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

Abstract

To provide an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program that can increase a work efficiency in a kitchen of a facility.SOLUTION: In an order support system 1, a control unit 21 of an order support apparatus 2 includes a reception processing unit 212 that receives an order of first food and beverage of a user of a facility that provides food and beverage, a determination processing unit 214 that determines whether a first lapsed time from a time point when the order of the first food and beverage is received from the reception processing unit 212 reaches a set time, and an output processing unit 215 that outputs order information corresponding to the order of the first food and beverage when it is determined that the first lapsed time reaches the set time by the determination processing unit 214.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

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

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-128979 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] From the viewpoint of efficiency of cooking work in the kitchen, it is desirable for kitchen staff to cook the same menu items together when multiple customers order the same menu items. However, since it is difficult for kitchen staff to determine whether the same menu items are ordered multiple times, currently, for example, when multiple orders for the same menu items are placed at the same table, or when multiple orders for the same menu items are transmitted to the kitchen at approximately the same time, the kitchen staff decides to cook the menu items together. As such, cooking work is often left to the discretion of the kitchen staff, making it difficult to improve the efficiency of cooking work.

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

[0006] The order support system of the present invention comprises a reception processing unit that receives an order for a first food or beverage from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages, a judgment processing unit that determines whether a first elapsed time from the time the order for the first food or beverage is received by the reception processing unit has reached a set time, and an output processing unit that outputs order information corresponding to the order for the first food or beverage when the judgment processing unit determines that the first elapsed time has reached the set time.

[0007] The ordering support method of the present invention is a method executed by one or more processors, which includes a reception step of receiving an order for a first food or beverage from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages, a determination step of determining whether a first elapsed time from the time the order for the first food or beverage is received in the reception step has reached a set time, and an output step capable of outputting order information corresponding to the order for the first food or beverage if it is determined in the determination step that the first elapsed time has reached the set time.

[0008] The order assistance program of the present invention is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the following steps: a reception step for receiving an order for a first food or beverage from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination step for determining whether a first elapsed time from the time the order for the first food or beverage is received in the reception step has reached a set time; and an output step for outputting order information corresponding to the order for the first food or beverage when it is determined in the determination step that the first elapsed time has reached the set time. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program are provided that are capable of improving the work efficiency of a kitchen in a facility. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an order support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of product information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of order reception information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of setting information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of setting information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of setting information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display example in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display example in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a display example in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an order form in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of an order support process executed in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an order support device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of an order support process executed in the order support system according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to facilitate understanding of the present invention. Note that the following embodiment is an example of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

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

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

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

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

[0016] In this embodiment, the order support device 2 alone corresponds to the order support system according to the present invention, but the order support system according to the present invention may include one or more of the components of the order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4. For example, when multiple components of the order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4 work together to share and execute various order support processes (see FIG. 11) described below, a system including multiple components that execute the processes can be considered as the order support system according to the present invention. For example, the order support system according to the present invention may be composed of the order support device 2 and the kitchen terminal 4.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[0024] The product information D1 is registered in advance by a manager of the restaurant and updated as necessary. For example, the manager of the restaurant can access a menu registration page managed by the order support device 2 to register and edit the product information D1.

[0025] The order reception information D2 is information about an order received from a user via the order terminal 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the order reception information D2 includes information such as a table number, number of users, order number, ordered items, number of orders, and elapsed time. The table number is identification information for identifying the table for which an order has been received. The number of users is the number of users who use the table. The information on the number of users is included in information acquired from the order terminal 3. The information on the number of users may be included in information acquired from a facility terminal (not shown) operated by a staff member of the restaurant, a management terminal (not shown) that manages reservations, or the like. For example, when a waiter asks a user about the number of users when guiding the user to a table who has come to the restaurant, the waiter inputs the table number and the number of users into the facility terminal. When the control unit 21 acquires each piece of information about the table number and the number of users from the facility terminal, the control unit 21 registers the table number and the number of users in the order reception information D2 in association with each other. In addition, when a user registers the number of users when making a reservation at a restaurant, the facility terminal acquires user information (user name, number of users, etc.) from the management terminal and associates the user information with the table number of the table to be assigned to the user. When the control unit 21 acquires the table number and the number of users from the facility terminal, it registers the table number and the number of users in the order reception information D2 in association with each other.

[0026] The order number is identification information that identifies an order by a user. The control unit 21 registers the number (order number) in the order reception information D2, for example, in the order in which the orders are received from the user, i.e., in the order in which the orders are received from the ordering terminal 3. The ordered item is information that indicates the contents of the order. The ordered item is registered with the product name of the product (food or drink) selected by the user from among the product names included in the product information D1. The order number is associated with each ordered item.

[0027] The number of orders is information indicating the number of orders for each food and drink. For example, when the control unit 21 receives an order for one "daily set meal" in the table with table number "1", the control unit 21 registers "1" in the number of orders corresponding to the "daily set meal". After that, when the control unit 21 receives an order for one each of "sashimi set meal", "daily set meal", "beer", and "oolong tea" in the table with table number "2", the control unit 21 registers "1" in the number of orders for each ordered item. When multiple orders of the same item are received in the same table, the total number of orders is registered in the number of orders for the ordered items. For example, when the control unit 21 receives an order for two "daily set meals" in the table with table number "6", the control unit 21 registers "2" in the number of orders corresponding to the "daily set meal".

[0028] The elapsed time is information indicating the elapsed time from the time when an order is received from a user. When the control unit 21 receives an order from the order terminal 3, it starts measuring time and registers the current elapsed time in the order reception information D2. For example, when the control unit 21 receives an order for one "daily set meal" at the table with table number "1", it registers the elapsed time "t1" from the reception of the order to the current time. Also, for example, when the control unit 21 receives an order for one each of "sashimi set meal", "daily set meal", "beer", and "oolong tea" at the table with table number "2", it registers the elapsed time "t2" from the reception of the order to the current time. Note that when multiple orders are input at the same time at one table, the same elapsed time is registered for each ordered item. Also, when multiple orders are input at different times at one table, different elapsed times are registered for each ordered item. For example, the elapsed times "t7" and "t8" at table number "7" indicate different elapsed times.

[0029] The control unit 21 registers order reception information D2 every time an order is received from the ordering terminal 3. Information at the current time is registered in the order reception information D2, and the information is updated in real time. The order reception information D2 may be used for accounting processing related to the user's usage fee. Furthermore, the order reception information D2 may be deleted when the accounting processing is completed, for example.

[0030] Setting information D3 is information on a set time (threshold) that specifies the timing for outputting order information corresponding to an order received from a user to the kitchen terminal 4. That is, the control unit 21 outputs the order information to the kitchen terminal 4 when the elapsed time reaches the set time. The set time is set according to a predetermined condition. For example, the set time is set according to the first condition, the second condition, or the third condition shown below.

[0031] As a first condition, the set time is set based on the order history of food and drink at the restaurant. For example, the set time is set based on the number of food and drink orders placed most recently. FIG. 4 shows an example of setting information D3 including the set time set based on the order history. The setting information D3 shown in FIG. 4 includes information such as the number of most recent orders and the set time. The number of most recent orders is the number of food and drink orders placed most recently. The number of most recent orders may be the number of most recent orders output by the order support device 2 to the kitchen terminal 4, or the number of most recent orders acquired by the order support device 2 from the order terminal 3. The set time is set to a time according to the number of most recent orders. For example, the set time "Ta1" (e.g., 1 minute) is set for the number of most recent orders "a1" (e.g., 0 to 3 items), the set time "Ta2" (e.g., 3 minutes) is set for the number of most recent orders "a2" (e.g., 4 to 6 items), and the set time "Ta3" (e.g., 5 minutes) is set for the number of most recent orders "a3" (e.g., 7 items or more). That is, the greater the number of immediate orders, the longer the set time is set.

[0032] The number of most recent orders may be the number of previous (immediately preceding) orders output by the order support device 2 to the kitchen terminal 4. In this case, the set time is set to a time according to the number of orders output the previous time. That is, the more the number of orders output the previous time, the longer the set time is set.

[0033] As a second condition, the set time is set based on the contents or type of food and drink. For example, the set time is set to a first set time when the food and drink is a set meal menu, and is set to a second set time that is shorter than the first set time when the food and drink is a menu other than the set meal menu (such as an a la carte menu, a drink menu, or a dessert menu). FIG. 5 shows an example of setting information D3 including a set time set based on the contents of the food and drink. The setting information D3 shown in FIG. 5 includes information such as a product ID, a product name, and a set time. The product ID and the product name correspond to the product ID and the product name in the product information D1 (see FIG. 2). The set time is set to a value according to the contents of the food and drink for each product ID (food and drink). For example, the longest set time Tb1 is set for the "daily set meal" which is expected to be ordered most frequently, a set time Tb2 shorter than the set time Tb1 is set for other set meal menus which are expected to be ordered next to the "daily set meal", a set time Tb3 shorter than the set time Tb2 is set for a la carte menus which do not require much time to cook and prepare, the shortest set time Tb4 is set for drink menus which can be served to users immediately after receiving an order, and a set time Tb5 equal to or equivalent to the set time Tb4 is set for dessert menus which do not require much time to cook and prepare. The set time may be set to a shorter time as the cooking time and preparation time are longer. In this way, the set time is set based on the content, type, cooking time, preparation time, etc. of the food and drink. The cooking time and the preparation time may be acquired based on history information.

[0034] As a third condition, the set time is set based on a time period. For example, the set time is set based on a time period obtained by dividing the business hours of the restaurant into predetermined time periods (for example, one hour). FIG. 6 shows an example of setting information D3 including the set time set based on the time period. The setting information D3 shown in FIG. 6 includes information such as a time period and a set time. The time period is classified into time periods according to, for example, a busy state. The busy state is acquired based on, for example, history information. For example, the longest set time Tc2 is set for the time period "12:00-13:00" which is the busiest state among "11:00-14:00" which is the lunch time of the restaurant, and a set time Tc3 shorter than the set time Tc2 is set for the time period "13:00-14:00" which is the next busiest state, and a set time Tc1 shorter than the set time Tc3 is set for the time period "11:00-12:00" which is quiet.

[0035] The control unit 21 sets the set time based on the first condition, the second condition, or the third condition. The control unit 21 may also set the set time by combining at least two of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition. For example, the control unit 21 may combine the first condition and the second condition and set the set time based on the content and number of orders most recently received. The control unit 21 may also combine the second condition and the third condition and set the set time based on the content of the received order and the time zone in which the order was received.

[0036] As another embodiment, some or all of the information such as the product information D1, the order reception information D2, and the setting information D3 may be stored in the ordering terminal 3 or a server accessible from the order support device 2. In this case, the control unit 21 of the order support device 2 may acquire the information from the ordering terminal 3 or the server, and execute each process such as the order support process (see FIG. 11) described below.

[0037] The storage unit 22 also stores data such as a top screen (see FIG. 7), a menu screen (see FIG. 8), an order screen (see FIG. 9), and a checkout screen (not shown) displayed on the ordering terminal 3.

[0038] Furthermore, the storage unit 22 stores control programs such as an order support program for causing the control unit 21 to execute an order support process (see FIG. 11) described below. For example, the order support program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB, CD, or DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a USB drive, CD drive, or DVD drive electrically connected to the order support device 2 and stored in the storage unit 22. The order support program may also be downloaded from a server accessible from the order support device 2 and stored in the storage unit 22.

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

[0040] Incidentally, in a restaurant, from the viewpoint of efficiency of cooking work in the kitchen, when multiple customers order the same menu, it is desirable for the kitchen staff to cook the menu items together. However, since it is difficult for the kitchen staff to judge whether the same menu items are ordered multiple times, currently, for example, when the same menu items are ordered multiple times at the same table, or when multiple orders for the same menu items are transmitted to the kitchen at approximately the same time, the kitchen staff decides to cook the menu items together. As such, cooking work is often left to the discretion of the kitchen staff, making it difficult to improve the efficiency of cooking work. In contrast, the order support device 2 according to this embodiment makes it possible to improve the efficiency of work in the kitchen in a restaurant.

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

[0042] The setting processing unit 216 sets the set time in accordance with a predetermined condition. Specifically, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time in accordance with at least any one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition. The setting processing unit 216 registers the set set time in setting information D3 (see Figs. 4 to 6). The setting processing unit 216 is an example of the setting processing unit of the present invention.

[0043] Here, for example, when an order is received, if the number of recent orders for that order is large, it is considered that the kitchen will be busy and the work efficiency will decrease. Therefore, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time to a longer time as the number of recent orders increases, so that the work efficiency will not decrease due to the accumulation of orders in the kitchen. Specifically, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time according to the number of food and drink orders most recently ordered at the restaurant. For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time "Ta1" (e.g., 1 minute) for the number of recent orders "a1" (e.g., 0 to 3 items), sets the set time "Ta2" (e.g., 3 minutes) for the number of recent orders "a2" (e.g., 4 to 6 items), and sets the set time "Ta3" (e.g., 5 minutes) for the number of recent orders "a3" (e.g., 7 items or more). That is, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time to a longer time as the number of recent orders is large. The setting processing unit 216 registers the number of recent orders and the set time in the setting information D3 (see FIG. 4). Furthermore, the setting processing unit 216 may store setting information D3 for each food and drink provided at the restaurant.

[0044] The setting processor 216 may set the set time in accordance with the most recent order frequency. For example, the setting processor 216 sets the set time to a longer time as the most recent order frequency increases, so that orders do not pile up in the kitchen and reduce work efficiency. The order frequency is, for example, the time interval between orders.

[0045] The setting processing unit 216 may set the set time according to the number of previous orders. Specifically, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time corresponding to the food and drink in the next order to be received by the reception processing unit 212, based on the time when the output processing unit 215 outputs the food and drink order information and the number of orders included in the order information. For example, when the number of orders for food and drink received immediately before is large, it takes time to cook the ordered amount, so the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time corresponding to the food and drink to be received next to a time longer than the previous set time.

[0046] Furthermore, the setting processing unit 216 may set the set time corresponding to the first food and drink in the order to be next accepted by the acceptance processing unit 212, based on the time when the output processing unit 215 output the order information for the first food and drink and the number of orders included in the order information. For example, if there are many orders for the "daily set meal" accepted immediately before, cooking the number of orders takes time, so the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time corresponding to the "daily set meal" to be accepted next to a time longer than the previous set time.

[0047] Also, for example, when an order is received, if the content (menu) of the order is a menu that requires a short cooking time or does not require much effort to cook and prepare, it is considered that the work efficiency of the kitchen will not decrease even if the order is output to the kitchen early. Also, if the menu of the order is a menu that is efficient to cook in multiple items at once (for example, a daily set meal), it is considered that the work efficiency of the kitchen will not decrease even if the output to the kitchen is delayed until multiple orders are accumulated. In particular, when the order can be output to the kitchen late, the output timing of the order can be adjusted taking into account the kitchen situation, the situation of other orders, the busyness, etc. Therefore, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time according to the content of the order so that the work efficiency of the kitchen will not decrease.

[0048] For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the longest set time Tb1 for the "daily set meal" which is ordered frequently and can be cooked in bulk, sets a set time Tb2 shorter than the set time Tb1 for the set meal menu which is expected to be ordered next most frequently after the "daily set meal", sets a set time Tb3 shorter than the set time Tb2 for the a la carte menu which does not require much time to cook and prepare, sets the shortest set time Tb4 for the drink menu which can be served immediately after receiving an order, and sets a set time Tb5 for the dessert menu which does not require much time to cook and prepare. In addition, the setting processing unit 216 may set the set time to a shorter time as the cooking time and preparation time are longer. In this way, the set time is set based on the content, type, cooking time, preparation time, etc. of the food and drink. The setting processing unit 216 registers the set time for each product (food and drink) in the setting information D3 (see FIG. 5).

[0049] In addition, for example, if orders are frequently output to the kitchen during busy hours of the restaurant's business hours, the work efficiency of the kitchen may decrease. On the other hand, even if orders are frequently output to the kitchen during slow hours of the restaurant's business hours, the kitchen may be able to handle cooking and preparation. Therefore, the setting processor 216 sets the set time according to the time period so that the work efficiency of the kitchen does not decrease.

[0050] For example, the setting processor 216 sets the longest set time Tc2 for the time slot "12:00-13:00" which is the busiest of the restaurant's lunchtime "11:00-14:00", sets a set time Tc3 shorter than the set time Tc2 for the time slot "13:00-14:00" which is the next busiest, and sets a set time Tc1 shorter than the set time Tc3 for the time slot "11:00-12:00" which is quiet. In this way, the set time is set based on the busyness of the restaurant. The setting processor 216 registers the set time for each time slot in the setting information D3 (see FIG. 6).

[0051] The setting processing unit 216 may set a common set time in advance regardless of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition. For example, when a manager of a restaurant registers the set time, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time.

[0052] The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires information on the number of patrons (number of patrons) using the restaurant and information on the table number of the table used by the patron. For example, when a waiter asks the patron about the number of patrons when guiding the patron to a specific table, the waiter inputs the table number and the number of patrons into the facility terminal. The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires each piece of information on the table number and the number of patrons from the facility terminal. In addition, when a patron registers the number of patrons when reserving a restaurant, the facility terminal acquires user information (such as the user's name and the number of patrons) from the management terminal, and registers the user information and the table number of the table assigned to the user in a reservation management ledger in association with each other. The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires each piece of information on the table number and the number of patrons from the reservation management ledger. When the acquisition processing unit 211 acquires each piece of information on the table number and the number of patrons, the acquisition processing unit 211 registers the table number and the number of patrons in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with each other.

[0053] When the table number corresponding to the table and the information on the number of occupants are registered in the order reception information D2, the control unit 21 allows the reception of an order from the user of that table. For example, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 to display a top screen such as that shown in FIG. 7. The control unit 21 generates a top page corresponding to the top screen (see FIG. 7), a menu page corresponding to the menu screen (see FIG. 8), an order page corresponding to the order screen (see FIG. 9), an accounting page corresponding to the accounting screen (not shown), and the like, and transmits information on these pages to the ordering terminal 3, thereby making it possible to cause the ordering terminal 3 to display each page.

[0054] The top screen shown in FIG. 7 displays menu buttons M1 for each category ("Set Meals," "A la Carte," "Dessert," and "Drinks"). The menu screen shown in FIG. 8 displays information about specific foods and drinks included in the categories of the top screen shown in FIG. 7. For example, the menu screen for "Set Meal Menu" (see FIG. 8) displays information such as "Set Meal of the Day," "Sashimi Set Meal," "Boiled Fish Set Meal," "...." If multiple foods and drinks cannot fit on one page on the menu screen, they are displayed across multiple pages. For example, when a user selects "Next" on the menu screen, the next page of the menu screen is displayed.

[0055] The menu screen shown in Fig. 8 displays the menu button M1 of the top screen shown in Fig. 7, and a plurality of pieces of food and drink information (image M3, product name M4, price, etc.) displayed in the menu section M2. The image M3 represents an image of the food and drink, and also functions as a selection button for the user to select the food and drink. The menu screen also includes a favorites page button M5 for moving to a favorites page, an order page button M6 for moving to an order screen (see Fig. 9), and a checkout button M7 for moving to a checkout screen.

[0056] 9 also displays a list of the foods and beverages that the user selected on the menu screen. The order screen includes an order confirmation button M8 for confirming the order of the foods and beverages displayed in the list. The user can press the order confirmation button M8 on the order screen to confirm the order of the selected foods and beverages, change the quantity of the selected foods and beverages, delete them, and so on.

[0057] In this way, when a user uses the ordering terminal 3 to order food and drink, the user selects the desired food and drink on the menu screen, and performs an operation to confirm the order for the selected food and drink on the order screen.

[0058] The reception processing unit 212 accepts operations from users on various screens displayed on the ordering terminal 3. For example, the reception processing unit 212 accepts selection operations (such as touch operations) by users on each screen shown in Figs. 7 to 9. The reception processing unit 212 may accept orders for food and drink from users via a mobile terminal (e.g., a smartphone) owned by the user, may accept orders for food and drink from users via a mobile terminal (e.g., a handy terminal) carried by a staff member of the facility, or may accept orders for food and drink from a self-order terminal (tabletop terminal) installed at a table in the facility. The reception processing unit 212 is an example of a reception processing unit of the present invention.

[0059] For example, when a user selects "Set Meal Menu" on the top screen shown in FIG. 7, the reception processing unit 212 accepts a category selection operation. In this case, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 to display a menu screen shown in FIG. 8 in response to the category selection operation. For example, when a user selects "Daily Set Meal" on the menu screen shown in FIG. 8, the reception processing unit 212 accepts a product selection operation. For example, when a user performs an operation to confirm an order (pressing the order confirmation button M8) on the order screen shown in FIG. 9, the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order confirmation operation. Here, when the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order confirmation operation by a user, it accepts an order from the user. For example, for a table of a user group including multiple users, when each user of the user group selects food and drink and then performs an order confirmation operation, the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order from the user group. Note that when each user of the user group individually performs a product selection operation and an order confirmation operation, the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order for each user. That is, a single order received by the reception processing unit 212 may include one food and drink item for one user, or may include multiple food and drink items for one or multiple users.

[0060] Furthermore, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order from a user, it registers the order number and information on the ordered item in order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with the table number of the table used by the user. Note that a table number is associated in advance with each order terminal 3, and the order that the reception processing unit 212 receives from the order terminal 3 includes table number information. This allows the reception processing unit 212 to know the table number corresponding to each order.

[0061] The measurement processing unit 213 measures the elapsed time for each order received by the reception processing unit 212. Specifically, the measurement processing unit 213 starts measuring time when the reception processing unit 212 receives the order. Since the order is made for each table, for example, when multiple orders are made at one table, the measurement processing unit 213 measures the elapsed time corresponding to the multiple orders. For example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives orders for each of "sashimi set meal," "daily set meal," "beer," and "oolong tea" as orders corresponding to the table with table number "2," the measurement processing unit 213 measures the elapsed time corresponding to each ordered item. The measurement processing unit 213 registers the measured elapsed time, that is, the elapsed time from receiving the order to the current time, in the order reception information D2. In the above example, the measurement processing unit 213 registers the same time "t2" as the elapsed time corresponding to each ordered item corresponding to the table number "2." When the order information of the order is output to the kitchen terminal 4, the measurement processing unit 213 ends the measurement of the elapsed time corresponding to the order. The measurement processing unit 213 is an example of the measurement processing unit of the present invention.

[0062] The determination processing unit 214 determines whether or not the elapsed time from the time when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for food and drink has reached the set time set according to a predetermined condition. The set time is set according to at least one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition, as described above. Specifically, every time the reception processing unit 212 receives an order, the measurement processing unit 213 starts measuring the elapsed time, and the determination processing unit 214 determines whether or not the elapsed time has reached the set time. The determination processing unit 214 also refers to the setting information D3 to acquire the corresponding set time and executes the determination process. For example, the determination processing unit 214 refers to the setting information D3 shown in FIG. 4 to acquire the set time corresponding to the most recent number of orders and executes the determination process. For example, the determination processing unit 214 refers to the setting information D3 shown in FIG. 5 to acquire the set time corresponding to the ordered food and drink and executes the determination process. For example, the determination processing unit 214 refers to the setting information D3 shown in FIG. 6 to acquire the set time corresponding to the time zone of the current time and executes the determination process.

[0063] For example, in the case where the set time is set based on the first condition (see FIG. 4), if the number of most recent orders received by the reception processing unit 212 immediately before (previously) is, for example, "a3" (e.g., 7), the determination processing unit 214 determines whether the elapsed time from the time the reception processing unit 212 received the current order has reached the set time "Ta3" (e.g., 5 minutes). Also, if the number of most recent orders is, for example, "a1" (e.g., 2), the determination processing unit 214 determines whether the elapsed time from the time the reception processing unit 212 received the current order has reached the set time "Ta1" (e.g., 1 minute).

[0064] Furthermore, for example, in the case where the set time is set based on the second condition (see FIG. 5), when the reception processing unit 212 receives, for example, a "set meal of the day", the judgment processing unit 214 judges whether or not the elapsed time from the time when the order for the "set meal of the day" was received has reached the set time "Tb1". Furthermore, when the reception processing unit 212 receives, for example, a "beer", the judgment processing unit 214 judges whether or not the elapsed time from the time when the order for "beer" was received has reached the set time "Tb4".

[0065] Furthermore, for example, in the case where the set time is set based on the third condition (see FIG. 6), if the reception processing unit 212 receives an order during a time period of, for example, "12:00-13:00", the determination processing unit 214 determines whether or not the elapsed time from the time the order was received has reached the set time "Tc2". Also, if the reception processing unit 212 receives an order during a time period of, for example, "13:00-14:00", the determination processing unit 214 determines whether or not the elapsed time from the time the order was received has reached the set time "Tc3". The determination processing unit 214 is an example of a determination processing unit of the present invention.

[0066] The output processing unit 215 outputs information on the order received by the reception processing unit 212 (order information F1) to the kitchen terminal 4. Specifically, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 including the details of the food and drink order placed by the user, the table number of the table used by the user, and the order number to the kitchen terminal 4. The order information F1 may include the order date and time (reception date and time). In other words, the output processing unit 215 may cause the order information and the reception time at which the reception processing unit 212 received the order to be displayed on the order slip. The output processing unit 215 also causes the order slip including the details of the order, the table number, and the order number to be output (printed or displayed) from the kitchen terminal 4. The output processing unit 215 is an example of an output processing unit of the present invention.

[0067] Furthermore, when the determination processing unit 214 determines that the elapsed time corresponding to an order accepted by the acceptance processing unit 212 has reached the set time, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 corresponding to the order. For example, when the elapsed time "t1" (see FIG. 3) corresponding to an order of "daily set meal" accepted at the table with table number "1" has reached the set time, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 of "daily set meal" to the kitchen terminal 4. Furthermore, when the elapsed time "t2" (see FIG. 3) corresponding to orders of "sashimi set meal", "daily set meal", "beer", and "oolong tea" accepted at the table with table number "2" has reached the set time, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 of "sashimi set meal", "daily set meal", "beer", and "oolong tea" to the kitchen terminal 4.

[0068] Here, for example, when the set time is set according to the number of most recent orders based on the first condition (see FIG. 3), the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 as follows. For example, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for "Sashimi set meal", "Daily set meal", "Beer", and "Oolong tea" at the table with table number "2", the most recent order of the order is "Daily set meal" received at the table with table number "1". In other words, since the number of most recent orders is "1", the set time corresponding to the order at table number "2" is "Ta1" (see FIG. 4). In this case, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the order to the kitchen terminal 4 at the point when the elapsed time "t2" (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the order at table number "2" reaches the set time "Ta1". For example, if the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for one item, "daily set meal," at table number "3," the most recent orders of the order are "sashimi set meal," "daily set meal," "beer," and "oolong tea," which were received at table number "2." That is, the number of most recent orders is "4," and therefore the set time corresponding to the order at table number "3" is "Ta2" (see FIG. 4). In this case, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the order to the kitchen terminal 4 when the elapsed time "t3" (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the order at table number "3" reaches the set time "Ta2."

[0069] Furthermore, for example, when the set time is set for each food and drink based on the second condition (see FIG. 5), the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 for "beer" and "oolong tea" to the kitchen terminal 4 when the elapsed time "t2" (see FIG. 3) corresponding to "beer" and "oolong tea" reaches the set time "Tb4" among the orders for "sashimi set meal," "daily set meal," "beer," and "oolong tea" received at the table with table number "2," outputs order information F1 for "beer" and "oolong tea" to the kitchen terminal 4 when the elapsed time "t2" (see FIG. 3) corresponding to "sashimi set meal" reaches the set time "Tb2," and outputs order information F1 for "sashimi set meal" to the kitchen terminal 4 when the elapsed time "t2" (see FIG. 3) corresponding to "daily set meal" reaches the set time "Tb1."

[0070] Also, for example, when the set time is set for each time period based on the third condition (see FIG. 6), the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 as follows. For example, when the time period in which an order corresponding to the table with table number "5" is accepted is "11:00-12:00", the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the order to the kitchen terminal 4 when the elapsed time "t2" (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the order of "daily set meal" accepted at the table with table number "5" reaches the set time "Tc1". Also, for example, when the time period in which an order corresponding to the table with table number "6" is accepted is "12:00-13:00", the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the order to the kitchen terminal 4 when the elapsed time "t6" (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the orders of "daily set meal", "sashimi set meal", "seafood salad", and "oolong tea" accepted at the table with table number "6" reaches the set time "Tc2".

[0071] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the order slip T1. Here, an example is shown in which the set time is set according to the second condition (content or type of food and drink). For example, if the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for "daily set meal" from a patron at table number "1", and immediately after that order, receives "sashimi set meal", "daily set meal", "beer", and "oolong tea" from a patron at table number "2", the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 for these orders to the kitchen terminal 4 in the order in which the elapsed time reaches the set time.

[0072] First, when the elapsed time ("t2") corresponding to "beer" and "oolong tea" for table number "2" reaches the set time "Tb4", the output processing unit 215 causes the kitchen terminal 4 to output the order slip T1 including the order information F1 for "beer" and "oolong tea" for table number "2" (see FIG. 10). Next, when the elapsed time ("t2") corresponding to "sashimi set meal" for table number "2" reaches the set time "Tb2", the output processing unit 215 causes the kitchen terminal 4 to output the order slip T1 including the order information F1 for "sashimi set meal" for table number "2" (see FIG. 10). Next, when the elapsed times ("t1", "t2") corresponding to the "daily set meal" for table numbers "1" and "2" reach the set time "Tb1", the output processing unit 215 causes the kitchen terminal 4 to output an order slip T1 including order information F1 for the "daily set meal" corresponding to table numbers "1" and "2" respectively (see FIG. 10). As a result, for example, when multiple orders are received, orders for food and drink that can be provided to the user quickly without requiring the kitchen to do much work are output to the kitchen terminal 4 first, and then orders for food and drink that can be cooked in multiple portions at once are output to the kitchen terminal 4.

[0073] In this way, the control unit 21 separates the orders received for each table into each ordered item, determines whether the elapsed time for each ordered item has reached the set time, and outputs the order information. The set time is set according to the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition that take into account the work efficiency of the kitchen. The control unit 21 also waits to output the order information for each order of multiple users using different tables in the restaurant until the elapsed time reaches the set time. That is, the control unit 21 performs the same process of determining the elapsed time and the set time for each of multiple orders regardless of the attributes of the table, and sequentially outputs the order information for the orders whose elapsed time has reached the set time. This makes it possible to improve the work efficiency of the kitchen.

[0074] [Order terminal 3] 1, the ordering terminal 3 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, an operation display unit 33, and a communication I / F 34. The ordering terminal 3 is, for example, a self-order terminal installed at each table in a restaurant.

[0075] The communication I / F 34 is a communication interface for connecting the order terminal 3 to the communication network N1 via wired or wireless connection, and for performing data communication in accordance with a specified communication protocol between the order support device 2, the kitchen terminal 4, and other external devices via the communication network N1.

[0076] The operation display unit 33 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays various information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations. The operation display unit 33 displays a top screen (see FIG. 7) that accepts food and drink ordering operations from users, a menu screen (see FIG. 8), and an order screen (see FIG. 9), and an accounting screen (not shown) that accepts accounting operations from users, etc. The operation display unit 33 is composed of, for example, a touch panel, and accepts touch operations from users.

[0077] The storage unit 32 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive) or a flash memory that stores various information. For example, a control program such as a browser program is stored in the storage unit 32. Specifically, the browser program is a control program that causes the control unit 31 to execute communication processing with an external device such as the order support device 2 according to a communication protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

[0078] The control unit 31 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic operations. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS for causing the CPU to execute various processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information, and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various processes executed by the CPU. The control unit 31 controls the order terminal 3 by executing the various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 32 by the CPU.

[0079] Specifically, the control unit 31 functions as a browser processing unit 311 by executing various processes according to the browser program stored in the storage unit 32. The browser processing unit 311 is capable of executing browser processing for displaying various information (top screen, menu screen, order screen, accounting screen, etc.) provided from the order support device 2 via the communication network N1 on the operation display unit 33 and inputting operations on the operation display unit 33 to the order support device 2. Note that some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 31 may be configured with electronic circuits.

[0080] [Kitchen Terminal 4] 1, the kitchen terminal 4 includes a control unit 41, a memory unit 42, an operation display unit 43, and a communication I / F 44. The kitchen terminal 4 is an information processing device such as a printer device, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. The kitchen terminal 4 may further include the same functions as the order support device 2, or may be an information processing device integrated with the order support device 2. Here, it is assumed that the kitchen terminal 4 is a printer device installed in the kitchen of a restaurant.

[0081] The communication I / F 44 is a communication interface for connecting the kitchen terminal 4 to the communication network N1 via a wired or wireless connection, and for performing data communication in accordance with a specified communication protocol between the kitchen terminal 4 and external devices such as the order support device 2 and the order terminal 3 via the communication network N1.

[0082] The operation display unit 43 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays information such as various web pages, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations.

[0083] The storage unit 42 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive) or a flash memory that stores various information. For example, the storage unit 42 stores a control program for transmitting and receiving various information between the order support device 2 and the order terminal 3. For example, the control program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or a DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a CD drive or a DVD drive electrically connected to the kitchen terminal 4 and stored in the storage unit 42. The storage unit 42 may also store a control program such as an order support program for causing the control unit 41 to execute an order support process (see FIG. 11) described below.

[0084] The control unit 41 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS for causing the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information, and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for various processes executed by the CPU. The control unit 41 controls the kitchen terminal 4 by executing various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 42 by the CPU.

[0085] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the control unit 41 includes various processing units such as an acquisition processing unit 411 and an output processing unit 412. The control unit 41 functions as the various processing units by executing various processes according to the control program with the CPU. Some or all of the processing units may be configured with electronic circuits. The control program may be a program for causing a plurality of processors to function as the processing units.

[0086] The acquisition processing unit 411 acquires the order information F1 output from the order support device 2. For example, when the order support device 2 accepts an order for a "set meal of the day" from the order terminal 3 and the elapsed time from the time of accepting the order reaches a set time corresponding to the order, the order support device 2 outputs the order information F1 corresponding to the "set meal of the day" to the kitchen terminal 4. In this way, the acquisition processing unit 411 acquires the order information F1 output from the order support device 2.

[0087] The output processing unit 412 outputs to the outside the information acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411. Specifically, the output processing unit 412 outputs to the outside the order information F1 acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411. The kitchen terminal 4 has, for example, roll paper set therein, and is provided with a transport unit (not shown) that transports the roll paper, an image forming unit (not shown) that forms an image on the roll paper, a cutting unit (not shown) that cuts the roll paper at a predetermined position, and the like.

[0088] For example, as shown in Fig. 10, when order information F1 is acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411, the output processing unit 412 causes the image forming unit to execute a print process to print (black and white print) the order information F1 on an order slip T1. Specifically, each time image data corresponding to the order information F1 is input, the output processing unit 412 causes the image forming unit to execute a print process to form (black and white print) an image of the order contents corresponding to the image data on rolled paper, and then causes the cutting unit to execute a cutting process to cut the rolled paper at a predetermined position and discharge it to the outside. In this way, one order slip T1 is created for each order. When the kitchen staff receives the order slip T1, they prepare the food and drink ordered.

[0089] For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the kitchen staff obtains order forms T1 for "beer" and "oolong tea," they prepare these, and the service staff serves the "beer" and "oolong tea" to the customer at table number "2." Next, when the kitchen staff obtains order forms T1 for "sashimi set meal," they cook the sashimi set meal, and the service staff serves the "sashimi set meal" to the customer at table number "2." Next, when the kitchen staff obtains two order forms T1 for "daily set meal," they cook the two daily set meals together, and the service staff serves the "daily set meal" to each of the customers at table numbers "1" and "2." In this way, the kitchen staff can prepare the same order (food and drink) together, and the service staff can serve the food and drink together.

[0090] Each order slip T1 includes the date and time when the order was received (date and time of receipt, date and time of order). This allows the kitchen staff to know the time that has passed since each customer actually placed the order (the time of the order confirmation operation), making it possible to adjust the priority of cooking and preparation of the ordered food and drink.

[0091] [Order Support Processing] Next, the order support process executed in the order support system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Specifically, in this embodiment, the order support process is executed by the control unit 21 of the order support device 2. The control unit 21 can also execute the order support process in parallel for each ordering terminal 3 in response to access from each ordering terminal 3. Note that the control unit 21 may end the order support process midway through due to a predetermined operation of the ordering terminal 3.

[0092] The present invention can be understood as an invention of an order support method that executes one or more steps included in the order support process. One or more steps included in the order support process described here may be omitted as appropriate. The steps in the order support process may be executed in a different order as long as the same action and effect is achieved. Furthermore, although an example is described here in which each step in the order support process is executed by the control unit 21, another embodiment of the order support method can be one in which each step in the order support process is executed in a distributed manner by multiple processors.

[0093] In step S11, the control unit 21 acquires the number of patrons (number of patrons) who have visited the restaurant and the table number of the table used by the patrons. For example, when a staff member of the restaurant registers information indicating that a patron has visited the restaurant, the control unit 21 acquires the number of patrons and the table number corresponding to the patrons from the facility terminal (reservation management ledger).

[0094] Next, in step S12, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 to display an order reception screen (top screen, menu screen, etc.) for receiving orders for food and drink provided by the restaurant. For example, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 installed at the table with the table number used by the customer to display the top screen shown in Fig. 7. Furthermore, when any of the menu buttons M1 is selected on the top screen shown in Fig. 7, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 to display the menu screen shown in Fig. 8.

[0095] Next, in step S13, the control unit 21 judges whether or not an order from a user has been accepted via the ordering terminal 3. If the control unit 21 judges that an order from a user has been accepted (S13: Yes), the process proceeds to step S14. The control unit 21 waits until an order from a user is accepted (S13: No). For example, when a user at a table with table number "1" selects "daily set meal" and places an order (order confirmation operation) using the ordering terminal 3, the control unit 21 accepts the order from that user. The control unit 21 also registers the order number corresponding to the user's order and information on the ordered product "daily set meal" in the order acceptance information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with table number "1". Step S13 is an example of a accepting step of the present invention.

[0096] In step S14, the control unit 21 starts measuring the elapsed time from the time when the order is accepted. For example, when a user at the table with table number "1" performs an order confirmation operation for "daily set meal", the control unit 21 accepts the order and starts measuring the elapsed time. The control unit 21 registers the measured elapsed time "t1" information in the order acceptance information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with the table number "1". Also, for example, when a user at the table with table number "2" performs an order confirmation operation for "sashimi set meal", "daily set meal", "beer", and "oolong tea", the control unit 21 accepts the order and starts measuring the elapsed time. The control unit 21 registers the measured elapsed time "t2" information in the order acceptance information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with the table number "2".

[0097] Next, in step S15, the control unit 21 judges whether the elapsed time has reached the set time. If the elapsed time has reached the set time (S15: Yes), the process proceeds to step S16. The control unit 21 waits until the elapsed time reaches the set time (S15: No). Step S15 is an example of a judgment step of the present invention.

[0098] For example, in the example shown in Figure 3, when a user orders a "daily set meal" at table number "3," the control unit 21 waits until the elapsed time "t3" (see Figure 3) corresponding to that order reaches the set time (S15: No), and when the elapsed time "t3" reaches the set time (S15: Yes), the processing proceeds to step S16.

[0099] In step S16, the control unit 21 outputs information about the accepted order (order information F1) to the kitchen terminal 4. For example, the control unit 21 outputs order information F1 for the "set meal of the day" ordered by a user at table number "3" to the kitchen terminal 4. When the kitchen terminal 4 acquires the order information F1, it outputs an order slip T1 (see FIG. 10) indicating the order information F1 corresponding to the "set meal of the day". After outputting the order information F1, the control unit 21 resets the measured elapsed time. Step S16 is an example of an output step of the present invention. The order support process is carried out in the manner described above.

[0100] As described above, the order support system 1 according to this embodiment accepts an order for food and drink at a facility that provides food and drink, judges whether the elapsed time from the time the order for the food and drink was accepted reaches a set time, and outputs order information corresponding to the order for the food and drink when it is judged that the elapsed time reaches the set time. The set time is set based on order information (number of recent orders, order frequency, order contents, type, time period, etc.). This makes it possible to output order information according to the busyness of the kitchen, for example, by outputting the order information to the kitchen terminal 4 late when the kitchen is busy, and outputting the order information to the kitchen terminal 4 early when the kitchen is quiet. This makes it possible to improve the work efficiency of the kitchen.

[0101] In addition, according to the order support system 1, when multiple orders for the same menu item are received, the order information can be output all at once, thereby reducing communication traffic and making more effective use of computer resources than when the order information is output individually.

[0102] The order assistance system of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0103] In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 21 of the order support device 2 may output order information for the food and drink if the number of orders for the food and drink reaches a predetermined number (threshold) or more before the elapsed time reaches the set time. Specifically, if the total number of orders for the first food and drink and the number of orders for a second food and drink that is the same as or similar to the first food and drink reaches a predetermined number or more during the period from when an order for the first food and drink is received until the elapsed time reaches the set time, the control unit 21 outputs order information corresponding to the first food and drink and the second food and drink before the elapsed time reaches the set time.

[0104] 12 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the order support device 2 according to the embodiment. The control unit 21 further includes a calculation processing unit 217 in addition to the processing units shown in FIG.

[0105] The calculation processing unit 217 calculates the number of orders of the orders accepted by the reception processing unit 212. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 217 accumulates and updates the number of orders of the food and drink each time the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order for the food and drink. In other words, the number of orders corresponds to the total number of orders of the first food and drink and the second food and drink accepted from when the reception processing unit 212 accepts the first food and drink until the set time is reached. For example, when the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order for one "daily set meal" in the table with table number "1", the calculation processing unit 217 calculates "1" as the number of orders corresponding to the "daily set meal". The calculation processing unit 217 registers the calculated information of the number of orders "1" in the order acceptance information D2 in association with the table number "1" of the table used by the user. Subsequently, when the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order for one "daily set meal" in the table with table number "2", the calculation processing unit 217 calculates "2" as the number of orders corresponding to the "daily set meal". Furthermore, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for one "daily set meal" for the table with table number "3", the calculation processing unit 217 calculates "3" as the number of orders corresponding to the "daily set meal".

[0106] Here, when the predetermined number is set to "3," the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information for an order of three "daily set meals" to the kitchen terminal 4 when the number of orders reaches or exceeds the predetermined number before the elapsed time for each of the orders corresponding to table number "1," the order corresponding to table number "2," and the order corresponding to table number "3" reaches the set time.

[0107] Furthermore, the calculation processing unit 217 resets the number of orders corresponding to the food and drink when the order information corresponding to the food and drink is output by the output processing unit 215 to the kitchen terminal 4. The calculation processing unit 217 is an example of the calculation processing unit of the present invention.

[0108] Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of the order support process according to the embodiment. Steps S21 to S24 of the order support process shown in Fig. 13 are the same as steps S11 to S14 of the order support process shown in Fig. 11, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0109] In step S25, the control unit 21 calculates the number of ordered foods and drinks corresponding to the received order.

[0110] Next, in step S26, the control unit 21 determines whether the elapsed time from the time the order was accepted has reached the set time. If the elapsed time has reached the set time (S26: Yes), the process proceeds to step S27. If the elapsed time is less than the set time (S26: No), the process proceeds to step S261.

[0111] In step S261, the control unit 21 determines whether the number of food and drink orders corresponding to the order is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. If the number of food and drink orders corresponding to the order is equal to or greater than the predetermined number (S261: Yes), the process proceeds to step S27. On the other hand, if the number of food and drink orders corresponding to the order is less than the predetermined number (S261: No), the process proceeds to step S262.

[0112] In step S262, the control unit 21 determines whether an order for food or drink that is the same as or similar to the food or drink corresponding to the order has been received. The similar food or drink is, for example, food or drink that has the same menu category (genre), cooking method, ingredients, etc. If an order for the same or similar food or drink has been received (S262: Yes), the process proceeds to step S25. Returning to step S25, the control unit 21 calculates the total number of orders, including the orders received in step S23 and the orders received in step S262. Then, if the elapsed time is less than the set time (S26: No) and the total number of orders is equal to or greater than the predetermined number (S261: Yes), the process proceeds to step S27.

[0113] On the other hand, if an order for the same or similar food or drink is not accepted (S262: No), the process proceeds to step S26. Returning to step S26, if the elapsed time reaches the set time (S26: Yes), the process proceeds to step S27.

[0114] In step S27, the control unit 21 outputs information about the accepted order (order information F1) to the kitchen terminal 4. For example, if the number of ordered foods and beverages in the order reaches or exceeds a predetermined number (S261: Yes) before the time elapsed since the order was accepted in step S23 reaches the set time (S26: No), the control unit 21 outputs order information according to the number of orders to the kitchen terminal 4.

[0115] This prevents a large number of orders from accumulating in the order support device 2 before the set time has elapsed, and therefore prevents a large number of orders from being output all at once to the kitchen terminal 4. This prevents a decrease in work efficiency in the kitchen.

[0116] The calculation processing unit 217 may be configured to calculate the number of orders for a given food and drink. For example, for drink menus and dessert menus, whether the number of orders is small or large does not have a significant impact on the work efficiency of the kitchen staff. In this case, the calculation processing unit 217 may be configured not to perform the process of calculating the number of orders for drink menus and dessert menus. Furthermore, when the order information F1 is output, the calculation processing unit 217 resets the calculated number of orders.

[0117] As another embodiment of the present invention, the setting processing unit 216 may set the set time based on the ratio of the number of users who have ordered food and drink to the number of users who have not yet ordered food and drink at the table used by the user who has ordered food and drink. For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time to a longer time as the ratio of users who have not yet ordered food and drink is higher. Then, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information for the table when the number of orders for the table reaches or exceeds the number of orders corresponding to the number of people at the table.

[0118] In this way, the control unit 21 may output order information for a table if the number of orders for the table reaches or exceeds the number of orders corresponding to the number of people at the table before the elapsed time reaches the set time. This makes it possible to reduce the time lag between providing order information to multiple users who use the same table.

[0119] Here, when multiple different foods and beverages are ordered at the same table, if the cooking times for each food and beverage are significantly different, it is conceivable that the times at which the foods and beverages are served to each of the multiple users will differ significantly even if the multiple foods and beverages are ordered at the same time. Therefore, as another embodiment of the present invention, the setting processing unit 216 may set the set time corresponding to the first food and beverage based on the orders of other users at the table used by the user who ordered the first food and beverage. For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time corresponding to each of the multiple foods and beverages included in the order for the table so that the timing of serving the ordered foods and beverages to each of the multiple users using the table is approximately the same. This can further reduce the difference in the times at which the foods and beverages are served to each of the multiple users using the same table.

[0120] In another embodiment of the present invention, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for a second food and drink that is the same as or similar to the first food and drink before the first elapsed time corresponding to the first food and drink of the received order reaches the set time, the output processing unit 215 may output order information corresponding to the first food and drink and the second food and drink when the first elapsed time reaches the set time. That is, the control unit 21 may output order information for the second food and drink before the second elapsed time corresponding to the second food and drink reaches the set time. This allows, for example, multiple orders for the same food and drink to be output simultaneously to the kitchen terminal 4, thereby improving the work efficiency of the kitchen. In this way, the control unit 21 may extract orders (the same or similar food and drink) that can be output together from the orders waiting to be output when the elapsed time corresponding to a certain order reaches the set time, and output order information for the same or similar food and drink together.

[0121] [Variations] The present invention can also have the following aspects. <Appendix 1> a reception processing unit (reception processing unit 212) that receives orders from users of the facility that provides food and beverages; a determination processing unit (determination processing unit 214) that determines whether the number of food and drink orders accepted by the acceptance processing unit is equal to or greater than a set number; an output processing unit (output processing unit 215) that outputs order information corresponding to the food and drink order when the determination processing unit determines that the number of orders is equal to or greater than the set number; An order support system (order support device 2) comprising:

[0122] <Appendix 2> A setting processing unit (setting processing unit 216) that sets the set number based on information of an order received by the reception processing unit is further provided. Attachment 1, an order assistance system.

[0123] <Appendix 3> The setting processing unit sets the set number based on the number or frequency of recently accepted orders. Attachment 2, an order assistance system.

[0124] <Appendix 4> The setting processing unit sets the set number based on the content or type of the food and drink. Attachment 2 or 3, an order assistance system.

[0125] <Appendix 5> The setting processing unit sets a first set number when the food and drink is a set meal menu, and sets a second set number smaller than the first set number when the food and drink is a menu other than the set meal menu. Attachment 4, an order assistance system.

[0126] <Appendix 6> the setting processing unit sets the set number based on a past ordering history of the food and beverages at the facility. An order support system according to any one of appendix 2 to 5.

[0127] <Appendix 7> the setting processing unit sets the set number corresponding to the food and drink in the next order to be accepted by the acceptance processing unit, based on a time when the output processing unit outputs the food and drink order information and a number of orders included in the order information. Attachment 6: An order assistance system.

[0128] <Appendix 8> The setting processing unit sets the set number based on a cooking time of the food. An order support system according to any one of appendix 2 to 7.

[0129] <Appendix 9> the setting processing unit sets the set number based on a ratio of the number of users who have already ordered food and drink to the number of users who have not yet ordered food and drink at a table used by the user who has ordered food and drink. An order support system according to any one of appendix 2 to 8.

[0130] <Appendix 10> the setting processing unit sets the set number corresponding to the food and drink based on the order contents of other users at a table used by the user who has ordered the food and drink. An order support system according to any one of appendix 2 to 9.

[0131] <Appendix 11> A calculation processing unit (calculation processing unit 217) is further provided to calculate the number of orders for each order received by the reception processing unit, the calculation processing unit resets the order number corresponding to the food and drink when the output processing unit outputs order information corresponding to the food and drink. An order support system according to any one of appendix 1 to 10.

[0132] <Appendix 12> When the reception processing unit receives an order for another food or drink that is the same as or similar to the food or drink before the number of orders reaches or exceeds the set number, the output processing unit outputs order information corresponding to both of the food and drink when the number of orders reaches the set number. An order support system according to any one of appendix 1 to 11.

[0133] <Appendix 13> the output processing unit waits to output the order information for each order of a plurality of users who use different tables in the facility until the number of orders reaches or exceeds the set number. An order support system according to any one of appendix 1 to 12.

[0134] <Appendix 14> The number of orders is the total number of orders of food and beverages of the same content or type. An order support system according to any one of appendix 1 to 13.

[0135] <Appendix 15> The number of orders is the total number of orders for food and beverages of different contents or types. An order support system according to any one of appendix 1 to 13.

[0136] <Appendix 16> the output processing unit displays, on an order slip, the order information and the time when the order was accepted by the acceptance processing unit. An order support system according to any one of appendix 1 to 15.

[0137] <Appendix 17> A reception step of receiving an order from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination step of determining whether or not the number of orders for the food and drink accepted in the acceptance step is equal to or greater than a set number; an output step of outputting order information corresponding to the food and drink orders when it is determined in the determination step that the number of orders is equal to or greater than the set number; The order support method is executed by one or more processors.

[0138] <Appendix 18> A reception step of receiving an order from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination step of determining whether or not the number of orders for the food and drink accepted in the acceptance step is equal to or greater than a set number; an output step of outputting order information corresponding to the food and drink orders when it is determined in the determination step that the number of orders is equal to or greater than the set number; An order support program for executing the above on one or more processors.

[0139] As described above, the order support device 2 according to the embodiment is configured to output order information on the condition that the elapsed time from the time when the food and drink order is accepted reaches a set time, whereas the order support device 2 according to the modified example is configured to output order information on the condition that the number of accepted food and drink orders reaches a set number. The number of orders may be the number of orders placed at one time, or the total number of orders for multiple orders. The control unit 21 waits to output the order information until the total number of orders accepted from multiple users using different tables in the restaurant reaches or exceeds the set number. That is, the control unit 21 outputs the order information when the total number of multiple orders reaches the set number regardless of the attributes of the tables. The number of orders may be the total number of orders for menu items (food and drink) with the same content or type, or the total number of orders for menu items (food and drink) with different content or type.

[0140] Similarly to the set time, the set number is set according to at least one of the first condition, the second condition, and the third condition. For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number based on the number of orders recently accepted. Specifically, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number to a larger number as the number of recent orders increases.

[0141] Also, for example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number based on the contents, type, cooking time, and preparation time of the food and drink. Specifically, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set number to a first set number when the food and drink are part of a set meal menu, and sets the set number to a second set number that is smaller than the first set number when the food and drink are part of a menu other than the set meal menu (such as an a la carte menu, drink menu, or dessert menu). The setting processing unit 216 may set the set number to a smaller number as the cooking time and preparation time are longer.

[0142] Also, for example, the setting processor 216 may set the set number based on the time period in which the order is received. Specifically, the setting processor 216 sets the highest set number Ts2 for the time period "12:00-13:00" which is the busiest among the lunchtime hours "11:00-14:00" of the restaurant, sets a set number Ts3 which is smaller than the set number Ts2 for the time period "13:00-14:00" which is the next busiest, and sets a set number Ts1 which is smaller than the set number Ts3 for the time period "11:00-12:00" which is quiet.

[0143] In the order support process executed in the order support system 1 according to the modified example, the control unit 21 calculates the number of accepted orders in step S14, and determines whether the number of orders is equal to or greater than the predetermined number in step S15. If the number of orders is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, the control unit 21 outputs order information according to the number of orders in step S16.

[0144] In this way, the set number is set based on order information (number of recent orders, order frequency, order content, type, time period, etc.). This makes it possible to output order information according to how busy the kitchen is, for example by increasing the set number and outputting the order information to kitchen terminal 4 later when the kitchen is busy, and decreasing the set number and outputting the order information to kitchen terminal 4 earlier when the kitchen is quiet. This makes it possible to improve the work efficiency of the kitchen. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 1: Order support system 2: Order support device 3: Order terminal 4: Kitchen terminal 211: Acquisition processing unit 212: Reception processing unit 213: Measurement processing section 214: Judgment processing unit 215: Output processing section 216: Setting processing section 217: Calculation processing unit 411: Acquisition processing unit 412: Output processing section

Claims

1. a reception processing unit that receives orders from users of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination processing unit that determines whether a first elapsed time from the time when the order for the first food and drink is accepted by the reception processing unit has reached a first set time associated with the content or type of the first food and drink among a plurality of set times that are registered in advance in association with each content or type of the first food and drink; an output processing unit that outputs order information corresponding to the order for the first food and drink when the determination processing unit determines that the first elapsed time has reached the first set time; An order support system comprising:

2. a reception processing unit that receives orders from users of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination processing unit that determines whether a first elapsed time from the time when the order for the first food and beverage is accepted by the reception processing unit has reached a first set time associated with the time period when the order for the first food and beverage is accepted, among a plurality of set times that are registered in advance in association with each time period of the business hours of the facility; an output processing unit that outputs order information corresponding to the order for the first food and drink when the determination processing unit determines that the first elapsed time has reached the first set time; An order support system comprising:

3. A reception step of receiving an order from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination step of determining whether a first elapsed time from the time when the order for the first food and drink is accepted in the accepting step has reached a first set time associated with the content or type of the first food and drink among a plurality of set times previously registered in association with each content or type of the first food and drink; an output step of outputting order information corresponding to the order for the first food and drink when it is determined in the determination step that the first elapsed time has reached the first set time; The order support method is executed by one or more processors.

4. A reception step of receiving an order from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination step of determining whether a first elapsed time from the time when the order for the first food and beverage was accepted in the accepting step has reached a first set time associated with the time period when the order for the first food and beverage was accepted, among a plurality of set times registered in advance in association with each time period of the business hours of the facility; an output step of outputting order information corresponding to the order for the first food and drink when it is determined in the determination step that the first elapsed time has reached the first set time; The order support method is executed by one or more processors.

5. A reception step of receiving an order from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination step of determining whether a first elapsed time from the time when the order for the first food and drink is accepted in the accepting step has reached a first set time associated with the content or type of the first food and drink among a plurality of set times previously registered in association with each content or type of the first food and drink; an output step of outputting order information corresponding to the order for the first food and drink when it is determined in the determination step that the first elapsed time has reached the first set time; An order support program for executing the above on one or more processors.

6. A reception step of receiving an order from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination step of determining whether a first elapsed time from the time when the order for the first food and beverage was accepted in the accepting step has reached a first set time associated with the time period when the order for the first food and beverage was accepted, among a plurality of set times registered in advance in association with each time period of the business hours of the facility; an output step of outputting order information corresponding to the order for the first food and drink when it is determined in the determination step that the first elapsed time has reached the first set time; An order support program for executing the above on one or more processors.

7. a reception processing unit that receives orders from users of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination processing unit that determines whether the number of orders for the first food and drink accepted by the reception processing unit is equal to or greater than a first set number associated with the content or type of the first food and drink among a plurality of set numbers that are registered in advance in association with each content or type of the first food and drink; an output processing unit that outputs order information corresponding to the order for the first food and drink when the determination processing unit determines that the number of orders is equal to or greater than the first set number; An order support system comprising:

8. a reception processing unit that receives orders from users of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination processing unit that determines whether the number of orders for the first food and beverages accepted by the reception processing unit is equal to or greater than a first set number associated with the time period during which the orders for the first food and beverages were accepted, among a plurality of set numbers that are registered in advance in association with each time period of the business hours of the facility; an output processing unit that outputs order information corresponding to the order for the first food and drink when the determination processing unit determines that the number of orders is equal to or greater than the first set number; An order support system comprising:

9. A reception step of receiving an order from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination step of determining whether the number of orders for the first food and drink accepted in the acceptance step is equal to or greater than a first set number associated with the content or type of the first food and drink among a plurality of set numbers previously registered in association with each content or type of the first food and drink; an output step of outputting order information corresponding to the first food and drink order when it is determined in the determination step that the number of orders is equal to or greater than the first set number; The order support method is executed by one or more processors.

10. A reception step of receiving an order from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination step of determining whether the number of orders for the first food and beverages accepted in the accepting step is equal to or greater than a first set number associated with the time period during which the orders for the first food and beverages were accepted, among a plurality of set numbers registered in advance in association with each time period of the business hours of the facility; an output step of outputting order information corresponding to the first food and drink order when it is determined in the determination step that the number of orders is equal to or greater than the first set number; The order support method is executed by one or more processors.

11. A reception step of receiving an order from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination step of determining whether the number of orders for the first food and drink accepted in the acceptance step is equal to or greater than a first set number associated with the content or type of the first food and drink among a plurality of set numbers previously registered in association with each content or type of the first food and drink; an output step of outputting order information corresponding to the first food and drink order when it is determined in the determination step that the number of orders is equal to or greater than the first set number; An order support program for executing the above on one or more processors.

12. A reception step of receiving an order from a user of a facility that provides food and beverages; a determination step of determining whether the number of orders for the first food and beverages accepted in the accepting step is equal to or greater than a first set number associated with the time period during which the orders for the first food and beverages were accepted, among a plurality of set numbers registered in advance in association with each time period of the business hours of the facility; an output step of outputting order information corresponding to the first food and drink order when it is determined in the determination step that the number of orders is equal to or greater than the first set number; An order support program for executing the above on one or more processors.

Images