Oil management device and oil management method

Abstract

Provided are an oil and fat management device and an oil and fat management method capable of accurately estimating the cost related to oil and fat that can be reduced. Cloud servers 4, 4A for managing the cost related to frying oil P as oil and fat, including storage units 44, 44A in which the waste oil reference value AVth of frying oil P is stored, a difference calculation unit 42 for calculating the difference AVd between the waste oil reference value AVth and the measured value AVm of the acid value of frying oil P that has been regenerated or replaced in a state where the waste oil time point has not been reached, weighting units 43, 43A for performing weighting according to the difference AVd calculated by the difference calculation unit 42 with respect to the value of frying oil P that has been regenerated or replaced in a state where the waste oil time point has not been reached, and notification units 45, 45A for outputting a notification signal for notifying the value of frying oil P weighted by the weighting units 43, 43A as an element capable of reducing the cost related to frying oil P.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an oil and fat management device and an oil and fat management method for managing the cost of oil and fat.

Background Art

[0002] Oil and fat deteriorates over time. When the degree of deterioration (hereinafter simply referred to as "degree of deterioration") reaches a predetermined waste oil standard value, it is discarded. If oil and fat with a degree of deterioration reaching the predetermined waste oil standard value continues to be used, for example, in the case of mineral oil, it may cause a machine failure, or in the case of edible oil, the quality of the cooked food may be significantly reduced. Therefore, an operator who uses oil and fat needs to accurately grasp the degree of deterioration of the oil and fat, and discard the oil at an appropriate waste oil timing and replace it with new oil.

[0003] As an index value (hereinafter referred to as "deterioration index value") indicating the degree of deterioration of oil and fat, for example, values such as acid value (AV), total polar materials (TPM), color, viscosity increase rate, anisidine value, carbonyl value, smoke point, tocopherol content, iodine value, refractive index, volatile component amount, and volatile component composition can be mentioned. These deterioration index values can be measured using various sensors, imaging devices, and the like.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of simultaneously photographing a colorimetric test piece immersed in target oil and fat and a color bar composed of a plurality of colors corresponding to acid value values with a camera, calculating the RGB color information of the colorimetric test piece and the RGB color information of the color bar from the photographed content, and measuring the acid value of the target oil and fat from the RGB color information of the colorimetric test piece calculated by referring to the acid value corresponding to the calculated RGB color information of the color bar.

[0005] Also, for example, Patent Document 2 discloses a method of measuring the capacitance in oil and fat by immersing a sensor having an electrode portion in the oil and fat, and detecting a TPM value indicating the amount of polar compounds (polar molecular weight) contained in the oil and fat from the measured value.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006] Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-38207 Patent Document 2 Japanese Patent No. 6395243 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, even if the deterioration index value of fats and oils is accurately measured using the methods described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, for example, if the employees of a business operator do not actually discard the used oil at the appropriate timing, there is a possibility that the fats and oils that should be discarded are continuously used, or conversely, that even fats and oils that do not yet need to be discarded are discarded.

[0008] In particular, when fats and oils that do not yet need to be discarded are discarded, the number of replacements with new oil becomes more than the necessary number, and the business operator is purchasing new oil wastefully. In such a case, it is possible for the business operator to estimate how much cost can be reduced based on the number of times the fats and oils have been replaced with new oil before they reach the time of being discarded.

[0009] However, among the fats and oils that have not yet reached the time of being discarded, there are fats and oils whose degree of deterioration is significantly lower than the discard standard value and fats and oils whose degree of deterioration is slightly lower than the discard standard value. Therefore, based only on the number of times the fats and oils have been replaced with new oil before they reach the time of being discarded, the business operator cannot accurately estimate the cost that can be reduced.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an oil and fat management device and an oil and fat management method capable of accurately estimating the cost related to fats and oils that can be reduced. Means for Solving the Problems

[0011] [1] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an oil and fat management device for managing the cost of oil and fat, comprising a storage unit storing a waste oil reference value which is a reference index value of the degree of deterioration at a predetermined waste oil time point of the oil and fat, a difference calculation unit calculating a difference between the waste oil reference value stored in the storage unit and an index value of the degree of deterioration of the oil and fat that has been regenerated or replaced in a state where the waste oil time point has not been reached, which is a deterioration index value, a weighting unit performing weighting according to the difference calculated by the difference calculation unit with respect to the value of the oil and fat that has been regenerated or replaced in a state where the waste oil time point has not been reached, and a notification unit outputting a notification signal for notifying the value of the oil and fat weighted by the weighting unit as an element capable of reducing the cost related to the oil and fat.

[0012] [2] Preferably, in the oil and fat management device according to [1] above, the storage unit stores a plurality of coefficients set according to the difference between the waste oil reference value and the deterioration index value as weighting coefficients, the weighting unit performs the weighting by multiplying the difference calculated by the difference calculation unit by the corresponding weighting coefficients for the number of times of regeneration or replacement that has not reached the waste oil time point, which is the number of regeneration and replacement not reached, and the notification unit outputs the notification signal setting the number of regeneration and replacement not reached weighted by the weighting unit as an expected value of cost reduction related to the oil and fat.

[0013] [3] Preferably, in the oil and fat management device according to [1] above, the weighting unit performs the weighting on the price of the oil and fat that has been regenerated or replaced in a state where the waste oil time point has not been reached by multiplying the difference calculated by the difference calculation unit by the price per unit of the degree of deterioration of the oil and fat when the price of the oil and fat at the waste oil reference value is set to 0 yen, and the notification unit outputs the notification signal setting the price of the oil and fat weighted by the weighting unit as a price capable of reducing the cost related to the oil and fat.

[0014] [4] Preferably, it is the oil and fat management device described in [3] above. In the storage unit, the new oil price per unit amount of the oil and fat and the usage amount of the oil and fat are stored. By dividing the new oil price per unit amount stored in the storage unit by the waste oil reference value, a unit amount price calculation unit that calculates the unit amount price per unit of the degree of deterioration of the oil and fat is further included. The weighting unit multiplies the unit amount price calculated by the unit amount price calculation unit, the usage amount of the oil and fat stored in the storage unit, and the difference calculated by the difference calculation unit, thereby weighting the price of the oil and fat regenerated or replaced in a state where the waste oil time point has not been reached.

[0015] [5] Further, the present invention is a management method for managing the cost related to oil and fat by an oil and fat management device. In the oil and fat management device, a waste oil reference value, which is a reference index value of the degree of deterioration at a predetermined waste oil time point of the oil and fat, is stored. The oil and fat management device includes a difference calculation step of calculating a difference between the stored waste oil reference value and a deterioration index value, which is an index value of the degree of deterioration of the oil and fat regenerated or replaced in a state where the waste oil time point has not been reached, a weighting step of weighting the value of the oil and fat regenerated or replaced in a state where the waste oil time point has not been reached according to the difference calculated in the difference calculation step, and a notification step of outputting a notification signal for notifying the value of the oil and fat weighted in the weighting step as an element capable of reducing the cost related to the oil and fat.

[0016] [6] Preferably, it is the oil and fat management method described in [5] above, wherein in the oil and fat management device, a plurality of coefficients set according to the difference between the waste oil reference value and the deterioration index value are stored as weighting coefficients, and in the weighting step, the oil and fat management device multiplies the difference calculated in the difference calculation step by the weighting coefficients corresponding to the difference for the number of times of regeneration or replacement that has not reached the waste oil time point, that is, the number of times of regeneration or replacement not reached, to perform the weighting, and in the notification step, the oil and fat management device outputs a notification signal using the number of times of regeneration or replacement not reached weighted in the weighting step as an expected cost reduction value for the oil and fat.

[0017] [7] Preferably, it is the oil and fat management method described in [5] above, wherein in the weighting step, the oil and fat management device multiplies the difference calculated in the difference calculation step by the price per unit of the degree of deterioration of the oil and fat when the price of the oil and fat at the waste oil reference value is set to 0 yen, to weight the price of the oil and fat regenerated or replaced in a state where the waste oil time point has not been reached, and in the notification step, the oil and fat management device outputs a notification signal using the price of the oil and fat weighted in the weighting step as a price that can reduce the cost related to the oil and fat.

[0018] [8] Preferably, it is the oil and fat management method described in [7] above, wherein the oil and fat management device stores the price of new oil per unit amount of the oil and fat and the amount of use of the oil and fat, and further includes a unit amount price calculation step in which the oil and fat management device divides the stored price of new oil per unit amount by the waste oil reference value to calculate the unit amount price per unit of the degree of deterioration of the oil and fat, and in the weighting step, the unit amount price calculated in the unit amount price calculation step, the amount of use of the oil and fat stored in the oil and fat management device, and the difference calculated in the difference calculation step are multiplied together to weight the price of the oil and fat regenerated or replaced in a state where the waste oil time point has not been reached. [Effect of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to accurately estimate the cost related to fats and oils that can be reduced. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments. [Brief Description of the Drawings]

[0020]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

[0021] Hereinafter, as an aspect of an oil and fat management device and an oil and fat management method according to each embodiment of the present invention, for example, in chain stores such as convenience stores, supermarkets, and restaurants, an oil and fat management device and method for managing the cost of edible oil used for cooking fried chicken, croquettes, tempura, etc. will be described.

[0022] In the following description, the cooking of deep-fried foods is referred to as "deep-frying", the oil (edible oil) used for deep-frying is referred to as "deep-frying oil", and the food ingredients to be deep-fried are referred to as "deep-frying ingredients".

[0023] <First Embodiment> The first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0024] (Configuration of Deep-Frying Oil Management System 1) First, the configuration of the deep-frying oil management system 1 for managing the deep-frying oil P will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of the deep-frying oil management system 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0026] In convenience stores, supermarkets and other retail stores, and restaurants such as family restaurants, deep-frying is carried out in the fryer 2 installed in the store in order to provide freshly cooked deep-fried foods to customers.

[0027] The fryer 2 is, for example, an electric type, and includes an oil tank 21 for storing the deep-frying oil P and a housing 22 for accommodating the oil tank 21. A plurality of setting switches 23 for setting the temperature of the deep-frying oil P and the details of the deep-frying according to the type of the deep-frying ingredient Q are provided on the side surface of the housing 22.

[0028] In FIG. 1, only one fryer 2 is shown, but a plurality of fryers 2 may be installed in the store according to the store scale, the type of the deep-frying ingredient Q, etc.

[0029] In order to ensure the quality of the fried foods provided to customers, it is necessary to manage the quality of the frying oil P used for frying. Therefore, employees and cooks at each store regularly measure the deterioration index value, which is an index value indicating the degree of deterioration of the frying oil P (hereinafter simply referred to as "degree of deterioration"), and for example, when the measured deterioration index value of the frying oil P is equal to or higher than the waste oil reference value, which is the reference index value of the degree of deterioration at the predetermined waste oil time point of the frying oil P, the frying oil P is discarded and replaced with new oil.

[0030] As the deterioration index values of the frying oil P, for example, the acid value (AV) of the frying oil P, the amount of polar compounds (PC) in the frying oil P, the color of the frying oil P, the viscosity of the frying oil P, the viscosity increase rate of the frying oil P, the anisidine value of the frying oil P, the carbonyl value of the frying oil P, the smoke point of the frying oil P, the tocopherol content of the frying oil P, the iodine value of the frying oil P, the refractive index of the frying oil P, the amount of volatile components in the frying oil P, the composition of volatile components in the frying oil P, the flavor of the frying oil P, the amount of volatile components in the fried food fried with the frying oil P, the composition of volatile components in the fried food fried with the frying oil P, and the flavor of the fried food fried with the frying oil P are used. All of these values are parameters that change with the passage of the heating time and the frequency of use of the frying oil P.

[0031] Each deterioration index value of the frying oil P can be measured using a measuring device such as a camera or a sensor. For example, for measuring the acid value of the frying oil P, test papers that measure the acid value from the change in the color of the part where the frying oil P is dropped, or measuring instruments that can directly measure the acid value of the frying oil P by immersing it in the frying oil P are used. Also, for example, for measuring the amount of polar compounds in the frying oil P, measuring instruments that can directly measure the amount of polar compounds contained in the frying oil P by immersing it in the frying oil P are used. Also, for example, for measuring the amount and composition of volatile components in the frying oil P and the amount and composition of volatile components in the fried food fried with the frying oil P, general-purpose gas sensors (for example, semiconductor gas sensors or quartz crystal microbalance gas sensors) are used.

[0032] As methods for measuring other deterioration index values, for example, there are methods of discriminating the types and numbers of fried foods fried with frying oil P from images taken by a camera using image recognition technology, and inferring each deterioration index based on the correlation between the types and numbers of fried foods and each deterioration index; methods of measuring the spectrum of frying oil P using a spectrometer and inferring each deterioration index based on the correlation between the spectrum of frying oil P and each deterioration index; methods of inferring each deterioration index value based on the correlation between the number of times the setting switch 23 of the fryer 2 is operated (i.e., the number of times frying is performed) and each deterioration index value, and the like.

[0033] Regarding the measurement of the deterioration index value of frying oil P, it is not necessarily limited to using the above-mentioned measuring device or the above-mentioned measuring method, and known measuring devices or known measuring methods may be used.

[0034] The frying oil management system 1 collects the deterioration index values of frying oil P in each store and collectively manages the usage status of frying oil P and the costs related to frying oil P in each store.

[0035] For example, the frying oil management system 1 includes a store terminal 3 installed in each store, a cloud server 4 that executes a program for managing the usage status of frying oil P and the costs related to frying oil P in each store, and a management terminal 5 that enables a manager who manages frying oil P (for example, the person in charge of the head office of a company operating a chain store) to check the usage status of frying oil P and the costs related to frying oil P in each store.

[0036] The store terminal 3 of each store manages the measured deterioration index value of the frying oil P. For example, the store terminal 3 is communicably connected to the AV measurement sensor 6 for measuring the acid value of the frying oil P, and acquires the measured value AVm measured by the AV measurement sensor 6. Specifically, in each store, an employee periodically measures the acid value of the frying oil P stored in the oil tank 21 of the fryer 2 using the AV measurement sensor 6. When the employee measures the acid value of the frying oil P in the oil tank 21 using the AV measurement sensor 6, the store terminal 3 acquires the measured value AVm output from the AV measurement sensor 6 and stores it after associating it with the corresponding fryer 2.

[0037] Note that the store terminal 3 and the AV measurement sensor 6 do not necessarily have to be communicably connected. When the store terminal 3 and the AV measurement sensor 6 are not communicably connected, the measured value (deterioration index value) AVm measured by the AV measurement sensor 6 may be read into the store terminal 3 via an external device, or may be directly input into the store terminal 3 by an employee of the store.

[0038] The cloud server 4 is an aspect of an oil and fat management device that manages the cost related to the frying oil P. In this embodiment, in addition to managing the cost related to the frying oil P, the cloud server 4 determines and manages the usage status of the frying oil P based on the measured value AVm of the acid value of the frying oil P measured by the AV measurement sensor 6. That is, in this embodiment, the cloud server 4 includes a cost management processing unit (oil and fat management device) that performs processing for managing the cost related to the frying oil P, and a usage status management processing unit that performs processing for determining and managing the usage status of the frying oil P.

[0039] As a determination of the usage status of the frying oil P, the cloud server 4 makes determinations such as whether the frying oil P has continued to be used in a state where it exceeds the waste oil reference value AVth (a state after the waste oil time point), or conversely, whether the frying oil P has been regenerated or replaced in a state where it has not reached the waste oil time point.

[0040] And when the frying oil P is continuously used in a state where the acid value exceeds the waste oil reference value AVth, the cloud server 4 counts the number of consecutive days D of such continuous use, and when the frying oil P is regenerated or replaced in a state where it has not reached the waste oil point, the cloud server 4 counts the number of times N of such regeneration or replacement.

[0041] Specifically, when the cloud server 4 determines that the measurement ratio at the AV measurement sensor 6 is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference measurement ratio, and continuously determines that the measured value AVm of the acid value of the frying oil P measured by the AV measurement sensor 6 is equal to or higher than the waste oil reference value AVth, the cloud server 4 counts the number of consecutive days D as 1 day.

[0042] In addition, when the cloud server 4 determines that the measurement ratio at the AV measurement sensor 6 is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference measurement ratio, and determines that the measured value AVm of the acid value of the frying oil P measured by the AV measurement sensor 6 is less than the previous measured value, and the previous measured value is less than the waste oil reference value AVth, the cloud server 4 counts the number of times the frying oil P has been regenerated or replaced in a state where it has not reached the waste oil point as 1 time.

[0043] In the following description, the frying oil P that has been regenerated or replaced in a state where it has not reached the waste oil point is referred to as "unreached oil Pu", and the number of times N that the frying oil P has been regenerated or replaced in a state where it has not reached the waste oil point, that is, the number of times N that the unreached oil Pu has been regenerated or replaced, is referred to as the "number of unreached regeneration and replacement N". This "number of unreached regeneration and replacement N" indicates the value of the frying oil P that has been regenerated or replaced in a state where it has not reached the waste oil point.

[0044] In addition, the "regeneration" of the frying oil P means passing the deteriorating frying oil P through a filter to remove fry debris, etc., passing the frying oil P through a filtering agent to make it close to a new oil state (filtration), adding new oil to the amount of the frying oil P that has been absorbed by the frying seeds Q and decreased, or removing a part of the deteriorated frying oil P as waste oil and adding new oil (topping up). The "replacement" of the frying oil P means replacing the deteriorating frying oil P with new oil or oil in a state equivalent to new oil.

[0045] Regarding the method of counting the number of consecutive usage days D and the number of regeneration / exchange times N that have not been reached for the frying oil P, it is not limited to the counting method in the above cloud server 4. Additionally, for example, it may also be a method in which a store employee carefully records the measurements by the AV measurement sensor 6 and counts them.

[0046] The oil management device does not necessarily have to be the cloud server 4 constructed on the communication network as in this embodiment. Additionally, for example, it may be a server device installed in a head office center that manages a plurality of stores. Further, in this embodiment, the determination and management of the usage status of the frying oil P are performed by the cloud server 4, but it is not limited to this, and it may be performed by an independent server separate from the cloud server 4.

[0047] The management terminal 5 acquires and displays (notifies) the information regarding the usage status of the frying oil P output from the cloud server 4 and the information regarding the cost related to the frying oil P, respectively.

[0048] The "information regarding the usage status of the frying oil P" includes the measured value AVm of the acid value, which is the deterioration index value of the frying oil P measured by the AV measurement sensor 6, the number of consecutive usage days D during which the frying oil P has been continuously used after passing the waste oil point, and the number of regeneration / exchange times N that have not been reached when the frying oil P has been regenerated or exchanged in a state where it has not reached the waste oil point. For example, in the management terminal 5, when the frying oil P has been regenerated or exchanged in a state where it has not reached the waste oil point, it is possible to display the measured value AVm of the acid value of the frying oil P at that time.

[0049] Note that the "information on the usage status of frying oil P" may be directly input to the management terminal 5 as well as output from the cloud server 4. For example, the measured acid value AVm measured by the AV measurement sensor 6 may be directly output from the AV measurement sensor 6 to the management terminal 5 without passing through the cloud server 4. Also, for example, regarding the continuous use days D and the number of times N of unachieved regeneration replacement of the frying oil P, if the counting is performed by a server different from the cloud server 4, it is output from that server to the management terminal 5, and if counted by a store employee, it is directly input to the management terminal 5.

[0050] The "information on the cost related to frying oil P" includes an expected reduction value EV as a reducible factor indicating how much the cost related to frying oil P can be reduced (the expected value for the reduction of the cost related to frying oil P).

[0051] (Hardware configuration for realizing the functions of the cloud server 4) Next, the hardware configuration for realizing the functions of the cloud server 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0052] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the cloud server 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0053] A computer for realizing the functions of the cloud server 4 (for example, a computer owned by a company providing a cloud system) includes, as a hardware configuration, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 40A, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 40B, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 40C, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 40D, and an I / F (Interface) 40E. These components are respectively connected via a common bus 40F.

[0054] The CPU 40A is an arithmetic means and controls the overall operation of the cloud server 4.

[0055] The RAM 40B is a volatile memory medium capable of high-speed reading and writing of information, and is used, for example, as a work area when the CPU 40A processes management information.

[0056] The ROM 40C is a non-volatile memory medium for read-only, and programs such as firmware are stored therein.

[0057] The HDD 40D is a non-volatile memory medium capable of reading and writing information and having a large storage capacity, and stores an OS (Operating System), control programs for executing various information processes described later, application programs, and the like.

[0058] Note that the HDD 40D can be substituted with, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive) or the like as long as it realizes the function of storing and managing information as a non-volatile memory medium, regardless of the type of device.

[0059] The I / F 40E is a connection interface to a communication network, and the store terminals 3 and management terminals 5 of each store are connected thereto.

[0060] The cloud server 4 having such a hardware configuration is an information processing device that realizes a processing function by the arithmetic function provided in the CPU 40A for control programs stored in the ROM 40C and control programs and application programs loaded from a storage medium such as the HDD 40D to the RAM 40B.

[0061] By executing these information processes, a software control unit including various function modules in the cloud server 4 is configured. A function block that realizes the functions of the cloud server 4 is configured by combining the software control unit configured in this way with the hardware resources including the above configuration.

[0062] Note that each of the store terminals 3 and management terminals 5 of each store that is information - communicably connected to the cloud server 4 also has the same hardware configuration as the above - mentioned hardware configuration. Further, when the oil - fat management device is configured by a server device instead of a cloud, the server device has the above - mentioned hardware configuration.

[0063] (Functional Configuration of Cloud Server 4) Next, the functional configuration of the cloud server 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0064] FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the cloud server 4 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a table showing an example of the relationship between the difference AVd between the waste - oil reference value AVth and the measured acid value AVm of the frying oil and the weighting coefficient α.

[0065] The cloud server 4 includes a data acquisition unit 41, a difference calculation unit 42, a weighting unit 43, a storage unit 44, and a notification unit 45.

[0066] The data acquisition unit 41 acquires, from the management terminal 5, the number of times N of regeneration and replacement of the under - regeneration frying oil P (the number of times of regeneration and replacement of the under - oil Pu) and the measured acid value AVm of the acid value of each under - oil Pu for N times.

[0067] The difference calculation unit 42 calculates the difference AVd (= AVth - AVm) between the waste - oil reference value AVth of the frying oil P and the measured acid value AVm of the acid value of each under - oil Pu acquired by the data acquisition unit 41. For example, when the number of times N of regeneration and replacement of the under - regeneration frying oil P acquired by the data acquisition unit 41 is 3 times (N = 3), the difference calculation unit 42 calculates the difference AVd for 3 times respectively.

[0068] Here, when the waste oil reference value AVth is set to 2.5, if the measured acid value AVm of the under-quality oil Pu is 1.0, the difference AVd is 1.5 (= 2.5 - 1.0). If the measured acid value AVm of the under-quality oil Pu is 1.8, the difference AVd is 0.7 (= 2.5 - 1.8). If the measured acid value AVm of the under-quality oil Pu is 2.2, the difference AVd is 0.3 (= 2.5 - 2.2). Naturally, the smaller the measured acid value AVm of the under-quality oil Pu, the larger the difference AVd, and the greater the deviation from the waste oil reference value AVth.

[0069] The weighting unit 43 multiplies the weight coefficient α corresponding to the difference AVd calculated by the difference calculation unit 42 by the number of times N of under-quality regeneration replacement of the fried oil P acquired by the data acquisition unit 41 to calculate the reduction expected value EV.

[0070] The weight coefficient α is a coefficient set according to the difference AVd between the waste oil reference value AVth and the measured acid value AVm (deterioration index value) of the fried oil P. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the difference AVd is 0.1 or more and less than 0.5, it is set to 1; when the difference AVd is 0.5 or more and less than 1.0, it is set to 1.5; when the difference AVd is 1.0 or more, it is set to 2. That is, the weight coefficient α is set so that the value increases as the difference AVd increases.

[0071] In the above example, when the measured acid value AVm of the under-quality oil Pu is 1.0, the weight coefficient α is 2; when the measured acid value AVm of the under-quality oil Pu is 1.8, the weight coefficient α is 1.5; when the measured acid value AVm of the under-quality oil Pu is 2.2, the weight coefficient α is 1.

[0072] Therefore, when the waste oil reference value AVth is set to 2.5, the number of times N of under-regeneration replacement of the fried oil P is 3, the measured acid value AVm of the first under-reached oil Pu is 1.0, the measured acid value AVm of the second under-reached oil Pu is 1.8, and the measured acid value AVm of the third under-reached oil Pu is 2.2, the reduction expected value EV is [1]×2 + [1]×1.5 + [1]×1, which is 4.5 (EV = 4.5). In this example, although the number of times N of under-regeneration replacement is 3, the reduction expected value EV is 4.5.

[0073] The reduction expected value EV is a reducible factor indicating how much the cost related to the fried oil P can be reduced, and corresponds to the weighted number of times N of under-regeneration replacement (the value of the fried oil P). The larger the relative value of this reduction expected value EV with respect to the number of times N of under-regeneration replacement, the larger the reduction range of the cost related to the fried oil P. For example, when the number of times N of under-regeneration replacement is 2, between the case where the reduction expected value EV is 2.5 and the case where it is 4.0, the case where the reduction expected value EV is 4.0 has a larger reduction range of the cost related to the fried oil P, and the possibility of significantly reducing the cost is higher.

[0074] Note that the weighting coefficient α does not necessarily need to be set as shown in FIG. 4, and can be appropriately set according to the scale of the store, the type and number of fried items Q, and the type of fried oil P.

[0075] The storage unit 44 stores a plurality of weighting coefficients α set according to the waste oil reference value AVth and the difference AVd.

[0076] The notification unit 45 outputs a notification signal for notifying the management terminal 5 of the number of times N of under-regeneration replacement and the reduction expected value EV calculated by the weighting unit 43. That is, in the present embodiment, the cloud server 4 weights the number of times N of under-regeneration replacement of the fried oil P, and outputs it to the management terminal 5 as the reduction expected value EV of the cost related to the fried oil P, which is the weighted number of times N of under-regeneration replacement.

[0077] As a result, the management terminal 5 displays the reduction expected value EV together with the outstanding reproduction replacement count N, so that the administrator can specifically grasp to what extent the cost related to the frying oil P can be reduced for the stores that require cost reduction.

[0078] Note that the notification unit 45 does not necessarily have to output a notification signal including both the outstanding reproduction replacement count N and the reduction expected value EV, and it is sufficient to output at least a notification signal related to the reduction expected value EV.

[0079] (Processing executed in the cloud server 4) Next, the flow of the processing executed in the cloud server 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0080] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing executed by the cloud server 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0081] In the cloud server 4, first, the data acquisition unit 50 acquires the outstanding reproduction replacement count N output from the management terminal 5 and the measured value AVm of the acid value of each outstanding oil Pu (step S401).

[0082] Next, the difference calculation unit 42 calculates the difference AVd (= AVth - AVm) between the waste oil reference value AVth stored in the storage unit 44 and the measured value AVm of the acid value of each outstanding oil Pu acquired in step S401 (step S402; difference calculation step).

[0083] Next, the weighting unit 43 reads out the weighting coefficient α corresponding to the difference AVd calculated in step S402 from among the plurality of weighting coefficients α stored in the storage unit 44, and multiplies the read weighting coefficient α by the outstanding reproduction replacement count N acquired in step S401 to calculate the reduction expected value EV (step S403; weighting step).

[0084] Then, the notification unit 45 outputs a notification signal related to the number of unfulfilled regeneration replacements N acquired in step S401 and the reduction expected value EV calculated in step S403 to the management terminal 5 (step S404; notification step), and the processing in the cloud server 4 ends.

[0085] In this way, by the cloud server 4 calculating the reduction expected value EV by weighting the number of unfulfilled regeneration replacements N in consideration of the difference AVd between the waste oil reference value AVth and the measured value AVm of the unfulfilled oil Pu, the manager of the fried oil P can accurately estimate the cost related to the fried oil P that can be reduced.

[0086] <Second Embodiment> Next, the cloud server 4A according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. In FIGS. 6 and 7, components common to those described for the cloud server 4 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their description is omitted.

[0087] FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the cloud server 4A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the cloud server 4A according to the second embodiment.

[0088] In the present embodiment, unlike the first embodiment in which the cloud server 4A weights the number of unfulfilled regeneration replacements N, the cloud server 4A weights the price of the fried oil P. Then, the cloud server 4A outputs the weighted price of the fried oil P to the management terminal 5 as the reducible price Y of the cost related to the fried oil P.

[0089] As shown in FIG. 6, the cloud server 4A includes a data acquisition unit 41A, a difference calculation unit 42, a weighting unit 43A, a storage unit 44A, a notification unit 45A, and a unit price calculation unit 46.

[0090] The data acquisition unit 41A acquires the measured acid value AVm of each unfinished oil Pu from the management terminal 5. Similar to the data acquisition unit 41 in the first embodiment, the data acquisition unit 41A in this embodiment may also acquire the number of unfinished regeneration replacements N in addition to the measured acid value AVm of each unfinished oil Pu.

[0091] The unit quantity price calculation unit 46 calculates the unit quantity price x [yen / kg / AV] per unit degree of deterioration of the frying oil P when the price of the frying oil P at the waste oil reference value AVth is set to 0 yen. This unit quantity price x per unit degree of deterioration of the frying oil P indicates that when the degree of deterioration (AV) increases by 1 based on the waste oil reference value AVth, the value per 1 kg of the frying oil P decreases by x yen. Specifically, it is obtained by dividing the new oil price per unit quantity of the frying oil P by the waste oil reference value AVth.

[0092] Note that the new oil price of the frying oil P is not necessarily limited to the price in the state of new oil with AV = 0.0, and it may be the price in a state where the frying oil P is in a deteriorated state close to new oil (a state where AV is a value greater than 0.0 within the error range).

[0093] For example, when the new oil price per unit quantity of the frying oil P is 250 yen / kg and the waste oil reference value AVth is an acid value of 2.5 (AVth = 2.5), the unit quantity price x per unit degree of deterioration of the frying oil P is 250 [yen / kg] ÷ 2.5 = 100 [yen / kg / AV]. Therefore, in this example, every time the acid value of the frying oil P increases by 1, the value per 1 kg of the frying oil P decreases by 100 yen.

[0094] In other words, if the acid value of the frying oil P is 1 lower than the waste oil reference value of 2.5, the value per 1 kg of the frying oil P will be 100 yen more. For example, if the measured acid value AVm of the frying oil P is 1.5 and it is discarded as waste oil, it means that the value of 100 yen per kg of the frying oil P is lost, that is, the cost related to the frying oil P can be reduced by 100 yen per kg.

[0095] The weighting unit 43A multiplies the unit price per unit deterioration degree x of the fried oil P calculated by the unit price calculation unit 46, the capacity W of the oil tank 21 of the fryer 2 as the usage amount of the fried oil P, and the difference AVd calculated by the difference calculation unit 42 to calculate the reducible price Y of the shortfall oil Pu. This reducible price Y is a reducible factor indicating how much the cost related to the fried oil P can be reduced, and corresponds to the value of the weighted fried oil P.

[0096] Here, taking the case where the waste oil (replacement with new oil) of the fried oil P is performed about 5 times a month in the fryer 2 with the capacity W of the oil tank 21 being 10 [kg] as an example for explanation.

[0097] First, when the measured value AVm of the acid value of the fried oil P at the first waste oil is 1.0, the difference AVd is 2.5 - 1.0 = 1.5, and the reducible price Y of the shortfall oil Pu is 1.5 [AV] × 100 [yen / kg / AV] × 10 [kg] = 15,000 [yen].

[0098] Subsequently, when the measured value AVm of the acid value of the fried oil P at the second waste oil is 2.5, since the waste oil is carried out at the waste oil reference value AVth, the difference AVd is 2.5 - 2.5 = 0.0, and the reducible price Y of the shortfall oil Pu is 0.0 [AV] × 100 [yen / kg / AV] × 10 [kg] = 0 [yen].

[0099] Next, when the measured value AVm of the acid value of the fried oil P at the third waste oil is 1.8, the difference AVd is 2.5 - 1.8 = 0.7, and the reducible price Y of the shortfall oil Pu is 0.7 [AV] × 100 [yen / kg / AV] × 10 [kg] = 7,000 [yen].

[0100] Then, when the measured value AVm of the acid value of the fried oil P at the fourth waste oil is 2.7, since it exceeds the waste oil reference value AVth, the difference AVd is set to 0.0, and the reducible price Y of the shortfall oil Pu is the same as that at the second waste oil, 0.0 [AV] × 100 [yen / kg / AV] × 10 [kg] = 0 [yen].

[0101] In addition, when the measured acid value AVm of the fried oil P at the time of waste oil exceeds the waste oil standard value AVth, the value of the fried oil P will decrease by the difference AVd. However, since it is not necessary to consider this when calculating the reducible price Y of the shortfall oil Pu, the difference AVd is set to 0.0.

[0102] Finally, when the measured acid value AVm of the fried oil P at the time of the fifth waste oil is 2.2, the difference AVd is 2.5 - 2.2 = 0.3, and the reducible price Y of the shortfall oil Pu is 0.3 [AV] × 100 [yen / kg / AV] × 10 [kg] = 3,000 [yen].

[0103] Therefore, in the case of this example, the reducible price Y is 15,000 [yen] + 0 [yen] + 7,000 [yen] + 0 [yen] + 3,000 [yen] = 25,000 [yen] (Y = 25,000 yen). That is, in the store of this example, the fried oil P worth about 25,000 [yen] was wasted in one month.

[0104] Note that the new oil price of the fried oil P per unit quantity (250 yen / kg) and the capacity W (10 kg) of the oil tank 21 corresponding to the usage amount of the fried oil P are stored in the storage unit 44A in advance in the same manner as the waste oil standard value AVth.

[0105] In this embodiment, the notification unit 45A outputs a notification signal for notifying the management terminal 5 of the shortfall regeneration exchange count N and the reducible price Y calculated by the weighting unit 43A. That is, the cloud server 4A weights the price of the fried oil P and outputs the weighted price of the fried oil P to the management terminal 5 as the reducible price Y of the cost related to the fried oil P.

[0106] As a result, the reducible price Y is displayed on the management terminal 5 together with the shortfall regeneration exchange count N. Therefore, the administrator can grasp, at a specific price, how much the cost related to the fried oil P can be reduced for the stores that require cost reduction.

[0107] Note that the notification unit 45A does not necessarily have to output a notification signal including both the number of times N of unplayed playback exchanges and the reducible price Y, and it may output at least a notification signal related to the reducible price Y.

[0108] As shown in FIG. 7, in the cloud server 4A, first, the data acquisition unit 41A acquires the number of times N of unplayed playback exchanges output from the management terminal 5 and the measured value AVm of the acid value of each unplayed oil Pu (step S411).

[0109] Subsequently, the difference calculation unit 42 calculates the difference AVd (= AVth - AVm) between the waste oil reference value AVth of the fried oil P stored in the storage unit 44A and the measured value AVm of the acid value of each unplayed oil Pu acquired in step S411 (step S412; difference calculation step).

[0110] Next, the unit quantity price calculation unit 46 calculates the unit quantity price x per unit degree of deterioration of the fried oil P based on the waste oil reference value AVth of the fried oil P stored in the storage unit 44A and the new oil price per unit quantity of the fried oil P (step S413; unit quantity price calculation step).

[0111] Note that in the cloud server 4A according to the present embodiment, the process of calculating the unit quantity price x per unit degree of deterioration of the fried oil P (step S413) is executed after the process of calculating the difference AVd (step S412), but it is not limited to this, and it may be executed at any timing as long as it is before the next weighting step (step S414).

[0112] Next, the weighting unit 43A multiplies the unit quantity price x per unit degree of deterioration of the fried oil P calculated in step S413, the capacity W of the oil tank 21 stored in the storage unit 44A, and the difference AVd calculated in step S412 to calculate the reducible price Y of the unplayed oil Pu (step S414; weighting step).

[0113] Then, the notification unit 45A outputs a notification signal related to the number of outstanding regeneration exchanges N acquired in step S411 and the reducible price Y of the outstanding oil Pu calculated in step S414 to the management terminal 5 (step S415; notification step), and the processing in the cloud server 4A ends.

[0114] Thus, also in this embodiment, the cloud server 4A calculates the reducible price Y by weighting the price of the fried oil P in consideration of the difference AVd between the waste oil reference value AVth and the measured value AVm of the outstanding oil Pu, so that the administrator of the fried oil P can accurately estimate the cost related to the fried oil P that can be reduced.

[0115] The above describes each embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Also, a part of the configuration of each embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of another embodiment can also be added to the configuration of each embodiment. Furthermore, for a part of the configuration of each embodiment, addition, deletion, or replacement with other configurations is possible.

[0116] For example, in the above embodiments, the description has been made assuming the cost management of the fried oil P in a chain store that operates multiple stores, but it is not limited to this. For example, it may be applied to a privately-owned store that does not have multiple stores.

[0117] Also, in the above embodiments, the fried oil P, which is edible oil as the oil and fat, has been described as an example, but it is not limited to this, and other oil and fats such as mineral oil may be used.

[0118] In each of the above embodiments, the reduction expected value EV and the reducible price Y were given as examples of elements capable of reducing the cost related to the frying oil P. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and there is no particular limitation on the type of parameter as long as it is a parameter capable of indicating whether it is possible to reduce the cost related to the frying oil P.

[0119] In each of the above embodiments, the acid value (AV) was given as an example of the deterioration index value of the frying oil P. However, it is not necessarily the acid value, and any deterioration index value that can be measured by a specific numerical value may be used.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0120] 4,4A: Cloud server (oil and fat management device) 42: Difference calculation unit 43,43A: Weighting unit 44,44A: Storage unit 45,45A: Notification unit 46: Unit quantity price calculation unit AVd: Difference AVth: Waste oil reference value EV: Reduction expected value (reducible element) N: Number of times of regeneration and replacement not reached P: Frying oil (oil and fat) W: Capacity (usage amount of frying oil) x: Unit quantity price per unit deterioration degree Y: Reducible price (reducible element) α: Weighting coefficient

Claims

1. An oil and fat management device for managing costs related to oil and fat, A memory unit in which a waste oil reference value, which is a reference index value of the degree of deterioration of the oil and fat at a predetermined time point of waste oil, is stored; A difference calculation unit that calculates the difference between the waste oil reference value stored in the memory unit and a deterioration index value that is an index value of the degree of deterioration of the oil that has been regenerated or replaced before the time of the waste oil is reached; A weighting unit that weights the value of the oil and fat that has been regenerated or replaced before the time of the waste oil according to the difference calculated by the difference calculation unit; A notification unit that outputs a notification signal to notify the value of the oil and fat weighted by the weighting unit as a reducible element of the cost related to the oil and fat; Includes An oil and grease management device.

2. The oil and grease management device according to claim 1, The storage unit includes: A plurality of coefficients set according to the difference between the waste oil reference value and the deterioration index value are stored as weighting coefficients, The weighting unit is The weighting is performed by multiplying the unachieved regeneration / exchange count, which is the number of times regeneration or exchange has been performed before the time of oil disposal, by the weighting coefficient corresponding to the difference calculated by the difference calculation unit, The notification unit is The weighting unit outputs the notification signal that sets the unachieved regeneration / replacement count weighted by the weighting unit as an expected reduction value of the cost related to the grease. An oil and grease management device.

3. The oil and grease management device according to claim 1, The weighting unit is The difference calculated by the difference calculation unit is multiplied by the price per unit of the deterioration degree of the oil when the price of the oil at the waste oil standard value is set to 0 yen, thereby weighting the price of the oil that has been regenerated or replaced before the time of waste oil, The notification unit is The weighting unit outputs the notification signal indicating that the price of the oil and fat weighted by the weighting unit is the price at which the cost related to the oil and fat can be reduced. An oil and grease management device.

4. The oil and grease management device according to claim 3, The storage unit includes: The new oil price of the oil and the amount of the oil and the oil used per unit amount are stored, The method further includes a unit price calculation unit that calculates a unit price per unit of the deterioration degree of the oil by dividing the new oil price per unit amount stored in the storage unit by the waste oil reference value, The weighting unit is The unit amount price calculated by the unit amount price calculation unit, the amount of the oil and fat stored in the storage unit, and the difference calculated by the difference calculation unit are multiplied together to weight the price of the oil and fat that has been regenerated or replaced before the time of disposal. An oil and grease management device.

5. A management method for managing costs related to oil and fats using an oil and fat management device, The oil and fat management device stores a waste oil reference value which is a reference index value of the degree of deterioration of the oil and fat at a predetermined time point of waste oil, A difference calculation step in which the oil and grease management device calculates a difference between the stored waste oil reference value and a deterioration index value which is an index value of the degree of deterioration of the oil and grease that has been regenerated or replaced before the time of the waste oil is reached; A weighting step in which the grease management device weights the value of the grease that has been regenerated or replaced before the time of the waste oil according to the difference calculated in the difference calculation step; a notification step of outputting a notification signal for notifying the value of the oil and fat weighted in the weighting step as a reducible element of the cost related to the oil and fat; Includes A method for managing oils and fats.

6. The oil and fat management method according to claim 5, The oil and grease management device stores a plurality of weighting coefficients, the weighting coefficients being set according to the difference between the waste oil reference value and the deterioration index value, In the weighting step, The oil and grease management device weights the number of unachieved regeneration / exchange times, which is the number of times regeneration or exchange has been performed before the time of the oil disposal, by multiplying the weighting coefficient corresponding to the difference calculated in the difference calculation step, In the notification step, The oil and grease management device outputs the notification signal indicating that the unachieved number of regeneration / replacement times weighted in the weighting step is set as an expected value for reducing the cost related to the oil and grease. A method for managing oils and fats.

7. The oil and fat management method according to claim 5, In the weighting step, The oil and grease management device multiplies the difference calculated in the difference calculation step by the price per unit of the deterioration degree of the oil when the price of the oil at the waste oil standard value is set to 0 yen, thereby weighting the price of the oil and grease that has been regenerated or replaced before the time of waste oil, In the notification step, The oil and grease management device outputs the notification signal indicating that the price of the oil and grease weighted in the weighting step is a reducible price of the cost related to the oil and grease. A method for managing oils and fats.

8. The oil and fat management method according to claim 7, The oil and grease management device stores a new oil price of the oil and grease per unit amount and a usage amount of the oil and grease, The oil and grease management device further includes a unit amount price calculation step of dividing the stored new oil price per unit amount by the waste oil reference value to calculate a unit amount price per unit of the deterioration degree of the oil and grease, In the weighting step, The unit amount price calculated in the unit amount price calculation step, the usage amount of the oil and grease stored in the oil and grease management device, and the difference calculated in the difference calculation step are multiplied together to weight the price of the oil and grease that has been regenerated or replaced before the time of disposal. A method for managing oils and fats.

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