Order system and program

Abstract

To provide an ordering system and a program that allow proper operation with voice recognition.SOLUTION: An ordering system 100 includes: voice input means (microphone 27) for inputting voice; voice identification means (voice processing unit 55) that identifies the voice input by the voice input means; voice registration means (such as CPU 41 executing steps 1-11 to 1-14) for accepting item registration when voice information identified by the voice identification means is a start voice for starting item registration; and display means (touch panel 11) for displaying a corresponding item registration screen (such as an item registration screen for a Japanese menu or an item registration screen for an English menu) according to the type of the start voice (such as "chumon" or "order") when the voice identification means (voice processing unit 55) identifies the voice information as the start voice.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ordering system and a program that allow voice input. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order systems for ticket vending machines and the like, products are registered using a voice recognition function instead of touching a screen. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-015974 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the past, ticket vending machines with voice recognition capabilities had issues such as malfunctioning even when not being operated by voice.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ordering system and a program that can ensure proper operation through voice recognition. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention includes a voice input means for inputting voice, a voice recognition means for identifying the voice inputted by the voice input means, and a voice registration means for accepting product registration when the voice information identified by the voice recognition means is a start voice for starting product registration. a touch registration means for registering a product by a touch operation, a switching means for enabling one of the voice registration means and the touch registration means, and a deletion means for deleting registration information registered before a switching process is performed by the switching means; The present invention relates to an order system comprising: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view showing an example of a ticket vending machine 1 used in an order system 100. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of a ticket vending machine 1. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an order system 100. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a product file. [Diagram 5] 2 is an operational flow diagram showing an example of a ticket issuing process executed by the ticket vending machine 1. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 shows a manual input instruction screen G1. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a product registration screen G2 for manual input. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 shows a voice input instruction screen G3. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a voice input product registration screen G4. [Figure 10] Figure 10(a) is an enlarged view of the top row of product list G21 on product registration screen G2 for manual input, and Figure 10(b) is an enlarged view of the top row of product list G41 on product registration screen G4 for voice input. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a time table TT. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a ticket vending machine (order receiving device, vending machine, product sales data processing device) 1 used in an ordering system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an ordering system 100 configured using a plurality of ticket vending machines 1. Note that the ordering system may be configured with only one ticket vending machine 1. The ticket vending machine 1 is installed, for example, in a restaurant so that customers can purchase meal tickets corresponding to products (cooking menus). As shown in FIG. 3, one (or multiple) ticket vending machine 1 may be installed in one store (restaurant) S1, S2, or one (or multiple) ticket vending machine 1 may be installed in multiple stores (restaurants) S3-1 to 5. In some cases, the ticket vending machine 1 may be operated by a mobile terminal S6 carried by a customer (or a store clerk). Each ticket vending machine 1 may be connected by a communication line S7, and input / output data generated by each ticket vending machine 1 may be managed (master management, sales tally, etc.) by a ticket vending machine management device (for example, cloud) S4. Also, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which a member's card for a plurality of (or a single) stores S1, S2, S3-1 to 5 is issued and the member's card can be used to settle payments at each ticket vending machine 1. The member's cards may be managed by a member management server S5, for example, connected to the communication line S7.

[0009] Next, the ticket vending machine 1 will be described. The ticket vending machine 1 according to this embodiment is a ticket vending machine 1 that can input by touching the screen and can also input by voice. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the ticket vending machine 1 is provided with a touch panel 11 as a display and operation means on the upper front part. Various screens (such as a product selection screen) are displayed on the touch panel 11 for customers to perform predetermined operations including product purchases. Customers can purchase a meal ticket for a desired product by touching (pressing) with their finger the product picture or button displayed on the touch panel 11, or by speaking (pronunciation) referring to the product picture displayed on the touch panel 11. That is, the touch panel 11 is a display means and an operation means at the same time, and also a selection means for selecting the product to be issued.

[0010] An issue port 31 is provided at the bottom of the side (along the left side when facing) of the touch panel 11 on the front of the ticket vending machine 1, which issues a piece of paper (medium, hereinafter referred to as a "meal ticket") as described below. A non-cash payment processing unit 21 is provided above the issue port 31. The non-cash payment processing unit 21 performs all payment processing other than cash (such as electronic money payment and credit card payment), and has a card processing unit 23 and a mobile terminal processing unit 25. The card processing unit 23 has an IC card insertion unit 23a that performs payment processing by inserting an IC card, a contactless card reading unit 23b that performs payment processing by holding a contactless card over it, and a magnetic card insertion unit 23c that performs payment processing by inserting a magnetic card. The mobile terminal processing unit 25 performs payment processing and the like by reading a two-dimensional code displayed on the touch panel of a mobile terminal (medium) not shown.

[0011] A microphone 27 is provided below the touch panel 11 on the front of the ticket vending machine 1, and below that, the banknote insertion slot 13, banknote discharge slot 15, coin insertion slot 17, coin discharge slot 19, etc. are provided. The microphone 27 is an input means for inputting voice, and various operations such as product selection are performed by the input voice. Banknotes are inserted into the banknote insertion slot 13 when making a deposit, and banknotes are discharged from the banknote discharge slot 15 when making a payment. Coins are inserted into the coin insertion slot 17 when making a deposit, and coins are discharged from the coin discharge slot 19 when making a payment.

[0012] The installation position of microphone 27 is not limited to this example, and may be installed, for example, near the center of the front of ticket vending machine 1 (such as position 27A shown by dotted line), or at an upper position of ticket vending machine 1 (such as position 27B shown by dotted line). When microphone 27A is installed near the center of the front, sound from directions other than the front of ticket vending machine 1 is less likely to be input, so the voice of the operator located in front can be input effectively. When microphone 27B is installed at an upper position of ticket vending machine 1 (a position facing the operator's head), microphone 27B is located near the operator's mouth, so the operator's voice can be input effectively.

[0013] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the ticket vending machine 1. The system configuration of the ticket vending machine 1 shown in the diagram includes a CPU 41, a flash memory 43, a RAM 45, a touch panel 11, a banknote processing unit 51, a non-cash payment processing unit 21, a communication unit 47, an issuing unit (issuing means) 49, a voice processing unit 55, and a coin processing unit 53. A voice signal from the microphone 27 is input to the voice processing unit 55.

[0014] The CPU 41 is a control means for controlling the overall processing operation of the ticket vending machine 1. The RAM 45 corresponds to a main memory device, and is used as a working area when the CPU 41 executes calculation processing. A temporary storage area is also set in the RAM 45 for storing data such as the deposit amount for one deposit and the current balance. Product files are stored in the RAM 45. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a product file stored in the RAM 45. As shown in the figure, the product file consists of various product information such as the product code (product identification information) of each product, the product name, and the price.

[0015] The flash memory 43 corresponds to an auxiliary storage device, and stores various setting data and the like used by the CPU 41 during arithmetic processing, in addition to the programs executed by the CPU 41. Note that instead of the flash memory 43, other storage devices such as a hard disk may be used.

[0016] The touch panel 11 is a display means for displaying a predetermined screen under the control of the CPU 41. The CPU 41 also executes a predetermined control process based on an operation signal output in response to an operation performed on the touch panel 11. The touch panel 11 is an operation means (selection means) for selecting a product to be issued, that is, a display operation means. The communication unit 47 is a sending / receiving means for communicating with the outside, and has a function for communicating with an external device (such as the ticket vending machine management device S4, the member management server S5, the customer mobile terminal S6, or a kitchen terminal (not shown)) via, for example, a network or a dedicated line (such as the above-mentioned communication line S7). Either wired or wireless communication may be used.

[0017] The issuing unit 49 is configured with a mechanism that controls the issuance of meal tickets for items selected by touch operation on the touch panel 11 or voice input from the microphone 27, prints necessary information about the selected item on the meal ticket paper, and ejects the printed meal ticket from the issuing port 31. The meal tickets issued by this issuing unit 49 are issued in a form in which they are partially cut in the width direction of the paper (only the center is left and both sides are cut), which makes it unnecessary to have a tray to receive the issued meal tickets.

[0018] The banknote processing unit 51 performs all processes related to banknotes. Specifically, the banknote processing unit 51 determines the type of banknote inserted through the banknote insertion slot 13 as a banknote authentication process. The banknote processing unit 51 also counts the number of banknotes of each denomination inserted through the banknote insertion slot 13. When returning change, the banknote processing unit 51 selects banknotes of the required denomination from among the banknotes stored in the banknote storage inside the ticket vending machine 1 and discharges the required number of banknotes to the banknote discharge slot 15.

[0019] The coin processing unit 53 performs general processing related to coins. Specifically, like the banknote processing unit 51, the coin processing unit 53 performs operations such as coin authentication, counting the number of coins by denomination, selecting coins of the required denomination from among the coins stored inside the ticket vending machine 1, and discharging them from the coin discharge port 19.

[0020] The voice processing unit 55 analyzes and processes various types of sound information input from the microphone 27, and performs voice recognition and volume recognition.

[0021] 5 is an operational flow diagram showing an example of a ticket issuing process executed by the ticket vending machine 1. The process shown in this diagram is realized by the CPU 41 executing a program stored in the flash memory 43, for example.

[0022] The ticket vending machine 1 constantly receives sound information from the microphone 27 (step 1-1). The sound includes various sounds such as human voices, noises from automobiles, shopping streets, and the like.

[0023] Next, the CPU 41 acquires the current situation to select whether the following operations should be performed by voice operation (voice input) or touch operation (touch input, manual input) (step 1-2), and selects the operation (registration) method (voice operation or manual operation) using the acquired situation data (step 1-3). Here, the current situation is either acquisition of a timetable or acquisition of surrounding sounds in this example. The two cases will be explained separately below.

[0024] [When using a timetable] In the case of a method of selecting whether to perform voice operation or touch operation by acquiring a time table, the CPU 41 first inputs a time table TT as shown in Fig. 11 from, for example, the flash memory 43 (step 1-2). The time table TT is table data for selecting whether to perform voice operation or touch operation depending on a preset time period.

[0025] 11, voice operation is selected during time periods when the noise (noise) around the ticket vending machine 1 is low (10:00-11:30, 13:30-17:00), and touch operation is selected during time periods when the noise (noise) around the ticket vending machine 1 is high (11:30-13:30, 17:00-22:00) (step 1-3). The reason for dividing the time periods in this way is that when the noise around the ticket vending machine 1 is low, the voice processor 55 will not malfunction (misjudge) due to the noise and start voice input, whereas when the noise around the ticket vending machine 1 is high, there is a risk that the voice processor 55 will malfunction (misjudge) due to the noise and start voice input.

[0026] In this example, the time periods are divided into those when the sound around the ticket vending machine 1 is loud and those when it is quiet, but the time periods may be divided based on various other criteria. For example, voice operation may be selected during times when there are many children and elderly people, who may not be familiar with touch operation, and touch operation may be selected during times when there are many customers who are familiar with touch panel operation.

[0027] [When using ambient sounds] On the other hand, in the case of a method for selecting whether to perform voice operation or touch operation by acquiring surrounding sounds from the microphone 27, sound data is input from the microphone 27 to the sound processing unit 55. Then, the CPU 41 judges whether this sound data is larger or smaller than a preset sound level, and if the sound data is larger, the touch operation is selected since there is a risk that the sound will cause the sound processing unit 55 to malfunction (misjudge) and start voice input, and if the sound data is smaller, the voice operation is selected since there is no risk that the sound will cause the sound processing unit 55 to malfunction (misjudge) and start voice input (step 1-3).

[0028] As described above, if the operation method (registration method) selected in step 1-3 above is touch operation, the process proceeds from "N" in step 1-3 to step 1-4, and a manual input instruction screen (touch input instruction screen) G1 as shown in FIG. 6 is displayed.

[0029] The manual input instruction screen G1 displays the store name G11, a plurality of menu selection buttons G13, and an input mode switching button G15. The menu selection buttons G13 include a Japanese menu selection button G131, an English menu selection button G133, an eat-in menu selection button G135, and a take-out menu selection button G137. In this example, if the Japanese menu selection button G131 is touched ("Y" in step 1-5), for example, a manual input product registration screen (touch input product registration screen) G2 shown in FIG. 7 is displayed (step 1-6).

[0030] The manual input product registration screen G2 displays a product list G21, a selected product display field G23, a product group selection field G25, a checkout button G27, and an input mode switching button G29. The product list G21 displays various selectable products G211, G211, ..., and a product is selected by pressing (touching) any desired product G211, and the selected product is displayed in the selected product display field G23. Each product G211 has a product image a1, a name a2, and a price a3. The selected product and the total price are displayed in the selected product display field G23. The product group selection field G25 is a field for selecting a product group to be displayed in the product list G21. In FIG. 7, the ramen group is selected, so various ramen are displayed as products in the product list G21, but if the rice button is pressed, for example, various rice dishes (set meals, rice bowls, etc.) are displayed as products in the product list G21.

[0031] Then, one or more products are selected and registered by pressing the desired product G211 in the product catalog G21 (step 1-7, "N" in step 1-8), and when product selection and registration is complete ("Y" in step 1-8), the checkout button G27 is pressed. This causes a payment screen (not shown) to be displayed and payment processing to be performed (step 1-9). This payment processing is performed by operating various buttons (such as a payment method selection button) displayed on the payment screen, and by using the banknote insertion slot 13, coin insertion slot 17, non-cash payment processing unit 21, etc. of the ticket vending machine 1 shown in FIG. 1.

[0032] When the payment process is completed, a meal ticket is issued from the issuing port 31 of the ticket vending machine 1 (step 1-16). At the same time, the communication unit 47 of the ticket vending machine 1 transmits order information for the selected and registered items to a kitchen terminal (not shown) (kitchen printer or kitchen monitor) (step 1-17).

[0033] On the other hand, if the operation method (registration method) selected in step 1-3 above is voice operation, the process proceeds from "Y" in step 1-3 to step 1-10, where a voice input instruction screen G3 as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed.

[0034] The voice input instruction screen G3 displays the store name G31, a voice input explanation field for menu selection G33, and an input mode switching button G35. The voice input explanation field for menu selection G33 is an explanation field that explains which of a plurality of types of menus is to be displayed. That is, in the case of this voice input explanation field for menu selection G33, it is explained that when a Japanese menu is to be displayed, "order" is to be spoken, when an English menu is to be displayed, "order" is to be spoken, when an eat-in menu is to be displayed, "eat-in" is to be spoken, and when a take-out menu is to be displayed, "take-out" is to be spoken. The voices to be selected and spoken are all "start voices". Here, the "start voice" is a voice for starting product registration, and is a voice that cannot be moved to a product selection screen for product registration unless the voice is spoken. That is, the voice input explanation field for menu selection G33 explains a plurality of "start voices" that can be used to move to a selectable menu (the product registration screen). In the kanji or English parts of each "starting sound," the name is written in hiragana or katakana to ensure that the pronunciation of the "starting sound" is consistent.

[0035] In this example, if "chumon" is uttered ("Y" in step 1-11), for example, the voice input product registration screen G4 shown in FIG. 9 is displayed (step 1-12).

[0036] The voice input product registration screen G4 displays a product list G41, a selected product display field G43, a product group selection field G45, an accounting field G47, and an input mode switching button G49. The product list G41 displays various selectable products G411, G411, ..., and by speaking the name (or number) of any desired product G411, the product is selected, and the selected product is displayed in the selected product display field G43. The selected product display field G43 displays the selected product and the total price. The product group selection field G45 is a field for selecting a product group to be displayed in the product list G41, and in FIG. 9, the ramen group is selected, so various ramen are displayed as products in the product list G41. However, if "rice" is spoken, for example, various types of rice (set meals, rice bowls, etc.) are displayed as products in the product list G41.

[0037] Here, the product list G41 displays the product image a1, name a2, and price a3 of the product G411, similar to the product list G21 shown in FIG. 7, but the display manner is different. Furthermore, a different number a4 is assigned to each product G411. Other symbols such as alphabets may be used instead of the number a4. FIG. 10(a) is an enlarged view of the top row of the product list G21 of the product registration screen G2 for manual input, and FIG. 10(b) is an enlarged view of the top row of the product list G41 of the product registration screen G4 for voice input. As shown in both figures, the size of the name a2 of the product G411 for voice input is larger than that of the product G211 for touch input, and in the case of kanji, the name a21 is added to the name, which makes it easier to call (hard to call by mistake) in the display manner (layout). On the other hand, in the case of product G211 for manual input, the name a2 is displayed small, the nickname is not displayed, and the product image a1 is displayed large, resulting in a display mode (layout) that is easy to operate by touch.

[0038] In this way, by differentiating the display modes of the product registration screen G2 for manual input and the product registration screen G4 for voice input, product registration operations can be performed smoothly in either the case of registering products using voice or registering products using fingers.

[0039] Then, by uttering the name of the desired product G411 in the product list G41, the voice is input from the microphone 27, and the voice processing unit 55 identifies and recognizes the name of the product and registers it. At this time, although not shown in the figure, a speaker may be installed in the ticket vending machine 1 and the registered product name may be repeated from the speaker. Also, instead of (or together with) the repetition, the name or name of the registered product may be displayed on the touch panel 11 in a pop-up display or the like. If there are multiple products to purchase, the names of the products G411 are repeatedly uttered, and the ticket vending machine 1 identifies, recognizes, and registers each of them (steps 1-13 and 1-14, "N"). Also, if necessary, the name of another product group in the product group selection field G45 is uttered to change the displayed product list G41, and the name of the changed product G411 is uttered.

[0040] In the above explanation, the name of the product G411 is spoken as it is, but if the name of the product is long, it is also possible to accept the number a4 as the name (such as "one", "two" etc.) Also, various modifications are possible, such as displaying a character or color and its name instead of the number.

[0041] When registration of all products has been completed ("Y" in step 1-14), "OKAIKEI" is spoken. This causes a settlement screen (not shown) to be displayed and settlement processing to be performed (step 1-15). This settlement processing is performed by speaking out the various payment methods displayed on the settlement screen, thereby selecting the desired payment method, and using the banknote insertion slot 13, coin insertion slot 17, non-cash payment processing unit 21, etc. of the ticket vending machine 1 shown in FIG. 1. As an alternative method of settlement processing, a method of pressing various buttons (such as a payment method selection button) displayed on the settlement screen may be used, as in the case of manual input.

[0042] When the payment process is completed, a meal ticket is issued from the issuing port 31 of the ticket vending machine 1 (step 1-16). At the same time, the communication unit 47 of the ticket vending machine 1 transmits order information for the selected and registered items to a kitchen terminal (not shown) (step 1-17).

[0043] In the above embodiment, a meal ticket is issued, but instead of the meal ticket, information may be sent to a customer's mobile terminal (such as customer mobile terminal S6 shown in FIG. 3) to which application software has been downloaded in advance, using short-range communication, and exchanged for a product according to the display on the mobile terminal. Also, instead of the meal ticket, data may be sent to a pager terminal, or an identifier such as an electronic tag may be associated with product order information so that the pager terminal will call when the food is served. In this case, the device is not a ticket vending machine, but some other product sales data processing device (order receiving device).

[0044] Incidentally, in the middle of registering a product in touch input (registration) mode using the manual input instruction screen G1 or the product registration screen for manual input G2 shown in Figs. 6 and 7 (including at the start or end of the touch input (registration) mode), a user may wish to switch to voice input mode to continue the product registration operation. In such a case, the user presses the input mode switching button (switching means) G15 on the manual input instruction screen G1 or the input mode switching button (switching means) G29 on the product registration screen for manual input G2. When the input mode switching button G15 is pressed, the screen transitions to the voice input instruction screen G3 shown in Fig. 8. When the input mode switching button G29 is pressed, the screen transitions to the product registration screen for voice input G4 shown in Fig. 9 or the voice input instruction screen G3 shown in Fig. 8.

[0045] On the other hand, if you want to switch to touch input mode and continue product registration operation during (including the start or end) of registering a product in voice input (registration) mode using the voice input instruction screen G3 or the product registration screen G4 for voice input shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9, etc., press the input mode switching button (switching means) G35 on the voice input instruction screen G3 or the input mode switching button (switching means) G49 on the product registration screen G4 for voice input (or say "to touch input mode" or the like). When the input mode switching button G35 is pressed (spoken), the screen transitions to the touch input instruction screen G1 shown in Fig. 6. When the input mode switching button G49 is pressed (spoken), the screen transitions to the product registration screen G2 for touch input shown in Fig. 7 or the touch input instruction screen G1 shown in Fig. 6.

[0046] In this example, when the input mode switching button G29 is pressed on the product registration screen G2 for manual input in Fig. 7, the already selected and registered products shown in the selected product display field G23 are deleted, and only the products newly selected by voice input after switching are controlled to be registered. Similarly, when the input mode switching button G49 is pressed on the product registration screen G4 for voice input in Fig. 9, the already selected and registered products shown in the selected product display field G43 are deleted, and only the products newly selected by touch input after switching are controlled to be registered. By controlling in this way, it is possible to reliably prevent the registration of products before switching from being confused with the registration of products after switching, resulting in duplicate registrations, etc.

[0047] Conversely to the above example, when the input mode switching button G29 is pressed on the product registration screen G2 for manual input in Fig. 7, the already selected and registered products shown in the selected product display field G23 may be left as they are, and a product newly selected by voice input after switching may be added and registered. Similarly, when the input mode switching button G49 is pressed (or spoken) on the product registration screen G4 for voice input in Fig. 9, the already selected and registered products shown in the selected product display field G43 may be left as they are, and a product newly selected by touch input after switching may be added and registered. By controlling in this way, it is possible to efficiently select and register products without wasting the product registration work performed before switching.

[0048] Next, the combination of the voice input mode and the touch input mode will be described. The combination of the input modes is as follows. (1) Voice / touch input separation mode This is a combination of modes in which input can be made only in either the voice input mode or the touch input mode. That is, as described with reference to Figs. 6 to 9 in the above embodiment, this is a combination of modes in which the screen on which input can be made in the voice input mode and the screen on which input can be made in the touch input mode are completely separated.

[0049] (2) Voice / touch input coexistence mode This is a mode combination that allows both the voice input mode and the touch input mode to be performed simultaneously. In other words, in this case, both the voice input mode and the touch input mode are active on the same screen, and input can be performed by either voice or touch.

[0050] (3) Touch input priority mode The touch input mode is given priority. In other words, the touch input mode is normally used, and for example, by pressing (ON) a voice input mode switch button (for example, an "audio ON / OFF" button) displayed on the screen, the mode is switched to voice input mode (or touch input and voice input are used together). When the series of operations is completed, the mode returns to the original touch input mode. On the other hand, it can also be configured to automatically switch to voice input mode (or use touch input and voice input together) only at specified times, for example, when the noise level around the ticket vending machine 1 is low or using a timetable.

[0051] It is also preferable that the registration method (input method) is printed in characters or marks on the ticket media such as food tickets issued by the ticket vending machine 1 so that it is clear whether the transaction was registered by voice or touch, and that the same information is displayable so that the history can be checked on any device in the system. If multiple registration modes (input modes) are used in one transaction, the registration method (input method) is printed and displayed in characters or marks for each product. Furthermore, product information can also be printed and displayed for each registration type (input type).

[0052] In addition, the voice registration (voice input) and touch registration (touch input) as the registration history (input history) may be learned based on the association with the registration time period, congestion status, product information, etc., and the contents of the timetable TT may be corrected or updated. The administrator may be notified of the proposed information.

[0053] In addition, if a product is registered after voice recognition has failed, it can be determined that the voice recognition of that product may be difficult, and feedback can be provided, such as improving the recognition accuracy for the voice of that product, revising the product name to something that is easier to pronounce, or making the display of furigana, etc., easier to read.

[0054] Furthermore, if voice recognition fails a certain number of times, a voice notification or a display on the screen will inform the user that they will switch to touch registration (touch input), and the mode can be switched based on voice or touch operation, or the mode can be automatically switched to touch registration.

[0055] In addition, if it is determined that the user is having difficulty finding the desired product after repeated touch operations, a voice notification or a display on the screen will inform the user that they should switch to voice registration (voice input), and the mode can be switched based on touch operations or voice, or the mode can be automatically switched to voice registration.

[0056] As described above, the ordering system 100 includes a voice input means (microphone 27) for inputting voice, a voice recognition means (voice processing unit 55) for identifying the voice input by the voice input means, and a voice registration means (such as the CPU 41 executing steps 1-10 to 1-14) for accepting product registration when the voice information identified by the voice recognition means is a start voice for starting product registration, so that product registration can be started only when the condition of inputting the start voice is met when performing product registration by voice recognition. In other words, product registration is not started until the start voice is received, so that it is possible to reliably prevent erroneous recognition, malfunction, and erroneous registration, such as product registration being started by other surrounding sounds.

[0057] Furthermore, the ordering system 100 includes a touch registration means (such as a CPU 41 that executes steps 1-4 to 1-8) for registering products by touch operation, a switching means (such as input mode switching buttons G15, G29, G35, G49) for enabling either the voice registration means or the touch registration means, and a deletion means for deleting registration information registered before the switching process is performed by the switching means (for example, when the input mode switching button G29 is pressed, the product registration performed by touch input before that is canceled), thereby preventing duplicate registrations from being made due to confusion between product registrations performed before switching and product registrations performed after switching.

[0058] Furthermore, when the voice recognition means (voice processing unit 55) recognizes that the voice is the initiation voice, the ordering system 100 is provided with a display means (touch panel 11) which displays a corresponding product registration screen (such as a product registration screen with a Japanese menu display or a product registration screen with an English menu display) depending on the type of the initiation voice (for example, "chumon" or "order"), so that the ordering system 100 can display the product registration screen most suitable for the customer.

[0059] In addition, the ordering system 100 is equipped with a name display means (touch panel 11 that displays a product registration screen G4 for voice input having the name a21 shown in Figure 9) that displays the product name a21 that can be identified by the voice recognition means (voice processing unit 55), so that the product name can be accurately entered by voice without making any mistakes, and product registration by voice can be performed smoothly.

[0060] In addition to the voice registration means, the ordering system 100 further includes touch registration means (such as the CPU 41 that executes steps 1-5 to 1-8) for registering products by touch operation, situation acquisition means (such as the CPU 41 that executes step 1-2) for acquiring situation data (such as a timetable TT or surrounding sounds) for determining whether to use the voice registration means or the touch registration means, and registration method determination means (such as the CPU 41 that executes step 1-3) for determining whether to use the voice registration means or the touch registration means based on the results acquired by the situation acquisition means, thereby making it possible to apply a product registration method that corresponds to the timetable, the actual surrounding sound conditions, etc.

[0061] In addition, the above-mentioned order system 100 changes the display mode of the product registration screen (for example, product list G21 and product list G41) based on the decision of the registration method decision means, so that the product registration operation can be performed smoothly whether the product is registered using the voice registration means or the touch registration means.

[0062] In addition, the computer used as the above-mentioned order system 100 for registering products has a program that causes the computer to function as a voice input means for inputting voice, a voice recognition means for identifying the voice input by the voice input means, and a voice registration means for accepting the product registration when the voice information identified by the voice recognition means is a start voice for starting product registration.

[0063] Overview of the embodiment [Technical field] The present invention relates to an ordering system (sales processing system, ticket vending machine system) and program that allows voice input. [Background technology] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order systems for ticket vending machines and the like, products are registered using a voice recognition function instead of touching a screen. Product registration using voice recognition allows for intuitive operation and also reduces the need to touch a screen that is touched by an unspecified number of people, making it an effective infection control measure. [Prior art document] [Patent documents] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-015974 A

[0064] [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be solved by the invention] However, in the past, there was an issue where the ticket vending machine would react to surrounding noises and mistakenly start product registration even when the machine was in standby mode and the customer had not yet started operating it. In particular, because ticket vending machines are often installed in storefronts or other locations with heavy foot traffic, noise can easily cause malfunctions when starting to register products, which can easily lead to erroneous registrations, causing problems. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ordering system and a program that can ensure proper operation through voice recognition. [Means for solving the problem]

[0065] The present invention resides in an order system comprising a voice input means for inputting voice, a voice recognition means for identifying the voice input by the voice input means, and a voice registration means for accepting product registration when the voice information identified by the voice recognition means is a start voice for starting product registration. The start voice is a specific voice for starting product registration, such as "Chumon," "Order," "Eat-in," or "Take-out." The voice input means is installed in a terminal such as a ticket vending machine for ordering products or in its vicinity. The voice recognition means and voice registration means may be installed in the terminal such as the ticket vending machine, or in various other devices (such as higher-level devices) connected to the network that constitutes the ordering system. According to the present invention, when registering a product by voice recognition, product registration can be started only when the start voice is input. In other words, product registration does not start until the start voice is received. This reliably prevents erroneous recognition or malfunction, such as product registration being started due to noise, and also reliably prevents erroneous registration that results from this. Furthermore, if the condition for starting product registration were to be touch operation, the advantage of voice input, i.e., the advantage of infectious disease prevention, would be lost. However, according to the present invention, such problems can be alleviated by making the input of a special voice keyword a condition.

[0066] In addition to the above features, the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a touch registration means for registering products by touch operation, a switching means for enabling one of the voice registration means and the touch registration means, and a deletion means for deleting registration information registered before the switching process is performed by the switching means. This makes it possible to reliably register products by the registration means after switching without confusing the product registration performed before the switching with the product registration performed after the switching.

[0067] In addition to the above features, the present invention is characterized by further comprising a name display means for displaying the name of the product that the voice recognition means can identify. When accepting voice registration of a product, the spoken name of the product is required, and we have decided to display this name. This allows the name of the product to be input accurately by voice without making a mistake, and allows smooth product registration by voice. This is particularly effective for product names that include kanji characters, and can reduce voice recognition errors caused by mispronunciation of kanji characters. In the case of product names that include kanji, the reading (furigana) in hiragana or katakana corresponds to the above "name." In addition, when the product name is long, it may be possible to use a name that indicates the number, such as "Ichiban" or "Niban." Also, various names can be considered, such as names that refer to characters or colors.

[0068] In addition to the above features, the present invention is characterized in that it further comprises a display means for displaying a corresponding product registration screen according to the type of the starting voice when the voice recognition means recognizes that the starting voice is the starting voice. For example, if the opening speech "chuumon" is input, a product registration screen with a Japanese menu display is displayed; if the opening speech "order" is input, a product registration screen with an English menu display is displayed; if the opening speech "eat-in" is input, a product registration screen with an eat-in menu display is displayed; and if the opening speech "take-out" is input, a product registration screen with a take-out menu display is displayed. According to the present invention, the product registration screen to be activated is controlled to be different depending on the type of starting voice, so that the product registration screen most suitable for the customer can be displayed.

[0069] The present invention also resides in a program that causes a computer used as an order system for registering products to function as a voice input means for inputting voice, a voice recognition means for identifying the voice input by the voice input means, and a voice registration means for accepting the product registration when the voice information identified by the voice recognition means is a start voice for starting product registration.

[0070] In addition to the above features, the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a touch registration means for registering products by touch operation, a situation acquisition means for acquiring situation data regarding whether the voice registration means or the touch registration means should be used, and a registration method determination means for determining whether the voice registration means or the touch registration means should be used based on the results acquired by the situation acquisition means. The situation data refers to time table data that pre-determines the time periods during which the voice registration means is used and the time periods during which the touch registration means is used, actual collected voice data, and the like. For example, low-noise time periods and high-noise time periods are set in advance in the time table, and control is performed so that the voice registration means is used during low-noise time periods and the touch registration means is used during high-noise time periods. Also, for example, when it is determined that there is little noise based on the actual sound collection conditions, the voice registration means is used, and when it is determined that there is a lot of noise, the touch registration means is used. Also, for example, time periods when there are many customers who are not familiar with touch panel operation (children, elderly people, etc.) and time periods when there are many customers who are familiar with touch panel operation are set in advance in the above time table, and control is performed so that the voice registration means is used during the time periods when there are many customers who are not familiar with touch panel operation, and the touch registration means is used during the time periods when there are many customers who are familiar with touch panel operation. According to the present invention, the priority order of voice registration and touch registration can be changed according to a time table (time schedule), actual noise conditions, etc. In other words, it becomes possible to apply a product registration method according to the situation.

[0071] In addition to the above-mentioned features, the present invention is characterized in that the display mode of the product registration screen is changed based on the determination by the registration method determination means. For example, when it is decided to use the voice registration means, the product name and its name (reading, etc.) are displayed larger on the product registration screen compared to when it is decided to use the touch registration means, making it less likely to be mistaken. Conversely, when it is decided to use the touch registration means, the display of the name (reading, etc.) is hidden and the product image is displayed larger, making it easier to operate by touch, compared to when it is decided to use the voice registration means. According to the present invention, the product registration operation can be performed smoothly in either case of registering a product using a voice registration means or registering a product using a touch registration means.

[0072] In addition, a program for realizing the functions of the above-mentioned order system 100 (ticket vending machine 1, ticket vending machine management device S4, member management server S5, mobile terminal S6, etc.) may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium may be read into the order system 100 as a computer system (ticket vending machine 1, ticket vending machine management device S4, member management server S5, mobile terminal S6, etc.) and executed to perform processing as the above-mentioned order system 100 (ticket vending machine 1, ticket vending machine management device S4, member management server S5, mobile terminal S6, etc.). Here, "reading a program recorded on a recording medium into a computer system and executing it" includes installing a program into a computer system. The "computer system" here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices. In addition, the "computer system" may include multiple computer devices connected via a network including communication lines such as the Internet, WAN, LAN, and dedicated lines. In addition, the "computer-readable recording medium" refers to portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into a computer system. In this way, the recording medium storing the program may be a non-transient recording medium such as a CD-ROM. The recording medium also includes a recording medium provided inside or outside the distribution server that can be accessed in order to distribute the program. The code of the program stored in the recording medium of the distribution server may be different from the code of the program in a format executable by the terminal device. In other words, the format in which the program is stored in the distribution server does not matter as long as it can be downloaded from the distribution server and installed in a format executable by the terminal device. Note that the program may be divided into multiple parts, each of which may be downloaded at a different time and then combined in the terminal device, or each of the divided programs may be distributed by a different distribution server. Furthermore, the term "computer-readable recording medium" includes a memory that holds the program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory (RAM) in a computer system that is a server or client when the program is transmitted via a network.The program may be for implementing some of the above-mentioned functions, or may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can implement the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

[0073] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims and the technical ideas described in the specification and drawings. Any configuration not directly described in the specification and drawings is within the scope of the technical ideas of the present invention as long as it has the functions and effects of the present invention. In addition, the embodiments described above and shown in each drawing can be combined with each other as long as there is no contradiction in their purpose and configuration. In addition, even a part of the contents described above and in each drawing can be an independent embodiment, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to one embodiment combining the above description and each drawing. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 100...order system, 1...ticket vending machine, S1, S2, S3 (S3-1 to 5) store (restaurant), S4...ticket vending machine management device, S5...membership management server, S6...mobile terminal, S7...communication line, 11...touch panel, 13...banknote insertion slot, 15...banknote ejection slot, 17...coin insertion slot, 19...coin ejection slot, 21...non-cash payment processing unit, 23...card processing unit, 23a...IC card insertion unit, 23b...non-contact card reading unit, 23c...magnetic card insertion unit, 25...mobile terminal processing unit, 27, 27A, 27B ...microphone, 31...issuing port, 41...CPU, 43...flash memory, 45...RAM, 47...communication unit, 49...issuing unit (issuing means), 51...banknote processing unit, 53...coin processing unit, 55...voice processing unit, TT...timetable, G1...manual input instruction screen (touch input instruction screen), G11...store name, G13...menu selection button, G131...Japanese menu selection button, G133...English menu selection button, G135...eat-in menu selection button, G137...take-out menu selection button, G15...input mode switching button, G2...manual input product registration Screen (product registration screen for touch input), G21...product list, G211...product, G23...selected product display field, G25...product group selection field, G27...checkout button, G29...input mode switch button, G3...voice input instruction screen, G31...store name, G33...voice input explanation field for menu selection, G35...input mode switch button, G4...product registration screen for voice input, G41...product list, G411...product, a1...product image, a2...name, a21...name, a3...price, a4...number, G43...selected product display field, G45...product group selection field, G47...checkout field, G49...input mode switch button.

Claims

1. A voice input means for inputting voice; a voice recognition means for identifying a voice inputted by the voice input means; a voice registration means for accepting product registration when the voice information identified by the voice identification means is a start voice for starting product registration; A touch registration means for registering a product by a touch operation; a switching means for validating one of the voice registration means and the touch registration means; a deletion means for deleting registration information registered before the switching process is performed by the switching means; An order system comprising:

2. A voice input means for inputting voice; a voice recognition means for identifying a voice inputted by the voice input means; a voice registration means for accepting product registration when the voice information identified by the voice identification means is a start voice for starting product registration; a display means for displaying a corresponding product registration screen in accordance with the type of the start voice when the voice recognition means recognizes the start voice; An order system comprising:

3. A computer used as an order system to register products, A voice input means for inputting voice; a voice recognition means for identifying a voice inputted by the voice input means; a voice registration means for accepting product registration when the voice information identified by the voice identification means is a start voice for starting product registration; A touch registration means for registering a product by a touch operation; a switching means for validating one of the voice registration means and the touch registration means; a deletion means for deleting registration information registered before the switching process is performed by the switching means; A program characterized by causing a computer to function as described above.

4. A computer used as an order system for registering products, A voice input means for inputting voice; a voice recognition means for identifying a voice inputted by the voice input means; a voice registration means for accepting product registration when the voice information identified by the voice identification means is a start voice for starting product registration; a display means for displaying a corresponding product registration screen in accordance with the type of the start voice when the voice recognition means recognizes the start voice; A program characterized by causing a computer to function as described above.

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