TRANSPORT SYSTEM AND TRANSPORT METHOD

Abstract

To provide a conveyance system and a conveyance method that can efficiently convey a placement member.SOLUTION: A conveyance system 1 comprises: a conveyance lane 100 for conveying a placement member 10 on which food is placed; a transfer device 200 for receiving the placement member placed on a waiting area 5, and transferring the placement member to the conveyance lane; and a control device 300 for controlling the transfer device so that when the placement member to be conveyed to a predetermined position of the conveyance lane is placed on the waiting area, the placement member is transferred to the conveyance lane, and controlling the conveyance lane so that when the placement member is transferred to the conveyance lane by the transfer device, the placement member is conveyed to the predetermined position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food conveying system and a food conveying method. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, restaurants that provide food, such as sushi restaurants, have introduced a system in which a carrier lane carries a plate or other food placement member on which food is placed to a position where a customer is seated. The technology described in Patent Document 1 includes a main conveying lane for conveying plates and other items from the kitchen of a restaurant to the customer seats, and a sub-conveying lane extending from the main conveying lane to the kitchen. The main conveying lane and the sub-conveying lane include, for example, an endless belt and a drive motor for moving (rotating) the endless belt, and are configured to convey plates and other items placed on the endless belt from the kitchen to the customer seats. In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the main conveying lane and the secondary conveying lane as described above can be driven independently, so that plates or other items can be conveyed to a customer via the main conveying lane while an employee places another plate or other item on the secondary conveying lane in preparation for the next conveying operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-061641 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In restaurants, depending on the layout of the restaurant, such as the seating, conveyor lanes, and kitchen, and the system layout in the kitchen, there may be a distance between the position where the cooking staff prepares the food (cooking position) and the conveyor lane. In this case, even if the cooking staff has cooked the food and served it on a plate, they must carry the plate from the cooking position to the conveyor lane and place it on the conveyor lane. Because the cooking staff is forced to move around like this, they are unable to concentrate on cooking and are unable to work efficiently.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a transport system and a transport method capable of efficiently transporting a mounting member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the conveying system includes a conveying lane that conveys a placing member on which food is placed, a transfer device that accepts the placing member placed in a waiting area and transfers the placing member to the conveying lane, and a control device that controls the transfer device to transfer the placing member to the conveying lane when the placing member to be conveyed to a predetermined position on the conveying lane is placed in the waiting area, and also controls the conveying lane to convey the placing member to the predetermined position when the placing member has been transferred to the conveying lane by the transfer device.

[0007] One embodiment of the conveying system may include a detection device that detects a placed member on the conveying lane, and the control device may control the transfer device to transfer the placed member to the conveying lane if the placed member is not detected by the detection device.

[0008] In one embodiment of the conveying system, the transfer device may include a receiving section capable of simultaneously receiving multiple mounting members, an arm section connected to the receiving section that is horizontally extendable and retractable, and a rotating section connected to the arm section that rotates the receiving section and the arm section horizontally.

[0009] In one aspect of the conveying system, the transfer device may be capable of transferring tableware as the placement members, and may be capable of transferring a plurality of placement members simultaneously.

[0010] One embodiment of the conveying method includes a conveying step in which a conveying lane conveys a placing member on which food is placed, a transfer step in which a transfer device accepts the placing member placed in a waiting area and transfers the placing member to the conveying lane, a first control step in which a control device controls the transfer device to transfer the placing member to the conveying lane when the placing member to be conveyed to a predetermined position on the conveying lane is placed in the waiting area, and a second control step in which the control device controls the conveying lane to convey the placing member to the predetermined position when the placing member has been transferred to the conveying lane by the transfer device. Effect of the Invention

[0011] One embodiment of the conveying system comprises a conveying lane, a transfer device that transfers a loading member placed in a waiting area to the conveying lane, and a control device that controls the transfer device to transfer the loading member to the conveying lane and also controls the conveying lane to transport the loading member to a predetermined position, thereby enabling the loading member to be transported efficiently. Moreover, the transport method according to one aspect can achieve the same effects as the transport system according to the above aspect. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a transport system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of a transportation lane. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of a transfer device. [Figure 4] 13 is a diagram for explaining an example of when a mounting member is received in a receiving portion. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining an example of a control device. [Figure 6]1 is a flowchart illustrating a conveying method according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a transport system 1 according to an embodiment. The conveying system 1 is a system that conveys a placement member 10 on which food is placed. The conveying system 1 is installed in a restaurant that serves food to customers, particularly a sushi restaurant or the like that serves food to customers by conveying the placement member 10 on which food is placed using a conveying lane 100. The food placed on the placement member 10 may be various depending on the restaurant. For example, if the restaurant is a sushi restaurant, the food may be sushi, noodles, and side orders.

[0014] The conveyance system 1 includes a conveyance lane 100, a transfer device 200, and a control device 300. The conveyance lane 100 extends from the kitchen 2 to the customer seats 3, and conveys the placement members 10 placed in the kitchen 2 to the customer seats 3. The transfer device 200 transfers food (placement members 10) cooked by the cooking staff who cook in the kitchen 2 to the conveyance lane 100. The control device 300 controls the conveyance lane 100 and the transfer device 200.

[0015] The transport system 1 will be described in detail below. The conveying system 1 includes a conveying lane 100, a detection device 104, a transfer device 200, and a control device 300.

[0016] The conveying lane 100 conveys the placement member 10 on which food is placed. The placement member 10 is, for example, a dish (container) on which food is served, such as a plate, a bowl, or a rice bowl. In the following, a "plate 10" will be described as an example of the placement member 10. The conveying lane 100 extends from the kitchen 2 of the restaurant to the seating 3 of customers, and is disposed adjacent to a number of tables 4 (or one or more counters) at which customers are seated. The customers can pick up the plate 10 conveyed by the conveying lane 100 and eat the food placed on the plate 10 at the table 4 at which they are seated.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the transportation lane 100. As shown in FIG. As shown in Fig. 2, the conveyor lane 100 includes, for example, an endless belt 101. The conveyor lane 100 includes a rotating shaft 102 at each end, and a drive motor 103 is connected to one of the rotating shafts 102. The drive motor 103 is driven based on the control of a control device 300 (described later) to rotate the rotating shaft 102. The endless belt 101 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating shaft 102. When a plate 10 is placed on the endless belt 101, the conveyor lane 100 conveys the plate 10 in conjunction with the drive of the drive motor 103.

[0018] The transport lane 100 normally transports the plate 10 from the kitchen 2 side to the customer seats 3 side under the control of the control device 300 (see arrow A in Figs. 1 and 2). However, even if the plate 10 is transported to the customer by the transport lane 100, if the customer does not pick up the plate 10 for some reason, the transport lane 100 transports the plate 10 from the customer seats 3 side to the kitchen 2 side under the control of the control device 300 described later (see arrow B in Figs. 1 and 2).

[0019] The distance between the end of the conveyance lane 100 on the kitchen 2 side (the position where the plate 10 is transferred by the transfer device 200 described later) and the position of each table 4 (or seat) can be obtained in advance. The drive time (rotation time) of the drive motor 103 can also be obtained in advance. Therefore, the conveyance lane 100 can convey the plate 10 placed on the conveyance lane 100 to the desired table 4 (or seat) according to the rotation time of the drive motor 103.

[0020] The transportation lane 100 may be a linear transportation lane as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, or may be a transportation lane that circles around the seating area 3. The number of transport lanes 100 is not limited to one, and there may be multiple transport lanes. When there are a plurality of linear conveying lanes 100, for example, two conveying lanes 100 may be arranged vertically to form a two-story structure. In this case, the upper conveying lane 100 may convey a placement member 10 (e.g., a plate) on which food without soup is served, and the lower conveying lane 100 may convey a placement member 10 (e.g., a bowl and a rice bowl) on which food with soup is served. When the lower conveying lane 100 conveys a placement member 10 on which food with soup is served, the conveying speed (rotation speed of the drive motor 103) when the lower conveying lane 100 conveys the placement member 10 (bowl and rice bowl) may be slower than the conveying speed (rotation speed of the drive motor 103) when the upper conveying lane 100 conveys the placement member 10 (plate). Also, the transport lane 100 may have a structure in which, for example, two transport lanes 100 are arranged horizontally. In this case, the table 4 may be disposed on one side (or the other side) of each of the transport lanes 100 in the extension direction. In addition, the transportation lane 100 may have a structure in which two transportation lanes 100, each having a two-story structure, are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction, for example.

[0021] The detection device 104 shown in FIG. 1 detects the plate 10 on the conveying lane 100. The detection device 104 includes, for example, a light-emitting unit 104a that emits infrared light and a light-receiving unit 104b that receives infrared light. The light-emitting unit 104a is arranged, for example, at one end of the conveying lane 100 on the placement side (upper side) on which the plate 10 is placed. The light-receiving unit 104b is arranged, for example, at the other end opposite to the one end of the conveying lane 100 on the placement side (upper side) on which the plate 10 is placed. The light-receiving unit 104b outputs a signal indicating that it is receiving the infrared light emitted from the light-emitting unit 104a (or a signal indicating that it is not receiving infrared light) to the control device 300 described later. When the infrared light emitted from the light-emitting unit 104a is received by the light-receiving unit 104b, the control device 300 described later determines that the plate 10 is not placed on the conveying lane 100. When the infrared light emitted from the light-emitting unit 104a is not received by the light-receiving unit 104b, the control device 300 described later determines that the plate 10 is placed on the conveying lane 100, assuming that the infrared light is blocked by the plate 10. Note that the detection device 104 is not limited to the above example, and various devices can be used as long as they can detect the plate 10 on the conveying lane 100.

[0022] The transfer device 200 accepts plates 10 placed in the waiting area 5 and transfers the plates 10 to the transport lane 100. When a plate 10 is placed in the waiting area 5 by a cooking staff member of the restaurant, the transfer device 200 operates under the control of the control device 300 to transfer the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5 to the transport lane 100. The waiting area 5 is an area where the plates 10 on which food has been served by the cooking staff are placed. In other words, the waiting area 5 is an area where the plates 10 to be served to customers are placed for transport. The waiting area 5 is located adjacent to the cooking area 6 where the cooking staff prepares the food.

[0023] The transfer device 200 can transfer a plurality of plates 10 to the transport lane 100 at the same time. As described above, the placement members 10 may be, for example, tableware. Tableware is a container on which food can be placed or placed, and specific examples thereof may be plates, bowls, soup bowls, cups, and glasses. The transfer device 200 can transfer four placement members 10 (for example, any four of plates, soup bowls, soup bowls, and glasses, etc.) at the same time. The number of plates 10 (placement members 10) that the transfer device 200 can transfer at the same time may be determined, for example, in consideration of the width of a table 4 (a table 4 at which a customer is seated) adjacent to the transport lane 100. As an example, taking into consideration the space (first length) on the table 4 in which plates 10 can be placed, the space (second length) for customers to eat and drink, and other space (third length), if the space (first length) in which plates 10 can be placed is four plates 10, the transfer device 200 may be capable of simultaneously transferring the number of plates 10 equal to the first length, i.e., four plates 10 (mounting members 10).

[0024] In addition, when the transfer device 200 has a two-story structure with two conveying lanes 100 arranged vertically, it may transfer the placing member 10 (e.g., a bowl or a rice bowl) on which food with soup is served to the lower conveying lane 100, and transfer the placing member 10 (e.g., a plate) on which food without soup is served to the upper conveying lane 100.

[0025] For example, as described later, the display unit 402 displays the order details and the table number. For example, the display unit 402 displays a "Transport" button (not shown) in association with the order details and the table number. When the cooking staff selects any food item from the order details (for example, food item with soup on the placement member 10 placed in the waiting area 5) and operates the "Transport" button, the control device 300 (first control unit 304) described later may operate the transfer device 200 to transfer the placement member 10 to the lower conveyor lane 100. Similarly, when the cooking staff selects any food item from the order details (for example, food item with no soup on the placement member 10 placed in the waiting area 5) and operates the "Transport" button, the control device 300 (first control unit 304) described later may operate the transfer device 200 to transfer the placement member 10 to the upper conveyor lane 100.

[0026] Alternatively, the transport system 1 may be provided with a first imaging section (camera) (not shown) disposed above the waiting area 5 for imaging the mounting member 10 placed in the waiting area 5. The first imaging section captures a still image or a moving image and outputs the moving image data to a first determination section (not shown). The first determination unit determines the type of food served on the placement member 10 placed in the waiting area 5 based on the image data. As a specific example, the first determination unit learns images of food served in the restaurant and stores the learning result. The first determination unit determines the type of food served in the waiting area 5 based on the learning result and the image data input from the first imaging unit. The control device 300 (first control unit 304) described later may control the transfer device 200 to transfer the placement member 10 to the lower conveyor lane 100 when the first determination unit determines that the placement member 10 placed in the waiting area 5 has food served thereon with juice. The control device 300 (first control unit 304) described later may also control the transfer device 200 to transfer the placement member 10 to the upper conveyor lane 100 when the first determination unit determines that the placement member 10 placed in the waiting area 5 has food served thereon with no juice.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of the transfer device 200. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of when the mounting member 10 is received in the receiving portion 210. As shown in FIG. The transfer device 200 shown in FIG. The receiving portion 210 is provided with a plurality of U-shaped portions 211 in a horizontal direction, each of which has a U-shape in plan view for receiving the dish 10, and is therefore capable of receiving a plurality of dishes 10 at the same time. That is, the receiving portion 210 is provided with a recess capable of receiving the dish 10, and the recess has a U-shape in plan view. Therefore, the recess and the U-shaped portion 211 are the same. The U-shaped portion 211 is provided with two extension portions 212 and a base portion 213 connecting the base ends of the extension portions 212, and is thus U-shaped in plan view. The extension portions 212 have a length capable of receiving the placement member 10 (e.g., tableware. Specific examples include any of a plate, a bowl, and a rice bowl). 4, the receiving portion 210 has a thickness that allows the extension portion 212 to be inserted into the gap between the dish 10 and the surface of the waiting area 5. The bottom of the dish 10 (the surface opposite to the surface on which the food is placed) may have a raised platform, for example, to make it easier for the receiving portion 210 to receive the dish. The receiving portion 210 has a strength capable of receiving multiple plates 10 therein.

[0028] The arm portion 220 is connected to the receiving portion 210 and is horizontally extendable and retractable. The arm portion 220 includes, for example, an arm 221 and a casing 222. The arm 221 extends from the casing 222 or is accommodated in the casing 222. Therefore, the arm 221 is extendable and retractable relative to the casing 222 (see arrow C in FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 4, the transfer device 200 extends the arm 221 relative to the casing 222 and passes the receiving portion 210 (extension portion 212) through the bottom of the dish 10 (the surface opposite to the surface on which the food is placed), thereby making it possible to receive the dish 10 inside the U-shaped portion 211 (the area surrounded by the two extension portions 212 and the base portion 213).

[0029] The rotating unit 230 is connected to the arm unit 220, and rotates the receiving unit 210 and the arm unit 220 in a horizontal direction. The rotating unit 230 can also move the receiving unit 210 and the arm unit 220 in a vertical direction that intersects the horizontal direction. The rotating unit 230 can change the orientation of the arm unit 220 and the receiving unit 210 (see arrow D in FIG. 3) and also change their height (see arrow E in FIG. 3), which makes it possible to transfer the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5 to the transport lane 100. The transfer device 200 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various devices can be used as long as they can transfer the plate 10. For example, the transfer device 200 may be a robot arm equipped with a gripping portion capable of gripping the plate 10.

[0030] 1 controls the transfer device 200 to transfer the plate 10 to the transport lane 100 when the plate 10 to be transported to a predetermined position on the transport lane 100 is placed in the waiting area 5. In addition, when the plate 10 is transferred to the transport lane 100 by the transfer device 200, the control device 300 controls the transport lane 100 to transport the plate 10 to the predetermined position. The control device 300 may also control the transfer device 200 to transfer the plate 10 to the transport lane 100 when the plate 10 is not detected by the detection device 104.

[0031] As a specific example, the control device 300 has the following configuration. FIG. 5 is a block diagram for explaining an example of the control device 300. As shown in FIG. The control device 300 includes an order receiving unit 301, a display control unit 302, an instruction receiving unit 303, a first control unit 304, and a second control unit 305. The transportation system 1 also includes a customer terminal 401 and a display unit 402.

[0032] The customer terminal 401 displays a menu or the like on a terminal display unit (not shown), and the food and quantity ordered by the customer are input. A customer terminal 401 is provided, for example, for each table 4 (or seat) at which a customer is seated, and identification information (for example, table number information) for identifying the table 4 (seat) is stored. For example, when a customer places an order, the customer terminal 401 transmits order information that associates the order details (food and quantity, etc.) with the identification information (table number information) to the control device 300. The terminal display unit may be, for example, a touch panel display, etc.

[0033] The display unit 402 is disposed, for example, in the kitchen 2, and enables the cooking staff to check the order details and table number. The display unit 402 may be, for example, a touch panel display. The cooking staff cooks the food based on the order details displayed on the display unit 402, and when cooking is finished, places the plates 10 on which the food is served in the waiting area 5. In this case, the cooking staff can place plates 10 in the waiting area 5 as many as the number of plates 10 that can be transferred simultaneously by the transfer device 200.

[0034] The order receiving unit 301 of the control device 300 receives order information from a customer terminal 401. The order receiving unit 301 receives the order information from the customer terminal 401 via, for example, a wireless or wired communication network.

[0035] When the receiving unit receives order information, the display control unit 302 displays the order details and table number based on the order information on the display unit 402.

[0036] When the cooking staff places the food in the waiting area 5, the instruction receiving unit 303 receives a transport instruction based on an input by the cooking staff to the display unit 402, etc. As described above, the order details and table number are displayed on the display unit 402. For example, a "Transport" button (not shown) is displayed on the display unit 402 in association with the order details and table number. When the cooking staff operates (tap, for example) the "Transport" button, the instruction receiving unit 303 receives this as a transport instruction to transport the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5 to the table 4 (or seat) corresponding to that table number.

[0037] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the order details and table number are displayed on the display unit 402, and a "Delivery" button is also displayed. However, in another embodiment, two display units may be provided, with one display unit displaying the order details and table number, and the other display unit displaying a "Delivery" button associated with the order details and table number displayed on the other display unit. In this case, the one display unit and the other display unit are controlled by the control device 300. The other display unit may display, together with the "Delivery" button, the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5 and the table 4 (e.g., table number) to which the plate 10 is to be delivered, so that the cooking staff can understand.

[0038] The first control unit 304 controls the transfer device 200 when the instruction receiving unit 303 receives a transport instruction. In this case, the first control unit 304 first determines whether or not the plate 10 is on the transport lane 100 based on the detection result of the detection device 104. When the plate 10 is on the transport lane 100, the first control unit 304 controls the transfer device 200 not to place the plate 10 on the transport lane 100. That is, when the plate 10 is on the transport lane 100, the first control unit 304 may control the transfer device 200 to receive the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5 into the receiving unit 210, adjust the orientation and height of the receiving unit 210, and rotate the orientation of the receiving unit 210 toward the transport lane 100 (the plate 10 is not placed on the transport lane 100). On the other hand, when the plate 10 is not on the transport lane 100, the first control unit 304 controls the transfer device 200 to operate. That is, the first control unit 304 adjusts the orientation, height, etc. of the receiving unit 210 using the rotating unit 230, and then controls the transfer device 200 to extend the arm 221 and receive the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5 into the receiving unit 210. Thereafter, the first control unit 304 adjusts the orientation and height of the receiving unit 210 using the rotating unit 230, and controls the transfer device 200 to place the plate 10 received by the receiving unit 210 onto the transport lane 100.

[0039] The second control unit 305 controls the transport lane 100 to operate when the plate 10 is placed on the transport lane 100 by the transfer device 200. As described above, the display unit 402 displays the order details and table number in association with the "transport" button. Therefore, the control device 300 can obtain the destination (table number) of the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5 even when the "transport" button is operated by a cooking staff member. The second control unit 305 controls the drive motor 103 to operate according to the distance between the destination and the position where the plate 10 is transferred to the transport lane 100 by the transfer device 200, since the distance between the destination and the position where the plate 10 is transferred to the transport lane 100 by the transfer device 200 is acquired in advance. In this way, the transport lane 100 transports the plate 10 to the desired destination. The "predetermined position of the transport lane" of the present invention corresponds to the "desired destination", for example, and is a position adjacent to the table (or seat) where the customer is seated, which is the destination of the plate 10.

[0040] In addition, in the above-mentioned conveying system 1, a placement state determination device (not shown) may be used to determine whether the food served on the plate 10 transferred onto the conveying lane 100 by the transfer device 200 is in a placement state that does not conform to standards. In this case, the placement state determination device includes a second imaging unit (camera) (not shown) above the position where the plate 10 is placed on the transport lane 100 by the transfer device 200. The second imaging unit captures an image of the plate 10 transferred onto the transport lane 100 using a still image or a video image, and outputs the image data to a second determination unit (not shown). The second determination unit determines whether the food on the plate 10 is in a non-standard placement state based on the image data. For example, in the case of nigiri sushi, a non-standard placement state is a state in which the topping is out of place relative to the rice. The non-standard placement state is not limited to the above-mentioned example, and a "standard" may be set appropriately depending on the store. As a specific example, the second determination unit learns images of food that are in a non-standard placement state and stores the learning result. Based on the learning result and the image data input from the second imaging unit, the second determination unit determines whether the food to be served on the plate 10 transferred onto the transportation lane 100 is in a non-standard placement state. The placement state determination device outputs the determination result of the second determination unit to the control device 300. When the second judgment unit determines that the placement condition of the food served on the plate 10 transferred to the conveying lane 100 is not outside the standard (the placement condition is within the standard), the control device 300 (second control unit 305) causes the plate 10 on which the food is served to be conveyed via the conveying lane 100. When the second determination unit determines that the placement state of the food on the plate 10 transferred to the transport lane 100 does not meet the standard, the control device 300 (second control unit 305) does not allow the plate 10 on which the food is placed to be transported by the transport lane 100. In this case, the control device 300 (second control unit 305) appropriately performs a predetermined operation to indicate that the placement state of the food on the plate 10 transferred to the transport lane 100 does not meet the standard. As the predetermined operation, for example, the control device 300 (second control unit 305) may display a warning image on the display unit 402 indicating that the placement state of the food does not meet the standard, and output a warning sound (warning voice) from a speaker (not shown). Also, as a specified operation, for example, the control device 300 (second control unit 305) may control the operation of the transfer device 200 to cause the transfer device 200 to collect the plate 10 on the conveying lane 100 and transfer it to a specified collection position (for example, the waiting area 5, or another area different from the waiting area 5, etc.).

[0041] Next, a conveying method according to an embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a conveying method according to an embodiment.

[0042] In step ST101, the control device 300 (order receiving unit 301) receives an order. That is, the control device 300 receives order information from the customer terminal 401. The order information includes the order details placed by the customer and identification information (e.g., table number, etc.) for identifying the table 4 (or seat) at which the customer will be seated. When the control device 300 (display control unit 302) receives the order information, it displays the order details and identification information (table number) based on the order information on the display unit 402. The cooking staff cooks the food based on the order details displayed on the display unit 402, and when cooking is finished, places the plate 10 on which the food is served in the waiting area 5.

[0043] In step ST102, the control device 300 (instruction receiving unit 303) judges whether a transport instruction based on an operation by a cooking staff member has been received. As described above, the display unit 402 displays the order details and table number. For example, the display unit 402 displays a "Transport" button (not shown) in association with the order details and table number. When the "Transport" button is operated by the cooking staff member, the instruction receiving unit 303 receives it as a transport instruction to transport the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5. Since the plate 10 on which food is placed in the waiting area 5, the table number of the customer who ordered the food (the destination of the plate 10) and the "Transport" button can be associated with each other, the control device 300 can transport the product ordered by the customer to the customer. If a transport instruction has been received (Yes), the process proceeds to step ST103. If a transport instruction has not been received (No), the process repeats the process of step ST102.

[0044] In step ST103, the control device 300 (first control unit 304) determines whether or not the plate 10 is present on the transport lane 100 based on the detection result of the detection device 104. For example, when the plate 10 is present on the transport lane 100, the light receiving unit 104b of the detection device 104 does not receive the infrared light because the infrared light emitted from the light emitting unit 104a is blocked by the plate 10. On the other hand, for example, when the plate 10 is not present on the transport lane 100, the light receiving unit 104b of the detection device 104 receives the infrared light because the infrared light emitted from the light emitting unit 104a is not blocked by the plate 10. The control device 300 (first control unit 304) may determine whether or not the plate 10 is present on the transport lane 100 based on the light receiving result of the light receiving unit 104b. When the plate 10 is not present on the transport lane 100 (No), the process proceeds to step ST104. If there is a plate 10 on the transportation lane 100 (Yes), the process returns to step ST103. Note that even if there is a plate 10 on the transport lane 100, the control device 300 (first control unit 304) may not place the plate 10 on the transport lane 100, but may operate the transfer device 200 to receive the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5 into the receiving section 210. In other words, the control device 300 (first control unit 304) may control the transfer device 200 to temporarily hold the plate 10 by the receiving section 210.

[0045] In step ST104, the control device 300 (first control unit 304) operates the transfer device 200 to place the plate 10 on the transport lane 100. Specifically, the first control unit 304 controls the transfer device 200 to adjust the orientation, height, etc. of the receiving unit 210 using the rotating unit 230, and then extends the arm 221 to receive the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5 into the receiving unit 210. Thereafter, the first control unit 304 controls the transfer device 200 to adjust the orientation and height of the receiving unit 210 using the rotating unit 230, and place the plate 10 received by the receiving unit 210 onto the transport lane 100.

[0046] In step ST105, the control device 300 (first control unit 304) judges whether the plate 10 has been transferred onto the transport lane 100 by the transfer device 200 (whether the transfer has been completed). When the transfer device 200 places the plate 10 on the transport lane 100, it retracts the arm 221. When the transfer device 200 has finished retracting the arm 221, for example, it outputs a transfer completion signal indicating that the transfer has been completed to the control device 300 (first control unit 304). When the control device 300 receives the transfer completion signal, it judges that the transfer of the plate 10 to the transport lane 100 by the transfer device 200 has been completed. If the transfer has been completed (Yes), the process proceeds to step ST106. If the transfer has not been completed (No), the process repeats the process of step ST104.

[0047] In step ST106, the control device 300 (second control unit 305) operates the transportation lane 100. As described above, the order details, table number, and "Delivery" button are displayed in association with each other on the display unit 402. Therefore, the control device 300 (second control unit 305) can obtain the delivery destination (table number) of the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5 even when the cooking staff operates the "Delivery" button. The control device 300 (second control unit 305) controls the drive motor 103 to be driven according to the distance between the destination and the position where the plate 10 is transferred to the transport lane 100, since the distance between the destination and the position where the plate 10 is transferred to the transport lane 100 is acquired in advance. In this way, the transport lane 100 transports the plate 10 to the desired destination.

[0048] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. The conveying system 1 comprises a conveying lane 100 that conveys plates 10 having food placed thereon, a transfer device 200 that accepts plates 10 placed in a waiting area 5 and transfers the plates 10 to the conveying lane 100, and a control device 300 that controls the transfer device 200 to transfer the plate 10 to the conveying lane 100 when the plate 10 to be conveyed to a predetermined position on the conveying lane 100 is placed in the waiting area 5, and that controls the conveying lane 100 to convey the plate 10 to the predetermined position when the plate 10 has been transferred to the conveying lane 100 by the transfer device 200. As a result, in the conveyance system 1, the transfer device 200 is disposed between the cooking area 6 where the cooking staff prepares the food and the conveyance lane 100, so even if the cooking area 6 and the conveyance lane 100 are relatively far apart, the cooking staff can place the plates 10 on the conveyance lane 100 without leaving the cooking area 6. In other words, the conveyance system 1 can efficiently convey the plates 10. This improves the freedom of the store layout. Also, since the cooking staff no longer need to move from the cooking area 6 to place the plates 10 on the conveyance lane 100, they can concentrate on cooking, improving work efficiency.

[0049] The conveying system 1 may include a detection device 104 that detects the plate 10 on the conveying lane 100. In this case, the control device 300 may control the transfer device 200 to transfer the plate 10 to the conveying lane 100 when the detection device 104 does not detect the plate 10. This allows the conveying system 1 to prevent a new plate 10 from being transferred to the conveying lane 100 by the transfer device 200 while the plate 10 is being conveyed by the conveying lane 100. Therefore, the conveying system 1 can reliably convey the plate 10.

[0050] In the conveying system 1, the transfer device 200 may include a receiving section 210 capable of receiving multiple plates 10 simultaneously, an arm section 220 connected to the receiving section 210 and capable of extending and contracting horizontally, and a rotating section 230 connected to the arm section 220 and configured to rotate the receiving section 210 and the arm section 220 horizontally. As a result, the conveying system 1 can accept the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5 by the transfer device 200 and transfer it to the conveying lane 100, so that even if the distance between the cooking area 6 where the cooking staff prepares food and the conveying lane 100 is relatively large, the plate 10 can be placed on the conveying lane 100 without the cooking staff leaving the cooking area 6.

[0051] In the transport system 1, the transfer device 200 can transfer, for example, plates, bowls, and soup bowls as the placement members 10, and may be capable of transferring a plurality of (for example, four) placement members 10 simultaneously. This allows the conveying system 1 to simultaneously convey a plurality of mounting members 10, thereby making it possible to efficiently convey the mounting members 10. Furthermore, the conveying system 1 may convey a plurality of mounting members 10 (four in this example) according to the width of the table 4 at which the customer is seated, making it possible to efficiently convey a plurality of mounting members 10.

[0052] The conveying method includes a conveying step in which the conveying lane 100 conveys a plate 10 on which food is placed, a transfer step in which the transfer device 200 accepts the plate 10 placed in the waiting area 5 and transfers the plate 10 to the conveying lane 100, a first control step in which the control device 300 controls the transfer device 200 to transfer the plate 10 to the conveying lane 100 when the plate 10 to be conveyed to a predetermined position on the conveying lane 100 is placed in the waiting area 5, and a second control step in which the control device 300 controls the conveying lane 100 to convey the plate 10 to the predetermined position when the plate 10 has been transferred to the conveying lane 100 by the transfer device 200. As a result, in the conveying method, the transfer step is performed by the transfer device 200 arranged between the cooking area 6 where the cooking staff prepares the food and the conveying lane 100, so that even if the cooking area 6 and the conveying lane 100 are relatively far apart, the cooking staff can place the plates 10 on the conveying lane 100 without leaving the cooking area 6. In other words, the conveying method can convey the plates 10 efficiently. This improves the freedom of the store layout. Also, since the cooking staff does not need to move from the cooking area 6 to place the plates 10 on the conveying lane 100, they can concentrate on cooking, improving work efficiency.

[0053] Each of the above-mentioned units of the control device 300 may be realized as a function of a computer's arithmetic processing device, etc. That is, the order receiving unit 301, the display control unit 302, the instruction receiving unit 303, the first control unit 304, and the second control unit 305 of the control device 300 may be realized as an order receiving function, a display control function, an instruction receiving function, a first control function, and a second control function, respectively, by the computer's arithmetic processing device, etc. The transport control program can cause a computer to realize each of the above-mentioned functions. The transport control program may be recorded in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, such as an external memory or an optical disk. As described above, each unit of the control device 300 may be realized by a computer arithmetic processing device or the like. The arithmetic processing device or the like is configured by, for example, an integrated circuit or the like. Therefore, each unit of the control device 300 may be realized as a circuit that constitutes the arithmetic processing device or the like. That is, the order receiving unit 301, the display control unit 302, the instruction receiving unit 303, the first control unit 304, and the second control unit 305 of the control device 300 may be realized as an order receiving circuit, a display control circuit, an instruction receiving circuit, a first control circuit, and a second control circuit that constitute the arithmetic processing device or the like of a computer. The display unit 402 of the conveying system 1 may be realized as a display circuit by being configured with an integrated circuit or the like. The display unit 402 of the conveying system 1 may be configured as a display device by being configured with a plurality of devices, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1. Transport system 10. Mounting member 100 Delivery Lanes 104 Detection Device 200 Transfer equipment 210 Reception Department 220 Arm section 230 Rotating Part 300 Control device

Claims

1. a conveying lane for conveying a placement member on which food is placed; a transfer device as a robot arm disposed between the transport lane and a waiting area located away from the transport lane, receiving a mounting member placed in the waiting area and transferring the mounting member to the transport lane; a control device that controls the transfer device to transfer a mounting member to the transport lane when the mounting member to be transported to a predetermined position on the transport lane is placed in the waiting area, and that controls the transport lane to transport the mounting member to the predetermined position when the mounting member is transferred to the transport lane by the transfer device; Equipped with The transport lane is made up of a plurality of transport lanes arranged vertically, The control device controls the transfer device to transfer a placement member on which food containing soup is served to a lower one of the plurality of transport lanes arranged vertically. A transport system comprising:

2. A detection device for detecting a placed member on the transport lane is provided, 2. The conveying system of claim 1, wherein the control device controls the transfer device to transfer the placing member to the conveying lane when the detection device does not detect the placing member, and further determines the type of food placed in the waiting area based on image data generated by the first imaging unit imaging the placing member placed in the waiting area and the learning results of learning the image of the food, and controls the transfer device to transfer the placing member determined to be a food with juice to a lower conveying lane of the multiple conveying lanes arranged vertically if the determined food is determined to not contain juice, and controls the transfer device to transfer the placing member determined to be a food without juice to an upper conveying lane of the multiple conveying lanes arranged vertically if the determined food is determined to not contain juice.

3. The transfer device is A receiving section capable of receiving a plurality of mounting members simultaneously; An arm portion connected to the receiving portion and capable of extending and contracting in a horizontal direction; The transfer system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a rotation unit connected to the arm unit and configured to rotate the receiving unit and the arm unit in a horizontal direction.

4. The transfer device transfers tableware as a loading member and is capable of transferring multiple pieces of tableware simultaneously, and further, when it is determined that the food placed on the loading member transferred to the transport lane is in a non-standard loading state based on image data generated by a second imaging unit imaging the loading member on which the food transferred to the transport lane is placed and the learning results of learning the loading state of the food that does not meet the standard, the transfer device recovers the loading member transferred to the transport lane.

5. A conveying lane for conveying a placement member on which food is placed; a transfer device as a robot arm disposed between the transport lane and a waiting area located away from the transport lane, receiving a mounting member placed in the waiting area and transferring the mounting member to the transport lane; When a mounting member to be transported to a predetermined position on the transport lane is placed in the waiting area, the transfer device is controlled to transfer the mounting member to the transport lane, a control device that controls the transport lane so as to transport the mounting member to the predetermined position when the mounting member is transferred to the transport lane by the transfer device; Equipped with In a conveying system having a plurality of conveying lanes arranged vertically, a step of the transfer device as a robot arm receiving a placement member placed in the waiting area and transferring the placement member to the transport lane, in which, when food containing soup is to be served on the placement member, the placement member on which the food containing soup is served is transferred to a lower transport lane among the plurality of transport lanes; a control step of controlling the transport lane so as to transport the mounting member to the predetermined position when the mounting member is transferred to the transport lane by the transfer step, using the control device; A transportation method for carrying out the above.

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