Order Support System, Order Support Method, and Order Support Program

Abstract

To provide an order support system configured to properly provide food and drink to a user while improving work efficiency of a kitchen in a facility, an order support method, and an order support program.SOLUTION: In an order support system 1, a control unit of an order support apparatus includes: a reception processing unit 212 which receives an order of food and drink for each table of a facility which provides the food and drink; a calculation processing unit 213 which calculates a difference of time when each of ordered food and drink is provided for each table; a determination processing unit 214 which determines whether time differences for a first table and a second table for food and drink included in a first order corresponding to the first table and food and drink included in a second order corresponding to the second table, which are cooked at a time, fall within a set time or not; and an output processing unit 215 which outputs order information including the first order and the second order when the time differences for the first table and the second table fall within the set time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] At facilities such as restaurants, for example, when a customer service staff receives an order from a user, the order details are transmitted to the kitchen, the kitchen staff performs cooking according to the order, and the customer service staff serves the cooked dishes to the user. Conventionally, a technique has been proposed to support kitchen staff by displaying the ordered dishes as images in the kitchen of a restaurant (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, from the perspective of the work efficiency of cooking operations in the kitchen at a facility, when multiple users order the same menu, it is desirable for the kitchen staff to cook the menu together. However, when attempting to improve the work efficiency in the kitchen, problems such as a delay in the time to provide food and beverages to the user or a large time difference in the timing of providing food and beverages at the same table may occur. Thus, it is difficult to appropriately provide food and beverages to the user while improving the work efficiency of the kitchen.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program that can appropriately provide food and beverages to users while improving the work efficiency of the kitchen in a facility.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The order support system according to the present invention includes a reception processing unit that receives an order for food and drink corresponding to a table in a facility that provides food and drink, and based on the cooking times of a plurality of foods and drinks included in a single order at the table, calculates a time difference, which is the elapsed time from the time when the first food and drink among the plurality of foods and drinks included in a single order at the table is provided to the time when the last food and drink is provided, and an output processing unit that, when the time difference is within a set time, outputs the order information of the plurality of foods and drinks together, and when the time difference is not within the set time, outputs the order information of the plurality of foods and drinks separately.

[0007] The order support method according to the present invention is a method in which one or more processors execute a reception step of receiving an order for food and drink corresponding to a table in a facility that provides food and drink, a calculation step of calculating a time difference, which is the elapsed time from the time when the first food and drink among a plurality of foods and drinks included in a single order at the table is provided to the time when the last food and drink is provided, based on the cooking times of the plurality of foods and drinks included in the single order at the table, and an output step of outputting the order information of the plurality of foods and drinks together when the time difference is within a set time, and outputting the order information of the plurality of foods and drinks separately when the time difference is not within the set time.

[0008] The order support program according to the present invention is a program for causing one or more processors to execute a reception step of receiving an order for food and drink corresponding to a table in a facility that provides food and drink, a calculation step of calculating a time difference, which is the elapsed time from the time when the first food and drink among a plurality of foods and drinks included in a single order at the table is provided to the time when the last food and drink is provided, based on the cooking times of the plurality of foods and drinks included in the single order at the table, and an output step of outputting the order information of the plurality of foods and drinks together when the time difference is within a set time, and outputting the order information of the plurality of foods and drinks separately when the time difference is not within the set time.

Advantages of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, there are provided an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program that can improve the working efficiency of the kitchen in a facility and appropriately provide food and drink to users.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

Figure 1

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Figure 12

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to facilitate understanding of the present invention. The following embodiments are merely examples of embodying the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

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

[0013] The order terminal 3 is installed, for example, on each table (seat, room) of a facility that can provide food and beverages, such as a restaurant or a karaoke parlor. The order terminal 3 is an operation terminal (such as a self-order terminal or a tabletop terminal) that can be operated by a user of the facility to place an order for desired food and beverages. Note that the order terminal 3 may be an operation terminal (facility terminal) operated by the customer service staff of the facility, or an operation terminal (such as a handy terminal) for inputting an order received from a user by the customer service staff. Further, the order terminal 3 may be a user terminal (such as a smartphone) owned by the user, and may be an operation terminal for the user to access the facility's website and input an order for desired food and beverages. That is, the order terminal 3 includes various operation terminals capable of receiving orders for food and beverages from users.

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

[0015] Similar to the order terminal 3, the kitchen terminal 4 is installed in a facility such as a restaurant or a karaoke parlor that can provide food and beverages. The kitchen terminal 4 acquires order information from the order support device 2 and outputs (prints or displays) an order slip on which the order information is displayed.

[0016] In this embodiment, the order support device 2 alone corresponds to the order support system according to the present invention. However, the order support system according to the present invention may include one or more components among the order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4. For example, when a plurality of components among the order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4 cooperate to share and execute various order support processes (see FIG. 12) described later, a system including the plurality of components that execute the processes can be regarded as the order support system according to the present invention. For example, the order support system according to the present invention may be composed of the order support device 2 and the kitchen terminal 4.

[0017] Hereinafter, an example will be given and described in which the order terminal 3 is installed on each table in a restaurant that provides food and beverages, one or more users using each table input an order to the order terminal 3, and the order support device 2 acquires the order from the order terminal 3 and causes the kitchen terminal 4 to output order information. The restaurant is an example of the facility of the present invention.

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

[0019] The communication I / F 24 is a communication interface for connecting the order support device 2 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and performing data communication according to a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as the order terminal 3 and the kitchen terminal 4 via the communication network N1.

[0020] The operation display unit 23 is a user interface including a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display for displaying various types of information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel for receiving operations.

[0021] The storage unit 22 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) for storing various types of information. Specifically, the storage unit 22 includes product information D1, order reception information D2, cooking time information D3, and setting information D4. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the product information D1, FIGS. 3, 5, and 6 are diagrams showing an example of the order reception information D2, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the cooking time information D3, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the setting information D4.

[0022] The product information D1 is information (menu information) regarding products (food and beverages) that can be provided in a restaurant. As shown in FIG. 2, the product information D1 includes information such as a product ID, a product name, a price, an image, and a cooking time. The product ID is identification information for the food and beverage. The product name is the name of the food and beverage. The image is a photograph or illustration representing the food and beverage. In this embodiment, for convenience, the image is represented by an image name.

[0023] In addition, in the product information D1, information on a plurality of products is registered for each menu category (genre). For example, the food and beverage with the product ID "A···" is a product included in the "set meal menu" category, the product with the product ID "B···" is a product included in the "a la carte menu" category, the product with the product ID "C···" is a product included in the "dessert menu" category, and the product with the product ID "D···" is a product included in the "drink menu" category. Each category includes a plurality of specific food and beverages. For example, the "set meal menu" includes "daily set meal", "sashimi set meal", "simmered fish set meal", etc.

[0024] The cooking time is the time required from the start to the end of cooking (preparation) of food and drink. For food and drink such as drink menus and dessert menus that do not require time for cooking and preparation, the cooking time may not be registered.

[0025] The product information D1 is pre-registered by the manager of the food and beverage store and updated as appropriate as needed. For example, the manager of the food and beverage store can access the menu registration page managed by the order support device 2 to register, edit, etc. the product information D1.

[0026] The order reception information D2 is information regarding an order received from a user via the order terminal 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the order reception information D2 includes information such as a table number, the number of users, an order number, ordered products, the number of orders, and the time difference for provision. The table number is identification information for identifying the table where the order was received. The number of users is the number of users using the table. The information on the number of users is included in the information obtained from the order terminal 3. Note that the information on the number of users may also be included in the information obtained from a facility terminal (not shown) operated by the staff of the food and beverage store, a management terminal (not shown) that manages reservations, etc. For example, when a customer service staff member asks a user who has come to the food and beverage store for the number of users when guiding the user to a table, the table number and the number of users are input into the facility terminal. When the control unit 21 obtains the information on the table number and the number of users from the facility terminal, it registers the table number and the number of users in the order reception information D2 in association with each other. Also, when the number of users is registered when the user makes a reservation at the food and beverage store, the facility terminal obtains user information (user name, number of users, etc.) from the management terminal and associates the user information with the table number of the table assigned to the user. When the control unit 21 obtains the information on the table number and the number of users from the facility terminal, it registers the table number and the number of users in the order reception information D2 in association with each other.

[0027] The order number is identification information for identifying a user's order. The control unit 21 registers a number (order number) in the order reception information D2, for example, in the order reception order from the user, that is, in the order reception order from the order terminal 3. The ordered product is information indicating the order content. In the ordered product, the product name of the product (food and drink) selected by the user among the product names included in the product information D1 is registered. Each ordered product is associated with the order number.

[0028] The order quantity is information indicating the order quantity for each food and drink. For example, when the control unit 21 receives an order for 2 servings of "Daily Set Meal" at table number "3", it registers "2" in the order quantity corresponding to the "Daily Set Meal". Thereafter, when the control unit 21 receives one order each of "Sashimi Set Meal", "Daily Set Meal", "Beer", and "Oolong Tea" at table number "2", it registers "1" in the order quantity of each ordered product. When multiple orders of the same product are received at the same table, the total order quantity is registered in the order quantity of the ordered product.

[0029] The provided time difference is information indicating the time difference in which a plurality of ordered food and drinks are provided for each table. The provided time difference corresponds to the elapsed time from the time (moment) when the first food and drink among the plurality of food and drinks included in a single order at the table is provided to the user to the time (moment) when the last food and drink is provided to the user. The provided time difference is calculated based on the cooking time for each food and drink (see Figure 2) and the cooking time when a plurality of food and drinks are cooked together (see Figure 4). Also, the provided time difference is calculated based on the cooking times of the plurality of food and drinks included in a single order at the table. Also, the provided time difference may be calculated by excluding a specific food and drink among the plurality of food and drinks included in a single order at the table. The specific food and drink is, for example, a dessert menu, a drink menu, etc.

[0030] Each time the control unit 21 receives an order from the order terminal 3, it registers order reception information D2. The order reception information D2 indicates information at the current time and is updated in real time. Note that the order reception information D2 may be used for accounting processing related to the usage fee of the user. Also, the order reception information D2 may be deleted when the accounting processing is completed or the like.

[0031] The cooking time information D3 is information regarding the cooking time when a plurality of food and drinks are cooked together. For example, in FIG. 4, “Ts11” represents the cooking time when two “daily-changing set meals” are cooked together, and “Ts12” represents the cooking time when a “daily-changing set meal” and a “sashimi set meal” are cooked together. Each cooking time is set based on the cooking time of each food and drink in the product information D1. That is, each cooking time in the cooking time information D3 is the cooking time corresponding to a combination of orders of a plurality of food and drinks. Also, here, the cooking time of a combination of two food and drinks is shown, but the cooking time of a combination of three or more food and drinks is calculated based on the cooking time of each food and drink registered in the product information D1 and the cooking time registered in the cooking time information D3.

[0032] Here, the provided time difference shown in the order reception information D2 in FIG. 3 may be the time difference when cooking together the food and drinks included in each order corresponding to a plurality of tables. For example, when the second order for table number “2” is received after the first order corresponding to table number “3” is received and before the order information of the first order is output to the kitchen terminal 4, the control unit 21 calculates the provided time difference corresponding to each table when cooking together the food and drinks of the first order and the food and drinks of the second order, and registers it in the order reception information D2. “ta3” shown in the order reception information D2 in FIG. 5 indicates the provided time difference corresponding to table number “3” when cooking together the food and drinks of the first order corresponding to table number “3” and the food and drinks of the second order corresponding to table number “2”, and “ta2” indicates the provided time difference corresponding to table number “2” when cooking together the food and drinks of the first order and the food and drinks of the second order.

[0033] For example, before outputting the order information of the first order corresponding to the table number "3" to the kitchen terminal 4 after receiving the first order, when the second order for table number "2" and the third order for table number "4" are received, the control unit 21 calculates the delivery time difference corresponding to each table when cooking the food and drinks of the first order, the second order, and the third order together, and registers it in the order reception information D2. "tc3" shown in the order reception information D2 in FIG. 6 indicates the delivery time difference corresponding to table number "3" when cooking the food and drinks of the first order, the second order, and the third order together, "tc2" indicates the delivery time difference corresponding to table number "2" when cooking the food and drinks of the first order, the second order, and the third order together, and "tc4" indicates the delivery time difference corresponding to table number "4" when cooking the food and drinks of the first order, the second order, and the third order together. In this way, every time the control unit 21 receives an order corresponding to a table, it calculates the delivery time difference corresponding to that table (see FIG. 3), and further calculates the delivery time difference corresponding to each table (see FIGS. 5 and 6) every time an order is accumulated.

[0034] The setting information D4 is information on the set time (threshold value) that defines the condition for outputting order information corresponding to an order received from a user to the kitchen terminal 4. That is, when the provided time difference is within the set time, the control unit 21 outputs the order information to the kitchen terminal 4. The set time is set by the control unit 21 according to a predetermined condition when the control unit 21 receives an order from the user. Specifically, the set time is set for each table corresponding to the received order. For example, the set time for a table with a large number of users is set to a longer time than the set time for a table with a small number of users. Also, the set time may be set based on the cooking order of food and drinks. For example, if an order corresponding to a table includes hot food and drinks such as hot pot dishes and cold food and drinks such as salads, and the cooking order is set to cook cold food and drinks first and then hot food and drinks, the set time is set to a short time (for example, "5 minutes"). On the other hand, if the cooking order is set to cook hot food and drinks first and then cold food and drinks, the set time is set to a longer time (for example, "10 minutes") than in the former case.

[0035] In this way, when the control unit 21 receives an order from the user of the table, based on information such as the number of users of the table, the content or type of food and drinks included in the order, and the cooking order, the control unit 21 sets the set time corresponding to the table and registers it in the setting information D4. Note that the control unit 21 may set the set time for each table based on information such as the time zone when the order is received (lunch time, dinner time, peak time zone, off-peak time zone, etc.), the busy situation in the kitchen, and the congestion situation in the restaurant. Also, a common time may be set in advance as the set time for each table.

[0036] Note that, as another embodiment, part or all of the information such as the product information D1, order reception information D2, cooking time information D3, and setting information D4 may be stored in a server accessible from the order terminal 3 or the order support device 2. In this case, the control unit 21 of the order support device 2 may acquire the information from the order terminal 3 or the server and execute each process such as the order support process (see FIG. 12) described later.

[0037] In addition, the storage unit 22 stores data such as the top screen (see FIG. 8), menu screen (see FIG. 9), order screen (see FIG. 10), and payment screen (not shown) displayed on the order terminal 3.

[0038] Furthermore, the storage unit 22 stores control programs such as an order support program for causing the control unit 21 to execute the order support process (see FIG. 12) described later. For example, the order support program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB, CD, or DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a USB drive, CD drive, or DVD drive electrically connected to the order support device 2 and stored in the storage unit 22. Also, the order support program may be downloaded from a server accessible from the order support device 2 and stored in the storage unit 22.

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

[0040] Incidentally, in a restaurant, from the perspective of the work efficiency of cooking operations in the kitchen, when multiple users order the same menu, it is desirable for the kitchen staff to cook the menu items together. However, if we try to improve the work efficiency in the kitchen, problems may occur such as a delay in the time to provide food and beverages to the users, or a large time difference in the timing of providing food and beverages at the same table. Thus, it is difficult to appropriately provide food and beverages to the users while improving the work efficiency of the kitchen. On the other hand, the order support device 2 according to the present embodiment can appropriately provide food and beverages to the users while improving the work efficiency of the kitchen in a restaurant.

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

[0042] The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires information on the number of users (number of users) using the restaurant and information on the table number of the table used by the user. For example, when a customer service staff asks the number of users from the user when guiding a user who has come to the restaurant to a predetermined table, the table number and the number of users are input to the facility terminal. The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires each piece of information on the table number and the number of users from the facility terminal. Also, when the user registers the number of users when making a reservation at the restaurant, the facility terminal acquires user information (user name, number of users, etc.) from the management terminal, and associates the user information with the table number of the table assigned to the user and registers them in the reservation management ledger. The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires each piece of information on the table number and the number of users from the reservation management ledger. When the acquisition processing unit 211 acquires each piece of information on the table number and the number of users, it registers the table number and the number of users in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with each other.

[0043] When each piece of information on the table number and the number of users corresponding to the table is registered in the order reception information D2, the control unit 21 permits the reception of an order from the user of the table. For example, the control unit 21 causes the order terminal 3 to display a top screen shown in FIG. 8 or the like. The control unit 21 can generate a top page corresponding to the top screen (see FIG. 8), a menu page corresponding to the menu screen (see FIG. 9), an order page corresponding to the order screen (see FIG. 10), an accounting page corresponding to an accounting screen (not shown), etc., and transmit the information of these pages to the order terminal 3 to display each page on the order terminal 3.

[0044] On the top screen shown in FIG. 8, menu buttons M1 for each category ("set meal", "single item (à la carte)", "dessert", "drink") are displayed. On the menu screen shown in FIG. 9, information on specific food and drinks included in the categories of the top screen shown in FIG. 8 is displayed. For example, on the menu screen of the "set meal menu" (see FIG. 9), information such as "daily set meal", "sashimi set meal", "simmered fish set meal", "..." is displayed. On the said menu screen, when a plurality of food and drinks do not fit on one page, they are displayed over multiple pages. For example, when the user selects "Next" on the said menu screen, the menu screen of the next page is displayed.

[0045] Also, on the menu screen shown in FIG. 9, the menu button M1 of the top screen shown in FIG. 8 and a plurality of food and drink information (image M3, product name M4, price, etc.) displayed in the menu bar M2 are displayed. The image M3 represents an image of the food and drink and has a function as a selection button for the user to select the food and drink. Also, the said menu screen includes a favorite page button M5 for moving to the favorite page, an order page button M6 for moving to the order screen (see FIG. 10), and an accounting button M7 for moving to the accounting screen.

[0046] Also, on the order screen shown in FIG. 10, a list of the food and drinks selected by the user on the menu screen is displayed. The said order screen includes an order confirmation button M8 for confirming the order of the food and drinks displayed in the list. The user performs operations such as confirming the order of the selected food and drinks by pressing the order confirmation button M8 on the said order screen, changing the quantity of the selected food and drinks, and deleting them.

[0047] In this way, when the user orders food and drinks using the order terminal 3, the user selects the desired food and drinks on the said menu screen and performs an operation to confirm the order of the selected food and drinks on the said order screen.

[0048] The reception processing unit 212 receives operations from the user on various screens displayed on the order terminal 3. For example, the reception processing unit 212 receives the user's selection operation (such as a touch operation) on each screen shown in FIGS. 8 to 10. The reception processing unit 212 may receive an order for food and drink of the user from a mobile terminal (such as a smartphone) owned by the user, or may receive an order for food and drink of the user from a mobile terminal (such as a handy terminal) held by the staff of the facility, or may receive an order for food and drink of the user from a self-order terminal (tabletop terminal) installed on the table of the facility. The reception processing unit 212 is an example of the reception processing unit of the present invention.

[0049] For example, when the user selects "set meal menu" on the top screen shown in FIG. 8, the reception processing unit 212 receives a category selection operation. In this case, the control unit 21 causes the menu screen shown in FIG. 9 corresponding to the category selection operation to be displayed on the order terminal 3. Also, for example, when the user selects "daily set meal" on the menu screen shown in FIG. 9, the reception processing unit 212 receives a product selection operation. Further, for example, when the user performs an operation to confirm the order (operation of pressing the order confirmation button M8) on the order screen shown in FIG. 10, the reception processing unit 212 receives an order confirmation operation. Here, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order confirmation operation by the user, it receives the order of the user. For example, for a table of a user group including a plurality of users, when each user of the user group selects food and drink and then performs an order confirmation operation, the reception processing unit 212 receives the order of the user group. When each user of the user group individually performs a product selection operation and an order confirmation operation, the reception processing unit 212 receives an order for each user. That is, one order received by the reception processing unit 212 may include one food and drink of one user, or may include a plurality of food and drinks of one or a plurality of users.

[0050] In addition, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order from a user, it registers the order number and information on the ordered products in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with the table number of the table used by the user. Note that a table number is associated with each order terminal 3 in advance, and the order received by the reception processing unit 212 from the order terminal 3 includes the information on the table number. Therefore, the reception processing unit 212 can grasp the table number corresponding to each order.

[0051] The setting processing unit 216 sets the setting time according to a predetermined condition. Specifically, the setting processing unit 216 sets the setting time for each table corresponding to an order received from a user. Note that the setting time is the time from when the first food or drink is provided to the user until the last food or drink is provided to the user when a plurality of foods and drinks are ordered together at a table, and is generally set to a time when the user does not feel dissatisfied with the waiting time. For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the setting time for a table with a large number of users to be longer than the setting time for a table with a small number of users. In addition, the setting processing unit 216 may set the setting time based on the content, type, cooking time, etc. of each of the plurality of foods and drinks included in the order corresponding to the table. Further, the setting processing unit 216 may set the setting time based on the cooking order of the foods and drinks included in the order corresponding to the table. For example, if the order corresponding to the table includes a hot food such as a hot pot dish and a cold food such as a salad, and the cooking order is set to cook the cold food first and then the hot food, the setting processing unit 216 sets the setting time to a short time (e.g., "5 minutes"). On the other hand, if the cooking order is set to cook the hot food first and then the cold food, the setting processing unit 216 sets the setting time to a long time (e.g., "10 minutes").

[0052] In this way, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order corresponding to a table, the setting processing unit 216 sets the setting time corresponding to the table based on information such as the number of users of the table, the content or type of food and drink included in the order, and the cooking order, and registers it in the setting information D4 (see FIG. 7). As described above, the setting processing unit 216 may set the setting time for each table based on information such as the time zone (lunch time, dinner time, peak time zone, off-peak time zone, etc.) when the order is received, the busy status of the kitchen, and the congestion status of the restaurant.

[0053] The calculation processing unit 213 calculates the provision time difference (corresponding to the time difference of the present invention) at which a plurality of ordered foods and drinks are provided for each table for which the reception processing unit 212 has received an order. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the elapsed time from the point in time when the first food and drink among the plurality of foods and drinks included in a single order at the table is provided to the user to the point in time when the last food and drink is provided to the user as the provision time difference. Note that the elapsed time can be represented by the difference between the cooking completion time of the food and drink that is the first to be cooked (completed) among the plurality of foods and drinks included in the order for the table and the cooking completion time of the food and drink that is the last to be cooked among the plurality of foods and drinks. The calculation processing unit 213 calculates the provision time difference based on the cooking time for each food and drink (see FIG. 2) and the cooking time when a plurality of foods and drinks are cooked together (see FIG. 4). In addition, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the provision time difference based on the cooking times of the plurality of foods and drinks included in a single order at the table. Further, the calculation processing unit 213 may calculate the provision time difference by excluding specific foods and drinks, such as dessert menus and drink menus, among the plurality of foods and drinks included in a single order at the table. The calculation processing unit 213 registers the calculated provision time difference in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3).

[0054] In addition, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the provision time difference when cooking the food and beverages included in each order corresponding to a plurality of tables together. As described above, for example, before the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the first order to the kitchen terminal 4 after the reception processing unit 212 receives the first order corresponding to the table number "3", if the reception processing unit 212 further receives the second order of the table number "2", the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the provision time difference corresponding to each table when cooking the food and beverages of the first order and the food and beverages of the second order together, and registers it in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 5). Also, for example, before the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the first order to the kitchen terminal 4 after the reception processing unit 212 receives the first order corresponding to the table number "3", if the reception processing unit 212 further receives the second order of the table number "2" and the third order of the table number "4", the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the provision time difference corresponding to each table when cooking the food and beverages of the first order, the food and beverages of the second order, and the food and beverages of the third order together, and registers it in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 6). The calculation processing unit 213 is an example of the calculation processing unit of the present invention.

[0055] The determination processing unit 214 determines whether or not each provision time difference corresponding to each table is within the set time when cooking a plurality of food and beverages included in each order corresponding to a plurality of tables together. For example, the determination processing unit 214 determines whether or not the provision time difference "ta3" (see FIG. 5) corresponding to the table number "3" is within the set time "T3" (see FIG. 7) when cooking the food and beverages included in the first order corresponding to the table number "3" and the food and beverages included in the second order corresponding to the table number "2" together, and whether or not the provision time difference "ta2" (see FIG. 5) corresponding to the table number "2" is within the set time "T2" (see FIG. 7) when cooking the food and beverages of the first order and the second order together. The determination processing unit 214 is an example of the determination processing unit of the present invention.

[0056] The output processing unit 215 outputs the order information (order information F1) received by the reception processing unit 212 to the kitchen terminal 4. Specifically, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 including the order details of the food and beverages ordered by the user, the table number of the table used by the user, and the order number to the kitchen terminal 4. The order information F1 may include the order date and time (reception date and time). That is, the output processing unit 215 may display the order information and the reception time at which the reception processing unit 212 received the order on the order slip. Further, the output processing unit 215 causes the kitchen terminal 4 to output (print or display) an order slip including the order details, the table number, and the order number. The output processing unit 215 is an example of the output processing unit of the present invention.

[0057] Here, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the order when a predetermined time has elapsed since the reception processing unit 212 received the order. For example, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the reception processing unit 212 received the order for table number "3", the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the order to the kitchen terminal 4. As a result, each order information F1 is stored in the order support device 2 for a predetermined time. Therefore, for example, if the order support device 2 receives an order for table number "2" before a predetermined time has elapsed since it received an order for table number "3", it becomes possible to accumulate the information of these orders. Then, when the order information F1 of a plurality of tables is accumulated, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the respective delivery time differences corresponding to each table when cooking a plurality of food and beverages included in these orders together (see FIGS. 5 and 6), and the determination processing unit 214 determines whether each delivery time difference is within the set time (see FIG. 7). As another embodiment, the output processing unit 215 may output the order information F1 of the order when the number of orders for food and beverages included in the order received by the reception processing unit 212 exceeds a predetermined number.

[0058] When the output processing unit 215 cooks the plurality of food and drinks included in each order corresponding to a plurality of tables together, and when each time difference in provision corresponding to each table is within the set time, the order information F1 including these orders is output to the kitchen terminal 4. For example, when cooking the food and drinks included in the first order corresponding to table number "3" and the food and drinks included in the second order corresponding to table number "2" together, when the time difference in provision "ta3" (see Fig. 5) corresponding to table number "3" is within the set time "T3" (see Fig. 7), and when the time difference in provision "ta2" (see Fig. 5) corresponding to table number "2" when cooking the food and drinks of the first order and the second order together is within the set time "T2" (see Fig. 7), the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 corresponding to table number "3" and the order information F1 corresponding to table number "2" to the kitchen terminal 4 together.

[0059] Also, for example, when cooking the food and drinks included in the first order corresponding to table number "3", the food and drinks included in the second order corresponding to table number "2", and the food and drinks included in the third order corresponding to table number "4" together, when the time difference in provision "tc3" (see Fig. 6) corresponding to table number "3" is within the set time "T3" (see Fig. 7), and when the time difference in provision "tc2" (see Fig. 6) corresponding to table number "2" when cooking the food and drinks of the first order, the second order, and the third order together is within the set time "T2" (see Fig. 7), and further, when the time difference in provision "tc4" (see Fig. 6) corresponding to table number "4" when cooking the food and drinks of the first order, the second order, and the third order together is within the set time "T4" (see Fig. 7), the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 corresponding to table number "3", the order information F1 corresponding to table number "2", and the order information F1 corresponding to table number "4" to the kitchen terminal 4 together.

[0060] In addition, for example, if no order from another table is received until a predetermined time has elapsed after the reception processing unit 212 receives an order with table number "3", the output processing unit 215 outputs only the order information F1 corresponding to the order with table number "3" to the kitchen terminal 4. Further, when the time difference between the respective provision times corresponding to each table when cooking a plurality of food and drinks included in the respective orders corresponding to a plurality of tables together does not fall within the set time, the output processing unit 215 outputs the respective order information of the plurality of orders to the kitchen terminal 4 separately.

[0061] In this way, the control unit 21 outputs one or a plurality of order information F1 so that the time (waiting time) for providing food and drinks to the user does not become late due to the time difference between provisions calculated for each table exceeding the set time. Further, the control unit 21 outputs the order information F1 of a plurality of tables to the kitchen terminal 4 together while considering the waiting time of the user so as to improve the working efficiency of the kitchen.

[0062] [Order Terminal 3] As shown in FIG. 1, the order terminal 3 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, an operation display unit 33, a communication I / F 34, and the like. The order terminal 3 is, for example, a self-order terminal installed at each table in a restaurant.

[0063] The communication I / F 34 is a communication interface for connecting the order terminal 3 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and performing data communication according to a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as the order support device 2 and the kitchen terminal 4 via the communication network N1.

[0064] The operation display unit 33 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display for displaying various types of information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel for receiving operations. The operation display unit 33 displays a top screen (see FIG. 8), a menu screen (see FIG. 9), and an order screen (see FIG. 10) for receiving an order operation of food and drink from the user, and a payment screen (not shown) for receiving a payment operation from the user. The operation display unit 33 is configured by, for example, a touch panel and receives a touch operation of the user.

[0065] The storage unit 32 is a non-volatile storage unit such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory for storing various types of information. For example, a control program such as a browser program is stored in the storage unit 32. Specifically, the browser program is a control program for causing the control unit 31 to execute communication processing with an external device such as the order support device 2 according to a communication protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

[0066] The control unit 31 includes control devices such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as BIOS and OS for causing the CPU to execute various processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit for storing various types of information and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for various processes executed by the CPU. Then, the control unit 31 controls the order terminal 3 by causing the CPU to execute various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 32.

[0067] Specifically, the control unit 31 functions as a browser processing unit 311 by executing various processes according to the browser program stored in the storage unit 32. The browser processing unit 311 can execute browser processing to display various information (such as a top screen, a menu screen, an order screen, an accounting screen, etc.) provided from the order support device 2 via the communication network N1 on the operation display unit 33 and input an operation on the operation display unit 33 to the order support device 2. Note that some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 31 may be configured by electronic circuits.

[0068] [Kitchen terminal 4] As shown in FIG. 1, the kitchen terminal 4 includes a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, an operation display unit 43, a communication I / F 44, etc. The kitchen terminal 4 is an information processing device such as a printer device, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. Note that the kitchen terminal 4 may further have the same functions as the order support device 2 or may be an information processing device integrated with the order support device 2. Here, it is assumed that the kitchen terminal 4 is a printer device installed in the kitchen of a restaurant.

[0069] The communication I / F 44 is a communication interface for connecting the kitchen terminal 4 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and executing data communication according to a predetermined communication protocol with external devices such as the order support device 2 and the order terminal 3 via the communication network N1.

[0070] The operation display unit 43 is a user interface including a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display for displaying information such as various web pages and an operation unit such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a touch panel for receiving operations.

[0071] The storage unit 42 is a non-volatile storage unit such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), or flash memory that stores various types of information. For example, the storage unit 42 stores a control program for transmitting and receiving various types of information between the order support device 2 and the order terminal 3. For example, the control program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a CD drive or DVD drive that is electrically connected to the kitchen terminal 4 and stored in the storage unit 42. Further, a control program such as an order support program for causing the control unit 41 to execute an order support process (see FIG. 12) described later may be stored in the storage unit 42.

[0072] The control unit 41 includes control devices such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as BIOS and OS for causing the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes are pre-stored. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various types of information, and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for various processes executed by the CPU. Then, the control unit 41 controls the kitchen terminal 4 by causing the CPU to execute various control programs pre-stored in the ROM or the storage unit 42.

[0073] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 41 includes various processing units such as an acquisition processing unit 411 and an output processing unit 412. Note that the control unit 41 functions as the various processing units by causing the CPU to execute various processes according to the control program. Also, some or all of the processing units may be configured by electronic circuits. Note that the control program may be a program for causing a plurality of processors to function as the processing units.

[0074] The acquisition processing unit 411 acquires the order information F1 output from the order support device 2. For example, when the order support device 2 outputs the order information F1 corresponding to the table number "3" and the order information F1 corresponding to the table number "2" together (see FIG. 5), the acquisition processing unit 411 acquires the order information F1 of the table numbers "3" and "2". Also, for example, when the order support device 2 outputs the order information F1 corresponding to the table number "3", the order information F1 corresponding to the table number "2", and the order information F1 corresponding to the table number "4" together (see FIG. 6), the acquisition processing unit 411 acquires the order information F1 of the table numbers "3", "2", and "4".

[0075] The output processing unit 412 outputs the information acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411 to the outside. Specifically, the output processing unit 412 causes the order information F1 acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411 to be output to the outside. For example, a roll paper is set in the kitchen terminal 4, and a transport unit (not shown) for transporting the roll paper, an image forming unit (not shown) for forming an image on the roll paper, a cutting unit (not shown) for cutting the roll paper at a predetermined position, etc. are provided.

[0076] For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when the order information F1 is acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411, the output processing unit 412 causes the image forming unit to execute a printing process of printing (black and white printing) the order information F1 on the order ticket T1. Specifically, every time image data corresponding to the order information F1 is input, the output processing unit 412 causes the image forming unit to execute a printing process of forming (black and white printing) an image of the order content corresponding to the image data on the roll paper, and then causes the cutting unit to execute a cutting process of cutting the roll paper at a predetermined position and discharging it to the outside. Thereby, one order ticket T1 is created for each order.

[0077] FIG. 11 corresponds to the order information F1 shown in FIG. 5, and the order tickets T1 of the order information F1 of the table numbers "3" and "2" are output together, and the order tickets T1 of the order information F1 of the table numbers "4" and "1" are output together.

[0078] When the kitchen staff receives the order ticket T1, they prepare the food and beverages according to the order. For example, as shown in Fig. 11, when the kitchen staff obtains the order tickets T1 for the "daily set meal" of table numbers "3" and "2", they prepare a total of 3 "daily set meals". The customer service staff serves 2 "daily set meals" to the users at table number "3" and 1 "daily set meal" to the users at table number "2". Also, when the kitchen staff obtains the order ticket T1 for the "sashimi set meal", they prepare the "sashimi set meal", and the customer service staff serves the "sashimi set meal" to the users at table number "2". Additionally, when the kitchen staff obtains the order tickets T1 for "beer" and "oolong tea", they prepare them, and the customer service staff serves "beer" and "oolong tea" to the users at table number "2". In this way, the kitchen staff can prepare the same order (food and beverages) together, and the customer service staff can serve the food and beverages together.

[0079] Each order ticket T1 includes the date and time when the order was received (receiving date and time, order date and time). Therefore, the kitchen staff can grasp the elapsed time from the time when each user actually placed the order (the time of the order confirmation operation), and thus it is possible to adjust the priority of cooking and preparing the ordered food and beverages.

[0080] [Order Support Processing] Next, with reference to Fig. 12, the order support processing executed in the order support system 1 will be described. Specifically, in this embodiment, the order support processing is executed by the control unit 21 of the order support device 2. Also, the control unit 21 can execute the order support processing in parallel corresponding to each order terminal 3 in response to the access from each order terminal 3. Note that the control unit 21 may end the order support processing midway through a predetermined operation of the order terminal 3.

[0081] Incidentally, the present invention can be regarded as an invention of an order support method for executing one or more steps included in the order support process. Further, one or more steps included in the order support process described herein may be appropriately omitted. Note that the execution order of each step in the order support process may be different as long as the same operational effects are produced. Furthermore, although the case where each step in the order support process is executed by the control unit 21 is described as an example here, an order support method in which each step in the order support process is distributed and executed by a plurality of processors is also conceivable as another embodiment.

[0082] In step S11, the control unit 21 acquires the number of users (number of users) who have come to the restaurant and the table number of the table used by the user. For example, when a restaurant staff registers information indicating that a user has come to the store, the control unit 21 acquires the number of users and the table number corresponding to the user from the facility terminal (reservation management ledger).

[0083] Next, in step S12, the control unit 21 causes the order terminal 3 to display an order reception screen (such as a top screen or a menu screen) for receiving an order for food and beverages provided by the restaurant. For example, the control unit 21 causes the top screen shown in FIG. 8 to be displayed on the order terminal 3 installed at the table with the table number used by the user. Further, when any menu button M1 is selected on the top screen shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 21 causes the menu screen shown in FIG. 9 to be displayed on the order terminal 3.

[0084] Next, in step S13, the control unit 21 determines whether it has received the user's order via the order terminal 3. If it is determined by the control unit 21 that the user's order has been received (S13: Yes), the process proceeds to step S14. The control unit 21 waits until it receives the user's order (S13: No). For example, when a user at the table with table number "3" uses the order terminal 3 to select and order (order confirmation operation) two "daily set meals", the control unit 21 receives the order of the user. Further, the control unit 21 registers information on the order number corresponding to the user's order, the ordered product "daily set meal", and the order quantity "2" in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with the table number "3". Step S13 is an example of the reception step of the present invention.

[0085] In step S14, the control unit 21 starts measuring the elapsed time from the time when the order is received. For example, when a user at the table with table number "3" performs an order confirmation operation for two "daily set meals", the control unit 21 receives the order and starts measuring the elapsed time. Note that the control unit 21 may register the measured elapsed time information in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with the table number "3".

[0086] Next, in step S15, the control unit 21 sets the set time for the table corresponding to the received order. Specifically, the control unit 21 sets the set time based on the number of users using the table, the content, type, cooking time, cooking order, etc. of the food and drinks included in the table's order. Further, the control unit 21 may set the set time for each table based on information such as the time zone when the order is received (lunch time, dinner time, peak time zone, off-peak time zone, etc.), the busy status of the kitchen, and the congestion status of the restaurant. For example, the control unit 21 sets the set time "T3" corresponding to the table number "3". The control unit 21 registers the set time "T3" information in the setting information D4 (see FIG. 7) in association with the table number "3". Note that the control unit 21 may preset the set time common to each table.

[0087] Next, in step S16, the control unit 21 calculates the provided time difference corresponding to the table of the received order. For example, the control unit 21 calculates the provided time difference ("t3") for providing two "daily-changing set meals" corresponding to the order of table number "3". Usually, in the case of the same or similar menus, the provided time difference becomes shorter. Note that the control unit 21 may calculate the provided time difference by excluding specific food and drinks, such as dessert menus and drink menus, among the multiple food and drinks included in a single order at a table. For example, in the case of the order of table number "2" (see FIG. 3), the control unit 21 calculates the difference between the provision time to the user of the "sashimi set meal" and the provision time to the user of the "daily-changing set meal" as the provided time difference ("t2") excluding "beer" and "oolong tea". Step S16 is an example of the calculation step of the present invention.

[0088] Next, in step S17, the control unit 21 determines whether the elapsed time from the time when the order was received is equal to or more than the predetermined time. If the elapsed time is equal to or more than the predetermined time (S17: Yes), the process proceeds to step S18. If the elapsed time is less than the predetermined time (S17: No), the process proceeds to step S171.

[0089] In step S171, the control unit 21 determines whether it has received an order from a user at another table via the order terminal 3. That is, the control unit 21 determines whether it has received an order from another table (for example, table number "2") different from the table (for example, table number "3") of the order received in step S13. If it is determined by the control unit 21 that an order from a user at another table has been received (S171: Yes), the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, if it is determined by the control unit 21 that an order from a user at another table has not been received (S171: No), the process proceeds to step S17.

[0090] When returning to step S15, the setting time corresponding to the other table is set. In the above example, the control unit 21 sets the setting time "T2" corresponding to the table number "2". The control unit 21 registers the information of the set setting time "T2" in the setting information D4 (see FIG. 7) in association with the table number "2". Further, in the subsequent step S16, the control unit 21 calculates the provided time difference corresponding to the other table. In the above example, the control unit 21 calculates the provided time difference ("t2") corresponding to the table number "2". Also, the control unit 21 calculates the provided time difference when cooking the food and drinks included in each order corresponding to a plurality of tables together. For example, the control unit 21 calculates the provided time difference "ta3" corresponding to the table number "3" and the provided time difference "ta2" corresponding to the table number "2" when cooking the food and drinks of the order of the table number "3" and the food and drinks of the order of the table number "2" together. The control unit 21 registers each calculated provided time difference in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 5).

[0091] Also, before the elapsed time becomes equal to or more than the predetermined time (S17: No), if the control unit 21 further receives an order from a user of another table (for example, table number "4") via the order terminal 3 (S171: Yes), the process shifts back to step S15 again. The control unit 21 sets the setting time "T4" corresponding to the table number "4" (see FIG. 7), calculates the provided time difference ("t4") corresponding to the table number "4" (see FIG. 3), and further calculates the provided time difference "tc3" corresponding to the table number "3", the provided time difference "tc2" corresponding to the table number "2", and the provided time difference "tc4" corresponding to the table number "4" when cooking the food and drinks of the order of the table number "3", the food and drinks of the order of the table number "2", and the food and drinks of the order of the table number "4" together (see FIG. 6).

[0092] When the elapsed time becomes equal to or longer than the predetermined time in step S17 (S17: Yes), in step S18, the control unit 21 determines whether the number of tables of the received orders is plural. When the number of tables of the received orders is plural (S18: Yes), the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, when the number of tables of the received orders is not plural (S18: No), the process proceeds to step S21.

[0093] In step S19, the control unit 21 determines whether the provided time difference is within the set time. Here, the control unit 21 determines whether each provided time difference corresponding to each of the plurality of tables is within the set time. For example, the control unit 21 determines whether the provided time difference “ta3” corresponding to the table number “3” is the set time “T3” (see FIG. 7) corresponding to the table number “3”. Also, the control unit 21 determines whether the provided time difference “ta2” corresponding to the table number “2” is the set time “T2” (see FIG. 7) corresponding to the table number “2”. When each provided time difference corresponding to each of the plurality of tables is within the set time (S19: Yes), the process proceeds to step S20. On the other hand, when at least any one of the provided time differences corresponding to each of the plurality of tables is not within the set time (S19: No), the process proceeds to step S21. Step S19 is an example of the determination step of the present invention.

[0094] In step S20, the control unit 21 outputs the information of the plurality of received orders (order information F1) to the kitchen terminal 4. For example, the control unit 21 outputs the order information F1 of the order corresponding to the table number “3” and the order information F1 of the order corresponding to the table number “2” to the kitchen terminal 4 together. Also for example, the control unit 21 outputs the order information F1 of the order corresponding to the table number “3”, the order information F1 of the order corresponding to the table number “2”, and the order information F1 of the order corresponding to the table number “4” to the kitchen terminal 4 together. When the kitchen terminal 4 acquires the order information F1 corresponding to a plurality of tables, it outputs an order ticket T1 (see FIG. 10) indicating the order information F1 corresponding to each table.

[0095] In step S21, the control unit 21 outputs the information of one order (order information F1) received in step S13 to the kitchen terminal 4. For example, the control unit 21 outputs the order information F1 of the order corresponding to the table number "3" to the kitchen terminal 4. When the kitchen terminal 4 acquires the order information F1 corresponding to one table, it outputs an order ticket T1 indicating the order information F1 corresponding to the table. That is, when the respective provided time differences corresponding to each of the plurality of tables do not fall within the set time, the control unit 21 outputs each order information separately. Steps S20 and S21 are an example of the output step of the present invention. The order support process is performed as described above.

[0096] Here, while each of the provided time differences corresponding to the first order and the second order received within the predetermined time is within the set time, when each of the provided time differences corresponding to the first order, the second order, and the third order received within the predetermined time is not within the set time, the control unit 21 separately outputs the order information F1 of the first order and the second order and the order information F1 of the third order to the kitchen terminal 4.

[0097] As described above, the order support system 1 according to the present embodiment receives orders for food and beverages for each table in a restaurant that provides food and beverages, and calculates the difference in the provision times at which a plurality of ordered food and beverages are provided for each table. Then, the order support system 1 determines whether or not the provision time differences corresponding to the first table and the second table are within the set time when cooking the food and beverages included in the first order corresponding to the first table and the food and beverages included in the second order corresponding to the second table together, and when the provision time differences corresponding to the first table and the second table are within the set time, outputs order information including the first order and the second order. That is, even when cooking the food and beverages of the first order and the food and beverages of the second order together, if it is possible to provide both the food and beverages of the first order and the food and beverages of the second order within the set time, the order support device 2 outputs the first order and the second order together to the kitchen terminal 4. Thereby, it is possible to minimize the deviation in the provision timing of food and beverages among a plurality of users using the table, and to improve the work efficiency of the kitchen.

[0098] Further, the set time is set based on information such as the number of users using the table, the content, type, cooking time, cooking order of the food and beverages included in the order of the table, the time zone when the order was received (lunch time, dinner time, busy time zone, slack time zone, etc.), the busy situation of the kitchen, and the congestion situation of the restaurant. Thereby, it is possible to determine the output timing of the order information F1 according to the usage status of the table, the congestion situation of the restaurant, and the like.

[0099] Further, according to the order support system 1, for example, since the order information F1 of a plurality of tables can be output together, it is possible to reduce communication traffic and effectively utilize computer resources compared to the case of outputting the order information F1 individually.

[0100] The order support system of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The order support system of the present invention may be, for example, the following embodiment.

[0101] As another embodiment of the present invention, when the elapsed time from receiving the first order to receiving the second order is within a first predetermined time and the elapsed time from receiving the second order to receiving the third order is within a second predetermined time, the control unit 21 may output order information including the first order, the second order, and the third order. For example, when the control unit 21 receives an order for table number "2" within the first predetermined time after receiving an order for table number "3", and receives an order for table number "4" within the second predetermined time after receiving the order for table number "2", and the provided time difference corresponding to each order is within the set time, the control unit 21 collectively outputs the order information including the first order, the second order, and the third order to the kitchen terminal 4. In this case, the first predetermined time is a time shorter than the elapsed time from receiving the first order to receiving the third order. Therefore, when the control unit 21 has not received the third order when the first predetermined time is reached, the control unit 21 outputs the order information F1 including the first order and the second order.

[0102] Note that the predetermined time (including the first predetermined time and the second predetermined time) in the present embodiment may be set based on information such as the number of users using the table, the content, type, cooking time, cooking order of the food and drinks included in the table order, the time zone when the order is received (lunch time, dinner time, peak time zone, off-peak time zone, etc.), the busy situation in the kitchen, and the congestion situation in the restaurant.

[0103] As another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 21 may set a limit time for the time from receiving an order to providing the ordered goods to the user at each table. Specifically, when the difference in the provision times corresponding to the first table and the second table is within the set time, and all the food and drinks included in the order can be provided within the limit time after receiving the first order and the second order corresponding to the first table and the second table respectively, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information including the first order and the second order. The limit time is an example of the specific time of the present invention. Thereby, while suppressing the time difference in the provision timing of the ordered goods among the users at each table, it becomes possible to provide the ordered goods to each user within the limit time. The limit time may be set to different times for each table, or a common time may be set for each table.

[0104] As another embodiment of the present invention, the output processing unit 215 may output the order information F1 of the order when the number of orders for food and drinks included in the order received by the reception processing unit 212 exceeds a predetermined number. For example, the control unit 21 calculates the number of orders by adding the number of food and drinks in the order received by the reception processing unit 212. Also, the control unit 21 updates the total number of orders each time an order is received. Then, when the number of orders exceeds the predetermined number, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 corresponding to the number of orders to the kitchen terminal 4. Therefore, when the difference in the provision times corresponding to each of the plurality of tables received by the reception processing unit 212 is within the set time until the number of orders exceeds the predetermined number, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information including the orders corresponding to each of the plurality of tables.

[0105] Note that the predetermined number may be set based on information such as the number of users using the table, the content, type, cooking time, cooking order of the food and drinks included in the table order, the time zone when the order is received (lunch time, dinner time, peak time zone, off-peak time zone, etc.), the busy situation in the kitchen, and the congestion situation in the restaurant.

[0106] As another embodiment of the present invention, when the delivery time difference corresponding to the first table is within the set time when a plurality of food and beverages included in the first order of the first table are cooked together, the order support system may output the order information of the plurality of food and beverages together. Further, when the delivery time difference corresponding to the first table is not within the set time when a plurality of food and beverages included in the first order of the first table are cooked together, the order support system outputs the order information of the food and beverages for which the delivery time difference is within the set time when cooked together among the plurality of food and beverages.

[0107] As described above, the output processing unit 215 is configured to be able to output order information corresponding to the order of food and beverages when a predetermined time has elapsed since the order of food and beverages was received by the reception processing unit 212. For this reason, the order support system (control unit 21) may, for example, output the order information of the first order and the second order together when the second order is received before the elapsed time from the time when the first order was received exceeds the predetermined time, and output the order information of the first order and the order information of the second order separately when the second order is received after the elapsed time from the time when the first order was received exceeds the predetermined time. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the elapsed time from the time when the cooking of the first food and beverage received first among the plurality of food and beverages included in one order at the table starts to the time when the cooking of the second food and beverage received last starts, and the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information of the first food and beverage and the second food and beverage together when the elapsed time is within the predetermined time, and outputs the order information of the first food and beverage and the second food and beverage separately when the elapsed time exceeds the predetermined time. Note that the calculation processing unit 213 may calculate the elapsed time based on the cooking time of the first food and beverage (see FIG. 2) or the cooking time of each of the plurality of food and beverages received before receiving the order of the second food and beverage.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0108] 1: Order support system 2: Order support device 3: Order terminal 4: Kitchen terminal 211: Acquisition processing unit 212: Reception processing unit 213: Calculation processing unit 214: Judgment processing unit 215: Output processing unit 216: Setting processing unit 217: Calculation processing unit 411: Acquisition processing unit 412: Output processing unit

Claims

1. A reception processing unit that receives an order for food and drink corresponding to a table in a facility that provides food and drink; A calculation processing unit that calculates a time difference, which is the elapsed time from the start time of cooking the first food and drink among the plurality of food and drink included in the order to the start time of cooking the last food and drink, based on the cooking times of the plurality of food and drink included in the order at the table; An output processing unit that outputs the order information of the plurality of food and drink together when the time difference when the plurality of food and drink included in the order are cooked together is within a predetermined time, and outputs the order information of the plurality of food and drink separately when the time difference does not fall within the predetermined time; An order support system comprising the above.

2. The calculation processing unit calculates the time difference based on the cooking time for each food and drink and the cooking time when a plurality of food and drink are cooked together. The order support system according to Claim 1.

3. A reception step of receiving an order for food and drink corresponding to a table in a facility that provides food and drink; A calculation step of calculating a time difference, which is the elapsed time from the start time of cooking the first food and drink among the plurality of food and drink included in the order to the start time of cooking the last food and drink, based on the cooking times of the plurality of food and drink included in the order at the table; An output step of outputting the order information of the plurality of food and drink together when the time difference when the plurality of food and drink included in the order are cooked together is within a predetermined time, and outputting the order information of the plurality of food and drink separately when the time difference does not fall within the predetermined time; An order support method executed by one or more processors.

4. A reception step of receiving an order for food and drink corresponding to a table in a facility that provides food and drink; A calculation step of calculating a time difference, which is the elapsed time from the start time of cooking the first food and drink among the plurality of food and drink included in the order to the start time of cooking the last food and drink, based on the cooking times of the plurality of food and drink included in the order at the table; An output step of outputting the order information of the plurality of food and drink together when the time difference when the plurality of food and drink included in the order are cooked together is within a predetermined time, and outputting the order information of the plurality of food and drink separately when the time difference does not fall within the predetermined time; An order support program for causing one or more processors to execute.

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