terminal 3 and the kitchen terminal 4 via the communication network N1.

[0015] Like the ordering terminal 3, the kitchen terminal 4 is installed in a facility that can provide food and drink, such as a restaurant or karaoke bar. The kitchen terminal 4 acquires order information from the order support device 2 and outputs (prints or displays) an order slip that displays the order information.

[0016] In this embodiment, the order support device 2 alone corresponds to the order support system of the present invention, but the order support system of the present invention may include one or more of the components of the order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4. For example, if multiple components of the order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4 work together to share and execute various order support processes (see FIG. 12) described below, a system including multiple components that execute those processes can be considered as the order support system of the present invention. For example, the order support system of the present invention may be composed of the order support device 2 and the kitchen terminal 4.

[0017] The following description will be given taking as an example a configuration in which an ordering terminal 3 is installed at each table of a restaurant that serves food and drinks, one or more customers at each table input their orders into the ordering terminal 3, and the order support device 2 acquires the orders from the ordering terminal 3 and outputs the order information from the kitchen terminal 4. The restaurant is an example of a facility of the present invention.

[0018] [Order Support Device 2] 1, the order support device 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation display unit 23, and a communication I / F 24. The order support device 2 may be an information processing device such as a tablet terminal or a personal computer. The various processes executed by the order support device 2 may be executed in a distributed manner by one or more processors.

[0019] The communication I / F 24 is a communication interface that connects the order support device 2 to the communication network N1 via a wired or wireless connection and performs data communication in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as the order terminal 3 and kitchen terminal 4 via the communication network N1.

[0020] The operation display unit 23 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays various information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations.

[0021] The storage unit 22 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) that stores various types of information. Specifically, the storage unit 22 includes product information D1, order reception information D2, cooking time information D3, and setting information D4. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the product information D1, Figs. 3, 5, and 6 are diagrams showing examples of the order reception information D2, Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the cooking time information D3, and Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the setting information D4.

[0022] Product information D1 is information (menu information) about products (food and drink) that can be served at a restaurant. As shown in FIG. 2, product information D1 includes information such as a product ID, product name, price, image, and cooking time. The product ID is identification information for the food and drink. The product name is the name of the food and drink. The image is a photograph or illustration representing the food and drink. In this embodiment, for convenience, the image is represented by the image name.

[0023] Furthermore, product information D1 registers information on multiple products for each menu category (genre). For example, a food or drink with product ID "A..." is a product in the "set meal menu" category, a product with product ID "B..." is a product in the "a la carte (a la carte) menu" category, a product with product ID "C..." is a product in the "dessert menu" category, and a product with product ID "D..." is a product in the "drink menu" category. Each category includes multiple specific food or drink items. For example, the "set meal menu" includes "daily set meal," "sashimi set meal," "boiled fish set meal," etc.

[0024] The cooking time is the time required from the start to the end of cooking (preparation) of food and drink. For food and drink menus such as drink menus and dessert menus that do not require much time for cooking or preparation, the cooking time does not need to be registered.

[0025] The product information D1 is registered in advance by a restaurant manager and updated as needed. For example, the restaurant manager can access a menu registration page managed by the order support device 2 to register and edit the product information D1.

[0026] The order reception information D2 is information about orders received from users via the ordering terminal 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the order reception information D2 includes information such as the table number, number of users, order number, ordered items, number of orders, and serving time difference. The table number is identification information that identifies the table for which an order was received. The number of users is the number of users who will be using the table. The information about the number of users is included in information acquired from the ordering terminal 3. Note that the information about the number of users may also be included in information acquired from a facility terminal (not shown) operated by restaurant staff, a management terminal (not shown) that manages reservations, or the like. For example, when a waiter asks a customer about the number of users when guiding the customer to a table, the waiter inputs the table number and the number of users into the facility terminal. When the control unit 21 acquires the information about the table number and the number of users from the facility terminal, the control unit 21 registers the table number and the number of users in the order reception information D2 in association with each other. Furthermore, when a user registers the number of people using the restaurant when making a reservation, the facility terminal acquires user information (user name, number of people, etc.) from the management terminal and associates the user information with the table number of the table to be assigned to the user. When the control unit 21 acquires the table number and the number of people information from the facility terminal, it registers the table number and the number of people in order reception information D2 in association with each other.

[0027] The order number is identification information that identifies the order of a user. The control unit 21 registers the number (order number) in the order reception information D2, for example, in the order in which the orders are received from the user, i.e., in the order in which the orders are received from the ordering terminal 3. The ordered items are information that indicates the contents of the order. The ordered items are registered with the product names of the products (food and drink) selected by the user from the product names included in the product information D1. Each ordered item is associated with the order number.

[0028] The number of orders is information indicating the number of orders for each food and drink item. For example, when the control unit 21 receives an order for two "daily set meals" at the table with table number "3," it registers "2" as the number of orders corresponding to the "daily set meals." After that, when the control unit 21 receives orders for one each of "sashimi set meal," "daily set meal," "beer," and "oolong tea" at the table with table number "2," it registers "1" as the number of orders for each ordered item. When multiple orders of the same item are received at the same table, the total number of orders is registered as the number of orders for the ordered items.

[0029] The serving time difference is information indicating the time difference between the serving of multiple foods and beverages ordered for each table. The serving time difference corresponds to the elapsed time from the time when the first of the multiple foods and beverages included in a single order for the table is served to the customer to the time when the last of the foods and beverages is served to the customer. The serving time difference is calculated based on the cooking time for each food and beverage (see FIG. 2) and the cooking time when multiple foods and beverages are cooked together (see FIG. 4). The serving time difference is also calculated based on the cooking time for multiple foods and beverages included in a single order for the table. The serving time difference may be calculated by excluding specific foods and beverages from the multiple foods and beverages included in a single order for the table. The specific foods and beverages may be, for example, desserts or drinks.

[0030] The control unit 21 registers order acceptance information D2 each time an order is accepted from the ordering terminal 3. The order acceptance information D2 indicates information at the current time and is updated in real time. The order acceptance information D2 may be used for accounting processing related to the user's charges. The order acceptance information D2 may also be deleted when the accounting processing is completed, for example.

[0031] The cooking time information D3 is information related to the cooking time when multiple foods and drinks are cooked together. For example, in FIG. 4, "Ts11" represents the cooking time when two "daily set meals" are cooked together, and "Ts12" represents the cooking time when a "daily set meal" and a "sashimi set meal" are cooked together. Each cooking time is set based on the cooking time of each food and drink in the product information D1. In other words, each cooking time in the cooking time information D3 is the cooking time corresponding to a combination of multiple food and drink orders. Furthermore, while the cooking time for a combination of two foods and drinks is shown here, the cooking time for a combination of three or more foods and drinks is calculated based on the cooking time for each food and drink registered in the product information D1 and the cooking time registered in the cooking time information D3.

[0032] Here, the serving time difference shown in the order reception information D2 of FIG. 3 may be the time difference when the food and beverages included in each order corresponding to multiple tables are cooked together. For example, if a second order for table number "2" is received after a first order corresponding to table number "3" is received but before the order information for the first order is output to kitchen terminal 4, control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference for each table when the food and beverages in the first order and the second order are cooked together and registers the calculated serving time difference in order reception information D2. "ta3" shown in the order reception information D2 of FIG. 5 indicates the serving time difference corresponding to table number "3" when the food and beverages in the first order corresponding to table number "3" and the food and beverages in the second order corresponding to table number "2" are cooked together, and "ta2" indicates the serving time difference corresponding to table number "2" when the food and beverages in the first order and the food and beverages in the second order are cooked together.

[0033] For example, if a second order for table number "2" and a third order for table number "4" are accepted after accepting a first order for table number "3" but before outputting the order information for the first order to kitchen terminal 4, control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference for each table when the first, second, and third food and beverage orders are cooked together and registers the calculated serving time difference in order reception information D2. "tc3" shown in order reception information D2 in FIG. 6 indicates the serving time difference for table number "3" when the first, second, and third food and beverage orders are cooked together, "tc2" indicates the serving time difference for table number "2" when the first, second, and third food and beverage orders are cooked together, and "tc4" indicates the serving time difference for table number "4" when the first, second, and third food and beverage orders are cooked together. In this way, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference corresponding to the table (see Figure 3) each time an order corresponding to the table is received, and further calculates the serving time difference corresponding to each table (see Figures 5 and 6) each time an order is accumulated.

[0034] The setting information D4 is information about a set time (threshold) that specifies the conditions for outputting order information corresponding to an order received from a user to the kitchen terminal 4. That is, the control unit 21 outputs the order information to the kitchen terminal 4 when the serving time difference is within the set time. The set time is set by the control unit 21 according to predetermined conditions when the control unit 21 receives an order from a user. Specifically, the set time is set for each table corresponding to the received order. For example, the set time for a table with a large number of occupants is set longer than the set time for a table with a small number of occupants. The set time may also be set based on the cooking order of the food and drink. For example, if the order for a table includes hot food such as a hot pot dish and cold food such as a salad, and the cooking order is set to cook the cold food first and the hot food later, the set time is set to a short time (e.g., 5 minutes). On the other hand, if the cooking order is set to cook the hot food first and the cold food later, the set time is set to a longer time (e.g., 10 minutes).

[0035] In this way, when the control unit 21 receives an order from a user at a table, it sets the set time corresponding to the table based on information such as the number of people at the table, the contents or type of food and drink included in the order, and the cooking order, and registers the set time in the setting information D4. Note that the control unit 21 may set the set time for each table based on information such as the time period when the order was received (lunchtime, dinnertime, busy time period, off-peak time period, etc.), the busyness of the kitchen, and the congestion status of the restaurant. Alternatively, a common time may be set in advance as the set time for each table.

[0036] In another embodiment, some or all of the information such as the product information D1, the order reception information D2, the cooking time information D3, and the setting information D4 may be stored in the ordering terminal 3 or a server accessible from the order support device 2. In this case, the control unit 21 of the order support device 2 may acquire the information from the ordering terminal 3 or the server, and execute various processes such as the order support process (see FIG. 12) described below.

[0037] The storage unit 22 also stores data such as a top screen (see FIG. 8), a menu screen (see FIG. 9), an order screen (see FIG. 10), and an accounting screen (not shown) that are displayed on the ordering terminal 3.

[0038] Furthermore, the storage unit 22 stores control programs such as an order support program for causing the control unit 21 to execute the order support process (see FIG. 12 ), which will be described later. For example, the order support program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB, CD, or DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown), such as a USB drive, CD drive, or DVD drive, electrically connected to the order support device 2, and stored in the storage unit 22. Alternatively, the order support program may be downloaded from a server accessible from the order support device 2 and stored in the storage unit 22.

[0039] The control unit 21 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various types of arithmetic processing. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS that cause the CPU to execute various types of arithmetic processing are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various types of information and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various types of processing executed by the CPU. The control unit 21 controls the order support device 2 by having the CPU execute various control programs that are stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 22.

[0040] In a restaurant, from the viewpoint of kitchen work efficiency, when multiple customers order the same menu, it is desirable for the kitchen staff to prepare the menu items together. However, attempts to improve kitchen work efficiency can lead to problems such as delays in serving food and beverages to customers or large time differences in the timing of food and beverages being served at the same table. As such, it is difficult to properly serve food and beverages to customers while improving kitchen work efficiency. In contrast, the order support device 2 according to this embodiment makes it possible to properly serve food and beverages to customers while improving kitchen work efficiency in a restaurant.

[0041] 1, the control unit 21 includes various processing units such as an acquisition processing unit 211, a reception processing unit 212, a calculation processing unit 213, a determination processing unit 214, an output processing unit 215, and a setting processing unit 216. The control unit 21 functions as the acquisition processing unit 211, the reception processing unit 212, the calculation processing unit 213, the determination processing unit 214, the output processing unit 215, and the setting processing unit 216 by executing various processes in accordance with the order support program using the CPU. Some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 21 may be configured with electronic circuits. The order support program may be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the various processing units.

[0042] The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires information on the number of patrons using the restaurant (headcount) and information on the table number of the table used by the patron. For example, when a waiter asks a patron about the number of patrons when guiding the patron to a specific table at a restaurant, the waiter inputs the table number and the number of patrons into the facility terminal. The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires the information on the table number and the number of patrons from the facility terminal. Furthermore, when a patron registers the number of patrons when making a reservation at a restaurant, the facility terminal acquires the user information (such as the user's name and the number of patrons) from the management terminal and registers the user information and the table number of the table assigned to the patron in association with each other in the reservation management ledger. The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires the information on the table number and the number of patrons from the reservation management ledger. Upon acquiring the information on the table number and the number of patrons, the acquisition processing unit 211 registers the table number and the number of patrons in association with each other in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3).

[0043] When the table number corresponding to the table and the information on the number of occupants are registered in the order reception information D2, the control unit 21 permits the reception of an order from the user of that table. For example, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 to display a top screen such as that shown in FIG. 8. The control unit 21 generates a top page corresponding to the top screen (see FIG. 8), a menu page corresponding to the menu screen (see FIG. 9), an order page corresponding to the order screen (see FIG. 10), a checkout page corresponding to the checkout screen (not shown), etc., and transmits the information of these pages to the ordering terminal 3, thereby making it possible to display each page on the ordering terminal 3.

[0044] The top screen shown in FIG. 8 displays menu buttons M1 for each category ("Set Meals," "A la Carte," "Desserts," and "Drinks"). The menu screen shown in FIG. 9 displays information about specific foods and drinks included in the categories of the top screen shown in FIG. 8. For example, the menu screen for "Set Meal Menu" (see FIG. 9) displays information such as "Daily Set Meal," "Sashimi Set Meal," "Boiled Fish Set Meal," "...," etc. If multiple foods and drinks cannot fit on one page on the menu screen, they are displayed across multiple pages. For example, when the user selects "Next" on the menu screen, the next menu screen page is displayed.

[0045] The menu screen shown in Fig. 9 displays the menu button M1 of the top screen shown in Fig. 8 and multiple pieces of food and drink information (image M3, product name M4, price, etc.) displayed in the menu field M2. Image M3 represents an image of the food and drink and also functions as a selection button for the user to select the food and drink. The menu screen also includes a favorites page button M5 for moving to the favorites page, an order page button M6 for moving to the order screen (see Fig. 10), and a checkout button M7 for moving to the checkout screen.

[0046] 10 also displays a list of the food and drink items selected by the user on the menu screen. The order screen includes an order confirmation button M8 for confirming the order of the listed food and drink items. On the order screen, the user can confirm the order of the selected food and drink items by pressing the order confirmation button M8, or change or delete the quantity of the selected food and drink items.

[0047] In this way, when a user uses the ordering terminal 3 to order food and drink, the user selects the desired food and drink on the menu screen, and performs an operation to confirm the order for the selected food and drink on the ordering screen.

[0048] The reception processing unit 212 accepts operations from users on various screens displayed on the ordering terminal 3. For example, the reception processing unit 212 accepts selection operations (such as touch operations) by users on the screens shown in FIGS. 8 to 10. The reception processing unit 212 may accept food and drink orders from users via a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone) owned by the user, or may accept food and drink orders from users via a mobile terminal (such as a handheld terminal) carried by a facility staff member, or may accept food and drink orders from users via a self-order terminal (tabletop terminal) installed at a table in the facility. The reception processing unit 212 is an example of a reception processing unit of the present invention.

[0049] For example, if a user selects "Set Meal Menu" on the top screen shown in FIG. 8, the reception processing unit 212 accepts a category selection operation. In this case, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 to display a menu screen shown in FIG. 9 corresponding to the category selection operation. For example, if a user selects "Daily Set Meal" on the menu screen shown in FIG. 9, the reception processing unit 212 accepts a product selection operation. For example, if a user performs an operation to confirm an order (pressing the order confirmation button M8) on the order screen shown in FIG. 10, the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order confirmation operation. Here, when the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order confirmation operation by a user, it accepts the order of the user. For example, for a table of a user group including multiple users, the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order of the user group when each user of the user group selects food and drink and then performs an order confirmation operation. Note that when each user of the user group individually performs a product selection operation and an order confirmation operation, the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order for each user. That is, a single order received by the reception processing unit 212 may include one food item for one user, or may include multiple food items for one or multiple users.

[0050] Furthermore, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order from a user, it registers the order number and information on the ordered product in order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with the table number of the table used by the user. Note that a table number is associated in advance with each order terminal 3, and the order received by the reception processing unit 212 from the order terminal 3 includes table number information. This allows the reception processing unit 212 to know the table number corresponding to each order.

[0051] The setting processor 216 sets the set time according to predetermined conditions. Specifically, the setting processor 216 sets the set time for each table corresponding to an order received from a user. The set time is the time from when the first food and drink is served to the user until the last food and drink is served when multiple foods and drinks are ordered at a table, and is generally set to a time that users do not find dissatisfying. For example, the setting processor 216 sets the set time for a table with a large number of users to be longer than the set time for a table with a small number of users. The setting processor 216 may also set the set time based on the contents, type, cooking time, etc. of each of the multiple foods and drinks included in the order corresponding to the table. The setting processor 216 may also set the set time based on the cooking order of the foods and drinks included in the order corresponding to the table. For example, if the order corresponding to the table includes hot foods such as a hot pot dish and cold foods such as a salad, and the cooking order is set to cook the cold foods first and the hot foods second, the setting processor 216 sets the set time to a short time (e.g., 5 minutes). On the other hand, if the cooking order is set to cook hot food first and cold food later, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time to a long time (for example, "10 minutes").

[0052] In this way, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for a table, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time for the table based on information such as the number of people at the table, the contents or type of food and drink included in the order, the cooking order, etc., and registers it in the setting information D4 (see FIG. 7). As described above, the setting processing unit 216 may set the set time for each table based on information such as the time period when the order was received (lunchtime, dinnertime, busy time period, off-peak time period, etc.), the busyness of the kitchen, and the congestion state of the restaurant.

[0053] The calculation processing unit 213 calculates, for each table for which the reception processing unit 212 has received an order, a serving time difference (corresponding to the time difference of the present invention) between the serving of the ordered multiple foods and beverages. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the serving time difference as the elapsed time from when the first of the multiple foods and beverages included in a single order for the table is served to the customer to when the last of the multiple foods and beverages is served to the customer. The elapsed time can be expressed as the difference between the cooking completion time of the first of the multiple foods and beverages included in the order for the table and the cooking completion time of the last of the multiple foods and beverages. The calculation processing unit 213 calculates the serving time difference based on the cooking time for each food and beverage (see FIG. 2) and the cooking time when multiple foods and beverages are cooked together (see FIG. 4). The calculation processing unit 213 also calculates the serving time difference based on the cooking times of the multiple foods and beverages included in a single order for the table. Furthermore, the calculation processing unit 213 may calculate the serving time difference by excluding specific foods and drinks, such as dessert menus and drink menus, from among multiple foods and drinks included in a single order for a table. The calculation processing unit 213 registers the calculated serving time difference in order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3).

[0054] The calculation processing unit 213 also calculates the serving time difference when the foods and drinks included in the respective orders corresponding to multiple tables are cooked together. As described above, for example, if the reception processing unit 212 receives a first order corresponding to table number "3" and then receives a second order for table number "2" before the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 for the first order to the kitchen terminal 4, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the serving time difference corresponding to each table when the foods and drinks of the first order and the second order are cooked together, and registers the calculated serving time difference in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 5). For example, if the reception processing unit 212 receives a first order corresponding to table number "3" and then receives a second order for table number "2" and a third order for table number "4" before the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 for the first order to the kitchen terminal 4, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the serving time difference corresponding to each table when the food and drink of the first order, the second order, and the third order are cooked together, and registers the calculated difference in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 6). The calculation processing unit 213 is an example of a calculation processing unit of the present invention.

[0055] The determination processor 214 determines whether the difference in serving time for each table when multiple foods and drinks included in orders corresponding to multiple tables are cooked together falls within the set time. For example, the determination processor 214 determines whether the serving time difference "ta3" (see FIG. 5) for table number "3" when the foods and drinks included in a first order corresponding to table number "3" and the foods and drinks included in a second order corresponding to table number "2" are cooked together falls within the set time "T3" (see FIG. 7), and whether the serving time difference "ta2" (see FIG. 5) for table number "2" when the foods and drinks included in the first order and the second order are cooked together falls within the set time "T2" (see FIG. 7). The determination processor 214 is an example of a determination processor of the present invention.

[0056] The output processing unit 215 outputs information about the order received by the reception processing unit 212 (order information F1) to the kitchen terminal 4. Specifically, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 to the kitchen terminal 4, the order information F1 including the details of the food and drink order placed by the user, the table number of the table used by the user, and the order number. The order information F1 may also include the order date and time (received date and time). That is, the output processing unit 215 may display the order information and the time when the reception processing unit 212 received the order on the order slip. The output processing unit 215 also outputs (prints or displays) the order slip including the order details, table number, and order number from the kitchen terminal 4. The output processing unit 215 is an example of an output processing unit of the present invention.

[0057] Here, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 for an order when a predetermined time has elapsed since the reception processing unit 212 received the order. For example, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the reception processing unit 212 received an order for table number "3," the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 for the order to the kitchen terminal 4. As a result, each piece of order information F1 is stored in the order support device 2 for a predetermined time. Therefore, for example, if the order support device 2 receives an order for table number "2" before a predetermined time has elapsed since receiving the order for table number "3," it becomes possible to accumulate information on these orders. Then, when the order information F1 for multiple tables is accumulated, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the serving time difference for each table when the multiple foods and drinks included in these orders are cooked together (see FIGS. 5 and 6), and the determination processing unit 214 determines whether each serving time difference is within the set time (see FIG. 7). In another embodiment, the output processing unit 215 may output the order information F1 of an order when the number of ordered foods and drinks included in the order received by the reception processing unit 212 exceeds a predetermined number.

[0058] If the difference in serving time for each table when multiple foods and drinks included in orders corresponding to multiple tables are cooked together is within the set time, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 including these orders to the kitchen terminal 4. For example, if the serving time difference "ta3" (see FIG. 5) for table number "3" when cooking together the foods and drinks included in a first order corresponding to table number "3" and the foods and drinks included in a second order corresponding to table number "2" is "T3" (see FIG. 7), and if the serving time difference "ta2" (see FIG. 5) for table number "2" when cooking together the foods and drinks of the first and second orders is "T2" (see FIG. 7), the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 corresponding to table number "3" and order information F1 corresponding to table number "2" together to the kitchen terminal 4.

[0059] Furthermore, for example, if the serving time difference "tc3" (see Figure 6) corresponding to table number "3" when the food and drinks included in the first order corresponding to table number "3," the food and drinks included in the second order corresponding to table number "2," and the food and drinks included in the third order corresponding to table number "4" are cooked together is within the set time "T3" (see Figure 7), and the serving time difference "tc2" (see Figure 6) corresponding to table number "2" when the food and drinks of the first order, the second order, and the third order are cooked together is within the set time "T2" (see Figure 7), and further, the serving time difference "tc4" (see Figure 6) corresponding to table number "4" when the food and drinks of the first order, the second order, and the third order are cooked together is within the set time "T4" (see Figure 7), then the output processing unit 215 will output the order information F1 corresponding to table number "3," the order information F1 corresponding to table number "2," and the order information F1 corresponding to table number "4" together to the kitchen terminal 4.

[0060] For example, if the reception processing unit 212 does not accept orders from other tables within a predetermined time period after accepting an order from table number "3," the output processing unit 215 outputs only the order information F1 corresponding to the order from table number "3" to the kitchen terminal 4. Furthermore, if the difference in serving time for each table when multiple foods and drinks included in each order for multiple tables are cooked together does not fall within the set time period, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information for each of the multiple orders separately to the kitchen terminal 4.

[0061] In this way, the control unit 21 outputs one or more pieces of order information F1 so that the time it takes to provide food and drink to customers (waiting time) does not become too long due to the serving time difference calculated for each table exceeding the set time. Furthermore, the control unit 21 outputs the order information F1 for multiple tables collectively to the kitchen terminal 4 so as to improve the work efficiency of the kitchen while taking into consideration the waiting time of customers.

[0062] [Ordering terminal 3] 1, the ordering terminal 3 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, an operation display unit 33, and a communication I / F 34. The ordering terminal 3 is, for example, a self-order terminal installed at each table in a restaurant.

[0063] The communication I / F34 is a communication interface that connects the order terminal 3 to the communication network N1 via a wired or wireless connection and performs data communication in accordance with a predetermined communication protocol between the order support device 2, the kitchen terminal 4, and other external devices via the communication network N1.

[0064] The operation display unit 33 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or organic EL display that displays various information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations. The operation display unit 33 displays a top screen (see FIG. 8) that accepts food and drink ordering operations from users, a menu screen (see FIG. 9), an order screen (see FIG. 10), and an accounting screen (not shown) that accepts accounting operations from users. The operation display unit 33 is configured, for example, as a touch panel, and accepts touch operations from users.

[0065] The storage unit 32 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory that stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit 32 stores a control program such as a browser program. Specifically, the browser program is a control program that causes the control unit 31 to execute communication processing with an external device such as the order support device 2 in accordance with a communication protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

[0066] The control unit 31 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various types of arithmetic processing. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit that pre-stores control programs such as a BIOS and an OS that cause the CPU to execute various processes. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various types of information and is used as temporary storage memory (work area) for the various processes executed by the CPU. The control unit 31 controls the order terminal 3 by having the CPU execute various control programs pre-stored in the ROM or the storage unit 32.

[0067] Specifically, the control unit 31 functions as a browser processing unit 311 by executing various processes in accordance with the browser program stored in the storage unit 32. The browser processing unit 311 is capable of executing browser processing to display various information (top screen, menu screen, order screen, checkout screen, etc.) provided from the order support device 2 via the communication network N1 on the operation display unit 33, and to input operations for the operation display unit 33 into the order support device 2. Note that some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 31 may be configured with electronic circuits.

[0068] [Kitchen Terminal 4] 1, the kitchen terminal 4 includes a control unit 41, a memory unit 42, an operation display unit 43, and a communication I / F 44. The kitchen terminal 4 is an information processing device such as a printer, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. The kitchen terminal 4 may further include the same functions as the order support device 2, or may be an information processing device integrated with the order support device 2. Here, it is assumed that the kitchen terminal 4 is a printer installed in the kitchen of a restaurant.

[0069] The communication I / F 44 is a communication interface that connects the kitchen terminal 4 to the communication network N1 via a wired or wireless connection and performs data communication in accordance with a specified communication protocol with external devices such as the order support device 2 and the order terminal 3 via the communication network N1.

[0070] The operation display unit 43 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays information such as various web pages, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations.

[0071] The storage unit 42 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory that stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit 42 stores a control program for transmitting and receiving various types of information between the order support device 2 and the order terminal 3. For example, the control program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a CD drive or DVD drive electrically connected to the kitchen terminal 4 and stored in the storage unit 42. The storage unit 42 may also store a control program such as an order support program that causes the control unit 41 to execute the order support process (see FIG. 12 ), which will be described later.

[0072] The control unit 41 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit that pre-stores control programs such as a BIOS and an OS that cause the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various processes executed by the CPU. The control unit 41 controls the kitchen terminal 4 by having the CPU execute various control programs pre-stored in the ROM or the storage unit 42.

[0073] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the control unit 41 includes various processing units such as an acquisition processing unit 411 and an output processing unit 412. The control unit 41 functions as the various processing units by executing various processes in accordance with the control program using the CPU. Some or all of the processing units may be configured with electronic circuits. The control program may be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the processing units.

[0074] The acquisition processing unit 411 acquires the order information F1 output from the order support device 2. For example, if the order support device 2 collectively outputs the order information F1 corresponding to table number "3" and the order information F1 corresponding to table number "2" (see FIG. 5), the acquisition processing unit 411 acquires the order information F1 for table numbers "3" and "2." Alternatively, if the order support device 2 collectively outputs the order information F1 corresponding to table number "3," the order information F1 corresponding to table number "2," and the order information F1 corresponding to table number "4" (see FIG. 6), the acquisition processing unit 411 acquires the order information F1 for table numbers "3," "2," and "4."

[0075] The output processing unit 412 outputs to the outside the information acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411. Specifically, the output processing unit 412 outputs to the outside the order information F1 acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411. The kitchen terminal 4 has, for example, roll paper set therein, and is provided with a transport unit (not shown) that transports the roll paper, an image forming unit (not shown) that forms an image on the roll paper, a cutting unit (not shown) that cuts the roll paper at a predetermined position, and the like.

[0076] 11, when order information F1 is acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411, the output processing unit 412 causes the image forming unit to execute a printing process to print (black and white printing) the order information F1 on an order slip T1. Specifically, each time image data corresponding to the order information F1 is input, the output processing unit 412 causes the image forming unit to execute a printing process to form (black and white printing) an image of the order details corresponding to the image data on roll paper, and then causes the cutting unit to execute a cutting process to cut the roll paper at a predetermined position and discharge it to the outside. In this way, one order slip T1 is created for each order.

[0077] Figure 11 corresponds to the order information F1 shown in Figure 5, and the order forms T1 for the order information F1 with table numbers "3" and "2" are output together, and the order forms T1 for the order information F1 with table numbers "4" and "1" are output together.

[0078] When the kitchen staff receives an order slip T1, they prepare the food and drink orders. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, if the kitchen staff receives order slips T1 for "daily set meals" for tables "3" and "2," they prepare a total of three "daily set meals," and the wait staff serves two "daily set meals" to the patrons at table "3" and one "daily set meal" to the patrons at table "2." Furthermore, when the kitchen staff receives an order slip T1 for a "sashimi set meal," they prepare the "sashimi set meal," and the wait staff serves the "sashimi set meal" to the patrons at table "2." Furthermore, when the kitchen staff receives order slips T1 for "beer" and "oolong tea," they prepare these, and the wait staff serves the "beer" and "oolong tea" to the patrons at table "2." In this way, the kitchen staff can prepare the same orders (food and drink) all at once, and the wait staff can serve the food and drink all at once.

[0079] Each order slip T1 includes the date and time when the order was received (date and time of receipt, date and time of order). This allows the kitchen staff to know the time that has passed since each customer actually placed their order (the time of the order confirmation operation), which allows them to adjust the priority of cooking and preparation of the ordered food and drink.

[0080] [Order Support Processing] Next, the order support process executed in the order support system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Specifically, in this embodiment, the order support process is executed by the control unit 21 of the order support device 2. Furthermore, the control unit 21 can execute the order support process in parallel for each ordering terminal 3 in response to access from each ordering terminal 3. Note that the control unit 21 may terminate the order support process midway through in response to a predetermined operation on the ordering terminal 3.

[0081] The present invention can be understood as an invention of an order support method that executes one or more steps included in the order support process. Furthermore, one or more steps included in the order support process described herein may be omitted as appropriate. The steps in the order support process may be executed in a different order, provided that the same operational effect is achieved. Furthermore, while the description here takes as an example a case in which each step in the order support process is executed by the control unit 21, another embodiment of the order support method can also be considered, in which each step in the order support process is executed in a distributed manner by multiple processors.

[0082] In step S11, the control unit 21 acquires the number of customers who have visited the restaurant (number of customers) and the table number of the table used by the customer. For example, when a staff member of the restaurant registers information indicating that a customer has visited the restaurant, the control unit 21 acquires the number of customers and the table number corresponding to the customer from the facility terminal (reservation management ledger).

[0083] Next, in step S12, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 to display an order reception screen (top screen, menu screen, etc.) for receiving orders for food and drink provided by the restaurant. For example, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 installed at the table with the table number used by the customer to display the top screen shown in Fig. 8. Furthermore, when any of the menu buttons M1 is selected on the top screen shown in Fig. 8, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 to display the menu screen shown in Fig. 9.

[0084] Next, in step S13, the control unit 21 determines whether or not an order from a user has been accepted via the ordering terminal 3. If the control unit 21 determines that the user's order has been accepted (S13: Yes), the process proceeds to step S14. The control unit 21 waits until the user's order is accepted (S13: No). For example, if a user at table number "3" uses the ordering terminal 3 to select two "daily specials" and place an order (order confirmation operation), the control unit 21 accepts the user's order. The control unit 21 also registers information corresponding to the user's order, including the order number, the ordered item "daily specials," and the order quantity "2," in association with table number "3" in the order acceptance information D2 (see FIG. 3). Step S13 is an example of a accepting step of the present invention.

[0085] In step S14, the control unit 21 starts measuring the time that has elapsed since the order was accepted. For example, when a customer at table number "3" confirms an order for two "daily set meals," the control unit 21 accepts the order and starts measuring the time that has elapsed. The control unit 21 may register information about the measured elapsed time in the order acceptance information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with table number "3."

[0086] Next, in step S15, the control unit 21 sets the set time for the table corresponding to the accepted order. Specifically, the control unit 21 sets the set time based on the number of patrons using the table, the contents, type, cooking time, cooking order, etc. of the food and drink included in the table's order. The control unit 21 may also set the set time for each table based on information such as the time period when the order was accepted (lunchtime, dinnertime, busy time period, off-peak time period, etc.), the busyness of the kitchen, and the congestion status of the restaurant. For example, the control unit 21 sets the set time "T3" corresponding to table number "3." The control unit 21 associates the set set time "T3" with the table number "3" and registers it in the setting information D4 (see FIG. 7). The control unit 21 may also set the set time common to each table in advance.

[0087] Next, in step S16, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference corresponding to the table of the accepted order. For example, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference ("t3") for serving two "daily set meals" corresponding to the order of table number "3." Normally, when the menu items are the same or similar, the serving time difference is short. Note that the control unit 21 may calculate the serving time difference by excluding specific foods and drinks, such as desserts and drinks, from among the multiple foods and drinks included in a single order at the table. For example, in the case of an order from table number "2" (see FIG. 3), the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference ("t2") as the difference between the serving time of the "sashimi set meal" to the customer and the serving time of the "daily set meal" to the customer, excluding "beer" and "oolong tea." Step S16 is an example of a calculation step of the present invention.

[0088] Next, in step S17, the control unit 21 determines whether the elapsed time since the order was accepted is equal to or greater than the predetermined time. If the elapsed time is equal to or greater than the predetermined time (S17: Yes), the process proceeds to step S18. If the elapsed time is not equal to or greater than the predetermined time (S17: No), the control unit 21 proceeds to step S171.

[0089] In step S171, the control unit 21 determines whether or not an order from a user at another table has been accepted via the ordering terminal 3. That is, the control unit 21 determines whether or not an order from a table (e.g., table number "2") different from the table (e.g., table number "3") for which the order was accepted in step S13 has been accepted. If the control unit 21 determines that an order from a user at another table has been accepted (S171: Yes), the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, if the control unit 21 determines that an order from a user at another table has not been accepted (S171: No), the process proceeds to step S17.

[0090] Returning to step S15, the control unit 21 sets the set time corresponding to the other table. In the above example, the control unit 21 sets the set time "T2" corresponding to table number "2." The control unit 21 associates information about the set set time "T2" with table number "2" and registers it in setting information D4 (see FIG. 7). Then, in the following step S16, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference corresponding to the other table. In the above example, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference ("t2") corresponding to table number "2." The control unit 21 also calculates the serving time difference when food and drink included in each order corresponding to multiple tables are cooked together. For example, the control unit 21 calculates a serving time difference "ta3" corresponding to table number "3" and a serving time difference "ta2" corresponding to table number "2" when food and drink ordered by table number "3" and food and drink ordered by table number "2" are cooked together. The control unit 21 registers each calculated serving time difference in order reception information D2 (see FIG. 5).

[0091] Furthermore, before the elapsed time reaches or exceeds the predetermined time (S17: No), if control unit 21 further receives an order from a patron at another table (e.g., table number "4") via ordering terminal 3 (S171: Yes), the process proceeds again to step S15. Control unit 21 sets the set time "T4" corresponding to table number "4" (see FIG. 7), calculates the serving time difference ("t4") corresponding to table number "4" (see FIG. 3), and further calculates the serving time difference "tc3" corresponding to table number "3", the serving time difference "tc2" corresponding to table number "2", and the serving time difference "tc4" corresponding to table number "4" when the food and drink ordered by table number "3", the food and drink ordered by table number "2", and the food and drink ordered by table number "4" are cooked together (see FIG. 6).

[0092] If the elapsed time reaches or exceeds the predetermined time in step S17 (S17: Yes), in step S18, the control unit 21 determines whether the accepted order is for multiple tables. If the accepted order is for multiple tables (S18: Yes), the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if the accepted order is not for multiple tables (S18: No), the process proceeds to step S21.

[0093] In step S19, control unit 21 determines whether the serving time difference is within the set time. Here, control unit 21 determines whether each serving time difference corresponding to each of the multiple tables is within the set time. For example, control unit 21 determines whether the serving time difference "ta3" corresponding to table number "3" is the set time "T3" corresponding to table number "3" (see FIG. 7). Control unit 21 also determines whether the serving time difference "ta2" corresponding to table number "2" is the set time "T2" corresponding to table number "2" (see FIG. 7). If all serving time differences corresponding to each of the multiple tables are within the set time (S19: Yes), the process proceeds to step S20. On the other hand, if at least one of the serving time differences corresponding to each of the multiple tables is not within the set time (S19: No), the process proceeds to step S21. Step S19 is an example of a determination step of the present invention.

[0094] In step S20, control unit 21 outputs information on the multiple received orders (order information F1) to kitchen terminal 4. For example, control unit 21 outputs order information F1 for the order corresponding to table number "3" and order information F1 for the order corresponding to table number "2" together to kitchen terminal 4. In another example, control unit 21 outputs order information F1 for the order corresponding to table number "3", order information F1 for the order corresponding to table number "2", and order information F1 for the order corresponding to table number "4" together to kitchen terminal 4. When kitchen terminal 4 acquires order information F1 corresponding to multiple tables, it outputs an order slip T1 (see FIG. 10) indicating the order information F1 corresponding to each table.

[0095] In step S21, the control unit 21 outputs information about one order received in step S13 (order information F1) to the kitchen terminal 4. For example, the control unit 21 outputs order information F1 for the order corresponding to table number "3" to the kitchen terminal 4. When the kitchen terminal 4 acquires order information F1 corresponding to one table, it outputs an order slip T1 indicating the order information F1 corresponding to that table. In other words, if the serving time difference corresponding to each of multiple tables does not fall within the set time, the control unit 21 outputs each piece of order information separately. Steps S20 and S21 are an example of the output step of the present invention. The order support process is carried out as described above.

[0096] Here, if the serving time difference corresponding to each of the first and second orders received within the specified time is within the set time, but the serving time difference corresponding to each of the first, second and third orders received within the specified time is not within the set time, the control unit 21 outputs order information F1 for the first and second orders and order information F1 for the third order separately to the kitchen terminal 4.

[0097] As described above, the order support system 1 according to this embodiment accepts food and beverage orders for each table in a restaurant that serves food and beverages, and calculates, for each table, the difference in serving time between the ordered foods and beverages. The order support system 1 then determines whether the difference in serving time between the first and second tables is within a set time when the food and beverages included in a first order for the first table and the food and beverages included in a second order for the second table are cooked together. If the difference in serving time between the first and second tables is within the set time, the order support system 1 outputs order information including the first and second orders. In other words, if the first and second orders can both be served within the set time even when the first and second orders are cooked together, the order support device 2 outputs the first and second orders together to the kitchen terminal 4. This minimizes the difference in serving time between multiple customers using tables and improves kitchen work efficiency.

[0098] The set time is set based on information such as the number of customers using the table, the contents, type, cooking time, cooking order of the food and drink included in the table order, the time period when the order was received (lunchtime, dinnertime, busy time period, off-peak time period, etc.), the busyness of the kitchen, the congestion level of the restaurant, etc. This makes it possible to determine the timing of outputting the order information F1 depending on the usage status of the table, the congestion level of the restaurant, etc.

[0099] In addition, according to the order support system 1, for example, order information F1 for multiple tables can be output together, which reduces communication traffic and enables more effective use of computer resources than when order information F1 is output individually.

[0100] The order support system of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The order support system of the present invention may be embodied as follows, for example.

[0101] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 21 may output order information including the first, second, and third orders if the elapsed time from accepting the first order to accepting the second order is within a first predetermined time and the elapsed time from accepting the second order to accepting the third order is within a second predetermined time. For example, if an order from table number "2" is accepted within a first predetermined time after accepting an order from table number "3," and an order from table number "4" is accepted within a second predetermined time after accepting the order from table number "2," and the serving time difference corresponding to each order is within the set time, the control unit 21 outputs order information including the first, second, and third orders together to the kitchen terminal 4. Note that in this case, the first predetermined time is shorter than the elapsed time from accepting the first order to accepting the third order. Therefore, if the third order has not been accepted by the time the first predetermined time is reached, the control unit 21 outputs order information F1 including the first and second orders.

[0102] In this embodiment, the specified time (including the first specified time and the second specified time) may be set based on information such as the number of customers using the table, the contents, type, cooking time, cooking order of the food and drink included in the table order, the time of day when the order was received (lunchtime, dinnertime, busy time, off-peak time, etc.), the busyness of the kitchen, and the congestion status of the restaurant.

[0103] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 21 may set a time limit for the time from accepting an order to providing the ordered items to the user at each table. Specifically, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information including the first and second orders when the difference in serving time for the first and second tables is within the set time and all of the food and beverage items included in the first and second orders for the first and second tables can be served within the time limit from accepting the first and second orders for the first and second tables, respectively. The time limit is an example of a specific time of the present invention. This makes it possible to provide the ordered items to each user within the time limit while minimizing the time difference in the serving timing of the ordered items between users at each table. The time limit may be set differently for each table, or a common time may be set for each table.

[0104] In another embodiment of the present invention, the output processing unit 215 may output order information F1 for an order when the number of food and beverage orders included in the order accepted by the reception processing unit 212 exceeds a predetermined number. For example, the control unit 21 calculates the number of orders by adding up the numbers of food and beverage orders accepted by the reception processing unit 212. The control unit 21 also updates the total number of orders each time an order is accepted. Then, when the number of orders exceeds a predetermined number, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 corresponding to the number of orders to the kitchen terminal 4. Therefore, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information including orders corresponding to each of the multiple tables when the serving time difference corresponding to each of the multiple tables accepted by the reception processing unit 212 before the number of orders exceeds the predetermined number falls within the set time.

[0105] The predetermined number may be set based on information such as the number of customers using the table, the contents, type, cooking time, cooking order of the food and drinks included in the table order, the time of day when the order was received (lunchtime, dinnertime, busy time, off-peak time, etc.), the busyness of the kitchen, and the congestion of the restaurant.

[0106] In another embodiment of the present invention, the order support system may collectively output order information for multiple foods and drinks included in a first order for a first table if the difference in serving time for the first table when cooking the multiple foods and drinks included in the first order for the first table collectively falls within a set time. Also, if the difference in serving time for the first table when cooking the multiple foods and drinks included in the first order for the first table collectively does not fall within the set time, the order support system outputs order information for the portion of the multiple foods and drinks whose difference in serving time when cooked collectively falls within the set time.

[0107] As described above, the output processing unit 215 is configured to output order information corresponding to a food and beverage order when a predetermined time has elapsed since the reception processing unit 212 received the order. Therefore, the order support system (control unit 21) may output the order information for the first and second orders together if the second order is received before the predetermined time has elapsed since the first order was received, or may output the order information for the first and second orders separately if the second order is received after the predetermined time has elapsed since the first order was received. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the elapsed time from the start of cooking of the first food and beverage that was received first among multiple foods and beverages included in a single order at the table to the start of cooking of the second food and beverage that was received last, and the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information for the first food and beverage together if the elapsed time is within the predetermined time, and outputs the order information for the first food and beverage separately if the elapsed time exceeds the predetermined time. The calculation processing unit 213 may calculate the elapsed time based on the cooking time of the first food (see FIG. 2) or the cooking times of each of the multiple foods and beverages received before receiving the order for the second food and beverage. As shown in the above embodiment, the first order may be an order corresponding to a first table, and the second order may be an order corresponding to a second table. Therefore, the calculation processing unit 213 may calculate the elapsed time (time difference) from the start of cooking of the first food and beverage to the start of cooking of the last food and beverage included in multiple orders corresponding to multiple tables (e.g., the first order corresponding to the first table and the second order corresponding to the second table), based on the cooking times of the multiple foods and beverages included in the multiple orders corresponding to the multiple tables (e.g., the first order corresponding to the first table and the second order corresponding to the second table). [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1: Order support system 2: Order support device 3: Order terminal 4: Kitchen terminal 211: Acquisition processing unit 212: Reception processing unit 213: Calculation processing unit 214: Judgment processing unit 215: Output processing section 216: Setting processing section 217: Calculation processing unit 411: Acquisition processing unit 412: Output processing section

Claims

1. a reception processing unit that receives food and drink orders corresponding to tables in a facility that provides food and drink; a calculation processing unit that calculates a time difference, which is the elapsed time from the start of cooking of the first food item to the start of cooking of the last food item, based on cooking times of the first order corresponding to the first table and the second order corresponding to the second table; an output processing unit that outputs order information for the plurality of foods and drinks collectively when the time difference between cooking the plurality of foods and drinks included in the first order and the second order falls within a predetermined time period, and outputs the order information for the plurality of foods and drinks separately when the time difference does not fall within the predetermined time period; An order support system equipped with:

2. the calculation processing unit calculates the time difference based on the cooking time for each food item and the cooking time for cooking a plurality of foods together; The order support system according to claim 1 .

3. a receiving step of receiving an order for food and beverages corresponding to a table in a facility that provides food and beverages; a calculation step of calculating a time difference, which is the elapsed time from the start of cooking of the first food item to the start of cooking of the last food item included in the first order corresponding to the first table and the second order corresponding to the second table, based on cooking times of the plurality of foods and beverages included in the first order corresponding to the first table and the second order corresponding to the second table; an output step of collectively outputting order information for the plurality of foods and drinks included in the first order and the second order if the time difference between cooking the plurality of foods and drinks together is within a predetermined time, and separately outputting the order information for the plurality of foods and drinks if the time difference is not within the predetermined time; The order support method is executed by one or more processors.

4. a receiving step of receiving an order for food and beverages corresponding to a table in a facility that provides food and beverages; a calculation step of calculating a time difference, which is the elapsed time from the start of cooking of the first food item to the start of cooking of the last food item included in the first order corresponding to the first table and the second order corresponding to the second table, based on cooking times of the plurality of foods and beverages included in the first order corresponding to the first table and the second order corresponding to the second table; an output step of collectively outputting order information for the plurality of foods and drinks included in the first order and the second order if the time difference between cooking the plurality of foods and drinks together is within a predetermined time, and separately outputting the order information for the plurality of foods and drinks if the time difference is not within the predetermined time; An order support program for causing one or more processors to execute the above.

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