Order taking device and program

Abstract

We provide an order taking device and program that can reduce the effort required of customers when placing an order. [Solution] The order receiving device comprises: a speech acquisition unit that acquires customer speech data (speech information) related to ordering from the menu; a text conversion unit that converts the speech data acquired by the speech acquisition unit into text data (text information); an order content estimation unit that analyzes the text data by referring to the features contained in the text data and the contents of the menu offered at the store to estimate the contents of the menu that the customer will order; and an order information presentation unit that presents the contents of the menu estimated by the order content estimation unit to the customer.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to an order receiving device and a program.

Background Art

[0002] In a restaurant, an order receiving device that places an order by selecting a menu displayed on an order terminal placed on a seat is used (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In such a conventional order receiving device, since it is configured to select a menu to be ordered from a large number of menus by navigating through a multi-layered menu screen displayed on a touch panel, there is a problem that it takes time to place an order.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an order receiving device and a program that can reduce the customer's effort when placing an order.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The order receiving device according to the embodiment includes a speech acquisition unit, a text conversion unit, an order content estimation unit, and an order information presentation unit. The speech acquisition unit acquires speech information of a customer related to an order of a menu. The text conversion unit converts the speech information acquired by the speech acquisition unit into text information. The order content estimation unit analyzes the text information by referring to the features included in the text information and the content of the menu provided in the store, and estimates the content of the menu ordered by the customer. The order information presentation unit presents the content of the menu estimated by the order content estimation unit to the customer.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] [[ID= [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the order receiving device included in the order receiving system of the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of the data structure of a menu master. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an order receiving device. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of a voice instruction screen that an order taking device displays to a customer. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is the first diagram showing an example of how the order content estimation device analyzes speech data. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a second diagram showing an example of how the order content estimation device analyzes speech data. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a third diagram illustrating an example of how the order content estimation device analyzes speech data. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of the display of order details estimated by the order details estimation device. [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows an example of how to modify the order details estimated by the order details estimation device. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by the order receiving device of the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the order receiving system 10 of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0008] (Outline of the order receiving system) The schematic configuration of the order receiving system 10 of the embodiment will be explained using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of the order receiving system of the embodiment.

[0009] The order taking system 10 takes menu orders from customers who enter a restaurant.

[0010] The order taking system 10 has a configuration in which an order taking device 11, a kitchen terminal 12, and a store server 13 are connected by a network 14.

[0011] The order receiving device 11 receives an order from a customer and determines the table number (or identification number assigned to the order terminal 23) to which the order was placed, as well as the name and quantity of the ordered menu item.

[0012] The order receiving device 11 comprises an order content estimation device 21, a wireless communication unit 22, and an order terminal 23.

[0013] The order content estimation device 21 acquires voice data spoken by the customer from the order terminal 23, analyzes the content of the speech, and estimates the customer's order. The order content estimation device 21 also outputs the estimated order content to the order terminal 23 that acquired the voice data.

[0014] The order terminal 23 is installed at least at each table and receives the order information spoken by the customer. The order terminal 23 also retrieves the order details estimated by the order content estimation device 21 and displays them in a way that is visible to the customer. Furthermore, if there is an error in the order details estimated by the order content estimation device 21, the order terminal 23 receives correction information from the customer. The order terminal 23 then outputs the confirmed order details to the kitchen terminal 12. The order terminal 23 is, for example, a tablet terminal. The order terminal 23 is also assigned identification information (for example, an identification number) that uniquely identifies the table number on which it is installed.

[0015] The wireless communication unit 22 is a unit that wirelessly connects the order terminal 23, the order receiving device 11, the kitchen terminal 12, and the store server 13 via the network 14. The wireless communication unit 22 is, for example, a wireless LAN router. The wireless communication unit 22 is provided with such a number that all the order terminals 23 included in the order receiving system 10, the order receiving device 11, the kitchen terminal 12, and the store server 13 can communicate with each other.

[0016] The kitchen terminal 12 receives order information from the customer from the order terminal 23. The order information includes an identification number that identifies the order terminal 23 where the order was placed, the name of the ordered menu, and the quantity. Further, the kitchen terminal 12 outputs, to the store server 13, an order content registration file in which the order information is registered, in association with identification information that identifies the order terminal 23 that received the order, for managing sales.

[0017] The store server 13 monitors the operations of each part of the order receiving system 10. Further, the store server 13 manages the sales data in the store.

[0018] The network 14 is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0019] [[ID=IMPORTANT NOTE]]Since a plurality of wireless communication units 22 and a plurality of order terminals 23 are generally installed in the store, the order receiving device Ⅰ may be considered to include the plurality of wireless communication units 22 and the plurality of order terminals 23.

[0020] (Hardware Configuration of Order Receiving Device) The hardware configuration of the order receiving device 11 will be described using FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a hardware block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the order receiving device included in the order receiving system of the embodiment. Here, for simplicity of explanation, it is assumed that the order receiving device 11 includes one wireless communication unit 22 and one order terminal 23.

[0021] It should be noted that there is an unclear "注文受付装置Ⅰ" in the original text. I translated it as "order receiving device Ⅰ" for the purpose of showing the translation process. You may need to check and correct it according to the actual situation.First, the hardware configuration of the order content estimation device 21 will be described. The order content estimation device 21, which is included in the order receiving device 11, has a configuration in which a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication controller 34 are connected to each other by an internal bus 33.

[0022] The control unit 31 controls the overall operation of the order content estimation device 21. The control unit 31 comprises a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 311, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 312, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 313. The CPU 311 connects to the ROM 312 and the RAM 313 via internal buses such as an address bus and a data bus. The CPU 311 loads various programs stored in the ROM 312 and the memory unit 32 into the RAM 313. The CPU 311 controls the operation of the order content estimation device 21 by operating according to the various programs loaded into the RAM 313. In other words, the control unit 31 has the configuration of a typical computer.

[0023] The storage unit 32 is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). Alternatively, the storage unit 32 may be a non-volatile memory such as flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The storage unit 32 stores the control program 321, the menu master 322, the text data 323, and the large-scale language model 324.

[0024] The control program 321 is a program that controls the overall operation of the order content estimation device 21. The control program 321 may be provided stored in the memory unit 32, or it may be provided as an installable or executable file recorded on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, or DVD. The control program 321 may also be provided by storing it on a computer connected to a network and downloading it via the network. Furthermore, the control program 321 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0025] The menu master 322 is a master file that stores menu information for each menu item, associated with a menu ID that uniquely identifies the menu item offered at the store. The menu information includes at least the menu name, price, pronunciation information for the menu item, and alternative names for the menu item. The structure of the menu master 322 will be described in detail later (see Figure 3).

[0026] Text data 323 is data obtained by the order content estimation device 21 by converting customer speech data entered from the order terminal 23 into text. Text data 323 includes identification information that identifies the order terminal 23 from which the speech data was entered, and the data obtained by converting the entered speech data into text. Note that text data 323 is an example of text information in this disclosure.

[0027] The large-scale language model 324 is a language model used to analyze the meaning of text data 323. More specifically, the large-scale language model 324 is a natural language processing (NLP) model built using training on vast amounts of data and deep learning techniques. By fine-tuning the large-scale language model 324, it can be applied to text classification, sentiment analysis, information extraction, text summarization, text generation, question answering, and other applications, and is therefore widely used today. For example, the well-known chat GPT is a fine-tuned version of the large-scale language model 324 for chat applications. The functions of the large-scale language model 324 will be described in more detail later (see Figures 6-8).

[0028] The large-scale language model 324 is generated by fine-tuning an existing large-scale language model, for example, by training it with speech data related to menu orders from numerous speakers for each store. The paraphrases for menu items generated during the training process are then registered in the menu master 322, as described later (see Figure 3).

[0029] Furthermore, the control unit 31 communicates with the store server 13 and the order terminal 23 via the communication controller 34.

[0030] For example, the order content estimation device 21 obtains the latest menu master from the store server 13. The order content estimation device 21 also obtains customer speech data from the order terminal 23. The order content estimation device 21 also outputs the order information it has estimated to the order terminal 23.

[0031] Next, the hardware configuration of the order terminal 23 will be described. The order terminal 23 provided by the order receiving device 11 has a configuration in which a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, a peripheral device controller 44, and a communication controller 45 are connected to each other by an internal bus 43.

[0032] The control unit 41 controls the overall operation of the order terminal 23. The control unit 41 comprises a CPU 411, a ROM 412, and a RAM 413. The CPU 411 connects to the ROM 412 and the RAM 413 via internal buses such as an address bus and a data bus. The CPU 411 loads various programs stored in the ROM 412 and the memory unit 42 into the RAM 413. The CPU 411 controls the operation of the order terminal 23 by operating according to the various programs loaded into the RAM 413. In other words, the control unit 41 has the configuration of a typical computer.

[0033] The memory unit 42 is a storage device such as an HDD or SSD. Alternatively, the memory unit 42 may be a non-volatile memory such as flash memory that retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The memory unit 42 stores the control program 421, the speech data 422, and the order data 423.

[0034] The control program 421 is a program that controls the overall operation of the order terminal 23. The control program 421 may be provided stored in the memory unit 42, or it may be provided as an installable or executable file recorded on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, or DVD. The control program 421 may also be provided by storing it on a computer connected to a network and downloading it via the network. Furthermore, the control program 421 may be provided or distributed via a network such as the Internet.

[0035] The speech data 422 is audio data of a customer's speech recorded by microphone 53. Note that speech data 422 is an example of speech information in this disclosure.

[0036] Order data 423 is data indicating the customer's order, estimated by the order content estimation device 21 based on the speech data 422. Order data 423 includes the table number where the order was placed (or the identification number assigned to the order terminal 23), the name of the ordered menu item, and the quantity. In addition, order data 423 is data that has been modified by the customer from the order content estimation device 21 estimated. The order data 423 estimated by the order content estimation device 21 is overwritten by the customer's modifications.

[0037] The control unit 41 connects to various information input / output devices, namely the display device 51, the operation device 52, and the microphone 53, via the peripheral device controller 44.

[0038] The display device 51 is a display device that presents various screen information to the customer. The display device 51 is, for example, an LCD monitor or an OLED monitor.

[0039] The operating device 52 is a device that detects customer operation instructions. The operating device 52 is, for example, a touch panel stacked on the display device 51.

[0040] Microphone 53 is a sound-collecting device that captures customer speech. Microphone 53 is installed, for example, on the periphery of the order terminal 23, facing the same direction as the display device 51.

[0041] Furthermore, the control unit 41 communicates with the order content estimation device 21 and the kitchen terminal 12 via the communication controller 45.

[0042] For example, the control unit 41 obtains order data 423 from the order content estimation device 21, which indicates the customer's order content estimated by the order content estimation device 21. The control unit 41 also outputs the order data 423 that the customer has confirmed or modified to the kitchen terminal 12, associated with identification information that identifies the order terminal 23.

[0043] (Data structure of the menu master) Figure 3 illustrates the data structure of the menu master 322. Figure 3 shows an example of the data structure of a menu master.

[0044] The menu master 322 stores menu information for a menu item, associated with a menu ID, which is an identifier that uniquely identifies the menu item. The menu information includes the menu name, its pronunciation, the unit price, and alternative names.

[0045] The menu name is text information that represents the official name of the menu item at the restaurant. For example, the menu name might contain information such as "draft beer."

[0046] The pronunciation information represents the reading of the menu item. For example, the pronunciation information for "draft beer" would be stored as "namabiru".

[0047] The unit price is information that indicates the price of the menu item.

[0048] Paraphrases are reading information indicating common names or abbreviations for menu items. For example, paraphrases for "draft beer" might include "nama" and "chūjokki (medium mug)." There is no limit to the number of paraphrases that can be registered. The paraphrases are continuously augmented by the large-scale language model 324 in the order content estimation device 21 as it learns menu names spoken by a large number of customers.

[0049] Note that the information stored in the menu master 322 is not limited to the example in Figure 3. For example, the menu master 322 may store information such as the portion size (large, medium, small) and toppings for the registered menu items.

[0050] (Functional configuration of the order receiving device) The functional configuration of the order receiving device 11 will be explained using Figure 4. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the order receiving device.

[0051] First, let's explain the functional configuration of the order terminal 23.

[0052] The control unit 41 of the order terminal 23 deploys the control program 421 to the RAM 413 and operates it, thereby realizing the speech acquisition unit 61, the order information presentation unit 65, the order content modification unit 66, and the order information output unit 67 shown in Figure 4 as functional units. Note that all or part of these functional units may be realized by dedicated hardware.

[0053] The speech acquisition unit 61 acquires customer speech data 422 related to menu orders via the microphone 53. The speech acquisition unit 61 also associates the speech data 422 with identification information that identifies the order terminal 23 and outputs it to the order content estimation device 21.

[0054] The order information display unit 65 obtains the menu content estimated by the order content estimation unit 64 (described later) from the order content estimation device 21. The order information display unit 65 also presents the menu content estimated by the order content estimation unit 64 to the customer by displaying it on the display device 51.

[0055] The order modification unit 66 modifies the menu displayed by the order information display unit 65 in response to customer input. When the menu content is modified, the order modification unit 66 outputs the modified content to the order content estimation device 21, which then compares it with the menu master 322 and modifies the menu price. The order information display unit 65 displays the modified price on the display device 51. Furthermore, when the customer confirms the menu content, the order modification unit 66 outputs a message to the order content estimation device 21 indicating that the order has been confirmed.

[0056] The order information output unit 67 outputs the menu content modified by the order content modification unit 66 to the kitchen terminal 12 upon receiving instructions from the customer. If no modifications by the order content modification unit 66 are necessary, the order information output unit 67 outputs the menu content presented by the order information presentation unit 65, along with identification information that identifies the order terminal 23, to the kitchen terminal 12 upon receiving instructions from the customer.

[0057] Next, the functional configuration of the order content estimation device 21 will be explained.

[0058] The control unit 31 of the order content estimation device 21 loads the control program 321 into the RAM 313 and operates it, thereby realizing the text conversion unit 62, the order content inquiry unit 63, and the order content estimation unit 64 shown in Figure 4 as functional units. Note that all or part of these functional units may be realized by dedicated hardware.

[0059] The text conversion unit 62 obtains speech data 422 and identification information that identifies the ordering terminal 23 from the ordering terminal 23. The text conversion unit 62 also converts the speech data 422 obtained from the ordering terminal 23 into text data 323. Specifically, the text conversion unit 62 performs speech recognition on the speech data 422. Then, the text conversion unit 62 performs dictation, which is the process of transcribing text information from the speech recognition results. The method of speech recognition and dictation is not limited, but a menu master 322 or a large-scale language model 324 may be used as a dictionary to store the vocabulary used when performing these operations.

[0060] The order inquiry unit 63 instructs the order content estimation unit 64 to analyze the text data 323 generated by the text conversion unit 62. The order inquiry unit 63 also obtains the analysis results of the text data 323 from the order content estimation unit 64. The order inquiry unit 63 also obtains the contents of the menu modified by the customer and identification information to identify the order terminal 23 from the order terminal 23. The order inquiry unit 63 also obtains information indicating that the order contents have been confirmed and identification information to identify the order terminal 23 from the order terminal 23. The order inquiry unit 63 also outputs the obtained analysis results to the originating order terminal 23.

[0061] The order content estimation unit 64 obtains text data 323 from the order content inquiry unit 63. The order content estimation unit 64 also analyzes features extracted from the text data 323 by referencing the menu contents offered at the store from the menu master 322, and estimates the menu items the customer will order. More specifically, the order content estimation unit 64 analyzes features (e.g., words and phrases) extracted from the text data 323 by referencing the menu master 322 and the large-scale language model 324. The method for analyzing the text data 323 will be described in detail later (see Figure 6).

[0062] As mentioned above, the order receiving device 11 generally includes multiple order terminals 23. Therefore, the order content estimation device 21 estimates the order content from each order terminal 23 by analyzing customer speech data 422 obtained from the multiple order terminals 23 in parallel.

[0063] Furthermore, the scope of functions of the order terminal 23 and the order content estimation device 21 are not limited to the example in Figure 4. For example, the order terminal 23 may convert the customer's speech data 422 into text data 323 and output it to the order content estimation device 21.

[0064] (Speech instruction screen) Using Figure 5, we will explain the speech instruction screen 71 that is displayed on the order terminal 23 and instructs the customer to speak. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a speech instruction screen that the order receiving device displays to the customer.

[0065] The speech instruction screen 71 includes a message 72, a speech icon 73, and a speech button 74.

[0066] Message 72 is information that instructs the customer to verbally specify their order.

[0067] The speech icon 73 is an icon that suggests to the customer that they should speak.

[0068] The speech button 74 is an operator that instructs the start of speaking. When a customer presses the speech button 74, the microphone 53 of the order terminal 23 records the customer's speech and generates speech data 422. The order terminal 23 then stores the generated speech data 422. The order terminal 23 then determines that the speech has ended and stops recording when the sound pressure level of the speech falls below a predetermined level for a predetermined period of time.

[0069] Furthermore, in order to ensure reliable detection of the end of speech, the order terminal 23 may record the customer's speech while the speech button 74 is pressed. The customer then releases the speech button 74 when they have finished speaking. In this case, the customer must continue to press the speech button 74 while speaking, but the end of speech can be reliably detected.

[0070] (Analysis of text data) Figures 6, 7, and 8 illustrate the method of analyzing text data 323 performed by the order content estimation device 21. Figure 6 is the first diagram showing an example of the method of analyzing speech data performed by the order content estimation device. Figure 7 is the second diagram showing an example of the method of analyzing speech data performed by the order content estimation device. Figure 8 is the third diagram showing an example of the method of analyzing speech data performed by the order content estimation device.

[0071] Here, as an example, let's assume the customer uttered the voice utterance 25 shown in Figure 6. That is, the customer said, "Um, let's see, edamame, tofu, two salads, one octopus wasabi, two sashimi platters, three raw beers, that's all."

[0072] The speech acquisition unit 61 of the order terminal 23 acquires the voice utterance 25 as speech data 422. The speech acquisition unit 61 of the order terminal 23 then outputs the acquired speech data 422 to the order content estimation device 21.

[0073] The text conversion unit 62 of the order content estimation device 21 acquires the speech data 422 and converts it into text data 323. The conversion to text data 323 can be performed according to a well-known method.

[0074] The order content estimation unit 64 of the order content estimation device 21 extracts features such as words and phrases from the text data 323. Then, the order content estimation unit 64 performs dependency analysis of words and phrases on the extracted features and deletes unnecessary words.

[0075] The analysis of word and phrase dependencies is essential for estimating order contents, and involves identifying the dependencies between menu names and their order quantities contained in text data 323.

[0076] In the case of the voice utterance 25 shown in Figure 6, the order content estimation unit 64 determines that "edamame," "tofu," and "salad" are in a parallel relationship and all relate to the quantity "2 pieces."

[0077] Furthermore, the order content estimation unit 64 determines that "takowasa" is related to "1 piece", "sashimi platter" is related to "2 pieces", and "raw" is related to "3 pieces".

[0078] Furthermore, the order content estimation unit 64 identifies unnecessary words in the text data 323 that are not needed for ordering from the menu. In the case of the speech utterance 25 shown in Figure 6, the order content estimation unit 64 determines that "um, well" at the beginning of the sentence and "that's all" at the end of the sentence are unnecessary words. Unnecessary words are pre-registered in the large-scale language model 324 and are also enhanced through learning.

[0079] Next, the order content estimation unit 64 analyzes alternative names for the menu items.

[0080] The order content estimation unit 64, after performing dependency parsing analysis, estimates that terms related to vocabulary representing quantity are menu names and extracts those terms. In the example of the voice utterance 25 in Figure 6, five terms are extracted as candidate menu names: "edamame," "natto," "salad," "takowasa," "sashimi platter," and "raw."

[0081] Furthermore, the order content estimation unit 64 performs menu name analysis by comparing the extracted candidate vocabulary for menu names with menu names and synonyms registered in the menu master 322, thereby associating the menu names included in the text data 323 with the official menu names.

[0082] By performing this analysis, the order content estimation unit 64 generates the menu name estimation table 26 shown in Figure 7.

[0083] The menu name estimation table 26 is a table that associates vocabulary thought to represent menu names contained in the utterance data 422 (or text data 323) with the official menu names. In some cases, such as "edamame" in Figure 7, the vocabulary thought to represent the menu name matches the official menu name, but in other cases, such as with other menu items, the menu name uttered by the customer does not match the official menu name.

[0084] The order content estimation unit 64 compares vocabulary that is thought to represent a menu item with the menu items and their synonyms registered in the menu master 322. Through this comparison, the order content estimation unit 64 estimates that the customer's spoken word "edamame" represents the official menu item "edamame." Similarly, the order content estimation unit 64 estimates that the customer's spoken word "tofu" represents the official menu item "hiyayakko" because it is registered in the menu master 322 as a synonym for "hiyayakko."

[0085] Furthermore, the order content estimation unit 64 estimates that the customer's utterance of "salad" refers to the official menu item, "Perilla Leaf Seafood Salad." Generally, restaurants offer several types of salads under the name "salad." Therefore, based on the customer's other orders, the order content estimation unit 64 determines that it would be preferable to serve a Japanese-style salad and estimates that the "Perilla Leaf Seafood Salad" was ordered.

[0086] Furthermore, the order content estimation unit 64 estimates that the customer's utterance of "takowasa" refers to the official menu item "takowasabi." The order content estimation unit 64 also estimates that the customer's utterance of "sashimi moriawase" refers to the official menu item "jizakana no moriawase." In addition, the order content estimation unit 64 estimates that the customer's utterance of "nama" refers to the official menu item "nama beer (medium mug)." These are all expressions used by customers as informal names or colloquialisms, and are all registered as alternative terms in the menu master 322.

[0087] Next, the order content estimation unit 64 associates the menu names (official menu names) in the menu name estimation table 26 with the order quantities calculated by the dependency parsing analysis described above, and generates the order content estimation table 27 shown in Figure 8. In other words, the order content estimation table 27 shows the order content estimated from the customer's utterance.

[0088] The order inquiry unit 63 outputs the contents of the order content estimation table 27 to the order terminal 23. The order terminal 23 then presents the retrieved contents of the order content estimation table 27 to the customer.

[0089] (How to correct the estimated menu contents) Figures 9 and 10 illustrate how to allow a customer to modify the menu displayed on the ordering terminal 23. Figure 9 shows an example of the order content estimated by the order content estimation device. Figure 10 shows an example of how to modify the order content estimated by the order content estimation device.

[0090] The order content estimation device 21 outputs the contents of the order content estimation table 27 (see Figure 8), which is the estimated result of the customer's order, to the order terminal 23. The order information display unit 65 of the order terminal 23 then displays the order content display screen 75 shown in Figure 9 on the display device 51.

[0091] The order details display screen 75 includes a message 76, order details 77, a modify button 78, and a confirm button 79.

[0092] Message 76 is information prompting the customer to confirm the order details. Message 76 also includes information that the customer should press the confirm button 79 if there are no problems with the order details, and the customer should press the modify button 78 if any modifications to the order details are needed.

[0093] Order details 77 is information that adds the prices of the ordered menu items to the contents of the order details estimation table 27. Due to the size of the display device 51, it is not possible to display all order details on one screen, so the customer can view all order details by placing their finger on the order details 77 area and swiping (sliding) up and down to scroll through the order details 77. Note that order details 77 is the same as the order data 423 stored in the order terminal 23.

[0094] The edit button 78 is an operator that instructs the user to modify the order details 77. When the edit button 78 is pressed, the order details modification unit 66 of the order terminal 23 displays the order details modification screen 81 shown in Figure 10 on the display device 51.

[0095] The confirmation button 79 is used to confirm the order details 77. When the confirmation button 79 is pressed, the order terminal 23 outputs the order details 77 to the kitchen terminal 12.

[0096] The order modification screen 81, which is displayed when the modification button 78 is pressed on the order details display screen 75, includes the message 82 shown in Figure 10, the order details 83, the modification button 84, and the confirmation button 85.

[0097] Message 82 is information that informs the customer that they can modify their order. Message 82 also includes information that the menu item name and quantity can be modified.

[0098] Order details 83 are formally the same as order details 77 displayed on the order details display screen 75, but the menu name or quantity fields included in order details 83 are clickable controls. For example, if a customer wants to change the name of menu B, they click on the location of menu B in order details 83. The clicked menu name or quantity field changes color to indicate that the field has been selected.

[0099] The edit button 84 is an operator that instructs the user to modify the contents of a menu item or quantity field included in the order details 83 after that field has been selected.

[0100] When the edit button 84 is pressed, the customer changes the name of the previously selected menu B. The method of change is not limited, but the order content modification unit 66 of the order terminal 23 may read the menu information related to the menu B that has been instructed to be modified from the menu master 322, display it on the display device 51, and allow the customer to select it. Alternatively, the customer may speak the changed menu name and quantity, output the spoken data to the order content estimation device 21, and the order content estimation device 21 may estimate the modified content.

[0101] Once the menu name or quantity has been modified, the order modification unit 66 rewrites the order details 83 with the modified information. At this time, the contents of the order data 423 stored in the order terminal 23 are also rewritten with the modified information.

[0102] Furthermore, the order content modification unit 66 of the order terminal 23 may output information about the menu name modified by the customer to the order content estimation device 21 and compare it with the menu name before modification to train the paraphrases in the menu master 322 and the large-scale language model 324. For example, if a customer modifies the menu name X estimated by the order content estimation device 21 to menu name Y, the order content estimation device 21 adds the customer's utterance data, which the order content estimation device 21 estimated to be menu name X, as a paraphrase for menu name Y in the menu master 322. In this way, the order content estimation device 21 enriches the paraphrases in the menu master 322 according to the customer's frequency of use.

[0103] The Confirm button 85 is used to confirm the order details 83, which reflects the modifications, if there are no problems with the order details. When the Confirm button 85 is pressed, the order terminal 23 outputs the order details 83 to the kitchen terminal 12. Note that while a menu name or quantity field included in the order details 83 is selected, the color of the Confirm button 85 changes, and it becomes inoperable, as shown in Figure 10. In other words, the Confirm button 85 is only valid when a menu name or quantity field included in the order details 83 is not selected.

[0104] (Process flow performed by the order receiving device) The processing flow performed by the order receiving device 11 will be explained using Figure 11. Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow performed by the order receiving device of this embodiment.

[0105] First, let's explain the processing flow performed by the order terminal 23.

[0106] The speech acquisition unit 61 acquires the customer's speech related to ordering from the menu as speech data 422 (step S11).

[0107] The speech acquisition unit 61 associates the speech data 422 with identification information that identifies the order terminal 23 and outputs it to the order content estimation device 21 (step S12).

[0108] The order information display unit 65 obtains the estimated order details 77 from the order details estimation device 21 (step S13).

[0109] The order information display unit 65 displays the order details 77 on the display device 51 (step S14).

[0110] The order modification unit 66 determines whether the order details 77 need to be modified (step S15). If it is determined that the order details 77 need to be modified (step S15: Yes), the process proceeds to step S16. On the other hand, if it is determined that the order details 77 do not need to be modified (step S15: No), the process proceeds to step S19. The order modification unit 66 determines that the order details 77 need to be modified when the modify button 78 is pressed. The order modification unit 66 also determines that the order details 77 do not need to be modified, i.e., the order details have been confirmed, when the confirm button 79 is pressed.

[0111] In step S15, if it is determined that the order details 77 need to be modified, the order modification unit 66 obtains the modification details based on the customer's operation information (step S16).

[0112] The order modification unit 66 outputs the modification details based on the customer's operation information to the order estimation device 21, associating them with identification information that identifies the order terminal 23 (step S17).

[0113] The order information display unit 65 obtains the estimated order details 77 from the order details estimation device 21 based on the customer's modifications (step S18). Then, the process returns to step S15.

[0114] In step S15, if it is determined that the order details 77 do not need to be modified, the order details modification unit 66 outputs to the order details estimation device 21 information indicating that the order details have been finalized, and identification information identifying the order terminal 23 (step S19).

[0115] The order information output unit 67 outputs the confirmed order details and identification information that identifies the order terminal 23 to the kitchen terminal 12 (step S20). After that, the order terminal 23 terminates processing.

[0116] Next, we will explain the processing flow performed by the order content estimation device 21.

[0117] The text conversion unit 62 acquires speech data 422 from the order terminal 23 (step S21).

[0118] The text conversion unit 62 converts the speech data 422 into text data 323 (step S22).

[0119] The order inquiry unit 63 causes the order estimation unit 64 to analyze the text data 323 and estimate the customer's order (step S23).

[0120] The order content inquiry unit 63 obtains the order content estimation result from the order content estimation unit 64 and outputs it to the order terminal 23, which is the source of the utterance data 422 (step S24).

[0121] The order inquiry unit 63 obtains from the order terminal 23 the modification details based on the customer's operation information and identification information that identifies the order terminal 23 (step S25).

[0122] The order inquiry unit 63 causes the order content estimation unit 64 to analyze the modification details obtained in step S25 and estimate the customer's order details (step S26).

[0123] The order content inquiry unit 63 obtains the estimated result of the modification content from the order content estimation unit 64 and outputs it to the order terminal 23, which is the source of the modification content (step S27).

[0124] The order details inquiry unit 63 determines whether it has obtained information from the order terminal 23 indicating that the order details have been confirmed, and identification information to identify the order terminal 23 (step S28). If it is determined that it has obtained information indicating that the order details have been confirmed and identification information to identify the order terminal 23 (step S28: Yes), the order details estimation device 21 terminates processing. On the other hand, if it is determined that it has not obtained information indicating that the order details have been confirmed and identification information to identify the order terminal 23 (step S28: No), the process returns to step S25.

[0125] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, the order receiving device 11 of the embodiment includes a speech acquisition unit 61 that acquires customer speech data 422 (speech information) related to ordering from the menu, a text conversion unit 62 that converts the speech data 422 acquired by the speech acquisition unit 61 into text data 323 (text information), an order content estimation unit 64 that analyzes the text data 323 by referring to the features contained in the text data 323 and the contents of the menu offered at the store to estimate the contents of the menu that the customer will order, and an order information presentation unit 65 that presents the contents of the menu estimated by the order content estimation unit 64 to the customer.Therefore, the effort required of the customer when ordering can be reduced.

[0126] Furthermore, in the order receiving device 11 of this embodiment, the order content estimation unit 64 includes a dependency analysis function that identifies the dependency relationship between the menu name contained in the text data 323 and the order quantity of that menu name by analyzing the dependency relationships of the words that constitute the text data 323; a superfluous word removal function that removes superfluous words that are not necessary for ordering a menu item from the text data 323; and a menu name analysis function that associates the menu name contained in the text data 323 with the official menu name at the store by referring to the contents of the menu offered at the store. Therefore, the order content contained in the utterance data 422 can be accurately analyzed.

[0127] Furthermore, in the order receiving device 11 of this embodiment, the order content estimation unit 64 includes a large-scale language model 324. Therefore, even if the utterance data 422 is spoken using the customer's own unique phrasing, the order content can be accurately estimated.

[0128] Furthermore, the order receiving device 11 of this embodiment further includes an order content modification unit 66 that modifies the menu content displayed by the order information display unit 65 in response to customer operations. Therefore, if the estimated order content is incorrect, the customer can make corrections themselves. Moreover, the order receiving device 11 can improve the accuracy of order content estimation by learning the content of the corrections made by the customer.

[0129] It goes without saying that this disclosure can also be applied when ordering toppings in addition to the basic menu. For example, in response to the speech data 422, "Add an egg to the ramen," the order receiving device 11 (order content estimation device 21) estimates that the customer wants an egg as a topping for the ramen.

[0130] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are illustrative and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. This novel embodiment can be implemented 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 variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0131] 10. Order Acceptance System 11. Order taking device 12 Kitchen terminals 13 Store Servers 14 Networks 21. Order Content Estimation Device 22 Wireless Communication Unit 23 Ordering terminal 26 Menu Name Estimation Table 27 Order Content Estimation Table 61 Speech acquisition unit 62 Text Conversion Unit 63 Order Inquiry Department 64 Order Content Estimation Section 65 Order Information Display Section 66 Order Details Modification Section 67 Order Information Output Section 71. Voice command screen 75. Order details display screen 81 Order Details Modification Screen 322 Menu Master 323 Text data (text information) 324 Large-Scale Language Models 422 Utterance data (Utterance information) [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0132] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7357971

Claims

1. A speech acquisition unit that acquires customer speech information related to ordering from the menu, A text conversion unit converts the speech information acquired by the speech acquisition unit into text information, An order content estimation unit analyzes the text information by referring to the characteristics contained in the text information and the contents of the menu offered at the store, and estimates the contents of the menu that the customer will order. The order information display unit presents the menu items estimated by the order content estimation unit to the customer, An order receiving device equipped with the following features.

2. The order content estimation unit includes a dependency analysis function that identifies the dependency relationship between the menu name contained in the text information and the order quantity of that menu name by analyzing the dependency relationships of the words that constitute the text information, The aforementioned text information includes a function to remove unnecessary words that are not needed for ordering from the menu, and Includes a menu name analysis function that associates the menu name contained in the text information with the official menu name at the store by referring to the contents of the menu offered at the store, The order receiving device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned order content estimation unit includes a large-scale language model, The order receiving device according to claim 1 or claim 2.

4. The system further includes an order content modification unit that modifies the menu content displayed by the order information display unit in response to the customer's actions. The order receiving device according to claim 1.

5. The computer that controls the order taking device A speech acquisition unit that acquires customer speech information related to ordering from the menu, A text conversion unit converts the speech information acquired by the speech acquisition unit into text information, An order content estimation unit analyzes the text information by referring to the features contained in the text information and the contents of the menu offered at the store, and estimates the contents of the menu that the customer will order. The order information display unit operates to present the menu items estimated by the order content estimation unit to the customer. program.

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