Order management device, order management method, and order management program

Abstract

To provide an order management device, an order management method, and an order management program that allow for the management of cooking, serving, or provision of an order for each customer group when orders are accepted through terminal devices owned by a customers.SOLUTION: In an order management system composed of including an order management device, a server, an accounting device, a printer, a handheld terminal, and terminal devices, the order management device 10 includes: a reception unit 101 that communicates with the plurality of terminal devices and accepts, from the plurality of terminal devices, orders from customers, which include an identifier for identifying, as one unit, one or more customers guided to one area; and a grouping unit 102 that groups a plurality of orders accepted within a predetermined period according to each identifier.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosed technology relates to an order management device, an order management method, and an order management program. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, in restaurants, orders for each customer are managed by receiving orders from an ordering device installed in an area where customers are guided (for example, a table).

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a restaurant operation management system comprising a first mobile communication terminal operated by a restaurant staff member to input and send order information, a second mobile communication terminal to which various information owned by customers can be input and sent, a restaurant control device that compiles and manages the order information, and a management control device that transmits and receives information between the first mobile communication terminal, the second mobile communication terminal, and the restaurant control device via communication lines and provides an information processing site that processes information related to the management and operation of the restaurant, wherein the management control device has a customer order site on the information processing site where customers can input and send order information, the first mobile communication terminal displays a two-dimensional code that records access information for accessing the customer order site, and when the second mobile communication terminal operated by a customer accesses the customer order site based on the access information read from the two-dimensional code and inputs and sends order information, the received order information is sent to the restaurant control device, and the restaurant control device compiles and manages the order information transmitted from the second mobile communication terminal operated by the customer together with the order information transmitted from the first mobile communication terminal operated by the staff member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-124694 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the technology of Patent Document 1, when customers order food using their own terminal devices, orders are accepted on a per-terminal basis, which can make it difficult to determine whether orders are from customers in the same area during the cooking, serving, or serving stages. For example, if cooking instruction slips are printed in the order in which the orders are received, order slips from various areas may be printed out of order by customer group. As a result, when cooking for each customer group, employees may make mistakes in the cooking order or serving destination.

[0006] The disclosed technology aims to provide an order management device, an order management method, and an order management program that can manage the cooking, serving, or provision of orders for each customer group when accepting orders through terminal devices owned by customers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The order management device according to the first aspect is an order management device that communicates with a plurality of terminal devices, and includes a reception unit that receives orders from the plurality of terminal devices, each of which includes an identifier that identifies one or more customers guided to an area as a single unit, and a grouping unit that groups the orders received within a predetermined period of time by the identifier.

[0008] In the first aspect, orders are grouped by the identifier included in the order, and therefore, according to the first aspect, cooking, serving, or serving of orders can be managed for each customer group.

[0009] The order management device of the second aspect is the order management device of the first aspect, wherein the grouping unit groups the orders received within a period set according to the number of customers or the number of terminal devices per unit from the time the first ungrouped order is received, by identifier.

[0010] According to the second aspect, when the number of customers in a group is large, the number of orders to be grouped in one output can be increased by lengthening the waiting time for grouping orders.

[0011] The order management device according to the third aspect is the order management device according to the first or second aspect, wherein the grouping unit makes the period longer when the customer places an order for the first time in the unit than when the customer places an additional order.

[0012] According to the third aspect, the waiting time for grouping orders can be lengthened to accommodate the fact that a larger proportion of customers place initial orders than additional orders.

[0013] The order management device according to a fourth aspect is the order management device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the grouping unit extends the period each time an order is received, within a range not exceeding a predetermined upper limit.

[0014] According to the fourth aspect, it may be possible to group additional orders that are placed after an additional order has been placed. Also, according to the fourth aspect, it is possible to prevent the waiting time for grouping from becoming endlessly long.

[0015] The order management device of the fifth aspect is an order management device of any one of the first to fourth aspects, and includes an output unit that outputs the grouped orders received within the period after the period has elapsed.

[0016] According to the fifth aspect, the grouped orders are received by an external device or displayed on a display unit, so that the external device or a staff member can manage the cooking, serving or provision of the orders.

[0017] The order management device of the sixth aspect is the order management device of the fifth aspect, wherein if the output unit receives orders from the same number of terminal devices as the number of customers in one unit corresponding to the identifier within the period, it outputs the grouped orders without waiting for the period to elapse.

[0018] According to the sixth aspect, when orders are accepted from the terminals of all members of a customer group, the orders are output to a printer or the like installed in the store without waiting for a period of time to pass, thereby shortening the time it takes to provide the items ordered by the customer group.

[0019] The order management device of the seventh aspect is an order management device of any one of the first to sixth aspects, and includes a generation unit that generates a two-dimensional code that is access information to an order screen that includes the identifier as a parameter, and the reception unit receives the order placed via the order screen from the terminal device that reads the two-dimensional code.

[0020] According to the seventh aspect, even if the terminal device and the identifier are not associated with each other, the identifier and the order can be associated with each other.

[0021] An order management method according to an eighth aspect is an order management method in an order management device that communicates with multiple terminal devices, in which a computer executes the following processes: accepting orders from the multiple terminal devices, each of which includes an identifier that identifies one or more customers guided to an area as a unit; and grouping the multiple orders accepted within a predetermined period by the identifier.

[0022] In the eighth aspect, orders are grouped by the identifier included in the order, so that cooking, serving or serving of orders can be managed for each customer group.

[0023] The order management program according to the ninth aspect is an order management program executed in an order management device that communicates with multiple terminal devices, and causes a computer to execute the following processes: accepting orders from multiple terminal devices, each of which includes an identifier that identifies one or more customers guided to an area as a single unit; and grouping the multiple orders accepted within a predetermined period of time by the identifier.

[0024] In the ninth aspect, the computer is caused to execute the following process: That is, the order management program causes the computer to group orders by the identifiers contained in the orders. Therefore, according to the eighth aspect, the cooking, serving, or provision of orders can be managed for each customer group. [Effects of the Invention]

[0025] According to the disclosed technology, cooking, serving or serving of orders can be managed for each customer group. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an outline of an order management system. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an order management device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an order management device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of an order management process by the order management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of order management processing by the order management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 4 is an example of an identifier table of the order management device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 3 is an example of a slip in the order management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 3 is an example of a slip in the order management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of an order management process by an order management device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of an order management process by an order management device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] An example of an embodiment of the disclosed technology will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals are used to designate identical or equivalent components and parts in each drawing. Also, the dimensional proportions in the drawings are exaggerated for the sake of explanation and may differ from the actual proportions.

[0028] An overview of order management using the order management system 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Figure 1. The order management system 1 includes an order management device 10, a server 20, an accounting device 30, a printer 40, a handheld terminal 50, and a terminal device 60.

[0029] The order management device 10 is a device that manages orders. The order management device 10 communicates with a terminal device 60 via a server 20. The order management device 10 accepts orders including an identifier that identifies one or more customers guided to an area from the server 20 as a unit. In the present disclosure, this unit may be referred to as a customer group. An area may be a table, standing area, chairs, or a private room. The identifier is, for example, a combination of a store number for identifying the store and the table number of the table to which the customer group is guided. The order management device 10 generates a two-dimensional code including a QR code (registered trademark). The two-dimensional code is access information to an order screen that includes the identifier as a parameter. The order management device 10 may have a redundant configuration that switches between a master and a backup device in case of a failure. For example, the order management device 10A is the master device, and the order management device 10B is the backup device. In this disclosure, the order management device operating as the master device is referred to as 10, and the reference numbers 10A and 10B are used to distinguish between multiple order management devices.

[0030] The server 20 is a server that provides an order screen for customers who visit a store to place an order. The server 20 is, for example, a web server that provides a web page that constitutes the order screen. The server 20 receives a request from the terminal device 60, the request including an identifier as a parameter. The server 20 then includes the received identifier in the order and transmits it to the order management device 10.

[0031] The accounting device 30 is a device that processes orders for each identifier.

[0032] Printer 40 is a printer installed in the store. Printer 40 prints a two-dimensional code including an identifier. The printed two-dimensional code is placed by an employee in an area specified by the identifier. Printer 40 is also used to issue order slips, and the employee cooks or serves the food according to the printed slip.

[0033] The handheld terminal 50 is a terminal carried by an employee. The handheld terminal 50 transmits the number of customers, which is the number of people in a customer group, to the order management device 10 for each identifier. The handheld terminal 50 may also transmit the number of terminal devices, which is the number of terminal devices 60 used by the customer group. For example, an employee checks the number of terminal devices used by the customer group and transmits the number of terminal devices using the handheld terminal 50. In other words, the handheld terminal 50 transmits the number of terminal devices 60 with the same identifier for each identifier. The handheld terminal 50 may be a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like.

[0034] The terminal device 60 is a smartphone or tablet terminal owned by a customer. The terminal device 60 reads a printed two-dimensional code placed in an area using a camera provided on the terminal device 60. Next, the terminal device 60 transmits a request including an identifier in a parameter to the server 20 using the access information of the read two-dimensional code. Then, the terminal device 60 acquires an order screen for placing an order and places the order. In other words, the terminal device 60 transmits an order to the order management device 10 via the order screen. The terminal device 60 transmits a MAC (Media Access Control address), an IP (Internet Protocol) address, a value assigned to each terminal device 60, or the like, to the order management device 10 or the server 20 as a value for identifying itself.

[0035] [First embodiment] 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the order management device 10. The order management device 10 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage 14, an input unit 15, a display unit 16, and a communication interface 17. Each component is connected to each other via a bus 19 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0036] The CPU 11 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 11 reads programs from the ROM 12 or the storage 14 and executes the programs using the RAM 13 as a work area. The CPU 11 controls the above components and performs various arithmetic processing in accordance with the programs stored in the ROM 12 or the storage 14. In the first embodiment, the ROM 12 or the storage 14 stores an order management program.

[0037] The ROM 12 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 13 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 14 is configured with a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive) and stores various programs including the operating system and various data.

[0038] The input unit 15 includes a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and is used to perform various inputs.

[0039] The display unit 16 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays various information. The display unit 16 may also function as the input unit 15 by adopting a touch panel system.

[0040] The communication interface 17 is an interface for communicating with other devices. For this communication, for example, a wired communication standard such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or FDDI, or a wireless communication standard such as 4G, 5G, or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) is used.

[0041] Next, the functional configuration of the order management device 10 will be described. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the order management device 10. The order management device 10 has, as its functional configuration, a reception unit 101, a grouping unit 102, an output unit 103, and a generation unit 104. Each functional configuration is realized when the CPU 11 reads out an order management program stored in the ROM 12 or storage 14, expands it in the RAM 13, and executes it.

[0042] The reception unit 101 receives customer orders, including an identifier that identifies the area within the customer's store, from multiple terminal devices. The reception unit 101 receives orders placed via an order screen from a terminal device that has read a two-dimensional code.

[0043] The grouping unit 102 groups multiple orders received within a predetermined period by identifier. The grouping unit 102 groups orders with the same identifier received within a period set according to the number of customers or terminal devices in the area from the time the first ungrouped order is received. The grouping unit 102 extends the period when a customer places their first order in the area compared to when an additional order is placed. The grouping unit 102 extends the period each time an order is received, within a range not exceeding a predetermined upper limit.

[0044] The output unit 103 outputs the grouped orders and the two-dimensional codes. "Output" means transmitting them to another device via the communication interface 17, displaying them on the display unit 16, or the like. The output unit 103 outputs the grouped orders received within a period after the period has elapsed. If the output unit 103 receives orders from the same number of terminal devices as the number of customers corresponding to the identifiers within the period, it may output the grouped orders without waiting for the period to elapse.

[0045] The generating unit 104 generates a two-dimensional code that is access information to the order screen and includes the identifier as a parameter.

[0046] Next, the operation of the order management device 10 will be described. 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing the flow of order management processing by the order management device 10. The CPU 11 reads out the order management program from the ROM 12 or storage 14, expands it into the RAM 13, and executes it to perform order management.

[0047] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the order registration process by the order management device 10.

[0048] In step S101, the CPU 11 accepts an order, and then the process proceeds to step S102.

[0049] In step S102, the CPU 11 determines whether the identifier is registered in the identifier table. If the CPU 11 determines that the identifier is not registered in the identifier table (step S102: NO), the process proceeds to step S103. If the CPU 11 determines that the identifier is registered in the identifier table (step S102: YES), the process proceeds to step S110. An example of the identifier table of the order management device 10 is shown in FIG. 6. The identifier table has fields for storing an identifier, number of customers, registration time, slip output time, new / added, MAC address, and slip control number. The new / added field is a field for storing a new flag or an item flag. The MAC address field and the slip control number field can store multiple values. The MAC address is an example of a value that identifies the terminal device 60. The processing of identifier A15 is immediately after a new order has been accepted, and the system is waiting until the time for slip printing. The processing of identifiers B20 and B25 is when an additional order has been accepted and the system is waiting until the time for slip printing. The processing of identifiers A03 and A04 is when a slip has been printed and the system is waiting for the next order. The order management system 10 deletes identifiers for which transaction processing has been completed from the identifier table.

[0050] In step S103, the CPU 11 registers an identifier. That is, if the identifier included in the order does not exist in the identifier table, the CPU 11 adds a row to the identifier table and registers the identifier included in the order. The processing from step S103 to step S109 described below is performed on the row of the identifier included in the order. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S104.

[0051] In step S104, the CPU 11 sets a new flag, and then the process proceeds to step S105.

[0052] In step S105, the CPU 11 sets the number of customers, and then the CPU 11 proceeds to step S106.

[0053] In step S106, the CPU 11 sets the registration time, and then the CPU 11 proceeds to step S107.

[0054] In step S107, CPU 11 sets the slip output time. If the new / added item is a new flag, CPU 11 sets the slip output time to the time obtained by adding the product of 30 seconds and the number of customers to the registration time. If the new / added item is an addition flag, CPU 11 sets 30 seconds regardless of the number of customers. CPU 11 proceeds to step S108.

[0055] In step S108, the CPU 11 registers the MAC address, and then the process proceeds to step S109.

[0056] In step S109, the CPU 11 registers the slip control number, and then the CPU 11 proceeds to step S112.

[0057] In step S110, CPU 11 determines whether the MAC address is registered in the identifier table. If CPU 11 determines that the MAC address is registered in the identifier table (step S110: YES), the process proceeds to step S111. If CPU 11 determines that the MAC address is not registered in the identifier table (step S110: NO), the process proceeds to step S108.

[0058] In step S111, CPU 11 registers the slip control number. That is, CPU 11 registers the slip control number in the row of the identifier table in which the MAC address is registered. CPU 11 then proceeds to step S101.

[0059] In step S112, CPU 11 determines whether the number of registered MAC addresses is equal to or greater than the number of customers. If CPU 11 determines that the number of registered MAC addresses is equal to or greater than the number of customers (step S112: YES), the process proceeds to step S113. If CPU 11 determines that the number of registered MAC addresses is less than the number of customers (step S112: NO), the process proceeds to step S101.

[0060] In step S113, CPU 11 outputs the slip with the slip control number. That is, CPU 11 outputs the slip with the slip control number for which the registered MAC address is equal to or greater than the number of customers. CPU 11 proceeds to step S114.

[0061] In step S114, the CPU 11 receives the registration time, slip output time, MAC address, and The slip control number is initialized. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S115.

[0062] In step S115, the CPU 11 sets an addition flag, and then the CPU 11 proceeds to step S101.

[0063] As described above, by the processing of steps S112 and S113, if the CPU 11 receives orders from terminal devices equal to or greater than the number of customers corresponding to the identifiers within the period, it outputs the grouped orders without waiting for the period to elapse.

[0064] 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the slip issuance process performed by the order management system 10. The order management system 10 periodically executes the slip issuance process, for example, every 10 seconds.

[0065] In step S201, the CPU 11 assigns 1 to the variable i. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S202.

[0066] In step S202, the CPU 11 checks the i-th identifier in the identifier table. Steps S203 to S207, which will be described later, perform processing on the i-th identifier. The CPU 11 then proceeds to step S203.

[0067] In step S203, CPU 11 determines whether the system time has passed the slip output time. If CPU 11 determines that the system time has not passed the slip output time (step S203: NO), it proceeds to step S204. If CPU 11 determines that the system time has passed the slip output time (step S203: YES), it proceeds to step S205.

[0068] In step S204, the CPU 11 adds 1 to the variable i. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S208.

[0069] In step S205, the CPU 11 outputs the slip with the slip control number. That is, the CPU 11 outputs the slip with the slip control number for which the system time has passed the slip output time. The CPU 11 then proceeds to step S206.

[0070] In step S206, the CPU 11 initializes the registration time, slip output time, MAC address, and slip control number, and then proceeds to step S207.

[0071] In step S207, the CPU 11 sets an addition flag, and then the CPU 11 proceeds to step S202.

[0072] In step S208, CPU 11 determines whether or not all identifiers registered in the identifier table have been confirmed. If CPU 11 determines that all identifiers registered in the identifier table have been confirmed (step S208: YES), it ends the slip issuance process. If CPU 11 determines that all identifiers registered in the identifier table have not been confirmed (step S208: NO), it proceeds to step S202.

[0073] As described above, by the processes of steps S101 to S111, S203, and S205, the CPU 11 groups multiple orders received within a predetermined period by identifier. Then, the CPU 11 outputs the grouped orders received within the period after the period has elapsed.

[0074] FIG. 7 is an example of a slip in the order management system 1. Invoice 201A is an invoice for an order placed at 18:05 by a customer group with identifier A15. Invoice 201B is an invoice for an order placed at 18:05 by a customer group with identifier B20. Invoice 201C is an invoice for an order placed at 18:05 by a customer group with identifier A15. Invoice 201D is an invoice for an order placed at 18:06 by a customer group with identifier A15. Invoice 201E is an invoice for an order placed at 18:06 by a customer group with identifier A15.

[0075] The order management device 10 groups multiple orders received within a predetermined period by identifier. Then, the order management device 10 outputs the grouped orders after the period has elapsed. Therefore, the order management device 10 manages slips 201A, 201C, 201D, and 201E as one group, and slip 201B as another group. Then, the order management device 10 outputs the grouped orders after the respective periods have elapsed.

[0076] For example, when printing slips consecutively, printer 40 prints blank slip 202 between slips corresponding to orders from different groups. Printer 40 prints blank slip 202 after printing slip 201A, slip 201C, slip 201D, and slip 201E. Then, printer 40 prints slip 201B after printing the blank slip. This makes it easier to recognize groups, making it easier to manage the cooking, serving, or provision of orders for each customer group. In addition, when printing slips, partial cutting may be used, in which the slips are not completely separated but are cut at one point.

[0077] Figure 8 is an example of a slip in the order management system 1. Figure 8 shows an example in which slips 201A, 201C, 201D, and 201E from Figure 7 are output as a single slip. In other words, the printer 40 may print grouped orders with the same identifier as a single slip.

[0078] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the operation of the order management device 10 will be described using a flowchart different from that shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The hardware configuration and functional configuration of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Furthermore, parts with the same configuration and operation as those of the first embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

[0079] The operation of the order management device 10 will now be described. 9 and 10 are flowcharts showing the flow of the order management process by the order management device 10.

[0080] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process executed when a customer visits the store.

[0081] In step S301, CPU 11 accepts an identifier and the number of customers. That is, CPU 11 accepts the number of customers guided to an area and the identifier of that area from handy terminal 50. CPU 11 may accept the identifier and the number of customers from input unit 15. CPU 11 may accept the number of terminal devices instead of the number of customers. CPU 11 proceeds to step S302.

[0082] In step S302, CPU 11 generates and outputs a two-dimensional code. Specifically, CPU 11 generates a two-dimensional code that is access information to the order screen and includes the accepted identifier as a parameter. CPU 11 transmits the two-dimensional code to printer 40 and instructs it to print the two-dimensional code. CPU 11 proceeds to step S303.

[0083] In step S303, CPU 11 determines a period of length according to the number of customers. That is, CPU 11 determines a period for each identifier so that the greater the number of customers, the longer the period is compared to when the number of customers is small. CPU 11 may also determine an upper limit on the total period according to the number of customers. For example, CPU 11 determines the length of the period as follows: 0 minutes if there is one customer, 0.5 minutes if there are two customers, 1 minute if there are three customers, and 5 minutes if there are four or more customers. CPU 11 proceeds to step S304.

[0084] In step S304, the CPU 11 executes order processing for each identifier. Specific processing will be described later with reference to Fig. 10. The CPU 11 then ends the order management processing.

[0085] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of order processing executed for each identifier.

[0086] In step S401, the CPU 11 determines whether an order has been accepted. If the CPU 11 determines that an order has been accepted (step S401: YES), the process proceeds to step S402. If the CPU 11 determines that an order has not been accepted (step S401: NO), the process proceeds to step S406.

[0087] In step S402, the CPU 11 determines whether or not there are grouped orders. In other words, the CPU 11 determines whether or not orders including the same identifier are grouped. The CPU 11 refers to the identifier table to determine whether or not there are grouped orders. If the CPU 11 determines that there are no grouped orders (step S402: YES), the process proceeds to step S403. If the CPU 11 determines that there are grouped orders (step S402: NO), the process proceeds to step S404.

[0088] In step S403, the CPU 11 starts a period. That is, the CPU 11 newly registers the identifier included in the order accepted in the processing of step S401 in the identifier table, and starts a period (summary) for the identifier. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S405.

[0089] In step S404, the CPU 11 extends the period. The CPU 11 extends the period of the identifier included in the order accepted in the processing of step S401. That is, unlike the first embodiment, the order management device 10 extends the period for grouping every time an order is accepted. Note that the extended period may be different from the period determined in the processing of step S303 described above. The CPU 11 may extend the period within a range that does not exceed a predetermined upper limit. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S405.

[0090] In step S405, the CPU 11 groups the accepted orders. That is, the CPU 11 groups the orders by identifier. In other words, the CPU 11 adds the accepted order to the group of the identifier included in the order. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S406.

[0091] In step S406, the CPU 11 determines whether the period has elapsed. If the CPU 11 determines that the period has elapsed (step S406: YES), the process proceeds to step S407. If the CPU 11 determines that the period has not elapsed (step S406: NO), the process proceeds to step S409.

[0092] In step S407, the CPU 11 outputs the grouped orders. For example, the CPU 11 transmits the grouped orders to the printer 40 to print the orders. The CPU 11 may display the grouped orders on the display unit 16. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S408.

[0093] In step S408, the CPU 11 cancels the grouping of the output orders. For example, if the CPU 11 manages groups by adding orders to be grouped to a list, the CPU 11 deletes the output orders from the list. The CPU 11 proceeds to step S409.

[0094] In step S409, the CPU 11 determines whether the order has been settled by the accounting device 30. If the CPU 11 determines that the order has been settled (step S409: YES), the CPU 11 ends the order processing. If the CPU 11 determines that the order has not been settled (step S409: NO), the CPU 11 proceeds to step S401.

[0095] As described above, by the processes of steps S401 to S403, if a group of identifiers included in a received order has not been created, the CPU 11 creates a group of the identifiers. Then, upon creating the group, the CPU 11 starts the period of the identifiers. In other words, the CPU 11 starts the period of the identifiers included in the first order from the time when the CPU 11 receives the first ungrouped order among the multiple received orders.

[0096] Furthermore, by the processes of steps S401, S402 and S404 described above, the CPU 11 extends the period every time an order is received.

[0097] Furthermore, by the processes of step S406 and step S407 described above, the CPU 11 waits for the transmission of an order from a terminal device 60 that can transmit an order including the same identifier until the period has elapsed. Furthermore, the CPU 11 holds the received order in the ROM 12 or the storage 14 until the period has elapsed.

[0098] [remarks] The order management device 10 of the first and second embodiments has been described above. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments. Various improvements and modifications are possible.

[0099] In the order management system 10 according to the first embodiment, the slip management number may be configured as a combination of the slip number and the number of orders. The order management system 10 transmits and receives the slip management number to and from the terminal device 60. In step S109 of FIG. 4, the CPU 11 registers the slip management number and transmits the registered slip management number to the terminal device 60 that sent the order. The terminal device 60 transmits the order to the order management system 10, including a slip management number that is the slip number plus the number of orders. The order management system 10 deletes the slip management number for which a transaction has been made from the identifier table. The order management system 10 deletes from the identifier table an identifier for which all slip management numbers have been deleted.

[0100] In step S303 of FIG. 9, the CPU 11 may uniformly determine the length of the period. Alternatively, in step S403, the CPU 11 may start the period from a predetermined time for each identifier. That is, the CPU 11 groups and outputs orders received at regular intervals from a predetermined time. For example, the CPU 11 groups orders for one identifier into five-minute intervals starting from 12:00, and groups orders for another identifier into five-minute intervals starting from 12:01. This allows the intervals between order outputs to be dispersed.

[0101] 9, the CPU 11 may set a longer period when a customer in the customer group places an order for the first time than when a customer places an additional order. In other words, when the grouped orders are not output, the CPU 11 sets a longer period than when the grouped orders are output.

[0102] In step S302 of FIG. 9, the CPU 11 may generate a two-dimensional code and transmit it to the handheld terminal 50 or the ordering device. Here, the ordering device is a device (not shown) such as a tablet terminal installed in the area for placing orders. The CPU 11 transmits the two-dimensional code to the ordering device located in the area identified by the identifier received in the processing of step S301, and causes the ordering device to display the two-dimensional code. The terminal device 60 reads the two-dimensional code displayed on the handheld terminal 50 or the ordering device and accesses the server 20. This allows the terminal device 60 to read the two-dimensional code without printing it.

[0103] 10, the CPU 11 may determine that the period for the identifier has elapsed when orders have been received within the period from all terminal devices 60 with the same identifier included in the orders. In other words, when orders have been received within the period from the same number of terminal devices 60 as the number of customers corresponding to the identifier, the order management device 10 outputs the grouped orders for the identifier without waiting for the period to elapse. For example, the order management device 10 counts the number of terminal devices 60 by receiving a value that identifies the terminal device 60. For example, the terminal device 60 transmits an order including an identifier and a MAC address to the order management device 10. The order management device 10 counts the number of MAC addresses each time an order is received, and determines whether the number of MAC addresses and the number of customers for the same identifier are the same.

[0104] 9, the CPU 11 may add a predetermined value to the number of accepted customers. For example, if the number of accepted customers is 1, the CPU 11 adds 1 as a predetermined value, sets the number of customers to 2, and executes the subsequent processes. In this way, even if a customer is ordering alone, additional orders can be output all at once by waiting for the output of the order.

[0105] The order management device 10 according to each of the above embodiments outputs grouped orders and non-grouped orders when the master and backup are switched. For example, if the order management device 10A is the master device and the order management device 10B is the backup device, when the master and backup are switched, the order management device 10B that has become the master outputs all of the orders it holds.

[0106] In the above embodiments, the order management process executed by the CPU after reading the software (program) may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. Examples of such processors include programmable logic devices (PLDs) such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), whose circuit configuration can be changed after fabrication, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), which are dedicated electrical circuits that are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed to execute specific processes. The order management process may be executed by one of these processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). The hardware structure of these processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor devices.

[0107] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the order management program is described as being pre-stored (installed) in computer-readable storage 14, but this is not limiting. The program may be provided in a form stored on a non-transitory storage medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The program may also be downloaded from an external device via a network. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1. Order Management System 10 Order Management Device 20 servers 30 Accounting Device 40 Printers 50 Handheld terminal 60 Terminal Equipment 201A, 201B, 201C, 201D, 201E slips 202 Blank slip

Claims

1. An order management device that communicates with a plurality of terminal devices, a reception unit that receives orders from the customers from the plurality of terminal devices, the orders including an identifier that identifies one or more customers guided to one area as a unit; a grouping unit that groups the plurality of orders received within a predetermined period by the identifier; Including, The grouping unit sets the period longer when the customer places an order for the first time in the unit than when the customer places an additional order. Order management device.

2. The grouping unit groups, by identifier, the orders received within a period set according to the number of customers or the number of terminal devices of one unit from the time when the first ungrouped order is received. The order management system according to claim 1 .

3. The grouping unit extends the period within a range not exceeding a predetermined upper limit each time the order is received. The order management device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. an output unit that outputs the grouped orders received within the period after the period has elapsed; The order management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. When the output unit receives the orders from the terminal devices in the same number as the number of customers corresponding to the identifier within the period, the output unit outputs the grouped orders without waiting for the period to elapse. The order management system according to claim 4.

6. a generating unit that generates a two-dimensional code that is access information to an order screen and includes the identifier as a parameter; The reception unit receives the order placed via the order screen from the terminal device that reads the two-dimensional code. The order management device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. An order management method in an order management device that communicates with a plurality of terminal devices, comprising: a process of receiving orders from the plurality of terminal devices, the orders including an identifier for identifying one or more customers guided to one area as a unit; a process of grouping the orders received within a predetermined period by the identifier; a process of setting the period longer when the customer places an order for the first time in the unit than when the customer places an additional order; A computer-implemented order management method.

8. An order management program executed in an order management device that communicates with a plurality of terminal devices, a process of receiving orders from one or more customers guided to one area from a plurality of terminal devices, the orders including an identifier for identifying the one or more customers as a unit; a process of grouping the orders received within a predetermined period by the identifier; a process of setting the period longer when the customer places an order for the first time in the unit than when the customer places an additional order; An order management program for causing a computer to execute the above.

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