Food and drink counting device

Abstract

The present invention provides a food / drink item counting device provided in a food / drink item providing system having a transport path for transporting a support that is passed along a customer table and on which food / drink items can be mounted. The food / drink item counting device is provided with: a first information acquiring unit disposed upstream of the table to acquire information pertaining to the support on the transport path; a second information acquiring unit disposed downstream of the table to acquire information pertaining to the support on the transport path; and a first calculating unit for calculating the number of the food / drink items taken from the transport path to the table. Each support has identifying information for identifying the support, and is configured to take a first state in which the food / drink items are mounted thereon, and a second state in which the food / drink items are not mounted thereon.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food and drink counting device that is installed in a food and drink serving system having a conveying path that passes along a customer table and conveys a support on which food and drink can be placed. [Background technology]

[0002] In food and beverage delivery systems such as conveyor belt sushi restaurants, the number of plates that customers take from the conveyor is counted by store staff at the time of payment, and the bill is calculated based on that number. However, if the number of plates is counted manually, customers will have to wait while the count is being counted, and there is also the risk of human error.

[0003] Therefore, a system has been proposed that automates the counting of the number of plates. For example, in Patent Document 1, cameras are placed on the conveying path, upstream and downstream of the tables where customers eat and drink, to photograph the plates as they are conveyed. Plates photographed by the upstream camera are identified by color or other factors, and if the same plate is not photographed by the downstream camera within a predetermined time, it is determined that the plate has been removed from the conveying path to the table, and the number of plates is counted. On the other hand, if a plate photographed by the upstream camera is photographed by the downstream camera within a predetermined time, it is determined that the plate has not been removed from the conveying path to the table. In this way, the counting of the number of plates is automated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-103603 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the above system, if the plate conveying speed slows down due to a malfunction of the conveying path or the like, the downstream camera may not be able to photograph the same plate within the specified time, and in this case, the plate may be determined to have been removed from the conveying path even though it has not. Alternatively, if a plate is removed from the conveying path and then returned to the conveying path, the downstream camera may not be able to photograph the same plate within the specified time. Therefore, the above system may not be able to accurately count the number of plates removed from the conveying path, i.e., the amount of food and drink consumed.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to provide a food and beverage counting device that can accurately count the amount of food and beverage consumed even when irregular events such as those described above occur. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a food and drink counting device for use in a food and drink service system having a transport path that passes along a customer table and transports supports on which food and drink can be placed, the device comprising: a first information acquisition unit that is arranged upstream of the table and acquires information about the supports on the transport path; a second information acquisition unit that is arranged downstream of the table and acquires information about the supports on the transport path; and a first calculation unit that calculates the number of foods and drinks that have been taken out from the transport path to the table, wherein identification information for identifying each of the supports is provided on each of the supports, and each of the supports is configured to be able to take a first state in which the food and drink is placed thereon, and a second state in which the food and drink is not placed thereon, and the first calculation unit calculates, by the first information acquisition unit, whether the support is in one of the first state and the second state in which the food and drink is not placed thereon. a first determination step of determining which state the support is in by the second information acquisition unit; a first storage step of storing the identification information of the support acquired by the first information acquisition unit and the state of the support in association with each other; a second storage step of storing the identification information of the support acquired by the second information acquisition unit and the state of the support in association with each other; and a counting step of counting that the food or drink supported on the support has been consumed at the table when the first information acquisition unit determines that the support is in the first state and the support determined to be in the first state is determined to be in the second state by the second information acquisition unit.

[0008] The order of the first determination step and the second determination step, and the order of the first storage step and the second storage step are not particularly limited.

[0009] In the above-mentioned food and beverage counting system, the first information acquisition unit can have a first camera, determine the state of the support based on the image taken by the first camera, and acquire identification information of the support by the first camera, and the second information acquisition unit can have a second camera, determine the state of the support based on the image taken by the second camera, and acquire identification information of the support by the second camera.

[0010] The above food and beverage counting system may further include a display unit provided on the table, and the display unit may be configured to display the amount of food and beverage consumption counted by the first calculation unit.

[0011] In the above food and beverage counting system, the support is configured to support a plate on which the food and beverage is placed, and the support is configured to allow the customer to remove the plate on which the food and beverage is placed from the support, and the system may further include an insertion unit provided on the table for inserting the plate removed from the support, and a second calculation unit for counting the number of plates inserted into the insertion unit.

[0012] The above-mentioned food and drink counting system may further include a notification means for notifying the user if there is a difference between the number of food and drink items counted by the first calculation unit and the number of plates counted by the second calculation unit.

[0013] The above-mentioned food and beverage counting system may further include a checkout start means for the customer to instruct the start of the checkout process, and when the first calculation unit receives an instruction to start the checkout from the checkout start means, it can read out the information stored by the first and second storage steps and execute the counting step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the food and drink counting device of the present invention, the amount of food and drink consumed can be counted accurately. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a food and beverage serving system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a first calculation unit. [Figure 6] 10 is an example of a chronological list of container information. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart of an accounting process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] <1. Overview of the food and beverage supply system> An embodiment of a food and drink serving system provided with a food and drink counting device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a plan view of the food and drink serving system, and Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a conveying path.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the food and drink service system according to this embodiment is installed in a sushi restaurant, as an example, and includes a transport path 2 for transporting containers 1 containing food and drink between a guest room S1 and a kitchen S2. Guest room S1 is provided with a plurality of customer seating booths 3 separated by partitions, and each customer seating booth 3 is arranged along the transport path 2. Each customer seating booth 3 is also provided with a rectangular table 31, and one side of this table 31 is installed so that it contacts the transport path 2.

[0018] The container 1 transported by the conveying path 2 contains plates 11 (see Figure 3) on which food and drink (sushi, soup, sweets, drinks, etc.) are placed, and customers at each seating booth 3 take the plates 11 on which food and drink are placed from the container 1 on the conveying path 2 and eat and drink at the table 31.

[0019] 2, a touch panel display 32 for placing orders, making payments, etc., and an inserting device 33 for inserting plates 11 are arranged on a table 31 of each booth 3. Furthermore, this food and drink serving system is provided with a counting device that counts the amount of food and drink consumed at each booth 3 and processes payments. Each device will be described in detail below.

[0020] <1-1. Transport path and container> 2, a flat chain conveyor 21 is arranged on the conveying path 2, and this flat chain conveyor 21 is driven by a motor (not shown) to move in a circular motion between the guest room S1 and the kitchen S2. The above-mentioned containers 1 are arranged at predetermined intervals on the flat chain conveyor 21 and move on the conveying path 2.

[0021] Fig. 3 is a side view of a container. As shown in Fig. 3, each container 1 includes a mounting section 12 that is placed on a flat chain conveyor 21, and a dome-shaped transparent lid 13 that covers the mounting section 12 and is configured to be openable and closable. A plate 11 carrying food or drink can be placed on the mounting section 12. The lid 13 is pivotally fixed to the mounting section 12 by an opening / closing mechanism 14 that includes a hinge, and can be placed in two states: a closed state (first state) in which the plate 11 placed on the mounting section 12 is covered, as shown in Fig. 3(a), and an open state (second state) in which the plate 11 carrying food or drink can be removed from the mounting section 12, as shown in Fig. 3(b).

[0022] In the closed state, the lower edge of the lid 13 contacts the periphery of the plate 11 placed on the placement section 12. This covers the food and drink on the plate, preventing dust and other particles from adhering to the plate and maintaining hygiene. The lower end of the lid 13 is formed with an arc-shaped notch 131 facing the customer booth 3, allowing the edge of the plate 11 to be grasped through this notch 131 when the lid 13 is in the closed state. When a customer inserts their finger through the notch 131 to grasp the edge of the plate 11 and then slightly pulls up the plate 11, the plate 11 pushes up the lid 13, causing the opening / closing mechanism 14 to pop the lid 13 open. This allows the customer to remove the plate 11 from the container 1 while still holding it with their fingers.

[0023] Additionally, the top of the lids 13 are provided with a display tag 132 indicating the type of food or drink contained in each lid 13, and an identifier 133 embedded with identification information for identifying each container 1. For example, the display tag 132 can indicate the type of sushi, such as tuna or sea bream. Additionally, the identifier 133 is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, a barcode, QR code (registered trademark), or other camera-readable code.

[0024] <1-2.Counting device> Next, the counting device will be described. Fig. 4 is a side view of the conveying path, and Fig. 5 is a block diagram of the first calculation unit. As shown in Fig. 4, the counting device is equipped with a first camera 41 arranged upstream of the table 31 of each customer seating booth 3, a second camera 42 arranged downstream, and a first calculation unit 43 that counts the number of plates removed from the conveying path 2. The first camera 41 and the second camera 42 are installed in each customer seating booth 3, respectively.

[0025] The first camera 41 sequentially photographs the containers 1 passing through the conveying path 2, and acquires photographed images of the containers 1. Similarly, the second camera 42 sequentially photographs the containers 1 passing through the conveying path 2, and acquires photographed images of the containers 1. Therefore, each container 1 passing through the conveying path 2 is photographed twice by the first camera 41 and the second camera 42 while it makes one revolution around the conveying path 2.

[0026] Next, the first calculation unit 43 will be described. As shown in Fig. 5, the first calculation unit 43 is a computer to which a control unit 431 and a storage unit 432 are electrically connected. The first camera 41, the second camera 42, and the touch panel display 32 described above are electrically connected to the first calculation unit 43, and the images captured by these cameras 41 and 42 are processed by the control unit 431.

[0027] The control unit 431 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), etc., and performs processes such as counting the plates removed from the container 1. The memory unit 432 is, for example, an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk drive or solid state drive, and stores programs executed by the control unit 431, information about the container 1, etc.

[0028] The program is a program for carrying out various processes such as determining the state of the container 1, recognizing the identifier 133, storing various information, and processing the transaction including counting plates. The processes carried out by this program will be described later.

[0029] <1-3. Feeding device> Next, the insertion device 33 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the insertion device 33 includes a guide path 332 that opens above the table 31 and has an insertion opening 331 through which plates are inserted, a sensor 333 that is provided inside the guide path 332 and detects the plates 11 that have passed through, and a second calculation unit (not shown) that counts the number of plates 11 that have passed through the guide path 332. The guide path 332 extends diagonally downward toward the conveyance path 2 and is connected to a dish recovery channel 22 that is provided inside the conveyance path 2. The dish recovery channel 22 extends to the kitchen S2 and is connected to a storage tub (not shown) provided in the kitchen S2. Water flows through the dish recovery channel 22 toward the storage tub, and when a plate 11 is inserted through the insertion opening 331 and falls into the dish recovery channel 22 via the guide path 332, the plate 11 is carried to the storage tub by the water. The plates 11 are then collected in the storage tub, washed, and reused.

[0030] When the plates 11 passing through the guide path 332 are detected by the sensor 333, they are counted sequentially by the second calculation unit and stored as the number of plates consumed. The second calculation unit is configured by a computer similar to the first calculation unit 43.

[0031] In addition, a message urging customers to insert the plates 11 into the insertion slot 331 after eating and drinking can be displayed on the touch panel display 32 or the customer booth 3.

[0032] <2. Accounting> Next, the transaction process in the food and beverage service system configured as described above will be explained with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is an example of a chronological list of container information, and Figure 7 is a flowchart of the transaction process. When a customer is guided to a booth 3, the time of the guide is stored in the memory unit 432 of the first calculation unit 43. The time of the guide may be input by a store staff member, or it may be the time when operation of the touch panel display 32 is started. The time of the guide can also be stored in the first calculation unit 43 by various other means.

[0033] Then, the customer takes out the plate 11 on which food and drink are placed from the container 1 transported on the transport path 2, and eats and drinks at the table 31. After eating and drinking, the plate 11 is inserted by the customer through the insertion port 331.

[0034] A checkout button (checkout start means) for starting a checkout is displayed on the touch panel display 32, and when this checkout button is touched (step S101), the control unit 431 of the first calculation unit 43 starts the checkout. That is, the control unit 431 executes the above program. The specific processing is as follows.

[0035] First, prior to transaction processing, the control unit 431 determines whether the lid 13 of the container 1 is in an open or closed state from the captured images acquired by the cameras 41 and 42 using known image recognition technology (first and second determination steps). The result of this determination is referred to as open / closed information. Furthermore, identification information for each container 1 is acquired from the identifier 133 shown in the captured image. The acquired open / closed information, identification information, the time the image was captured, and information about the camera that captured the image are associated and sequentially stored in the storage unit 432 as container information. That is, a chronological list of container information such as that shown in FIG. 6 is stored in the storage unit 432 (first and second storage steps). Note that, to improve the accuracy of the open / closed information for the container 1, multiple images may be captured (for example, an odd number of times, such as five) when the container 1 passes under the cameras 41 and 42. Then, the open / closed state of each captured image is determined using image recognition technology. The image with the greater number of determined open or closed states may be used as the open / closed information. Furthermore, the timing for determining the open / closed state is not particularly limited, and the captured image may be stored in storage unit 432, and then the determination may be made at a predetermined timing before the transaction.

[0036] When the checkout button is touched as described above, the control unit 431 reads out the necessary container information from the memory unit 432 (step S102). That is, the control unit 431 reads out the container information acquired by the cameras 41, 42 of the customer booth 3 between the time the customer was guided to the customer booth 3 and the time the checkout button was touched. Note that which customer booth 3 the checkout took place at is identified by associating the cameras 41, 42 that took the image with the touch panel display 32 of each customer booth 3.

[0037] The control unit 431 counts the number of containers 1 that have passed through the customer seating booth 3 and that are determined to be in a closed state by the first camera 41 and in an open state by the second camera 42 (step S103: counting step). In other words, if the same container 1 is in a closed state upstream of the customer seating booth 3 and in an open state downstream, this means that the lid 13 was opened and a plate 11 was removed while the container 1 passed through the customer seating booth 3. For example, in the example of FIG. 6, the No. 8 container 1 photographed by the first camera 41 (camera No. 1) is in a closed state, and the No. 8 container 1 photographed by the second camera 42 (camera No. 2) is in an open state. Therefore, it is determined that a plate 11 has been removed from the No. 8 container 1. In this example, it is also determined that a plate 11 has been removed from the No. 10 container 1. Therefore, the number of containers 1 that have been detected to be in such a state is regarded as the number of removed plates 11, i.e., the amount of food and drink consumed.

[0038] When the counting of the number of plates 11 removed is thus completed, the control unit 431 displays the number on the touch panel display 32 (step S104). A confirmation button is also displayed on the touch panel display 32, and if the customer agrees to the number of plates consumed (YES in step S105), a message urging the customer to touch the confirmation button is displayed. If the customer touches the confirmation button (step S106), the control unit 431 performs the transaction process. That is, the fee according to the number of plates counted is calculated and transmitted to the POS register (not shown) (step S107). Once transmission is complete, a screen indicating transaction completion is displayed on the touch panel display 32. The customer then goes to the POS register and makes the payment.

[0039] If the customer does not agree with the number of plates 11 counted (NO in step S105), a staff member can be called to confirm the number. For this reason, a button for calling a staff member is displayed on the touch panel display 32.

[0040] Furthermore, when the checkout button is touched, the number of plates stored in the second calculation unit is compared with the number of plates counted by the first calculation unit 43, and if there is a discrepancy, a store staff member is notified. The means of notification is not particularly limited, and information to that effect may be sent to a mobile terminal or the like held by one of the store staff members, or the information may be sent to the store's central management system, and then a staff member may be notified verbally.

[0041] <3. Features> The food and drink providing system configured as above can achieve the following effects. (1) In the above embodiment, the first camera 41 and the second camera 42 photograph all containers 1 transported along the transport path 2. When the same container 1 is closed on the upstream side of the customer booth 3 and open on the downstream side, it is assumed that food and drink has been consumed, and the number of plates is counted. Therefore, even if the same container 1 is not photographed by the second camera 42 within a predetermined time after being photographed by the first camera 41, as long as the same container 1 is photographed by both cameras 41 and 42, it is possible to determine whether food and drink has been consumed. Therefore, even if, for some reason, the container 1 does not pass between the first camera 41 and the second camera 42 within the predetermined time, the number of plates 11 on which food and drink has been consumed can be reliably detected. In other words, the counting device according to this embodiment can reliably detect the number of plates 11 on which food and drink has been consumed, regardless of the time it takes for the container 1 to pass between the first camera 41 and the second camera 42.

[0042] As a result, the number of plates 11 on which food and drink has been consumed can be calculated automatically, which shortens the checkout time, reduces human error, and reduces the number of staff required, leading to improved customer satisfaction and cost reduction.

[0043] (2) The number of plates 11 consumed is counted not only by the first calculation unit 43 but also by the second calculation unit. Therefore, even if there is an error in the counting by the first calculation unit 43, the error in the counting by the first calculation unit 43 can be detected as long as all plates 11 on which food or drink has been consumed are inserted into the insertion slot 331.

[0044] <4. Modifications> Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

[0045] (1) In the above embodiment, the case where a customer takes out a plate 11 from a container 1 transported on the transport path 2 and eats the food or drink has been described. However, the customer may also order the desired food or drink using the touch panel display 32. The order is then transmitted to the kitchen S2, where it is prepared. In this case, the container 1 containing the ordered food or drink is transported on the transport path 2. To indicate that the ordered food or drink is contained in the container 1, the container 1 may be provided with a display such as the number of the customer seating booth 3, or the touch panel display 32 may display a screen announcing that the container 1 containing the ordered food or drink will soon be delivered. In this case, the plate 11 is taken out of the container 1, and the number of plates 11 can be counted in the same manner as described above.

[0046] Alternatively, a dedicated transport path can be provided for transporting containers 1 containing ordered food and drink, and this transport path can be used to transport containers 1. In this case, the number of dishes ordered from touch panel display 32 can be separately counted by first calculation unit 43, and when the checkout button is touched, the total number of dishes 11 counted as described above can be displayed on touch panel display 32.

[0047] (2) The configuration of the container 1 is not particularly limited, as long as it is capable of supporting the dish 11 and is capable of determining from a captured image whether the dish 11 is on the container 1 or not. Therefore, the lid 13 is not necessarily required, and the identifier 133 may also be disposed anywhere on the container 1.

[0048] (3) The various processes described above may be controlled by one or more computers. Therefore, for example, the first calculation unit 43, the second calculation unit, and the module that performs the order acceptance process may be configured on the same computer. The first calculation unit also performs accounting processes other than counting plates 11, but accounting processes other than counting plates 11 may be performed by a module or computer different from the first calculation unit 43. For example, some processes, such as control of cameras 41 and 42, image recognition of the open / closed state of the container 1, and control of the touch panel display 32, may be performed by different computers. Furthermore, although the various processes described above are realized by a computer having a general-purpose CPU, some or all of the processes may be realized by one or more dedicated processors.

[0049] (4) In the above embodiment, the open / close information of the container 1 and the identification information of the container 1 are acquired by the cameras 41 and 42, but this is not limiting. That is, this information can also be acquired by various means (first information acquisition unit, second information acquisition unit), such as various sensors other than the cameras 41 and 42, or communication means such as an IC tag. Furthermore, the open / close information and the identification information can also be acquired by different information acquisition units.

[0050] (5) A robot can be placed on the conveyor path 2 and made to talk to customers or perform some other action. For example, when the robot passes the table of a customer who has just picked up a plate of tuna, it can surprise the customer by saying something like, "Was the tuna delicious today?", thereby improving the playability of the game.

[0051] (6) Information about the type of food and drink contained in the container 1 can also be embedded in the identifier. This makes it possible to recognize the type and number of food and drink on the conveying path 2 from the identifier photographed by the cameras 41 and 42. This makes it easier to adjust the amount of food and drink supplied to the conveying path 2. It is also possible to know the type and number of food and drink taken out of the conveying path 2 at each table 31.

[0052] In addition, the information related to the food and drink acquired by such a customer can be linked to the customer management system. For example, by associating the account registered by the customer with the information acquired by the first calculation unit 43, it is possible to provide a benefit to the customer's account according to the type and number of food and drink acquired in each table 31.

[0053] (7) In the above embodiment, the amount of food and drink consumed (e.g., the number of plates 11) calculated by the first calculation unit 43 is displayed on the touch panel display 32 to process the transaction, and the number of plates calculated by the second calculation unit is used as an auxiliary process. However, this can also be reversed. That is, the main process is to display the number of plates calculated by the second calculation unit on the touch panel display 32 to process the transaction, and the number of plates calculated by the first calculation unit 43 can be used as an auxiliary process. Therefore, when the number of plates calculated by the second calculation unit differs from the number of plates calculated by the first calculation unit, store staff can check the discrepancy.

[0054] (8) In the above embodiment, the food and beverage serving system of the present invention is applied to a sushi serving system, but other types of food and beverage may also be served. Furthermore, the above-described configuration of the conveying path and the configuration of the customer seating booth are examples and can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, the feeding device is not required, and a counting device alone can be provided as a device for counting the number of plates. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1. Container (support) 2 Transport path 31 Table 32 Touch panel display (display unit) 331 Inlet (Inlet part) 41 Camera 1 42 Second Camera 43 First Calculation Section

Claims

1. A food and beverage counting device provided in a food and beverage supply system having a conveying path that passes along a plurality of tables for customers and conveys a support on which food and beverage can be placed, comprising: a plurality of first information acquisition units disposed upstream of each of the tables and configured to acquire information about the support on the transport path; a plurality of second information acquisition units disposed downstream of each of the tables and configured to acquire information about the support on the transport path; a first calculation unit that calculates the number of the foods and drinks taken out from the conveying path to each of the tables; Equipped with Identification information for identifying each of the supports is provided on each of the supports, The food and drink can be removed from the support by the customer while the support remains positioned on the transport path, The support has a lid that covers the food and drink and can be opened and closed, and is configured to be able to take a closed state in which the lid is closed and an open state in which the lid is open, The first calculation unit a first determination step of determining, by each of the first information acquisition units, whether the support is in the closed state or the open state on the upstream side of each of the tables; a second determination step of determining, by each of the second information acquisition units, whether the support is in the closed state or the open state on the downstream side of each of the tables; a first storage step of storing the identification information of the support body acquired by each of the first information acquisition units in association with the state of the support body; a second storage step of storing the identification information of the support body acquired by each of the second information acquisition units in association with the state of the support body; a counting step of counting the food and drink supported on the support as having been consumed at the table when the first information acquisition unit, which is arranged upstream of one of the plurality of tables, determines that the support is in the closed state and the second information acquisition unit, which is arranged downstream of the table, determines that the support determined to be in the closed state is in the open state; A food and drink counting device configured to perform the following.

2. each of the first information acquisition units has a first camera, determines a state of the support body based on an image captured by the first camera, and acquires identification information of the support body by the first camera; The food and beverage counting device described in claim 1, wherein each of the second information acquisition units has a second camera and is configured to determine the state of the support based on images taken by the second camera and to acquire identification information of the support using the second camera.

3. Further, a display unit is provided on each of the tables, The food and drink counting device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display unit is configured to display the amount of food and drink consumed counted by the first calculation unit.

4. the support is configured to support a plate on which the food or beverage is placed; The tray with the food or beverage on it is configured to be removed from the support by the customer; an input unit provided on each of the tables for inputting the tray removed from the support; a second calculation unit that counts the number of the plates inserted into the insertion unit for each of the tables; The food and drink counting device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

5. A food and drink counting device as described in Claim 4, further comprising a notification means for notifying when the number of food and drink items counted by the first calculation unit and the number of plates counted by the second calculation unit differ for each of the tables.

6. The system further comprises a checkout start means for the customer to instruct the start of checkout processing, A food and beverage counting device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the first calculation unit receives an instruction to start the transaction from the transaction start means, it reads out the information stored in the first and second storage steps and executes the counting step.

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