Ordering Systems and Programs

Abstract

To provide an ordering system that does not affect store operations even when a customer who comes alone leaves his seat and also prevents eating and drinking without paying. [Solution] The ordering system includes an ordering terminal at a customer's seat and a kitchen terminal that manages the cooking order based on the order information received by the ordering terminal. The ordering terminal includes an order receiving unit that receives the number of customers and order information, an image capturing unit that, when a single customer leaves their seat, notifies the customer and captures and stores an image of their face, an absence display unit that displays an absence message on its display device while the customer is away, and a presence message receiving unit that cancels the absence message when the customer returns. The kitchen terminal includes an order information acquiring unit that acquires the number of customers, order information, and order time from the ordering terminal, an absence information acquiring unit that acquires the absence message from the ordering terminal, a presence information acquiring unit that acquires the absence message from the ordering terminal, and a cooking order changing unit that changes the cooking order based on the customer's order information depending on the customer's absence status.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention relates to an ordering system and program. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there is known an ordering system that allows customers to order food and drink from an ordering terminal such as a tablet terminal installed at the customer's seat (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In this type of ordering system, when it detects that a customer has left their seat to use the restroom, make a phone call, or whatever, it locks the menu to prevent the food and drink they ordered while they were away from their seat. However, this only delays the serving of food and drink, and does not take into consideration the need to postpone the preparation of food and drink ordered by customers who have left their seat. Furthermore, no measures have been taken to prevent customers who have left their seat from simply leaving the restaurant, known as eating and drinking without paying. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide an ordering system that does not affect store operations even when a customer who comes alone leaves their seat, and that also prevents customers from eating and drinking without paying. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The ordering system of the embodiment includes an ordering terminal provided at a customer's seat in a restaurant, and a kitchen terminal that manages the cooking order based on the order information received by the ordering terminal. The ordering terminal includes an order receiving unit that receives the number of customers and order information from the customers, an absence notification receiving unit that receives a notification of an absence when a customer who has visited the restaurant alone leaves their seat, an image capturing unit that, when the absence notification receiving unit receives the absence notification, notifies the customer that a facial image will be taken and then captures and stores the customer's facial image, an absence display unit that displays on its own display device that the customer is away when the absence notification is received, and a presence notification receiving unit that, when the absent customer returns to their seat, receives a notification of presence and cancels the absence display. The kitchen terminal includes an order information acquisition unit that acquires the number of customers visiting the restaurant, order information, and order time from the ordering terminal; an absence information acquisition unit that acquires information from the ordering terminal that a customer who visited alone has left their seat; a presence information acquisition unit that acquires information from the ordering terminal that the absence declaration has been canceled; and a cooking order change unit that changes the cooking order based on the order information of the customer who visited alone, based on the information acquired by the absence information acquisition unit and the presence information acquisition unit. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an ordering system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an external view showing an example of an ordering terminal included in the ordering system of the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a hardware block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an order terminal included in the order system of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of an order information file stored in the order terminal. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a hardware block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a kitchen terminal included in the ordering system of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of a cooking sequence file stored in the kitchen terminal. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an order screen on the order terminal. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that is displayed when a customer has declared that he or she will be leaving his or her seat, and that provides guidance for taking a facial image of the customer. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a screen indicating that the customer is away from his / her seat, which is displayed on the order terminal when the customer declares that he / she will be away from his / her seat. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for canceling the absence notification when the customer returns to his / her seat. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of information indicating the cooking order displayed on the kitchen terminal before an intention to leave is declared. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of information indicating the cooking order displayed on the kitchen terminal when an intention to leave is declared. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the order terminal included in the order system of the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of a kitchen terminal included in the ordering system of the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of processing performed by the ordering system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0008] An ordering system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0009] (Outline of ordering system configuration) The schematic configuration of an ordering system 10 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the ordering system according to an embodiment.

[0010] The ordering system 10 is installed in a restaurant or other establishment, receives orders from customers, and manages the cooking order. The ordering system 10 includes a store server 12, an ordering terminal 14, a kitchen terminal 16, and a wireless communication unit 17. At least one ordering terminal 14 is installed at each seat. The store server 12, the kitchen terminal 16, and the wireless communication unit 17 are connected via a network 18. The network 18 is, for example, a wired LAN.

[0011] The store server 12 manages the overall operation of the ordering system 10. The store server 12 also stores the number of customers and order history entered into the ordering terminal 14, as well as the cooking history based on the cooking order managed by the kitchen terminal 16.

[0012] The order terminal 14 receives from the customer the number of customers coming to the restaurant. The order terminal 14 also receives from the customer order information including the menu name and quantity.

[0013] Furthermore, when there is only one customer in the restaurant, the ordering terminal 14 accepts a notification that the customer is leaving their seat when that customer leaves. Also, the ordering terminal 14 accepts a notification that the customer is still seated when the customer returns to their seat.

[0014] Furthermore, when a customer who comes alone leaves his / her seat, the ordering terminal 14 takes a facial image of the customer and stores the taken facial image. Furthermore, the ordering terminal 14 records the customer's seat from the time the customer who comes alone declares that he / she is leaving his / her seat until the time the customer declares that he / she is still seated, and stores the recorded information.

[0015] Kitchen terminal 16 obtains the number of customers, order information, and order time from ordering terminal 14. Kitchen terminal 16 also obtains information from ordering terminal 14 that a customer who came alone has left their seat. Kitchen terminal 16 also obtains information from ordering terminal 14 that the customer who left their seat has returned to their seat, i.e., information that the absence notification has been lifted.

[0016] Kitchen terminal 16 also generates the cooking order based on the order information and order time acquired from ordering terminal 14. Kitchen terminal 16 also changes the cooking order based on information that a customer who came alone has left their seat and information that the absence request has been lifted.

[0017] The wireless communication unit 17 is a unit that wirelessly connects the ordering terminal 14 to the network 18. The wireless communication unit 17 is, for example, a wireless LAN router. A sufficient number of wireless communication units 17 are provided so that all ordering terminals 14 provided in the ordering system 10 can communicate with the network 18.

[0018] (Outline of ordering terminal configuration) The general configuration of the order terminal 14 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is an external view showing an example of an order terminal provided in the order system of the embodiment.

[0019] The ordering terminal 14 is, for example, a tablet terminal. The ordering terminal 14 includes a display device 141 and an operation device 142 on the front surface of the housing.

[0020] The display device 141 displays various information related to a menu order. The display device 141 also displays various information related to a notice of leaving the seat and a notice of leaving the seat. The display device 141 is, for example, a liquid crystal monitor or an organic EL monitor. The display device 141 is an example of a display device in the present disclosure.

[0021] The operation device 142 detects operations on various buttons displayed on the display device 141. The operation device 142 is, for example, a touch panel stacked on the display device 141.

[0022] The ordering terminal 14 is provided with a camera 143 installed on its edge facing the same direction as the display device 141. When a customer who came alone leaves their seat, the camera 143 captures a facial image of the customer. When a customer who came alone leaves their seat, the camera 143 also records the customer's seat from the time the customer returns to their seat and cancels the absence notification.

[0023] (Ordering terminal hardware configuration) The hardware configuration of the order terminal 14 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the order terminal included in the order system of the embodiment.

[0024] The order terminal 14 has a configuration in which a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a peripheral device controller 24, and a communication controller 25 are interconnected by an internal bus 23.

[0025] The control unit 21 controls the overall operation of the order terminal 14. The control unit 21 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 211, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 212, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 213. The CPU 211 is connected to the ROM 212 and the RAM 213 via internal buses such as an address bus and a data bus. The CPU 211 loads various programs stored in the ROM 212 and the storage unit 22 into the RAM 213. The CPU 211 controls the operation of the order terminal 14 by operating in accordance with the various programs loaded into the RAM 213. In other words, the control unit 21 has the configuration of a typical computer.

[0026] The storage unit 22 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). Alternatively, the storage unit 22 may be a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The storage unit 22 stores a control program 221, a product master 222, an order information file 223, facial image data 224, and video recording data 225.

[0027] The control program 221 is a program that controls the overall operation of the order terminal 14. The control program 221 may be provided in a state stored in the storage unit 22, or may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file on a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-R, or a DVD. The control program 221 may also be provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network and downloaded via the network. Furthermore, the control program 221 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0028] The product master 222 is a master file that stores product information such as food and drink menu names and prices. The product master 222 stores menu names, unit prices, additional information, etc. in association with product codes that uniquely identify menu items. The contents of the product master are updated as needed, so the order terminal 14 constantly updates the contents of the product master 222 to the latest state by, for example, obtaining the latest product master from the store server 12 via the communication controller 25.

[0029] The order information file 223 is a file that stores the number of customers, the seating status of the customers, and information related to the ordered menu items, in association with the table number (or seat number) where the ordering terminal 14 is installed. The detailed structure of the order information file 223 will be described in detail later (see FIG. 4). The order information file 223 may also be stored in the store server 12.

[0030] The facial image data 224 is a facial image of a customer taken by the camera 143 when the customer visits the restaurant alone and reports that he or she will be leaving his or her seat. When the customer returns to his or her seat, the ordering terminal 14 changes the customer's status from "Away" to "Present," and at this time, the ordering terminal 14 refers to the facial image data 224 to confirm that the customer is the same customer, and then changes the status from "Away" to "Present." The facial image data 224 may be stored in the store server 12 in association with a table number.

[0031] The video recording data 225 is video data of a customer's seat captured by the camera 143 when the customer visits the restaurant alone and reports that he or she is leaving, until the customer returns to his or her seat and the status is changed to "present." The video recording data 225 is used to monitor for tampering with the food at the seat or the theft of the customer's belongings while the customer who visited the restaurant alone is away from his or her seat. The video recording data 225 may be stored in the restaurant server 12 in association with the table number.

[0032] The control unit 21 is connected to input / output devices, that is, a display device 141, an operation device 142, and a camera 143, via a peripheral device controller 24. The outline of each of the input / output devices has been described above, so a repeated description will be omitted.

[0033] The communication controller 25 transmits and receives various information to and from the kitchen terminal 16 and the store server 12 via the wireless communication unit 17.

[0034] (Data structure of order information file) The data structure of the order information file 223 stored in the order terminal 14 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the order information file stored in the order terminal.

[0035] The order information file 223 is a file that stores the number of customers, seating information, and order information in association with table numbers.

[0036] The table number is the number of the table or seat where the ordering terminal 14 is located.

[0037] The number of customers is the number of customers who visit the restaurant. Although not shown, when a customer sits down, the customer selects a number from the number of customers options displayed on the display device 141 of the ordering terminal 14. This declares the number of customers at the table or seat where the ordering terminal 14 is placed.

[0038] The seating information is valid only when the reported number of customers is one, that is, when only one customer comes to the store.

[0039] The seating information column stores information indicating whether a customer is present or absent. As will be described in more detail later, when a customer who comes alone leaves their seat, they declare that they are leaving. When they declare that they are leaving, information indicating "Away" is stored in the seating information column. On the other hand, when a customer who has left their seat returns to their seat, they declare that they are present. When they declare that they are present, information indicating "Present" is stored in the seating information column.

[0040] The order information indicates the menu name, quantity, unit price, and time of order of the food and drink ordered from the corresponding table. The order information may also include the total price at that time. The order information is updated each time an order is placed. Specific methods for ordering menu items will be described in detail later (see FIG. 7).

[0041] (Hardware configuration of kitchen terminal) The hardware configuration of the kitchen terminal 16 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the kitchen terminal included in the ordering system of the embodiment.

[0042] The kitchen terminal 16 has a configuration in which a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a peripheral device controller 34, and a communication controller 35 are connected to one another via an internal bus 33.

[0043] Control unit 31 controls the overall operation of kitchen terminal 16. Control unit 31 includes CPU 311, ROM 312, and RAM 313. CPU 311 is connected to ROM 312 and RAM 313 via internal buses such as an address bus and a data bus. CPU 311 loads various programs stored in ROM 312 and storage unit 32 into RAM 313. CPU 311 controls the operation of kitchen terminal 16 by operating in accordance with the various programs loaded into RAM 313. In other words, control unit 31 has the configuration of a typical computer.

[0044] The memory unit 32 is a storage device such as an HDD or SSD. Alternatively, the memory unit 32 may be a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The memory unit 32 stores a control program 321, an order information file 322, and a cooking sequence file 323.

[0045] Control program 321 is a program that controls the overall operation of kitchen terminal 16. Control program 321 may be provided in a state stored in storage unit 32, or may be provided by being recorded in an installable or executable file on a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, or DVD. Control program 321 may also be provided by being stored on a computer connected to a network and downloaded via the network. Furthermore, control program 321 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0046] The order information file 322 is a file in which the order information files 223 sent from each order terminal 14 are integrated for each table number.

[0047] The cooking order file 323 is a file in which ordered menu items are sorted in chronological order of the order date. The detailed structure of the cooking order file 323 will be described later in detail (see FIG. 6).

[0048] The control unit 31 is connected to a display device 161 and an operation device 162, which are input / output devices, via the peripheral device controller 34. The display device 161 displays various information related to menu orders and various information related to cooking orders. The display device 161 is, for example, a liquid crystal monitor or an organic EL monitor. The operation device 162 detects operations on various buttons displayed on the display device 161. The operation device 162 is, for example, a touch panel stacked on the display device 161.

[0049] The communication controller 25 transmits and receives various information to and from the store server 12. The communication controller 25 also transmits and receives various information to and from the order terminal 14 via the wireless communication unit 17.

[0050] (Data structure of cooking order file) The data structure of the cooking sequence file 323 stored in the kitchen terminal 16 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the cooking sequence file stored in the kitchen terminal.

[0051] The cooking order file 323 is a file that stores the table number, ordered menu item name, and ordered quantity in chronological order. The cooking order file 323 also stores the seating status of customers who come alone, in association with the menu item ordered by that customer. The seating status is information indicating whether the customer is seated or not.

[0052] As will be described in more detail later (see Figures 11 and 12), when a customer who comes alone leaves their seat, kitchen terminal 16 delays the cooking order of the menu item ordered by that customer. Also, when the customer returns to their seat, the delayed cooking order is brought forward. This makes it possible to prevent food and drink from being served while the customer is away from their seat.

[0053] (Store server hardware configuration) Although a hardware block diagram of the store server 12 is not shown, the store server 12, like the order terminal 14 and the kitchen terminal 16, has a general computer configuration.

[0054] The store server 12 stores the order history made from the ordering terminal 14 and the cooking order managed by the kitchen terminal 16. The store server 12 may also store customer facial image data 224 acquired by the ordering terminal 14 and video recording data 225 of the customer's seat while the customer is away.

[0055] (How to order from the ordering terminal and how to report leaving your seat) A method for ordering a menu item and a method for notifying an absence from one's seat on the ordering terminal 14 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an ordering screen on the ordering terminal.

[0056] When ordering a menu item, an order screen 61 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed on the display device 141 of the order terminal 14.

[0057] The order screen 61 displays a menu button 611, quantity specification buttons 612 and 613, scroll buttons 614 and 615, an order button 616, a checkout button 617, and an leave button 618.

[0058] Menu button 611 is an operator for selecting a menu item to order. For example, when menu button 611 indicating menu A is touched, menu A is selected, and quantity specification buttons 612 and 613 corresponding to menu A become operable.

[0059] The quantity specification buttons 612 and 613 are buttons for specifying the quantity of the selected menu item after the menu button 611 is selected. The quantity specification button 612 is an operator that decreases the quantity by one each time it is touched. The quantity specification button 613 is an operator that increases the quantity by one each time it is touched. The operation results of the quantity specification buttons 612 and 613 are displayed in the quantity display area located between the quantity specification buttons 612 and 613. The customer specifies the quantity to order by operating the quantity specification button 612 and quantity specification button 613.

[0060] Scroll buttons 614 and 615 are controls for scrolling the contents of the menu displayed on the screen. Touching scroll button 614 scrolls the menu list downward by a predetermined amount. Touching scroll button 615 scrolls the menu list upward by a predetermined amount. The menu screen may also be scrolled by flicking the menu screen up or down.

[0061] The order button 616 is an operator for confirming the order details. After specifying the menu item and the quantity to be ordered, the customer touches the order button 616. When the order button 616 is touched, the ordering terminal 14 transmits the currently specified menu item and its quantity to the kitchen terminal 16, associating it with the table number.

[0062] The checkout button 617 is an operator that instructs the user to checkout. When the checkout button 617 is touched, the ordering terminal 14 requests the store server 12 to process the checkout for the order for the table number corresponding to the ordering terminal 14. The store server 12 sends the total amount as a result of the checkout process to the ordering terminal 14. The ordering terminal 14 then displays the total amount on the display device 141.

[0063] The leave seat button 618 is an operator that instructs a customer to leave their seat. The leave seat button 618 is an operator that is valid only when a customer comes to the restaurant alone. Therefore, the ordering terminal 14 displays the leave seat button 618 on the order screen 61 only when it is input that a customer has come alone on a visitor number input screen (not shown).

[0064] When the leaving seat button 618 is touched, the ordering terminal 14 notifies the kitchen terminal 16 that the customer has left their seat. The ordering terminal 14 then takes and stores an image of the face of the customer leaving their seat, and displays information indicating that the customer has left their seat on the display device 141. Furthermore, the ordering terminal 14 records the customer's seat while they are away. This will be described in more detail later (see FIGS. 8, 9, and 10).

[0065] (Method of storing face images) A method for capturing a facial image of a customer when the customer leaves his / her seat will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a screen that is displayed when the customer declares that he / she will be leaving his / her seat, and that provides guidance for capturing a facial image of the customer.

[0066] When a customer who comes alone touches the leave seat button 618, the ordering terminal 14 displays the face image capturing screen 62 shown in Fig. 8 on the display device 141. On the face image capturing screen 62, a face frame 621 and a guide to align the face with the face frame 621 are displayed.

[0067] The ordering terminal 14 starts face recognition processing on the image captured by the camera 143 at the same time as the face image capturing screen 62 is displayed. Then, when a face matching the face frame 621 is recognized, the ordering terminal 14 stores the captured image as face image data 224.

[0068] The captured facial image is used to cancel the away status when the customer returns to their seat (see Figure 10). In addition, because the customer's own facial image is explicitly captured, it has the effect of deterring customers from leaving their seats and eating and drinking without paying.

[0069] (Away status display) A screen displayed by the ordering terminal 14 while a customer is away from his / her seat will be described using Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a screen indicating that the customer is away from his / her seat, which is displayed on the ordering terminal when the customer declares that he / she will be away from his / her seat.

[0070] When the face image of the customer is captured on the face image capturing screen 62, the ordering terminal 14 displays an away screen 63 on the display device 141. The away screen 63 displays an away button 631 and a message that the customer's seat is being recorded.

[0071] The Away Seat Cancellation button 631 is an operator that is used by an absent customer to notify the customer that he or she has returned to his or her seat. When the Away Seat Cancellation button 631 is touched, the ordering terminal 14 displays an Away Seat Cancellation screen 64 (see FIG. 10 ), which will be described later, on the display device 141. The Away Seat Cancellation button 631 is displayed large and conspicuously in the center of the screen. This prevents the waiter from mistakenly thinking that the customer has left and clearing away the food and drinks from the customer's seat.

[0072] The ordering terminal 14 records the customer's seat using the camera 143 while the customer is away from the seat. Then, the fact that the customer's seat is being recorded is displayed on the away screen 63. This makes it possible to prevent food and drink from being taken away from the customer's seat while the customer is away. It also makes it possible to prevent tampering with the customer's belongings and other items left at the seat.

[0073] (Cancel away status) A method for canceling the absence status will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for canceling the absence status when the customer returns to their seat.

[0074] When the Away From Seat button 631 is touched on the Away From Seat screen 63, the ordering terminal 14 displays an Away From Seat cancellation screen 64 on the display device 141. On the Away From Seat cancellation screen 64, a face frame 641 and a message to meet the face in the face frame 641 are displayed.

[0075] The ordering terminal 14, at the same time as the absence cancellation screen 64 is displayed, starts face recognition processing on the image captured by the camera 143. Then, the absence status is cancelled on the condition that a face matching the face frame 641 is captured and the captured image matches the face image data 224 captured on the face image capture screen 62 and stored.

[0076] When the absence state is released, the order terminal 14 notifies the kitchen terminal 16 that the customer has returned to his / her seat.

[0077] (How to manage cooking order) A method for managing the cooking order by kitchen terminal 16 will be described using Figures 11 and 12. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of information indicating the cooking order displayed on the kitchen terminal before an intention to leave is declared. Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of information indicating the cooking order displayed on the kitchen terminal when an intention to leave is declared.

[0078] The kitchen terminal 16 acquires order information from multiple ordering terminals 14 installed in the store. The kitchen terminal 16 rearranges the order information in order of earliest order time to generate cooking sequence data 65 shown in Figure 11. The cooking sequence data 65 is an example of data stored in the cooking sequence file 323.

[0079] The cooking order data 65 stores, in order of order time, a menu item name 651, a quantity 652, a table number 653, and an occupancy status 654. The cooking order data 65 may also store the order time.

[0080] The menu name 651 is data indicating the name of the ordered menu item. The menu name 651 may be expressed as a product number or product code that uniquely identifies the food or drink.

[0081] The quantity 652 is the ordered quantity corresponding to the menu name 651 .

[0082] The table number 653 indicates the table number at which the order related to the menu item name 651 was placed.

[0083] Occupancy status 654 is information valid only for customers who come alone, and when the customer is present, information indicating that the customer is present is stored, and when the customer is away, information indicating that the customer is away is stored. Figure 11 shows that the customer at table Ta came alone, ordered one each of menu A and menu B, and is currently present.

[0084] Assume that the kitchen terminal 16 has the cooking sequence data 65 shown in FIG. 11, and the customer at table Ta leaves his / her seat.

[0085] When kitchen terminal 16 receives information that the customer at table Ta has left the seat, kitchen terminal 16 updates cooking sequence data 65 to cooking sequence data 66.

[0086] More specifically, kitchen terminal 16 moves the cooking order of the order data from table Ta down by a predetermined amount. The amount of movement down may be a predetermined amount or may be set as appropriate.

[0087] Furthermore, the kitchen terminal 16 changes the seating status 654 corresponding to the order data from table Ta in the cooking sequence data 66 to "Away."

[0088] Furthermore, when a customer at table Ta returns to their seat, kitchen terminal 16 receives information from ordering terminal 14 indicating that the customer has returned to their seat. Kitchen terminal 16 then moves the cooking order of the order data from table Ta that had been moved down a predetermined amount. The amount of movement may be a predetermined amount or may be set as appropriate.

[0089] In addition, when a customer leaves their seat, food and drink that does not need to be cooked, such as drinks, will also be served later in the order of serving.

[0090] (Functional configuration of the ordering terminal) The functional configuration of the order terminal 14 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the order terminal included in the order system of the embodiment.

[0091] The control unit 21 of the order terminal 14 deploys the control program 221 in the RAM 213 and runs it, thereby realizing, as functional units, an order receiving unit 41, an order information output unit 42, an absence notification receiving unit 43, an absence notification display unit 44, a presence notification receiving unit 45, an image capturing unit 46, a seat recording unit 47, and a recording status display unit 48, all of which are shown in Fig. 13. Note that some or all of these functional units may be realized by dedicated hardware.

[0092] The order receiving unit 41 receives the number of customers visiting the store and order information from the customers. The order receiving unit 41 also receives instructions from the customers regarding the transaction.

[0093] The order information output unit 42 outputs the information received by the order receiving unit 41 to the kitchen terminal 16.

[0094] When a customer who came alone leaves his / her seat, the leaving notification receiving unit 43 receives the notification that the customer is leaving his / her seat. Furthermore, when the leaving notification receiving unit 43 receives the notification from the customer that the customer is leaving his / her seat, the leaving notification receiving unit 43 outputs the notification to the kitchen terminal 16.

[0095] When the absence is reported, the absence display unit 44 displays on its own display device 141 that the person is away from their seat and that the audience is being recorded.

[0096] When a customer who has been away from their seat returns to their seat, the seating declaration receiving unit 45 receives the customer's declaration of presence and cancels the display indicating that the customer is away. In addition, when the seating declaration receiving unit 45 receives a customer's declaration of presence, it outputs the notification to the kitchen terminal 16.

[0097] When the absence report receiving unit 43 receives a report of absence from the seat, the image photographing unit 46 notifies the customer that a face image will be taken, and then photographs and stores the face image of the customer.

[0098] When the absence reporting section receives a report of absence, the audience seat recording section 47 records the audience seats until the presence report receiving section 45 receives a cancellation of absence.

[0099] The recording status display unit 48 displays on its own display device 141 that the audience seats are being recorded.

[0100] (Functional configuration of kitchen terminal) The functional configuration of the kitchen terminal 16 will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the kitchen terminal included in the ordering system of the embodiment.

[0101] The control unit 31 of the kitchen terminal 16 loads and runs the control program 321 in the RAM 313, thereby realizing the following functional units: an order information acquisition unit 51, an order information display unit 52, an absence information acquisition unit 53, an attendance information acquisition unit 54, and a cooking order change unit 55, all of which are shown in Fig. 14. Note that some or all of these functional units may be realized by dedicated hardware.

[0102] The order information acquisition unit 51 acquires the number of customers, order information, and order time from the order terminal 14.

[0103] The order information display unit 52 displays the cooking order set by the cooking order change unit 55 on the display device 161.

[0104] The leaving seat information acquiring unit 53 acquires information from the ordering terminal 14 that a customer who came alone has left his seat.

[0105] The seating information acquisition unit 54 acquires from the order terminal 14 information that the absence notification has been cancelled.

[0106] The cooking order change unit 55 acquires order information from the order terminal 14 and updates the cooking order file 323. The cooking order change unit 55 also changes the cooking order based on the order information of a customer who comes alone, based on the information acquired by the absence information acquisition unit 53 and the presence information acquisition unit 54. More specifically, when a customer who comes alone leaves their seat, the cooking order change unit 55 moves down the cooking order based on the customer's order information and order time, and when the customer resumes their absence status, moves up the cooking order based on the order time. The cooking order change unit 55 also deletes from the cooking order file 323 menu items that have been served to the customer. The cooking order change unit 55 also determines whether all menu items registered in the cooking order file 323 have been served.

[0107] (Processing flow of the order system) The flow of processing performed by the ordering system 10 of the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the ordering system of the embodiment.

[0108] First, we will explain the flow of processing performed by the ordering terminal 14. It is assumed that information indicating that a customer has visited the store alone has already been input into the ordering terminal 14.

[0109] The order receiving unit 41 determines whether an order has been input by the customer (step S11). If it is determined that an order has been input by the customer (step S11: Yes), the process proceeds to step S12. If it is not determined that an order has been input by the customer (step S11: No), the process proceeds to step S13.

[0110] When it is determined in step S11 that an order has been input by a customer, the order information output unit 42 outputs the order information to the kitchen terminal 16 (step S12). The order information output at this time includes the table number, the number of customers, the menu name, the order quantity, and the time of the order.

[0111] The absence notification receiving unit 43 determines whether a notification to the effect that the customer will leave their seat has been received from the customer (step S13). If it is determined that a notification to the effect that the customer will leave their seat has been received from the customer (step S13: Yes), the process proceeds to step S14. On the other hand, if it is not determined that a notification to the effect that the customer will leave their seat has been received from the customer (step S13: No), the process proceeds to step S22.

[0112] If it is determined in step S13 that a customer has notified the customer that he or she will be leaving the table, the image capturing unit 46 notifies the customer that a facial image will be captured, and then captures a facial image of the customer (step S14).

[0113] The leaving notice receiving unit 43 outputs to the kitchen terminal 16 a notice that the leaving notice from the customer has been received (step S15).

[0114] The audience recording unit 47 starts recording the audience (step S16).

[0115] The absence display unit 44 displays on the display device 141 of the order terminal 14 that the customer is away from his / her seat and that the customer's seat is being recorded (step S17).

[0116] The seating declaration receiving unit 45 determines whether a seating declaration has been received from the customer (step S18). If it is determined that a seating declaration has been received from the customer (step S18: Yes), the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if it is not determined that a seating declaration has been received from the customer (step S18: No), step S18 is repeated.

[0117] If it is determined in step S18 that a declaration of presence has been received from the audience, audience seating recording section 47 stops recording the audience seating (step S19).

[0118] Next, the presence report accepting unit 45 cancels the display on the display device 141 indicating that the person is away from his / her desk (step S20).

[0119] The seating declaration receiving unit 45 outputs to the kitchen terminal 16 a message indicating that the seating declaration has been received from the customer (step S21).

[0120] The order receiving unit 41 determines whether a payment instruction has been received from the customer (step S22). If it is determined that a payment instruction has been received from the customer (step S22: Yes), the order receiving unit 41 performs the payment process and ends the process. On the other hand, if it is not determined that a payment instruction has been received from the customer (step S22: No), the process returns to step S11.

[0121] Next, the flow of processing performed by kitchen terminal 16 will be described.

[0122] The order information acquisition unit 51 acquires order information from the order terminal 14 (step S31).

[0123] The cooking order change unit 55 updates the cooking order file 323 based on the order information acquired from the order terminal 14 (step S32).

[0124] The absence information acquisition unit 53 determines whether absence information has been acquired from the ordering terminal 14 (step S33). If it is determined that absence information has been acquired from the ordering terminal 14 (step S33: Yes), the process proceeds to step S34. On the other hand, if it is not determined that absence information has been acquired from the ordering terminal 14 (step S33: No), the process proceeds to step S35.

[0125] If it is determined in step S33 that absence information has been acquired from the ordering terminal 14, the cooking order change unit 55 updates the cooking order file 323 (step S34). Specifically, the cooking order change unit 55 moves uncooked menu items ordered from the table from which the customer has left their seat down a predetermined amount in the cooking order.

[0126] The seating information acquisition unit 54 determines whether seating information has been acquired from the ordering terminal 14 (step S35). If it is determined that seating information has been acquired from the ordering terminal 14 (step S35: Yes), the process proceeds to step S36. On the other hand, if it is not determined that seating information has been acquired from the ordering terminal 14 (step S35: No), the process proceeds to step S37.

[0127] If it is determined in step S35 that seat presence information has been acquired from the order terminal 14, the cooking order change unit 55 updates the cooking order file 323 (step S36). Specifically, the cooking order change unit 55 moves up the cooking order by a predetermined amount for menu items whose cooking order has been moved down due to a customer leaving their seat.

[0128] The cooking order change unit 55 determines whether the menu registered in the cooking order file 323 has been served (Step S37). If it is determined that the menu registered in the cooking order file 323 has been served (Step S37: Yes), the process proceeds to Step S38. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the menu registered in the cooking order file 323 has been served (Step S37: No), the process returns to Step S31.

[0129] If it is determined in step S37 that the menu items registered in the cooking order file 323 have been served, the cooking order change unit 55 updates the cooking order file 323 (step S38). Specifically, the cooking order change unit 55 deletes the menu items that have been served to the customer from the cooking order file 323.

[0130] The cooking order change unit 55 determines whether all the menu items registered in the cooking order file 323 have been provided (step S39). If it is determined that all the menu items registered in the cooking order file 323 have been provided (step S39: Yes), the process ends. On the other hand, if it is not determined that all the menu items registered in the cooking order file 323 have been provided (step S39: No), the process returns to step S31.

[0131] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, the ordering system 10 of the embodiment comprises an ordering terminal 14 provided at a customer's seat in a restaurant, and a kitchen terminal 16 that manages the cooking order based on the order information received by the ordering terminal 14. The ordering terminal 14 comprises an order receiving unit 41 that receives the number of customers and order information from the customers, an absence notification receiving unit 43 that receives a notification that a customer who has visited the restaurant alone will be leaving their seat, an image capturing unit 46 that, when the absence notification receiving unit 43 receives the notification of absence, notifies the customer that a facial image will be taken and then captures and stores the customer's facial image, an absence display unit 44 that, when the absence notification is received, displays on its own display device 141 (display device) that the customer is away from their seat, and a presence notification receiving unit 45 that, when the absent customer returns to their seat, receives a notification that the absent customer is still present and cancels the absence display. The kitchen terminal 16 includes an order information acquisition unit 51 that acquires the number of customers, order information, and order time from the ordering terminal 14; an absence information acquisition unit 53 that acquires information from the ordering terminal 14 that a customer who arrived alone has left their seat; a seat presence information acquisition unit 54 that acquires information from the ordering terminal 14 that the absence notification has been canceled; and a cooking order change unit 55 that changes the cooking order based on the order information of the customer who arrived alone based on the information acquired by the absence information acquisition unit 53 and the seat presence information acquisition unit 54. Therefore, even if a customer who arrived alone leaves their seat, disruption to restaurant operations due to, for example, the stopping of the food serving lane at a conveyor belt sushi restaurant or the absence of someone to receive food and drink delivered by a waiter robot can be avoided. Furthermore, by delaying the preparation of food and drink ordered by a customer who temporarily leaves their seat, it is possible to prevent the prepared food and drink from remaining behind. Furthermore, since a customer who arrived alone recognizes that their facial image was captured when they left their seat, eating and drinking without paying can be deterred.

[0132] Furthermore, in the ordering system 10 of the embodiment, when a customer who comes alone leaves their seat, the cooking order change unit 55 moves the cooking order down based on the customer's order information and order time, and when the customer resumes their seating status, moves the cooking order up based on the order time. This prevents food and drink from being served to a customer who comes alone while they are away from their seat. Furthermore, by delaying the cooking of food and drink ordered by a customer who temporarily leaves their seat, it is possible to prevent prepared food and drink from remaining behind.

[0133] Furthermore, in the ordering system 10 of the embodiment, the ordering terminal 14 further includes a customer seat recording unit 47 that records the customer's seat when the absence notification receiving unit 43 receives a notification of absence from the customer seat until the presence notification receiving unit 45 receives a cancellation of the absence notification, and a recording status display unit 48 that displays on its own display device 141 (display device) that the customer's seat is being recorded. This prevents a waiter from taking away the food or drink that a customer is eating while they are leaving their seat. It also prevents tampering with luggage or other items on the seat when a customer who comes alone is temporarily leaving their seat.

[0134] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 10. Ordering System 12 Store Server 14 Ordering terminal 141 Display devices (display devices) 142 Operating Devices 143 Camera 16 Kitchen terminal 17 Wireless Communication Unit 18 Network 41 Order Reception Department 42 Order information output section 43 Absence Report Reception Department 44 Leave display section 45 Attendance Declaration Reception Department 46 Image capture unit 47 Audience Recording Department 48 Recording status display 51 Order Information Acquisition Department 52 Order information display section 53 Absence Information Acquisition Unit 54 Presence Information Acquisition Department 55 Cooking order change section 61 Order screen 62 Face image capture screen 63 Away screen 64 Away call recovery screen 65,66 Cooking order data 223 Order Information File 224 facial image data 225 Recorded Data 322 Order Information File 323 Cooking Order File [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0136] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-108031

Claims

1. An ordering system comprising an ordering terminal provided at a customer seat of a restaurant and a kitchen terminal that manages the cooking order based on the order information received by the ordering terminal, The ordering terminal is an order reception unit that receives the number of customers visiting the store and order information from the customers; an absence notification receiving unit that receives a notification of a customer leaving the store when the customer leaves the store alone; an image capturing unit that, when the absence notification receiving unit receives the absence notification, notifies the customer that a facial image will be taken, and then captures and stores the facial image of the customer; an absence display unit that displays on its own display device that the user is away from his / her desk when the user reports that he / she is away from his / her desk; and a presence notification receiving unit that, when the customer who is away from the seat returns to the seat, receives a notification that the customer is at the seat and cancels the display of the customer being away from the seat, The kitchen terminal is an order information acquisition unit that acquires the number of customers, the order information, and the order time from the order terminal; an absence information acquisition unit that acquires information from the ordering terminal that a customer who came alone has left their seat; an attendance information acquisition unit that acquires, from the order terminal, information that the absence notification has been cancelled; a cooking order change unit that changes the cooking order based on the order information of the customer who comes alone, based on the information acquired by the absent-seat information acquisition unit and the seat-occupancy information acquisition unit. Ordering system.

2. The cooking order change unit When a customer who came alone leaves their seat, the cooking order based on the customer's order information and order time is moved down, and when the customer returns from their seat, the cooking order is moved up based on the order time. The ordering system of claim 1 .

3. The ordering terminal is a seat recording unit that records the seat of the customer when the absence notification receiving unit receives the absence notification until the presence notification receiving unit receives the absence notification cancellation; and a recording status display unit that displays on its own display device that the seat of the customer is being recorded. The ordering system of claim 1 .

4. A computer that controls an ordering system that includes an ordering terminal provided at a customer's seat in a restaurant and a kitchen terminal that manages the cooking order based on order information received by the ordering terminal, The ordering terminal, an order reception unit that receives the number of customers visiting the store and order information from the customers; an absence notification receiving unit that receives a notification of a customer leaving the store when the customer leaves the store alone; an image capturing unit that, when the absence notification receiving unit receives the absence notification, notifies the customer that a facial image will be taken, and then captures and stores the facial image of the customer; an absence display unit that displays on its own display device that the user is away from his / her desk when the user reports that he / she is away from his / her desk; When the customer returns to his / her seat, the presence notification unit cancels the notification that the customer is away from his / her seat and the display indicating that the customer is away from his / her seat, The kitchen terminal, an order information acquisition unit that acquires the number of customers, the order information, and the order time from the order terminal; an absence information acquisition unit that acquires information from the ordering terminal that a customer who came alone has left their seat; an attendance information acquisition unit that acquires, from the order terminal, information that the absence notification has been cancelled; a cooking order changing unit that changes the cooking order based on the order information of the customer who came alone, based on the information acquired by the absent-seat information acquiring unit and the present-seat information acquiring unit; program.

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