Order receiving device, order receiving system, and program

Abstract

To provide an order reception apparatus configured to reliably receive an order through voice of a customer, an order reception system, and a program.SOLUTION: An order reception apparatus includes: an input unit which receives voice information associated with seat information that identifies a seat in a store; a voice recognition unit which recognizes the content indicated by the voice information input to the input unit; a feature extraction unit which extracts feature data indicating features of the voice information input to the input unit; a determination unit which determines whether a speaker of the voice information input to the input unit is a store clerk or not, on the basis of whether the feature data extracted by the feature extraction unit has been stored in a store clerk feature information storage unit that stores feature data of voice information of store clerks; and a reception unit which receives order information generated by associating the order content recognized by the voice recognition unit with the seat information on condition that the determination unit determines that the speaker of the voice information is not a store clerk.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in restaurants, due to factors such as a shortage of labor and the need to reduce conversations between staff and customers as a measure against infectious diseases, order terminal devices that allow customers to place orders by their own operations have been used. However, many customers are not accustomed to operating order terminal devices, and there are situations where customers are confused about operating the order terminal devices. For this reason, the introduction of a system that allows customers to easily place orders is desired.

[0003] As something that allows customers to place orders without performing complex operations, an order input system using voice recognition has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). The above order input system receives a customer's order by voice in a so-called drive-through.

[0004] However, when such an order input system using voice recognition is adopted in a store where there are multiple customers, there is a problem that there is a possibility of receiving incorrect orders based on the voices of customers or staff who do not intend to place orders.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an order receiving device, an order receiving system, and a program that can surely receive a customer's order by voice.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The order receiving device according to the embodiment is SoundAn input unit for inputting voice information, a voice recognition unit for recognizing the content indicated by the voice information input to the input unit, and a characteristic extraction unit for extracting characteristic data indicating the characteristics of the voice information input to the input unit, When the content recognized by the voice recognition unit includes seat information for identifying the customer seats in the store, a registration unit that associates the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit with the seat information and registers it in the customer characteristic information storage unit , received by the When the content includes order content, receive order information in which the seat information corresponding to the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit in the customer characteristic information storage unit is associated with the order content reception unit, and is provided with.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

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BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an order reception device, an order reception system, and a program will be described. Note that the present invention is not limited by the embodiments described below. For example, in the following embodiments, an example in which an order reception system is adopted in a restaurant will be described, but it is not limited thereto. The order reception device can be widely used in stores that receive orders and provide goods to customers.

[0009] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, the order receiving device, order receiving system, and program according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a store system including an order receiving system. The store system 100 is adopted in a store that provides goods, for example, a restaurant with a plurality of customer seats. The customer seats installed in the store may be counter seats used by one person each, table seats used by multiple people, or standing seats. The store system 100 includes an order receiving system 1 and a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal 200.

[0010] The POS terminal 200 is provided at the checkout counter and performs accounting processing related to the payment of customers who have finished eating or drinking. The accounting processing executed by the POS terminal 200 includes, in cash settlement, for example, display of product information ordered by the customer, calculation of change amount, payment of change, etc., and in credit settlement, transmission and reception of various information with the settlement server of the settlement agency, etc.

[0011] The order receiving system 1 includes a management server 2, a customer microphone 3, a display 4, a cook's microphone 5, a kitchen display 6, a kitchen printer 7, and a hall staff microphone 8. These devices are connected to each other so as to be communicable via a network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a wireless LAN. In addition, each of the above devices is connected to the POS terminal 200 so as to be communicable via the network. For example, if the store has only counter seats and the store clerk who cooks inside the counter also provides goods to customers, the order receiving system 1 may include either the cook's microphone 5 or the hall staff microphone 8.

[0012] The management server 2 is arranged in the back yard of the store. The management server 2 receives settlement information regarding product information, settlement methods, etc. of the products for which accounting processing has been executed from the POS terminal 200. Further, the management server 2 receives sales information indicating the sales amount from the POS terminal 200. The management server 2 centrally manages the received product information, settlement information, sales information, etc. and performs sales management, etc. for one store.

[0013] In addition, the management server 2 receives order information based on the voices of customers picked up by the customer microphones 3. The order information includes seat information indicating the positions of the seats and order details (information specifying the products and information indicating the quantities of the products). Specifically, the management server 2 determines whether the voice input from the customer microphone 3 is that of a customer or a store clerk based on the voice information, and if it is the voice of a customer, it recognizes the content of the voice information and receives the order information. In the following description, recognizing the content of voice information may be referred to as voice recognition, and recognizing the speaker based on the characteristic data of the voice information may be referred to as speaker recognition. Speaker recognition and voice recognition are executed by well-known technologies, and the management server 2 utilizes these voice recognition and speaker recognition to receive order information. The management server 2 is an example of an order receiving device.

[0014] Furthermore, the management server 2 manages the status of the received order information based on the voices picked up by the cook microphones 5 and the hall staff microphones 8. For example, the management server 2 stores that the cooking of the products related to the received order information has been completed, or that the products have been provided to the customers. The management server 2 can be said to be an order receiving device equipped with an order management function.

[0015] The customer microphones 3 are installed corresponding to each seat. The customer microphones 3 pick up the voices of the customers in the corresponding seats and output the voice information of the picked-up voices to the management server 2 together with the microphone No. The microphone No. identifies the microphone provided in the seat, in other words, identifies the seat where the customer microphone is provided, and is an example of seat information. The customer microphones 3 are set not to pick up the voices of customers in other seats, or not to output them as voice information even if they are picked up. For example, when the volume of the input voice is below a predetermined value, the customer microphones 3 determine that it is noise and do not output the voice information. Note that the determination of noise based on the volume may also be performed by the management server 2. The customer microphones 3 are an example of a customer voice pickup unit that picks up the voices of customers located in the seats and outputs voice information for identifying the voices.

[0016] The display 4 is installed corresponding to each passenger seat in a set with the customer microphone 3. The display 4 displays, for example, the order content recognized by the management server 2 based on the voice information output by the corresponding customer microphone 3. When the customer confirms the order content displayed on the display 4 and emits a voice for confirming the order such as "yes" or "OK", the management server 2 accepts the order. The display 4 can display various other information. For example, the display 4 can display the store menu and product information (product name, price, etc.) of the products ordered by the customer. Note that the display 4 may not be provided. Also, instead of or in addition to the display 4, a speaker for outputting the content displayed by the display 4 in voice may be provided.

[0017] The cook microphone 5 picks up the voice of the cook who cooks products in the kitchen and outputs the voice information of the picked-up voice to the management server 2. The cook microphone 5 is composed of, for example, a headset that picks up only the voice of the cook. A microphone No for identifying the cook microphone 5 is also set in the cook microphone 5.

[0018] The kitchen display 6 is provided in the kitchen and displays, for example, the order information received by the management server 2 and the status of the order information. The cook checks the order information displayed on the kitchen display 6 and performs cooking.

[0019] The kitchen printer 7 is provided in the kitchen and prints the order information received by the management server 2 and issues it as a slip. The hall staff hands over the slip printed by the kitchen printer 7 to the customer when the cooking of the products ordered by the customer is completed and the products are provided to the customer.

[0020] The hall staff microphone 8 picks up the voice of the hall staff who moves around the hall where a plurality of passenger seats are installed and provides products to the customers, and outputs the voice information of the picked-up voice to the management server 2. The hall staff microphone 8 is composed of, for example, a headset that picks up only the voice of the hall staff. A microphone No for identifying the hall staff microphone 8 is also set in the hall staff microphone 8.

[0021] Next, the management server 2 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the management server 2. The management server 2 includes a control unit 20, a memory unit 21, a display unit 22, an operation unit 23, and a communication unit 24. The control unit 20, the memory unit 21, the display unit 22, the operation unit 23, and the communication unit 24 are connected to each other via a bus 25 or the like.

[0022] The control unit 20 is composed of a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203. The CPU 201, the ROM 202, and the RAM 203 are connected to each other via the bus 25.

[0023] The CPU 201 controls the overall operation of the management server 2. The ROM 202 stores various programs such as programs used for driving the CPU 201 and various data. The RAM 203 is used as a work area for the CPU 201 and expands various programs and various data stored in the ROM 202 and the memory unit 21. The control unit 20 executes various control processes of the management server 2 by operating according to the control program stored in the ROM 202 and expanded in the RAM 203 from the memory unit 21.

[0024] The memory unit 21 is composed of a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory, and maintains the stored content even when the power is turned off. The memory unit 21 stores a control program 211, a menu master 212, a product dictionary file 213, an order quantity dictionary file 214, an order management dictionary file 215, a store clerk characteristic management file 216, and an order management file 217.

[0025] The control program 211 is a program that causes the management server 2 to function as a sales management device, a program that causes the management server 2 to function as an order receiving device, and the like.

[0026] The menu master 212 is a master file that stores information on the products in the store's menu. The menu master 212 is updated when there is a change in the store's menu. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the data configuration of the menu master 212. In the menu master 212, each piece of information indicating the menu number, product name, and price is associated with each other.

[0027] In the menu number item, the number set for each product is registered. The menu number is an example of product identification information for identifying a product. In the product name item, information indicating the name of the product is registered. In the price item, information indicating the unit price of the product is registered. The unit price may be the body price or the price including consumption tax.

[0028] The product dictionary file 213 is dictionary data of terms used when recognizing an ordered product in order acceptance by voice recognition. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the data configuration of the product dictionary file 213. In the product dictionary file 213, each piece of information indicating the product name and the term is associated with each other.

[0029] In the product name item, information indicating the name of the product is registered. In the term item, information indicating the term for identifying the product is registered. The terms for identifying a product are the product name, a part of the product name, the menu number, etc. For example, when the product name is curry rice, the corresponding terms can be "curry rice", "curry", "menu number 1", etc.

[0030] The order quantity dictionary file 214 is dictionary data of terms used when recognizing the quantity of an ordered product in order acceptance by voice recognition. Figure 5 is a diagram showing the data configuration of the order quantity dictionary file 214. In the order quantity dictionary file 214, each piece of information indicating the order quantity and the term is associated with each other.

[0031] In the order quantity item, information indicating the order quantity is registered. In the term item, information indicating the term for identifying the order quantity is registered. For example, the terms corresponding to an order quantity of 1 are "1 piece", "1 unit", etc.

[0032] The order management dictionary file 215 is dictionary data of terms used when managing order information in order management by voice recognition. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the data configuration of the order management dictionary file 215. In the order management dictionary file 215, update processing and each piece of information indicating a term are associated with each other.

[0033] In the item of update processing, information indicating status update processing (including registration of order information) for order information is registered. In the item of update processing, for example, information indicating order registration, cooking completion, and processed after product provision is registered. In the item of terms, information indicating terms used when determining status update processing is registered. For example, terms corresponding to order registration are "yes", "OK", etc. These are terms included in the voice uttered by the customer when confirming the order content displayed on the display 4. Also, terms corresponding to cooking completion are "completed", "please", etc. These are terms included in the voice uttered by the cooking staff following the product name when the cooking of the ordered product is completed. Further, terms corresponding to processed after product provision are "sorry to have kept you waiting", "here you are", etc. These are terms included in the voice uttered by the hall staff following the product name when providing the product to the individual customer.

[0034] Note that the memory unit 21 may store other dictionary files. For example, it may be provided with a dictionary file for recognizing sizes of drinks such as L size, M size, S size, etc. The terms used in each dictionary file can be determined by the rules and operations of the store.

[0035] The store employee characteristic management file 216 is a file that manages the characteristic data of voice information for each store employee. The characteristic data of voice information is data for speaker recognition, such as data obtained by frequency analyzing the voice. The store employee characteristic management file 216 registers data for all store employees, but it only needs to register data for store employees who may speak on the customer floor (for example, hall attendants). In this embodiment, this is because the store employee characteristic management file 216 is utilized when performing speaker recognition to determine whether the voice picked up by the customer microphone 3 is the voice of a store employee. Regarding the utilization of data other than that of hall attendants, it will be described in detail in the second embodiment. The characteristic data of the voice information of the store employee may be registered in advance before business hours, or may be registered when the store employee first speaks during business hours. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the data configuration of the store employee characteristic management file 216. In the store employee characteristic management file 216, each piece of information indicating the store employee ID for identifying the store employee, the assignment, and the characteristic data is associated with each other. The store employee characteristic management file 216 is an example of a store employee characteristic information storage unit that stores the characteristic data of the voice information of the store employee, and a store employee characteristic information storage unit that stores the store employee identification information for identifying the store employee in association with the characteristic data of the voice information.

[0036] In the item of store employee ID, the store employee ID for identifying the store employee is registered. The store employee ID is an example of the store employee identification information for identifying the store employee. A different ID is set for each store employee. However, the store employee IDs may all be the same. In this embodiment, it is not necessarily required to identify individual store employees; it is sufficient to be able to identify that they are store employees. In the item of assignment, information indicating the assignment of the store employee is registered. The assignment is, for example, a cook, a hall attendant, etc. The utilization of the data in this item will be described in the second embodiment. In the item of characteristic data, information indicating the characteristic data of the voice information is registered.

[0037] The order management file 217 is a file that manages the status of order information received from customers. The order management file 217 is updated based on the voice information of the voices recorded by the customer microphone 3, the cook microphone 5, and the hall staff microphone 8. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the data configuration of the order management file 217. In the order management file 217, each piece of information indicating the seat No, order No, ordered product name, status, and registration flag is associated.

[0038] In the item of seat No, a number determined for each customer seat is registered. The seat No is associated with the microphone No set for each customer microphone 3, and it can also be said that the information indicating the seat No is the information indicating the microphone No. In the following description, registering the seat No may sometimes be referred to as registering the microphone No. In the item of order No, information indicating the order No for specifying the received order information is registered. In the present embodiment, the order No is issued corresponding to each ordered product, but the order No may be set for the entire order information received from one customer seat. In the item of ordered product name, information indicating the name of the ordered product is registered. In the item of status, information indicating the status of the received order information is input. The item of status is rewritten according to the situation after the order information is received. In the item of registration flag, information indicating whether the received order information is a temporary registration in an undetermined state or a final registration in a determined state is registered. In the item of registration flag, "0" is registered when the received order information is a temporary registration, and "1" is registered when it is a final registration.

[0039] Returning to FIG. 2, the hardware configuration of the management server 2 will be described. The display unit 22 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel and displays various information. The display unit 22 displays, for example, a registration screen for registering terms in each dictionary file.

[0040] The operation unit 23 is composed of a keyboard, a touch panel, etc. When operated by a customer, the operation unit 23 inputs information corresponding to the operation to the control unit 20.

[0041] The communication unit 24 is an interface for communicating with external devices such as the customer microphone 3, the display 4, the cook's microphone 5, the kitchen display 6, the kitchen printer 7, the hall attendant's microphone 8, and the POS terminal 200. By being connected to the external devices via the communication unit 24, the control unit 20 can transmit and receive information (data) to and from the external devices.

[0042] Next, the functional configuration of the control unit 20 of the management server 2 will be described. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the control unit 20 of the management server 2. The control unit 20 functions as an input unit 2001, a voice recognition unit 2002, a feature extraction unit 2003, a speaker identification unit 2004, a determination unit 2005, a reception unit 2006, and an order management unit 2007 by operating according to control programs stored in the ROM 202 and the memory unit 21 by the CPU 201. Note that each of these functions may be configured by hardware such as a dedicated circuit.

[0043] Voice information associated with seat information for identifying the customer seats in the store is input to the input unit 2001. Specifically, information in which the voice information of the voice collected by the customer microphone 3 and the microphone No. of the customer microphone are associated is input to the input unit 2001. Further, information in which the voice information of the voice collected by the cook's microphone 5 and the microphone No. of the cook's microphone 5 are associated, and information in which the voice information of the voice collected by the hall attendant's microphone 8 and the microphone No. of the hall attendant's microphone 8 are associated are input to the input unit 2001.

[0044] The voice recognition unit 2002 recognizes the content indicated by the voice information input to the input unit 2001. Specifically, the voice recognition unit 2002 analyzes the voice information of the voices picked up by the customer microphone 3, the cook microphone 5, and the hall staff microphone 8, and recognizes the content indicated by these voice informations. Further, the voice recognition unit 2002 recognizes the order content and the status for the order based on the terms included in the recognized content and each dictionary file. For example, when the term "menu No" is included in the content of the recognized voice information, the voice recognition unit 2002 recognizes that the voice information is the content of ordering the product corresponding to the menu No. Further, for example, when the term "OK" is included in the content of the recognized voice information, the voice recognition unit 2002 recognizes that the voice information is the content instructing to register the order.

[0045] The feature extraction unit 2003 extracts feature data indicating the features of the voice information input to the input unit 2001. The feature extraction unit 2003, for example, performs frequency analysis on the voice information to extract the feature data that is the feature. The feature data used for identifying the speaker is extracted by a known method.

[0046] The speaker identification unit 2004 identifies the speaker of the voice information input to the input unit 2001. The speaker identification unit 2004 refers to the feature information in which the speaker and the feature data are associated, and identifies the speaker corresponding to the feature data extracted by the feature extraction unit 2003. For example, the speaker identification unit 2004 compares the feature data extracted by the feature extraction unit 2003 from the voice information input to the input unit 2001 with the feature data registered in the store employee feature management file 216, and identifies the speaker of the voice information input to the input unit 2001.

[0047] The determination unit 2005 determines whether the speaker of the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is a store clerk based on the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit 2003 and the store clerk characteristic information that stores the characteristic data of the voice information in association with the store clerk identification information for identifying the store clerk. Specifically, the determination unit 2005 determines whether the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit 2003 is registered in the store clerk characteristic management file 216. If it is registered, the determination unit 2005 determines that the speaker of the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is a store clerk. If the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit 2003 is not registered in the store clerk characteristic management file 216, the determination unit 2005 determines that the speaker of the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is not a store clerk.

[0048] The reception unit 2006 receives order information that associates the order content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 with the seat information on the condition that the determination unit 2005 determines that the speaker of the voice information is not a store clerk. Specifically, the reception unit 2006 registers, in the order management file 217, order information that associates the order content indicated by the voice information with the microphone No. on the condition that the determination unit 2005 determines that the speaker of the voice information input together with the microphone No. of the customer microphone 3 is not a store clerk. In other words, when the voice picked up by the customer microphone 3 is not the voice of a store clerk, if the voice information of the voice indicates the order content, the order information is received based on the order content. When the determination unit 2005 determines that the speaker of the voice information is a store clerk, the reception unit 2006 does not receive the order information even if the voice information is recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 as indicating the order content.

[0049] In addition, when the voice information input to the input unit 2001 indicates the order content from the customer microphone 3, the reception unit 2006 temporarily registers order information associating the order content with the seat No in the order management file 217. Then, the reception unit 2006 transmits information for the customer to confirm the order content to the display 4. As a result of the customer's confirmation, when the order information is determined, the reception unit 2006 updates the order information in the order management file 217 from temporary registration to official registration. That is, the registration flag corresponding to the order information is rewritten from "0" to "1". Thereby, the reception unit 2006 receives the order information. When the reception unit 2006 receives the order information, it outputs the received order information to the kitchen display 6 and the kitchen printer 7. Thereby, the kitchen display 6 displays the order information of the newly received order, and the kitchen printer 7 issues a slip for the order information.

[0050] The order management unit 2007 manages the status of the order information received by the reception unit 2006 based on the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002. Specifically, the order management unit 2007 updates the order management file 217 based on the microphone No input to the input unit 2001 and the content of the voice information input together with the microphone No. For example, when the content of the voice information input together with the microphone No identifying the cook microphone 5 to the input unit 2001 indicates that cooking is completed, the order management unit 2007 registers "cooked" in the status item of the order management file 217. Also, when the content of the voice information input together with the microphone No identifying the hall staff microphone 8 to the input unit 2001 indicates that the product has been provided, the order management unit 2007 registers "product provided" in the status item of the order management file 217. Then, the order management unit 2007 outputs and displays the status of the updated order information on the kitchen display 6.

[0051] Next, an outline of the operation of order reception and order management by the order reception system 1 will be described. FIG. 10 is a sequence chart showing the operation flow of the order reception system 1.

[0052] When a customer who has entered the store and arrived at a seat voices the order content, an order input is made to the customer microphone 3 (S1). The customer microphone 3 transmits the microphone No of its own device and the voice information of the input voice to the management server 2 (S2).

[0053] The management server 2 performs voice recognition on the input voice information and recognizes the order content indicated by the voice information (S3). Also, the management server 2 performs speaker recognition on the input voice information and confirms that the speaker of the voice information is not a store clerk (S4). By this speaker recognition, for example, even if a voice such as "Sorry to keep you waiting for the curry rice" uttered by a hall staff when providing a product is picked up by the customer microphone 3, it can be prevented from being recognized as an order. At this time, the management server 2 temporarily registers the order information. Subsequently, the management server 2 transmits the recognized order content to the display 4 corresponding to the input microphone No (S5).

[0054] The display 4 displays the received order content and a message. The message displayed by the display 4 is, for example, something that prompts the utterance of terms for confirming an order such as "Do you want to order this? If so, please say 'Yes'". When the customer checks the order content displayed on the display 4 and says "Yes", a voice of "Yes" is input to the customer microphone 3 as an order confirmation input (S6). The customer microphone 3 transmits the microphone No and the voice information of the input voice to the management server 2 (S7).

[0055] The management server 2 performs voice recognition on the input voice information and recognizes the order confirmation content indicated by the voice information (S8). Also, the management server 2 performs speaker recognition on the input voice information and confirms that the speaker of the voice information is not a store clerk (S9). Then, the management server 2 accepts the order information by updating the temporary registration of the order information associating the order content and the microphone No to permanent registration (S10). The management server 2 transmits the order information to the kitchen display 6 and the kitchen printer 7 (S11).

[0056] In the kitchen, the cook who has confirmed the order details proceeds with the cooking. When the cooking is completed, the cook utters words including the product name and a term indicating the completion of cooking, for example, "The curry is ready." It is desirable for the store to determine in advance the words uttered by the cook at the time of cooking completion. As a result, a cooking completion input is made to the cook microphone 5 (S12). The cook microphone 5 transmits the microphone No of its own device and the voice information to the management server 2 (S13).

[0057] The management server 2 performs voice recognition on the input voice information and recognizes the product name and the completion of cooking indicated by the voice information (S14). Since the cook microphone 5 does not pick up the customer's voice, the management server 2 does not need to perform speaker recognition to determine whether the input voice information is the voice of a store clerk. The management server 2 updates the status of the order information for the corresponding product to "cooking completed" (S15), and outputs information indicating that the cooking has been completed to a display provided separately in the store or to a speaker included in the headset of the hall staff (S16). As a result, the hall staff can recognize that the cooking of the product has been completed.

[0058] When providing the finished product to the customer, the hall staff utters words including the product name and a term indicating that the product has been provided, for example, "Sorry to have kept you waiting for the curry rice." It is desirable for the store to determine in advance the words uttered by the hall staff at the time of product provision. As a result, a product provided input is made to the hall staff microphone 8 (S17). The hall staff microphone 8 transmits the microphone No of its own device and the voice information to the management server 2 (S18).

[0059] The management server 2 performs voice recognition on the input voice information and recognizes the product name and the fact that the product has been provided indicated by the voice information (S19). Since the hall staff microphone 8 also does not pick up the customer's voice, the management server 2 does not need to perform speaker recognition to determine whether the input voice information is the voice of a store clerk. The management server 2 updates the status of the order information for the corresponding product to "product provided" (S20).

[0060] As described above, the management server 2 can receive customer order information by voice and manage the received order information by voice.

[0061] Next, the order reception process executed by the management server 2 will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of the order reception process by the control unit 20.

[0062] First, the control unit 20 determines whether voice information has been input to the input unit 2001 (S31). If not (N in S31), the process returns to S31 and waits. When voice information is input (Y in S31), the control unit 20 determines whether the voice information was input from the customer microphone 3 based on the microphone No. input together with the voice information (S32).

[0063] When the voice information input to the input unit 2001 was input from the customer microphone 3 (Y in S32), the determination unit 2005 determines whether the voice of the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is the voice of a store clerk (S33). If it is not the voice of a store clerk (Y in S33), the voice recognition unit 2002 determines whether the voice information indicates the order content (S34).

[0064] When the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 indicates the order content (Y in S34), the reception unit 2006 temporarily registers order information associating the microphone No. and the order content in the order management file 217 (S35), and transmits information for the customer to confirm the order to the display 4 (S35). Then, the control unit 20 returns to the process of S31.

[0065] In the process of S32, when the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is not from the customer microphone 3 (N in S32), the control unit 20 ends the order reception process. Similarly, in the process of S33, when the voice picked up by the customer microphone 3 is the voice of a store clerk (N in S33), the control unit 20 ends the order reception process.

[0066] Also, in the process of S34, if the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 does not indicate the order content (N in S34), the voice recognition unit 2002 determines whether the content recognized from the voice information is an order confirmation input (S37). If it is an order confirmation input (Y in S37), the reception unit 2006 registers the temporarily registered order information as a final registration (S38), and transmits the finally registered order information to the kitchen display 6 and the kitchen printer 7 (S39). Then, the control unit 20 ends the order reception process. In addition, in the process of S37, if the voice recognition unit 2002 determines that it is not an order confirmation input (N in S37), the control unit 20 ends the order reception process.

[0067] Subsequently, the status update process executed by the management server 2 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the flow of the status update process by the control unit 20.

[0068] First, the control unit 20 determines whether voice information has been input to the input unit 2001 (S41). If not (N in S41), the process returns to S41 and waits. When voice information is input (Y in S41), the control unit 20 determines whether the voice information was input from the cook's microphone 5 based on the microphone No. input together with the voice information (S42).

[0069] If the voice information input to the input unit 2001 was input from the cook's microphone 5 (Y in S42), the voice recognition unit 2002 determines whether the voice information indicates a product name and cooking completion (S43). If the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 indicates a product name and its cooking completion (Y in S43), the order management unit 2007 registers "cooking completed" in the status item corresponding to the product name and updates the order management file 217 (S44). If multiple identical products are registered in the order management file 217, the order management unit 2007 updates the status of the earliest registered order. In addition, by having the cook vocalize the order No. in addition to the product name and having the management server 2 recognize the order No., the order information for which the status is to be updated may be specified.

[0070] Subsequently, the order management unit 2007 outputs information indicating that the cooking is completed to a display provided separately in the store or a speaker provided in the headset of the hall staff, and notifies the hall staff (S45). Then, the control unit 20 ends the status update process. In the process of S43, if the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 does not indicate the product name and its cooking completion (N in S43), the control unit 20 skips the processes of S44 and S45 and ends the status update process.

[0071] In the process of S42, if the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is not from the cook's microphone 5 (N in S42), the control unit 20 determines whether the voice information is input from the hall staff's microphone 8 (S46).

[0072] If the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is from the hall staff's microphone 8 (Y in S46), the voice recognition unit 2002 determines whether the voice information indicates the product name and the product has been provided (S47). If the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 indicates the product name and the product has been provided (Y in S47), the order management unit 2007 registers "product provided" in the status item corresponding to the product name and updates the order management file 217 (S48). Then, the control unit 20 ends the status update process.

[0073] In the process of S46, if the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is not from the hall staff's microphone 8 (N in S46), the control unit 20 ends the status update process. Similarly, in the process of S47, if the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 does not indicate that the product has been provided (N in S47), the control unit 20 ends the status update process.

[0074] As described above, when voice information associated with a microphone number is input to the input unit 2001 of the management server 2 in the first embodiment, the management server 2 determines from which customer microphone 3 the voice information is based on the microphone number. Further, the management server 2 determines by speaker recognition that the voice information input from the customer microphone 3 is not the voice information of the store clerk. Furthermore, the management server 2 recognizes the order content from the input voice information by voice recognition. Thereby, the management server 2 can surely receive an order from the customer by voice.

[0075] Also, when voice information associated with a microphone number is input to the input unit 2001 of the management server 2 in the first embodiment, the management server 2 determines from which microphone of the store clerk the voice information is based on the microphone number. Further, the management server 2 recognizes the content for updating the status from the input voice information by voice recognition. Thereby, the management server 2 can manage order information by voice.

[0076] (Second Embodiment) Next, the second embodiment will be described. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that the number of microphones can be reduced by specifying the customer of the voice picked up by the customer microphone 3 by speaker recognition. Hereinafter, the description of the same configurations and functions as those of the first embodiment may be omitted or simplified. This is to avoid making the following description unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate the understanding of those skilled in the art.

[0077] In the present embodiment, the customer microphone 3 is not provided corresponding to the customer seats, and is configured to pick up the voices of customers in a plurality of customer seats. Also, the hall staff microphone 8 is not provided, and the customer microphone 3 is configured to pick up the voices of the hall staff as well.

[0078] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the management server 2 of the present embodiment. In the memory unit 21 of the management server 2, in addition to that of the first embodiment, a customer characteristic management file 218 is stored.

[0079] The customer characteristic management file 218 is a file that manages the characteristic data of voice information for each customer. The customer characteristic management file 218 is utilized when recognizing the speaker of the voice picked up by the customer microphone 3. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the data configuration of the customer characteristic management file 218. In the customer characteristic management file 218, each piece of information indicating the seat No and the characteristic data is associated. The customer characteristic management file 218 is an example of a customer characteristic information storage unit that associates the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit 2003 with the seat information.

[0080] In the item of the seat No, the seat No indicating the number of the customer seat is registered. In the item of the characteristic data, the information indicating the characteristic data of the voice information is registered. The information registered in these items is registered as follows. When the customer enters the store and takes a seat at the customer seat, the customer voices the seat No that identifies the customer seat where he / she is seated according to the display on the display 4. The display 4 has a display such as "Please voice the seat No of your seat". The customer microphone 3 transmits the voice information generated by the customer to the management server 2. The management server 2 causes the voice recognition unit 2002 to recognize the seat No and the characteristic extraction unit 2003 to extract the characteristic data from the voice information. The management server 2 associates these seat No and the characteristic data and registers them in the customer characteristic management file 218.

[0081] Subsequently, the functional configuration of the control unit 20 of the management server 2 will be described. FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing the main functional configuration of the control unit 20 of the management server 2. The control unit 20 functions as an input unit 2001, a voice recognition unit 2002, a characteristic extraction unit 2003, a speaker identification unit 2004, a reception unit 2006, an order management unit 2007, and a registration unit 2008 by operating according to the control program stored in the ROM 202 and the memory unit 21 by the CPU 201. Note that each of these functions may be configured by hardware such as a dedicated circuit.

[0082] Voice information is input to the input unit 2001. Specifically, the voice information of the voice picked up by the customer microphone 3 is input. The customer microphone 3 is a microphone provided in the hall and functions as a common microphone that picks up the voices of a plurality of customers and the hall staff. In addition, information in which the voice information of the voice picked up by the cook microphone 5 and the microphone No. of the cook microphone 5 are associated with each other is input to the input unit 2001.

[0083] Since the functions of the voice recognition unit 2002, the feature extraction unit 2003, and the order management unit 2007 are the same as those in the first embodiment, redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0084] The speaker identification unit 2004 compares the feature data extracted by the feature extraction unit 2003 from the voice information input to the input unit 2001 with the feature data registered in the store employee feature management file 216 and the customer feature management file 218, and identifies the speaker of the voice information input to the input unit 2001.

[0085] When the order content is included in the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002, the reception unit 2006 receives order information in which the seat information corresponding to the feature data extracted by the feature extraction unit 2003 in the customer feature information and the order content are associated with each other. Specifically, when the order content is included in the content obtained by the voice recognition unit 2002 recognizing the voice information, the reception unit 2006 refers to the customer feature management file 218 and extracts the seat No. corresponding to the feature data of the voice information. Then, the reception unit 2006 receives order information in which the order content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 and the extracted seat No. are associated with each other.

[0086] When the registration unit 2008 includes seat information for identifying the store's customer seats in the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002, the registration unit 2008 registers the customer characteristic information in which the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit 2003 is associated with the seat information. Specifically, when the content indicated by the voice information input to the input unit 2001 includes a seat number, the registration unit 2008 determines that the voice information is voice information for extracting characteristic data, and associates the characteristic data of the voice information extracted by the characteristic extraction unit 2003 with the seat number and registers (stores) it in the customer characteristic management file 218.

[0087] Next, the operation outline of order reception and order management by the order reception system 1 will be described. FIG. 16 is a sequence chart showing the operation flow of the order reception system 1.

[0088] When the customer enters the store and arrives at the customer seat, the customer voices the seat number of the seated customer seat according to the guidance displayed on the display 4. As a result, voice including the seat number is input to the customer microphone 3 (S51). The customer microphone 3 transmits the voice information of the input voice to the management server 2 (S52).

[0089] The management server 2 performs voice recognition on the input voice information, and if the recognized content includes a seat number, extracts the seat number (S53). Next, the management server 2 extracts characteristic data from the input voice information (S54), associates the extracted characteristic data with the seat number, and registers it in the customer characteristic management file 218 (S55). As a result, the seat number of the customer seat where the customer is seated is associated with the characteristics of the customer's voice.

[0090] Thereafter, when the customer voices the order content, voice including the order content is input to the customer microphone 3 (S56). The customer microphone 3 transmits the voice information of the input voice to the management server 2 (S57).

[0091] The management server 2 performs speech recognition on the input voice information, recognizes the content indicated by the voice information (S58), and performs speaker recognition if the recognized content includes an order content (S59). Specifically, the management server 2 extracts characteristic data from the input voice information, refers to the customer characteristic management file 218, and identifies the corresponding seat No. Subsequently, the management server 2 transmits the recognized order content to the display 4 corresponding to the identified seat No. (S60). At this time, the management server 2 temporarily registers order information associating the order content with the seat No.

[0092] When a voice indicating an order confirmation input is input to the customer microphone 3 (S61), the customer microphone 3 transmits the voice information of the input voice to the management server 2 (S62).

[0093] The management server 2 performs speech recognition on the input voice information and recognizes the order confirmation content indicated by the voice information (S63). In addition, the management server 2 performs speaker recognition on the input voice information and confirms that the speaker of the voice information is a customer registered in the customer characteristic management file 218 (S64). Then, the management server 2 refers to the customer characteristic management file 218 and updates the temporary registration associating the recognized order content with the seat No. to a formal registration to receive the order information. (S65). The management server 2 transmits the registered order information to the kitchen display 6 and the kitchen printer 7 (S66).

[0094] In the kitchen, the cook who has confirmed the order content performs cooking. When the cooking is completed, the cook utters words including the product name and a term indicating the completion of cooking. As a result, a cooking completion input is made to the cook microphone 5 (S67). The cook microphone 5 transmits its own microphone No and the voice information to the management server 2 (S68).

[0095] The management server 2 performs speech recognition on the input voice information, and recognizes the product name and the completion of cooking indicated by the voice information (S69). The management server 2 updates the status of the order information of the corresponding product to "cooking completed" (S70), and outputs information indicating that the cooking is completed to a display or the like provided separately in the store (S71). As a result, the hall staff can recognize that the cooking of the product is completed.

[0096] When the prepared product is provided to the customer at the customer seat, the hall staff utters words including the product name and a term indicating that the product has been provided. As a result, an input indicating that the product has been provided is made to the customer microphone 3 (S72). The customer microphone 3 transmits the voice information to the management server 2 (S73).

[0097] The management server 2 performs speech recognition on the input voice information, and recognizes the product name and the fact that the product has been provided indicated by the voice information (S74). In addition, the management server 2 performs speaker recognition on the input voice information, and confirms that the speaker of the voice information is a store employee (hall staff) registered in the store employee characteristic management file 216 (S75). The management server 2 updates the status of the order information of the corresponding product to "product provided" (S76).

[0098] As described above, the management server 2 can receive the customer's order information by voice and manage the received order information by voice without providing a microphone corresponding to each customer seat and without providing the hall staff microphone 8.

[0099] Next, the order reception process executed by the management server 2 will be described. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of the order reception process by the control unit 20.

[0100] First, the control unit 20 determines whether voice information has been input to the input unit 2001 (S81). If not (N in S81), the process returns to the process of S81 and waits. When voice information is input (Y in S81), the voice recognition unit 2002 determines whether the seat No is included in the content of the voice information (S82).

[0101] If the seat No. is included in the content of the voice information (Y in S82), the feature extraction unit 2003 extracts the feature data of the voice information input to the input unit 2001 (S83). Next, the reception unit 2006 associates the seat No. recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 with the feature data extracted by the feature extraction unit 2003 and registers them in the customer feature management file 218 (S84). Then, the control unit 20 returns to the process of S81.

[0102] In the process of S82, if the seat No. is not included in the content of the voice information (N in S82), the voice recognition unit 2002 determines whether the content of the voice information indicates an order content (S85). If it is the order content (Y in S85), the feature extraction unit 2003 extracts the feature data of the voice information (S86). The control unit 20 determines whether the extracted feature data is registered in the customer feature management file 218 (S87). If it is registered (Y in S87), the reception unit 2006 temporarily registers the order information in which the seat No. associated with the feature data is associated with the order content in the order management file 217 (S88), and transmits information for the customer to confirm the order to the display 4 (S89). Then, the control unit 20 returns to the process of S81.

[0103] In addition, in the process of S87, if the extracted feature data is not registered in the customer feature management file 218 (N in S87), the control unit 20 causes the display 4 to display an error message prompting the customer to start over from the utterance of the seat No., and ends the order reception process.

[0104] Also, in the process of S85, when the content of the voice information does not indicate the order content (N in S85), the voice recognition unit 2002 determines whether the content of the voice information is an order confirmation input (S91). If it is an order confirmation input (Y in S91), the feature extraction unit 2003 extracts the feature data of the voice information (S92). The control unit 20 determines whether the extracted feature data is registered in the customer feature management file 218 (S93). If it is registered (Y in S93), the reception unit 2006 searches the order management file 217 using the seat No associated with the feature data as a key, registers the order information including the seat No in the main register (S94), and transmits the registered order information to the kitchen display 6 and the kitchen printer 7 (S95). Then, the control unit 20 ends the order reception process.

[0105] In addition, in the process of S91, when the voice recognition unit 2002 determines that it is not an order confirmation input (N in S91), the control unit 20 ends the order reception process. Also, in the process of S93, when the extracted feature data is not registered in the customer feature management file 218 (N in S93), the control unit 20 proceeds to the process of S90.

[0106] Subsequently, the status update process executed in the management server 2 will be described. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing the flow of the status update process by the control unit 20.

[0107] First, the control unit 20 determines whether voice information has been input to the input unit 2001 (S101). If not (N in S101), it returns to the process of S101 and waits. When voice information is input (Y in S101), the feature extraction unit 2003 extracts the feature data of the input voice information (S102). The control unit 20 refers to the store employee feature management file 216 and determines whether the employee identified by the employee ID corresponding to the feature data extracted by the feature extraction unit 2003 is a cook (S103).

[0108] When the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is that of the cook (Y in S103), the voice recognition unit 2002 determines whether the voice information indicates a product name and cooking completion (S104). When the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 indicates a product name and its cooking completion (Y in S104), the order management unit 2007 registers "cooking completed" in the status item corresponding to the product name and updates the order management file 217 (S105).

[0109] Subsequently, the order management unit 2007 outputs information indicating that the cooking is completed to a display or the like separately provided in the store and notifies the hall staff (S106). Then, the control unit 20 ends the status update process. In the process of S104, when the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 does not indicate a product name and its cooking completion (N in S104), the control unit 20 skips the processes of S105 and S106 and ends the status update process.

[0110] In the process of S103, when the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is not that of the cook (N in S103), the control unit 20 refers to the store staff characteristic management file 216 and determines whether the store staff identified by the store staff ID corresponding to the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit 2003 is a hall staff (S107).

[0111] When the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is that of the hall staff (Y in S107), the voice recognition unit 2002 determines whether the voice information indicates a product name and that the product has been provided (S108). When the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 indicates a product name and that the product has been provided (Y in S108), the order management unit 2007 registers "product provided" in the status item corresponding to the product name and updates the order management file 217 (S109). Then, the control unit 20 ends the status update process.

[0112] In the process of S107, if the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is not that of the hall staff (N in S107), the control unit 20 ends the status update process. Similarly, in the process of S108, if the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 does not indicate that the product has been provided (N in S108), the control unit 20 ends the status update process.

[0113] As described above, when the content of the voice information input to the input unit 2001 includes the seat No., the management server 2 of the second embodiment associates the characteristic data of the voice information with the seat No. and registers them in the customer characteristic management file 218. Then, the management server 2 recognizes which seat No. the customer of the input voice information is by speaker recognition. In addition, the management server 2 recognizes the order content from the input voice information by voice recognition. Thereby, the management server 2 can not only reliably receive an order from the customer by voice, but also reduce the number of microphones for picking up the voice.

[0114] In addition, the management server 2 of the second embodiment determines which store employee the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is by speaker recognition. Then, the management server 2 recognizes the content for updating the status from the input voice information by voice recognition. Thereby, the management server 2 can manage the order information by voice.

[0115] As described above, the order receiving device of the above embodiment includes an input unit 2001 to which voice information associated with seat information for identifying a customer seat in a store is input, a voice recognition unit 2002 that recognizes the content indicated by the voice information input to the input unit 2001, a feature extraction unit 2003 that extracts feature data indicating the characteristics of the voice information input to the input unit 2001, and based on the feature data extracted by the feature extraction unit 2003 and the store employee characteristic information (store employee characteristic management file 216) that stores the store employee identification information for identifying a store employee in association with the feature data of the voice information, a determination unit 2005 that determines whether the speaker of the voice information input to the input unit 2001 is a store employee, and a reception unit 2006 that receives order information associating the order content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 with the seat information on the condition that the determination unit 2005 determines that the speaker of the voice information is not a store employee.

[0116] Thereby, even in a store where there are a plurality of customers, the order receiving device can surely receive an order by voice from a customer. Therefore, a customer can easily place an order without having to operate an order input device or the like.

[0117] Further, the order receiving device of the above embodiment includes an input unit 2001 to which voice information is input, a voice recognition unit 2002 that recognizes the content indicated by the voice information input to the input unit 2001, a feature extraction unit 2003 that extracts feature data indicating the characteristics of the voice information input to the input unit 2001, a registration unit 2008 that registers customer characteristic information (customer characteristic management file 218) associating the feature data extracted by the feature extraction unit 2003 with the seat information when the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 includes the seat information for identifying a customer seat in the store, and a reception unit 2006 that receives order information associating the seat information corresponding to the feature data extracted by the feature extraction unit 2003 in the customer characteristic information with the order content when the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002 includes the order content.

[0118] As a result, even in a store where there are multiple customers, the order receiving device can not only reliably receive orders placed by customers through voice, but also reduce the number of microphones for picking up the voices of customers and store clerks. Therefore, customers can easily place orders, and the store can reduce the burden on facilities.

[0119] Furthermore, the order receiving device of the above embodiment further includes an order management unit 2007 that manages the status of the order information received by the reception unit 2006 based on the content recognized by the voice recognition unit 2002.

[0120] As a result, the order receiving device can also manage the status of order information by voice. Therefore, the status management of order information can be easily performed.

[0121] In addition, the order receiving device of the above embodiment further includes a speaker identification unit 2004 that identifies the speaker of the voice information input to the input unit 2001, and the order management unit 2007 manages the status of the order information based on the speaker identification result by the speaker identification unit 2004 and the recognition content of the voice recognition unit 2002.

[0122] As a result, the order receiving device can more accurately manage the status of order information by voice.

[0123] Also, the speaker identification unit 2004 of the order receiving device of the above embodiment identifies a store clerk who is the speaker of the voice information input to the input unit 2001 based on the store clerk identification information for identifying the store clerk and the store clerk characteristic information in which the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit 2003 is associated.

[0124] As a result, when the order receiving device manages the status of order information by voice, it can reduce the number of microphones for picking up the voices of store clerks. Therefore, the store can reduce the burden on facilities.

[0125] In each of the above embodiments, the control program executed by the management server 2 may be configured to be recorded and provided on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. Further, the control program executed by the management server 2 in each of the above embodiments may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by allowing it to be downloaded via the network. Furthermore, it may be configured to be provided via a network such as the Internet.

[0126] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0127] 1 Order reception system 2 Management server (order reception device) 3 Customer microphone (customer sound collection unit) 216 Store employee characteristic management file (store employee characteristic information storage unit) 218 Customer characteristic management file (customer characteristic information storage unit) 2001 Input unit 2002 Voice recognition unit 2003 Characteristic extraction unit 2004 Speaker identification unit 2005 Judgment unit 2006 Reception unit 2007 Order management unit

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0128]

Patent Document 1

Claims

1. An input unit for inputting voice information; A voice recognition unit for recognizing the content indicated by the voice information input to the input unit; A characteristic extraction unit for extracting characteristic data indicating the characteristics of the voice information input to the input unit; A registration unit that, when the content recognized by the voice recognition unit includes seat information for identifying the customer seats in the store, associates the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit with the seat information and registers them in the customer characteristic information storage unit; An acceptance unit that, when the content recognized by the voice recognition unit includes an order content, accepts order information in which the seat information corresponding to the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit in the customer characteristic information storage unit is associated with the order content; An order reception device comprising:

2. Further comprising an order management unit for managing the status of the order information received by the acceptance unit based on the content recognized by the voice recognition unit; The order reception device according to claim 1.

3. Further comprising a speaker identification unit for identifying the speaker of the voice information input to the input unit; The order management unit manages the status of the order information based on the identification result of the speaker by the speaker identification unit and the recognition content of the voice recognition unit. The order reception device according to claim 2.

4. The speaker identification unit identifies the speaker of the voice information input to the input unit as the speaker identified by the store employee identification information that associates and stores the store employee identification information for identifying the store employee with the characteristic data in the store employee characteristic information storage unit corresponding to the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit. The order reception device according to claim 3.

5. An order reception system comprising a customer microphone unit that picks up the voice of a customer located in a customer seat of a store and outputs voice information for identifying the voice, and an order reception device that receives an order from the customer based on the voice information output by the customer microphone unit. The order receiving device is an input unit into which voice information is input, a voice recognition unit that recognizes the content indicated by the voice information input to the input unit, a characteristic extraction unit that extracts characteristic data indicating the characteristics of the voice information input to the input unit, a registration unit that, when the content recognized by the voice recognition unit includes seat information for identifying a customer seat in a store, associates the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit with the seat information and registers the result in a customer characteristic information storage unit, a reception unit that, when the content recognized by the voice recognition unit includes an order content, receives order information in which the seat information corresponding to the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit in the customer characteristic information storage unit is associated with the order content, and an order receiving system comprising the same.

6. A program for controlling an order receiving device by a computer, the computer being caused to function as an input unit into which voice information is input, a voice recognition unit that recognizes the content indicated by the voice information input to the input unit, a characteristic extraction unit that extracts characteristic data indicating the characteristics of the voice information input to the input unit, a registration unit that, when the content recognized by the voice recognition unit includes seat information for identifying a customer seat in a store, associates the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit with the seat information and registers the result in a customer characteristic information storage unit, a reception unit that, when the content recognized by the voice recognition unit includes an order content, receives order information in which the seat information corresponding to the characteristic data extracted by the characteristic extraction unit in the customer characteristic information storage unit is associated with the order content, and a program for causing the computer to function as such.

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