Order management device and control method thereof

The order management device addresses the challenges of telecommuting and free-address systems by identifying employee locations and adjusting lunch order schedules, enhancing order management efficiency and reducing waste.

JP7789024B2Active Publication Date: 2025-12-19MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC BUILDING SOLUTIONS CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023014117
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-02-01
Publication Date
2025-12-19
Estimated Expiration
2043-02-01

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing lunch order management systems are inadequate for facilities with telecommuting and free-address systems, leading to food waste and inconvenience due to dynamic changes in employee work locations.

Method used

An order management device that identifies employee work locations using identification devices and adjusts lunch order schedules accordingly, ensuring accurate delivery to the correct locations.

Benefits of technology

Effectively manages lunch orders in facilities with telecommuting and free-address systems, reducing food waste and improving convenience by ensuring accurate delivery to the correct locations.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide an order management apparatus and a control method thereof, configured to manage orders of lunch boxes of employees appropriately, in a facility in which teleworking and hot-desking are employed.SOLUTION: In an order schedule information DB81, whether or not an employee 10 has ordered a lunch box and a delivery location of the lunch box where the employee 10 receives the lunch box are recorded. A CPU 41 identifies a work place of the day of the employee 10 on the basis of information acquired from a terminal 62 and a portable terminal 60 which can identify the employee 10. The CPU 41 modifies the order schedule information on the basis of the identified work place. The CPU 41 performs order processing for the lunch box of the day on the basis of the order schedule information at an order scheduled time of the day for the lunch box.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an order management device and a control method thereof that manages lunch box orders for employees working in a facility. [Background technology]

[0002] In office facilities, it is common to provide subsidized lunches as part of employee benefits. One example of this is a system in which a vendor delivers an ordered number of boxed lunches to each floor where employees work, and employees pick them up and eat them at their desks.

[0003] As a system for ordering lunch boxes, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-225990 (Patent Document 1) discloses a lunch box ordering management system in which an employee inputs a reservation order, including the date the lunch box is required and the type of lunch box, into a terminal device, and the reservation order is sent to a lunch box ordering management server.

[0004] Incidentally, the above-mentioned eating-at-your-own-seat system assumes that employees work on a fixed floor. Meanwhile, in recent years, some offices have begun to implement telecommuting as a countermeasure against COVID-19, or free-address systems aimed at improving employee productivity. Under a free-address system, employees do not have fixed seats and can use any seat they like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-225990 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Working styles such as telecommuting and free address systems undermine the above assumptions. For example, working from home can lead to food waste due to forgetting to cancel orders, or a discrepancy between the number of orders and deliveries on each floor due to the free address system can cause inconveniences such as employees who move desks having to go to another floor to pick up their lunch.

[0007] The lunch order management system described above does not anticipate automatically responding to such dynamic changes in order content, and there is still room for improvement in lunch order management.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide an order management device and a control method thereof that can suitably manage employee lunch orders in facilities that have introduced telecommuting and a free address system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The order management device according to the present disclosure is a device that manages the ordering of lunches for employees working in a facility. The order management device includes a processor and memory that stores programs executable by the processor. The memory stores order schedule information for the day's lunches. The order schedule information records whether or not an employee has ordered a lunch and the lunch delivery location within the facility where the employee can pick up the lunch. The processor identifies the employee's work location for the day based on information acquired from an identification device that can identify the employee. The processor changes the order schedule information based on the identified work location. The processor processes the ordering of lunches for the day based on the order schedule information at the scheduled time for ordering the lunches for the day.

[0010] A control method according to the present disclosure is a control method for an order management device that manages lunch orders for employees working in a facility. The control method includes a step of storing planned order information for the day's lunches. The planned order information records whether or not an employee has ordered a lunch and a lunch delivery location within the facility where the employee can receive the lunch. The control method further includes a step of identifying the employee's work location for the day based on information acquired from an identification device that can identify the employee, a step of changing the planned order information based on the identified work location, and a step of ordering the day's lunches based on the planned order information at the planned time for ordering the lunches. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suitably manage employee lunch orders in facilities that have introduced telecommuting and a free address system. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an order management system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an order management device and the like. [Figure 3] 10 is an example of a user table. [Figure 4] 10 is an example of a network table. [Figure 5] 10 is an example of an order schedule information DB. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining floor and lunch box delivery. [Figure 7] 10 is an example of an order schedule information DB. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining floor and lunch box delivery. [Figure 9] This is a diagram to explain the login status and ordering of lunch boxes in Room A on the 4th floor. [Figure 10] This is a diagram to explain the login status and ordering of lunch boxes in Room B on the third floor. [Figure 11]10 is a flowchart of a main process executed by the order management device. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart of a main process executed by the order management device. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of an order management system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an order management device and the like. [Figure 15] 10 is an example of a device table. [Figure 16] 10 is an example of an order schedule information DB. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart of a main process executed by the order management device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The names and functions of these components are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated.

[0014] First Embodiment Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an order management system 100 according to the first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of an order management device 50 and the like.

[0015] 1, the order management system 100 includes an order management device 50, a device management device 40, and terminals 62a and 62b as identification devices. Here, the terminals 62a and 62b are also collectively referred to as terminals 62.

[0016] Terminal 62 (terminals 62a, 62b) is a terminal used by an employee 10 working in a facility. The facility in this embodiment is an office building owned by company A. Here, employee 10 is also referred to as a "user," and employee 10 (user) includes users N1 to N13, which will be described later.

[0017] The order management device 50 is a device that manages lunch orders placed by employees 10. Lunch orders are placed every business day of company A. The order management device 50 identifies the work location of employee 10 based on the network connection status of terminal 62 from the morning of the day the lunch order is placed until the time the order is confirmed.

[0018] Then, the order management device 50 tally up the identified work locations of each employee 10 by floor (room) and confirm the order quantity. Furthermore, the order management device 50 notifies the employee 10 of any changes from the basic order content (order cancellation due to telecommuting) and the pick-up location.

[0019] Within the facility, for example, a room A is located on the fourth floor and a room B is located on the third floor. Each room is provided with a router 201 as a communication device. A terminal 62a is a terminal used by an employee 10 within the facility. When the employee 10 arrives at work, the employee 10 logs in to the terminal 62a installed within the facility. The terminal 62a can be connected to a network within the facility via the router 201. The terminal 62a and the network within the facility may be connected wirelessly or by wire.

[0020] The equipment management device 40 is a server device that manages equipment installed in the facility, such as the router 201, and can be accessed from the terminal 62. The terminal 62a is connected to the equipment management device 40 via the router 201. The equipment management device 40 knows the room through which the terminal 62a is accessing the equipment management device 40.

[0021] Furthermore, the employee 10 may work from home. The terminal 62b is a terminal that the employee 10 uses at home, which is outside the facility. When working from home, the employee 10 logs in to the terminal 62b installed at home. In this case, the terminal 62b accesses the device management device 40 via a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection from home. This allows the terminal 62b to access the device management device 40 in the same way as the terminal 62a. Note that any method may be used to connect to the network within Company A from outside.

[0022] A card reader 63 is connected to the terminal 62 (terminals 62a, 62b). The employee 10 has an IC card 64 dedicated to the employee. This IC card 64 may also serve as an employee ID card. In this embodiment, the employee 10 is configured to be able to log in to the terminal 62 by having the card reader 63 read the IC card 64. It should be noted that the employee 10 may also be able to log in to the terminal 62 by entering a user ID and password into the terminal 62 without using the card reader 63. In this way, the employee 10 can be identified by logging in to the terminal 62 (terminals 62a, 62b).

[0023] In this embodiment, it is assumed that a free address system is adopted in the facility, in which employees 10 are not assigned fixed seats and can use any seat they like. Employees 10 may work in any room on any floor.

[0024] For example, when working in room A on the fourth floor, employee 10 logs in to terminal 62a installed in room A. In this case, terminal 62a accesses equipment management device 40 via router 201 installed in room A. When user A logs in to terminal 62a, it is possible for order management device 50 or equipment management device 40 to know that user A is working in room A.

[0025] When working in room B on the third floor, employee 10 logs in to terminal 62a installed in room B. In this case, terminal 62a accesses equipment management device 40 via router 201 installed in room B. This makes it possible for order management device 50 or equipment management device 40 to know that employee 10 is working in room B. When user B logs in to terminal 62a, it becomes possible for order management device 50 or equipment management device 40 to know that user B is working in room B.

[0026] 2, the equipment management device 40 is connected to a communication network NW. The equipment management device 40, an order management device 50, and a terminal 62 are connected to the communication network NW. The order management device 50 can obtain login information and access information of the terminal 62 via the equipment management device 40.

[0027] The terminal 62 is, for example, a notebook computer, a personal computer, etc. The terminal 62 includes a display unit 61 that displays various information. The display unit 61 is, for example, a liquid crystal display unit, a display, etc.

[0028] The order management device 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41 as a processor, an I / F (Interface) device 44 as a communication device, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 42, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 43, and a storage device 45 as storage devices. The CPU 41, RAM 42, ROM 43, I / F device 44, and storage device 45 exchange various types of data via a communication bus 46.

[0029] The CPU 41 loads a program stored in the ROM 43 into the RAM 42 and executes it. The program stored in the ROM 43 describes the processes to be executed by the order management device 50.

[0030] The I / F device 44 communicates with the equipment management device 40 and the like. The I / F device 44 is an input / output device for exchanging data with the equipment management device 40 and the terminal 62. The order management device receives, via the I / F device 44, login information, access information, and the like of the terminal 62 detected by the equipment management device 40.

[0031] The storage device 45 is a storage for storing various types of information, and stores a user table 71, a network table 72, an order schedule information DB (database) 881, and the like, which will be described later.

[0032] Although not shown, the equipment management device 40 and the terminal 62 are also configured to include a CPU, RAM, ROM, an I / F device, and a storage device, similar to the order management device 50.

[0033] 3 is an example of the user table 71. As described above, the storage device 45 stores the user table 71. The user table 71 is a table that records information about employees (users) who work in the facility.

[0034] The user table 71 records the user ID assigned to an employee (user), the user name corresponding to the user ID, the room where the employee normally works (works), the department to which the employee belongs within the organization, and the like.

[0035] For example, the user ID "ID0001" has the user name "N1 (also written as "User N1")" and usually works in "Room A." For example, assume that User N1 belongs to the Development Department and Room A is assigned as the Development Department's room. User N1 can freely work in rooms other than Room A.

[0036] The user name of user ID "ID0002" is "N2 (also written as "User N2")" and usually works in "Room A." The user name of user ID "ID0005" is "N5 (also written as "User N5")" and usually works in "Room B."

[0037] 4 is an example of the network table 72. As described above, the storage device 45 stores the network table 72. The network table 72 is a table that records information about networks that can be accessed within the facility.

[0038] Networks within the facility and their connection locations are recorded in network table 72. For example, the connection location of network A is room A (fourth floor). The connection location of network B is room B (third floor). The connection location of network C is room C (second floor).

[0039] 1, when terminal 62a connects to the network via router 201 installed in room A on the fourth floor, terminal 62a is connected to network A. When terminal 62a connects to the network via router 201 installed in room B on the third floor, terminal 62a is connected to network B.

[0040] The equipment management device 40 or the order management device 50 can detect which network the terminal 62a is connected to. Then, by using the network table 72, it is possible to know from which room the terminal 62a is accessing the device.

[0041] For example, when terminal 62a is connected to network A, it is known that the user using terminal 62a is working in room A on the fourth floor. When terminal 62a is connected to network B, it is known that the user using terminal 62a is working in room B on the third floor.

[0042] FIG. 5 shows an example of the order schedule information DB 81. The order schedule information DB 81 is a database that records order schedule information for lunch boxes for the day. The order schedule information DB 81 is generated by copying a DB that records basic order information. The order schedule information DB 81 is then rewritten according to the user's work location.

[0043] The order schedule information recorded in the order schedule information DB 81 includes information such as whether or not a user has ordered a lunch box and the lunch box delivery location within the facility where the user can receive the lunch box. The order schedule information includes the user name, affiliation, delivery location, whether or not an order has been placed, order details, work location, etc., corresponding to the user ID.

[0044] The lunches are delivered to each room. For example, if the user's work location is room A on the fourth floor, room A is set as the delivery location for the lunches.

[0045] The user ID, user name, and affiliation in the order schedule information are transcribed from the contents of user table 71 in Fig. 3. Also, the "room" in user table 71 is the room where the user normally works, and the "room" in user table 71 is transcribed into the "delivery location" in order schedule information DB81.

[0046] The "Order" field in the planned order information indicates whether or not a lunch box is to be ordered. If "Yes" is set, the lunch box will be delivered, and if "No" is set, the lunch box will not be delivered. The "Order Content" field specifies the type of lunch box to be ordered (lunch box A, lunch box B, lunch box C, etc.).

[0047] These data are set in advance, and unless the settings are changed, lunches are delivered every day based on the order schedule information DB 81. For example, user N1 with user ID "ID0001" usually works in room A, so in principle lunches are delivered to room A. User N8 with user ID "ID0008" usually works in room B, but because order presence / absence is set to "no," lunches for user N8 are not delivered.

[0048] Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining floors and lunch box delivery. As shown in Figure 6, Room A is located on Floor 1, the fourth floor. Room B is located on Floor 2, the third floor. Rooms A and B each have 12 desks, and each user can select a desk of their choice to work at.

[0049] As shown in the order schedule information DB 81 in Fig. 5, users N1 to N4 usually work in room A on the fourth floor, while users N5 to N10 usually work in room B on the third floor.

[0050] In room A, users N1 to N4 (4 people) have selected "yes" for whether they have ordered, so normally four lunches would be delivered to room A. On the other hand, in room B, all users N5 to N10 (6 people) except user N8 have selected "yes" for whether they have ordered, so normally five lunches would be delivered to room B.

[0051] The order management device 50 identifies the user's work location for that day based on information acquired from an identification device (terminal 62) capable of identifying the user. Then, the order management device 50 changes the order schedule information based on the identified work location. Specific examples of changes to the order schedule information will be described below with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0052] Fig. 7 is an example of the order schedule information DB 81. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining floors and lunch box delivery. When the user's work location is identified, the "work location" item is set in the data of the order schedule information DB 81 in Fig. 5.

[0053] As a change from the state shown in Figure 6, assume that users N2 and N10 are working from home (VPN connection) and user N4 is absent, as shown in Figure 8. Furthermore, assume that user N5 has moved to room A to work, rather than room B, which is his usual work location.

[0054] In this case, in the order schedule information DB 81 shown in Figure 7, the work locations of users N2 and N10 are set to "telecommuting (VPN connection)" and the work location of user N5 is set to "Room A." Since user N4 is absent, "-" is set as the work location. The other users do not change their usual work locations.

[0055] The "Delivery location" and "Order presence / absence" in the order schedule information DB81 are changed based on the setting of the "Work location." The work location of users N2 and N10 is set to "Telecommuting (VPN connection)," and as they do not need a packed lunch, "Order presence / absence" is changed from "Yes" to "No." The work location of user N4 is set to "-" (absent), and as they do not need a packed lunch, "Order presence / absence" is changed from "Yes" to "No." The work location of user N5 is set to "Room A," and as such, the "Delivery location" is changed from "Room B" to "Room A."

[0056] As a result, the number of bento boxes ordered in Room A will change from "4" to "3". Also, the number of bento boxes ordered in Room B will change from "5" to "3".

[0057] The ordering of lunch boxes is based on the user's login status from the morning of the day (for example, 4:00 AM) to the time of ordering (for example, 10:00 AM). Figure 9 is a diagram for explaining the login status and lunch box ordering in room A on the fourth floor. Figure 10 is a diagram for explaining the login status and lunch box ordering in room B on the third floor.

[0058] As shown in Figure 9, after 4:00 AM, user N1 logs in first, followed by user N5, to network A, which can be accessed from room A. User N2 connects to a VPN from home. User N3 then logs in to network A (room A), and then, at the order time (10:00 AM), an order is placed.

[0059] As a result, as explained using Figures 7 and 8, three lunches have been ordered for N1, N5, and N3 who logged in to network A (room A). User N2, whose lunch order has been canceled, is notified that the lunch order has been canceled. For example, as shown in Figure 9, a message 111 stating "Your lunch order has been canceled" is sent to terminal 62b used by user N2.

[0060] Additionally, user N5, whose lunch delivery location has been changed from room B to room A, is notified of the delivery location. A message 113 stating "Pickup location is room A" is sent to terminal 62a used by user N5.

[0061] There is no need to notify users N1 and N3 whose pickup location has not changed, but as shown in Figure 9, messages 112 and 114 stating "The pickup location is room A" may be sent to terminals 62a used by users N1 and N2.

[0062] As shown in Figure 10, after 4:00 AM, users N9, N8, N6, and N7 log in to Network B, which can be accessed from Room B. User N10 connects to the VPN from home. Then, at the order time (10:00 AM), the order is placed.

[0063] As a result, as explained with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, three lunches have been ordered for N9, N6, and N7, who have logged in to network B (room B) and for whom lunches are to be ordered.

[0064] For user N10 whose lunch order has been canceled, a message 115 saying "Your lunch order has been canceled" is sent to the terminal 62b used by user N10.

[0065] There is no need to notify users N9, N6, and N7 whose pickup location has not changed, but as shown in Figure 10, messages 116 to 118 stating "The pickup location is room B" may be sent to terminals 62a used by users N9, N6, and N7.

[0066] The main processing executed by the order management device 50 will be explained below using a flowchart. Figures 11 and 12 are flowcharts of the main processing executed by the order management device 50. In the main processing, the order management device 50 processes orders for lunches for the day based on order schedule information at the scheduled order time for the lunches on that day. This processing may be started, for example, at a set time in the early morning (for example, 4:00 AM). Hereinafter, "step" may also be simply referred to as "S".

[0067] 11, when the main processing starts, in S101, the order management device 50 acquires information about the terminal 62 from the equipment management device 40. The equipment management device 40 manages login information (such as the user ID of the user who accessed) and access information (such as which network is being used to access) for the terminal 62.

[0068] If the order management device 50 determines that a user has logged in to the terminal 62 (YES in S102), it executes the processing from S103 onwards. On the other hand, if the order management device 50 does not determine that a user has logged in to the terminal 62 (NO in S102), it returns the processing to S101. In S103, the order management device 50 identifies the logged-in user from the user table 71.

[0069] In S104, the order management device 50 determines whether or not a VPN connection is established. If the order management device 50 determines YES in S104, it sets the work location to home (VPN), which is outside the facility (S105), and proceeds to S106. On the other hand, if the order management device 50 determines NO in S104, it proceeds to S106 as is.

[0070] In this way, when terminal 62b is connected to a VPN, the order management device 50 sets the work location of the user who logged in to terminal 62b (users N2 and N10 in the examples shown in Figures 3 to 10 (hereinafter referred to as "this example"))) to home (VPN).

[0071] In S106, the order management device 50 determines whether or not the connection is established via a network within the facility. If the determination in S106 is YES, the order management device 50 sets the connection location within the facility as the work location based on the network table 72 (S107), and proceeds to S108. On the other hand, if the determination in S106 is NO, the order management device 50 proceeds to S108 without any change.

[0072] In this way, the order management device 50 identifies the work location of the user who has logged in to the terminal 62a (in this example, users N1, N3, N5 to N9) according to the network within the facility to which the terminal 62a is connected.

[0073] If the scheduled order time has arrived (YES in S108), the order management device 50 executes the processing from S109 onwards. On the other hand, if the scheduled order time has not arrived (NO in S108), the order management device 50 returns the processing to S101. As a result, the processing from S101 to S107 is repeated until the scheduled order time arrives.

[0074] In this way, the order management device 50 determines that the work location of the users (in this example, users N1, N3, N5 to N9) who logged in to terminal 62a installed within the facility by the scheduled order time is within the facility. Also, the order management device 50 determines that the work location of the users (in this example, users N2 and N10) who logged in to terminal 62b installed outside the facility (at home) by the scheduled order time is outside the facility (at home).

[0075] In S109, the order management device 50 changes the order status in the order schedule information DB 81 to "no" for the user who has made a VPN connection at the terminal 62a and the user who has not logged in to the terminal 62.

[0076] In this way, the order management device 50 changes the order status of users who have logged in to terminal 62a (in this example, users N2, N10, etc.) and users who have not logged in to terminal 62 by the scheduled order time (in this example, user N4) to no order.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 12, in S110, if the work location of a user connected to the network within the facility differs from the delivery location in the order schedule information DB 81, the order management device 50 changes the delivery location to the work location.

[0078] In this way, the order management device 50 changes the delivery location of the user who has logged in to the terminal 62a in accordance with the identified work location. Specifically, the delivery location of user N5, who has changed his work location among users N1, N3, and N5 to N9, is changed.

[0079] In S111, the order management device 50 executes an ordering process for lunches for that day. In S112, the order management device 50 notifies the terminal 62 of the user whose delivery location has been changed that the lunch order has been canceled. In S113, the order management device 50 notifies the terminal 62 of the user connected via VPN of the delivery location, and ends the main processing.

[0080] In this way, the order management device 50 notifies the logged-in terminal 62b (users N2 and N10 in this example) that the lunch order has been canceled. Also, if the delivery location of the user who logged in to terminal 62a has changed, the order management device 50 notifies the terminal 62a used by that user (user N5 in this example) of the delivery location.

[0081] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the order management device 50 is a device that manages lunch orders for employees 10 (users N1 to N13, etc.) working in a facility. The order management device 50 includes a CPU 41 as a processor and memory (RAM 42, ROM 43, storage device 45) that stores programs executable by the CPU 41. The storage device 45 stores an order schedule information DB 81 that records order schedule information for lunches for the day. The order schedule information DB 81 records whether or not the employee 10 (user) has ordered a lunch and the lunch delivery location within the facility where the employee 10 can receive the lunch. The CPU 41 identifies the work location of the employee 10 for the day based on information acquired from an identification device (terminal 62, mobile terminal 60) that can identify the employee 10. The CPU 41 changes the order schedule information based on the identified work location. The CPU 41 performs ordering processing for lunches for the day based on the order schedule information at the scheduled time for ordering the lunches for the day.

[0082] In this way, the work location of employee 10 is identified, and the order schedule information is automatically changed according to the work location. This makes it possible to optimally manage the ordering of lunch boxes for employee 10 in facilities that have introduced telecommuting and a free address system.

[0083] The identification device is a terminal 62 used by employee 10. Employee 10 can be identified by logging in to terminal 62 (terminals 62a and 62b). Terminal 62 includes terminal 62a, which is a first terminal used by employee 10 within the facility, and terminal 62b, which is a second terminal used by employee 10 outside the facility. CPU 41 determines that the work location of a first employee 10 (users N1, N3, N5-N9, etc.) who has logged in to terminal 62a by the scheduled order time is within the facility. CPU 41 determines that the work location of a second employee 10 (users N2, N10, etc.) who has logged in to terminal 62b by the scheduled order time is outside the facility. CPU 41 changes the order presence / absence status of the second employee 10 (users N2, N10, etc.) and a third employee 10 (user N4, etc.) who has not logged in to terminal 62 by the scheduled order time to no order.

[0084] In this way, the lunch order is canceled if a user logs in to a terminal 62 outside the facility or if the user does not log in to the terminal 62, so the exact number of orders can be automatically tallied and the lunches can be ordered.

[0085] The CPU 41 identifies the work location of the first employee 10 (users N1, N3, N5 to N9, etc.) according to the network within the facility to which the terminal 62a is connected. The CPU 41 changes the delivery location of the first employee 10 (user N5 of users N1, N3, N5 to N9, etc.) according to the identified work location. In this way, even if the work location is changed, the lunches are automatically delivered to the new location, eliminating the need to go to the previous delivery location to pick up the lunches, improving convenience.

[0086] The CPU 41 notifies the terminal 62b used by the second employee 10 (user N2, N10, etc.) that the lunch order has been canceled. If the delivery location of the first employee 10 (user N5) is changed, the CPU 41 notifies the terminal 62a used by the first employee 10 (user N5) of the delivery location. This allows the first employee 10 (user N5) to know that the lunch order has been canceled, and also allows the first employee 10 to know where to pick up the lunch if the work location has changed.

[0087] Second Embodiment Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of an order management system 101 according to the second embodiment. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of an order management device 50, etc. In the following explanation, only differences from the first embodiment will be described, and explanations of the same points as in the first embodiment will be omitted. The configurations and modifications described in the first embodiment can be applied to any of the configurations and modifications described in the second embodiment.

[0088] In the second embodiment, it is assumed that each user has a mobile device that can identify the user, such as an employee mobile phone. Furthermore, multiple air conditioners that can communicate with the mobile device are installed within the facility, and the user's work location is identified based on the communication status between the mobile device and the air conditioner.

[0089] As shown in Figure 13, the order management system 101 includes an order management device 50, a mobile terminal 60 as an identification device, an equipment management device 40, and multiple air conditioners 31. Multiple air conditioners 31a are installed in room A on the fourth floor, which is the work location of employee 10 (user), and multiple air conditioners 31b are installed in room B on the third floor. Air conditioners 31a and 31b are collectively referred to as "air conditioners 31."

[0090] The mobile terminal 60 is a terminal that can identify the employee 10 and is carried by the employee 10 working in the facility. The air conditioner 31 (air conditioners 31a, 31b) is also a communication device that can communicate with the mobile terminal 60.

[0091] 14, the mobile terminal 60 is provided with a wireless communication device 11. The wireless communication device 11 outputs a signal that enables detection of the position of the mobile terminal 60, using a communication method that complies with the BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy, "Bluetooth" is a registered trademark) communication standard. Instead of the BLE communication standard, a communication method that complies with the UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication standard may be used.

[0092] Each of the multiple air conditioners 31 (air conditioners 31a, 31b) is provided with a wireless communication device 30. Returning to FIG. 13 , the multiple air conditioners 31 are installed, for example, at an appropriate distance from each other on the ceiling 35. Each wireless communication device 30 receives a signal transmitted from the mobile terminal 60 and detects the reception strength thereof using a communication method that complies with the same communication standard as the wireless communication device 11 of the mobile terminal 60. The position of the mobile terminal 60 within the facility can be detected from the reception strength at each wireless communication device 30. Each wireless communication device 30 outputs the reception strength of the signal received from the mobile terminal 60 to the equipment management device 40.

[0093] The equipment management device 40 controls equipment such as air conditioners 31 and wireless communication devices 30 installed in the facility. The equipment management device 40 receives the reception strength of signals received by the wireless communication devices 30 from the wireless communication devices 30, and detects the position of the mobile terminal 60 within the facility from the reception strength of each wireless communication device 30.

[0094] The equipment management device 40 is connected to a communication network NW. The equipment management device 40, an order management device 50, and a mobile terminal 60, which is a communication terminal, are connected to the communication network NW. The order management device 50 can acquire location information of the mobile terminal 60 via the equipment management device 40.

[0095] The mobile terminal 60 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet. The mobile terminal 60 may also be a notebook computer, a personal computer, or the like. The mobile terminal 60 includes a display unit 61 that displays various information. The display unit 61 is, for example, a liquid crystal display unit or a display of the mobile terminal.

[0096] 14, the order management device 50 includes a CPU 41 as a processing device, an I / F device 44 as a communication device, and RAM 42, ROM 43, and a storage device 45 as storage devices. The CPU 41, RAM 42, ROM 43, I / F device 44, and storage device 45 exchange various data via a communication bus 46.

[0097] The CPU 41 loads a program stored in the ROM 43 into the RAM 42 and executes it. The program stored in the ROM 43 describes the processes to be executed by the order management device 50.

[0098] The I / F device 44 communicates with the equipment management device 40 and the mobile terminal 60. The I / F device 44 is an input / output device for exchanging signals and data with the equipment management device 40 and the mobile terminal 60. The order management device 50 receives information about the mobile terminal 60 detected by the equipment management device 40 via the I / F device 44.

[0099] The storage device 45 is a storage device that stores various types of information, including a user table 71, a device table 73, an order schedule information DB 81, and the like.

[0100] 15 is an example of the equipment table 73. As described above, the storage device 45 stores the equipment table 73. The equipment table 73 is a table that records information about the equipment installed in the facility.

[0101] The device table 73 records device IDs assigned to devices installed in the facility, the type of device corresponding to the device ID, and the installation location of the device. For example, the type of device ID "ID0001" is "air conditioner" and the installation location is "room A (4th floor)." The type of device ID "ID0005" is "air conditioner" and the installation location is "room B (3rd floor)."

[0102] The user table 71 and the order schedule information DB 81 are the same as those in the first embodiment. In this example, it is assumed that the situation is the same as that described with reference to Figures 5, 6, and 8 in the first embodiment.

[0103] In the second embodiment, the work location in the order schedule information DB 81 is set according to the communication status between the air conditioner 31 and the mobile terminal 60. As shown in FIG. 8, user N2 is telecommuting, user N4 is absent, and users N1 and N2 are at work in room A. User N10 is telecommuting, and users N6 to N9 are at work in room B. However, N8 does not order a lunch box. User N5 has moved from room B to room A.

[0104] As a result, the mobile terminals 60 used by users N1, N3, and N5 communicate with the wireless communication device of the air conditioner 31 in room A. The mobile terminals 60 used by users N6 to N9 communicate with the wireless communication device 30 of the air conditioner 31 in room B.

[0105] Fig. 16 is an example of the order schedule information DB 81. As a result of the above communication, in the order schedule information DB 81 of Fig. 16, the work locations of users N1, N3, and N5 are set to "room A," and the work locations of users N6 to N9 are set to "room B." For users N2 and N10 who work from home and user N4 who is absent from work, the mobile terminal 60 is not detected by the wireless communication device 30 of the air conditioner 31, so "-" is set as the work location.

[0106] The "Delivery Location" and "Order Present" in the order schedule information DB81 are changed based on the setting of the "Work Location." The work locations of users N2, N4, and N10 are set to "-," and since they do not need lunch boxes, "Order Present" is changed from "Yes" to "No." User N5's work location is set to "Room A," so the "Delivery Location" is changed from "Room B" to "Room A."

[0107] As a result, the number of bento boxes ordered in Room A will change from "4" to "3". Also, the number of bento boxes ordered in Room B will change from "5" to "3".

[0108] 17 is a flowchart of the main processing executed by the order management device 50. When the main processing starts, the order management device 50 acquires information about the mobile terminal 60 from the equipment management device 40 in S201.

[0109] If the order management device 50 determines that the air conditioner 31 has newly detected the mobile terminal 60 (YES in S202), it executes the processing from S203 onwards. On the other hand, if the order management device 50 does not determine that the air conditioner 31 has newly detected the mobile terminal 60 (NO in S202), it returns the processing to S201.

[0110] In S203, the order management device 50 identifies the user from the user table 71. In S204, the order management device 50 sets the installation location of the air conditioner 31 as the work location based on the equipment table 73. In this example, this is as shown in FIG.

[0111] If the scheduled order time has arrived (YES in S205), the order management device 50 executes the processing from S206 onwards. On the other hand, if the scheduled order time has not arrived (NO in S205), the order management device 50 returns the processing to S201. As a result, the processing of S201 to S204 is repeated until the scheduled order time arrives.

[0112] As a result, for example, the order management device 50 determines that the work location of a user carrying a mobile terminal 60 that has communicated with the air conditioner 31a installed in room A by the scheduled order time is room A. The order management device 50 also determines that the work location of a user carrying a mobile terminal 60 that has communicated with the air conditioner 31b installed in room B by the scheduled order time is room B.

[0113] In S206, the order management device 50 changes the order status in the order schedule information DB 81 to "no order" for the users of the mobile terminals 60 that have not communicated with the air conditioners 31. In this way, the order management device 50 changes the order status to "no order" for the users (in this example, users N2, N4, and N10) who carry mobile terminals 60 that have not communicated with the air conditioners 31 by the scheduled order time.

[0114] In S207, if the work location of a user who has communicated with the air conditioner 31 differs from the delivery location in the order schedule information DB 81, the order management device 50 changes the delivery location to the work location. In this way, the order management device 50 changes the delivery location of the user (user N5 in this example) according to the determined work location.

[0115] In S208, the order management device 50 executes an ordering process for lunches for that day. In S209, the order management device 50 notifies the mobile terminal 60 of the user whose delivery location has been changed that the lunch order has been canceled, and ends the main process.

[0116] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the identification device is the mobile terminal 60 that can identify the employee 10 (user) and is carried by the employee 10. The facility is provided with air conditioners 31 (air conditioners 31a and 31b) as communication devices capable of communicating with the mobile terminal 60. The communication devices are the air conditioners 31 (air conditioners 31a and 31b). The work locations include room A on the fourth floor and room B on the third floor. The air conditioners 31 include air conditioner 31a as a first communication device installed in room A on the fourth floor and air conditioner 31b as a second communication device installed in room B on the third floor. The CPU 41 determines that the work location of the employee 10 carrying the mobile terminal that communicated with air conditioner 31a by the scheduled order time is room A on the fourth floor. The CPU 41 determines that the work location of the employee 10 carrying the mobile terminal that communicated with air conditioner 31b by the scheduled order time is room B on the third floor. The CPU 41 changes the delivery location of the employee 10 (user N5 among users N1, N3, N5 to N9, etc.) according to the determined work location.

[0117] In this way, the work location is identified based on the location information of the mobile terminal 60 carried by the employee 10, and the order schedule information is automatically changed according to the work location. This makes it possible to optimally manage the ordering of lunch boxes for the employee 10 in facilities that have introduced telecommuting and a free address system.

[0118] The CPU 41 changes the order status of the employees 10 (users N2, N4, and N10) who carry the mobile terminals 60 that have not communicated with the air conditioners 31 by the scheduled order time to "order not ordered." This allows the accurate order quantity to be automatically tallied and lunches to be ordered.

[0119] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the user's location is measured by utilizing an air conditioner 31, which is an existing facility installed in the facility. This reduces the cost of installing the facility compared to installing a dedicated device for measuring the user's location in the facility. Note that any device that can measure the user's location may be used, not limited to an air conditioner.

[0120] The embodiments disclosed herein are merely examples and are not limited to the above. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, and it is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0121] 1, 2 Floor, 10 Employee (user), 11, 30 Wireless communication device, 31, 31a, 31b Air conditioner, 35 Ceiling, 36 Floor, 40 Equipment management device, 41 CPU, 42 RAM, 43 ROM, 44 I / F device, 45 Storage device, 46 Communication bus, 50 Order management device, 60 Mobile terminal, 62, 62a, 62b Terminal, 61 Display unit, 63 Card reader, 64 IC card, 71 User table, 72 Network table, 73 Equipment table, 81 Order schedule information DB, 91-97 Images, 100, 101 Order management system, 111-118 Messages, 201 Router, N1-N10 Employee (user), NW Communication network.

Claims

1. An order management device for managing orders for lunch boxes for employees working in a facility, a processor; a memory that stores a program executable by the processor; The memory stores order schedule information for the lunch boxes for the day, The order schedule information records whether the employee has ordered the lunch box and a delivery location within the facility where the employee can receive the lunch box, The employee can be identified by logging in to the terminal used by the employee, the terminals include a first terminal used by the employee within the facility and a second terminal used by the employee outside the facility; The processor: determining that the work location of a first employee who logs in to the first terminal by the scheduled time of ordering the lunch box on that day is within the facility; determining that the work location of a second employee who has logged in to the second terminal by the scheduled order time is outside the facility; changing the order presence / absence status of the second employee and a third employee who has not logged in to the terminal by the scheduled order time to no order; Identifying the work location of the first employee according to the network within the facility to which the first terminal is connected; changing the delivery location of the first employee in response to the identified work location; An order management device performs ordering processing for the lunches for that day based on the order schedule information at the order schedule time.

2. The processor: notifying the second terminal used by the second employee that the lunch order has been canceled; 2. The order management device according to claim 1, wherein when the delivery location of the first employee is changed, the delivery location is notified to the first terminal used by the first employee.

3. An order management device for managing orders for lunch boxes for employees working in a facility, a processor; a memory that stores a program executable by the processor; The memory stores order schedule information for the lunch boxes for the day, The order schedule information records whether the employee has ordered the lunch box and a delivery location within the facility where the employee can receive the lunch box, the facility is provided with a communication device capable of communicating with the mobile terminal carried by the employee; the mobile terminal is dedicated to the employee, and the employee can be identified from information on the mobile terminal; The employee's work location on the day includes a first work location and a second work location, the communication devices include a first communication device installed at the first work location and a second communication device installed at the second work location; The processor: determining that the work location of the employee carrying the mobile terminal that has communicated with the first communication device by the scheduled order time of the lunch box on the day is the first work location; determining that the work location of the employee carrying the mobile terminal that has communicated with the second communication device by the scheduled order time is the second work location; changing the delivery location of the employee according to the determined work location; changing the order presence / absence status of the employee carrying the mobile terminal that has not communicated with the communication device by the scheduled order time to no order presence / absence; An order management device performs ordering processing for the lunches for that day based on the order schedule information at the order schedule time.

4. The order management device according to claim 3 , wherein the communication device is an air conditioner.

5. A control method for an order management device that manages lunch orders for employees working in a facility, comprising: The order management device a processor; a memory that stores a program executable by the processor; The memory stores order schedule information for the lunch boxes for the day, The order schedule information records whether the employee has ordered the lunch box and a delivery location within the facility where the employee can receive the lunch box, The employee can be identified by logging in to the terminal used by the employee, the terminals include a first terminal used by the employee within the facility and a second terminal used by the employee outside the facility; The control method includes: The processor determines that the work location of a first employee who logs in to the first terminal by the scheduled time of ordering the lunch box on that day is within the facility; The processor determines that the work location of a second employee who has logged in to the second terminal by the scheduled order time is outside the facility; the processor changes the order presence / absence status of the second employee and a third employee who has not logged in to the terminal by the scheduled order time to no order; The processor identifies the work location of the first employee according to a network within the facility to which the first terminal is connected; the processor changing the delivery location of the first employee in response to the identified work location; The control method includes a step in which the processor performs an ordering process for the lunches for that day based on the order schedule information at the order schedule time.

Citation Information

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