Order placement and receiving system, and control method
The system addresses the issue of decreased product visibility by aggregating beverage variations in the order placement system, improving selection ease for restaurants.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- 株式会社伴内酒店
- Filing Date
- 2023-09-20
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
Existing systems fail to effectively present product information for beverages with variations in volume, quantity, or packaging, leading to decreased visibility of individual products during order placement.
An order placement and receiving system that aggregates products with identical contents but varying in capacity, quantity, or packaging, allowing restaurants to view them as a single entry, using a management unit to match and display these products accordingly.
Enhances product visibility and simplifies order selection by grouping identical products with variations, making it easier for restaurants to choose the appropriate items.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The technology disclosed in this application relates to an order-receiving system for placing orders for products from one or more food and beverage stores to one or more wholesalers such as liquor stores, and a control method.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, a system for supporting commercial transactions from product retailers to food and beverage stores has been considered (for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a commercial transaction form in which a plurality of sales stores are interposed between a plurality of food and beverage stores and at least one provider that provides a plurality of types of products to be sold at each food and beverage store, and each food and beverage store has a transaction relationship with at least one sales store. In response to an order for a product from each food and beverage store, a commercial transaction support system is disclosed that instructs the shipment of the product to a logistics base where the product is stored, and processes the order from each food and beverage store as a product transaction among the provider of the product included in the order, the sales store having a transaction relationship with each food and beverage store, and each food and beverage store.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] Among the beverages being sold, there are often products with the same content but different variations such as volume or number (hereinafter also referred to as "variants" in this specification). However, when listing products, there is a problem that the visibility of each individual product decreases when listing not only products with different contents but also various variations of the same product.
[0005] Some aspects of the present invention have been made in view of any of the aforementioned problems, and are intended to provide an order placement and receiving system and a control method that can preferably present product information. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] An order placement and receiving system according to one embodiment is an order placement and receiving system that places orders for goods from one or more restaurants to one or more liquor stores, comprising: an input unit that receives input of liquor store product information relating to a list of goods handled by the liquor stores; a management unit that manages system product information that uniquely manages each of the goods handled by the one or more restaurants and the one or more liquor stores within the order placement and receiving system; a matching unit that determines the correspondence between goods included in the liquor store product information and goods included in the system product information by comparing the input liquor store product information with the system product information; an identification unit that determines identical goods for each of the goods included in the system product information that differ in at least one of the following: capacity, quantity, or packaging; and a display control unit that, when presenting a list of goods included in the liquor store product information to a restaurant, aggregates the liquor store product information corresponding to goods that are identified as identical goods in the system product information that differ in at least one of the following: capacity, quantity, or packaging, and presents it to the restaurant.
[0007] A control method according to one embodiment includes an order placement and receiving system that places orders for goods from one or more restaurants to one or more liquor stores, which performs the following processes: receiving input of liquor store product information relating to a list of goods handled by the liquor stores; managing system product information that uniquely manages each of the goods handled by the one or more restaurants and the one or more liquor stores within the order placement and receiving system; determining the correspondence between goods included in the liquor store product information and goods included in the system product information by comparing the input liquor store product information with the system product information; determining identical goods for each of the goods included in the system product information that differ in at least one of the following: capacity, quantity, or packaging; and, when presenting the list of goods included in the liquor store product information to the restaurants, aggregating the liquor store product information corresponding to the goods that have been determined to be identical goods in the system product information that differ in at least one of the following: capacity, quantity, or packaging, and presenting it to the restaurants. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0008] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the configuration of an order placement and receiving system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram shows specific examples of product information for a liquor store. [Figure 3] This figure shows a specific example of product information for the system. [Figure 4] This figure shows a specific example of a display screen shown on a terminal at a restaurant. [Figure 5] This figure shows a specific example of a display screen shown on a terminal at a restaurant. [Figure 6] This figure shows a specific example of a display screen shown on the liquor store's terminal. [Figure 7] This figure shows a specific example of a display screen shown on the liquor store's terminal. [Figure 8] This figure shows a specific example of the functional configuration of the order placement and receiving server shown in Figure 1. [Figure 9] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating a specific example of the processing flow of the order placement and receiving server. [Figure 10]Figure 1 is a functional block diagram showing a specific hardware configuration for implementing the order placement and receiving server. [Figure 11] This figure shows a specific example of a display screen shown on a terminal at a restaurant. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0009] Various embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that common components in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals. Also, please note that components shown in one drawing may be omitted in another drawing for the sake of clarity. Furthermore, please note that the attached drawings are not necessarily drawn to an exact scale.
[0010] The various systems, methods, and apparatus described herein should not be construed as limiting in any way. In practice, this disclosure is directed toward any novel features and aspects of each of the various embodiments disclosed, combinations of these various embodiments, and combinations of some of these various embodiments. The various systems, methods, and apparatus described herein are not limited to any particular aspects, particular features, or combinations of such particular aspects and particular features, and the things and methods described herein do not require that one or more particular effects exist or problems are solved. Furthermore, various features or aspects of the various embodiments described herein, or some of such features or aspects, may be used in combination with each other.
[0011] While the operation of some of the various methods disclosed herein is described in a particular order for convenience, this method of description should be understood to include the possibility of rearranging the order of the operations unless a particular order is required by the following specific sentences. For example, multiple operations described in order may, in some cases, be rearranged or performed simultaneously. Furthermore, for the sake of simplification, the accompanying drawings do not show various ways in which the various matters and methods described herein may be used in conjunction with other matters and methods.
[0012] Any operating theories, scientific principles, or other theoretical descriptions presented herein in connection with the apparatus or method of this disclosure are provided for the purpose of better understanding and are not intended to limit the technical scope. The apparatus and method in the appended claims are not limited to apparatus and method that operate in the manner described by such operating theories.
[0013] Any of the various methods disclosed herein can be implemented using a plurality of computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable media, and can be executed on a computer. The one or more media may be non-transient computer-readable storage media such as, for example, at least one optical media disk, a plurality of volatile memory components, or a plurality of non-volatile memory components. Here, the plurality of volatile memory components include, for example, DRAM or SRAM. The plurality of non-volatile memory components include, for example, hard drives and solid-state drives (SSDs). Furthermore, the computer includes any computer available on the market, including, for example, smartphones and other mobile devices having computing hardware.
[0014] Any of the multiple computer-executable instructions for implementing the technologies disclosed herein, along with any data generated and used during implementations of the various embodiments disclosed herein, may be stored in one or more computer-readable media (e.g., non-temporary computer-readable storage media). Such multiple computer-executable instructions may, for example, be part of a separate software application, or part of a software application accessed or downloaded via a web browser or other software application (such as a remote computing application). Such software may be executed, for example, on a single local computer (as a process run on any suitable computer available on the market), or in a network environment (e.g., the Internet, a wide area network, a local area network, a client-server network (such as a cloud computing network), or other such network) using one or more network computers.
[0015] For clarity, only specific selected aspects of various software-based implementations are described. Other details that are well known in the art are omitted. For example, the technologies disclosed herein are not limited to any particular computer language or program. For example, the technologies disclosed herein may be executed by software written in C, C++, Java®, or any other suitable programming language. Similarly, the technologies disclosed herein are not limited to any particular computer or type of hardware. Specific details of suitable computers and hardware are well known and do not need to be described in detail herein.
[0016] Furthermore, any of such software-based embodiments (e.g., including a plurality of computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to execute any of the various methods disclosed herein) can be uploaded, downloaded, or accessed remotely by suitable communication means. Such suitable communication means include, for example, the Internet, the World Wide Web, an intranet, a software application, a cable (including an optical fiber cable), magnetic communication, electromagnetic communication (including RF communication, microwave communication, and infrared communication), electronic communication, or other such communication means.
[0017] 1. Overview FIGS. 1 to 11 are diagrams for explaining an order receiving and placing system and its control method according to an embodiment. Hereinafter, after largely explaining the system configuration of the order receiving and placing system, specific examples of its database (hereinafter also referred to as "DB") and display screens will be shown while explaining specific examples of processing, and then functional configurations, processing flows, etc. will be explained.
[0018] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an order receiving and placing system 1. The order receiving and placing system 1 according to the present embodiment is used for a transaction when one or more (usually a plurality of) beverage stores purchase products from one or more (usually a plurality of) liquor stores respectively.
[0019] Here, although it is referred to as a "liquor store", the "liquor store" according to the present embodiment does not necessarily have to sell only alcoholic beverages. It is also conceivable that non-alcoholic beverages and other foods are sold together with alcoholic beverages, or that only non-alcoholic beverages are sold without selling alcoholic beverages.
[0020] The order placement and receiving system 1 can be broadly composed of an order placement and receiving server 100, beverage establishment terminals 200A to 200N (hereinafter collectively referred to as "restaurant terminals 200"), and liquor store terminals 300A to 300M (hereinafter collectively referred to as "liquor store terminals 300"). The order placement and receiving server 100, the restaurant terminals 200, and the liquor store terminals 300 can communicate with each other via network N. The restaurant terminals 200 and the liquor store terminals 300 can be implemented using various information processing devices, such as PCs (personal computers, regardless of whether they are notebook / laptop or desktop models), mobile phones (regardless of whether they are smartphones or feature phones), and tablet terminals.
[0021] The order placement and receiving server 100 is a server operated by a system provider that provides a transaction system between restaurants and liquor stores. The order placement and receiving server 100 displays a display screen on the restaurant terminal 200 and the liquor store terminal 300, and conducts transactions between the restaurant and the liquor store in response to operations on that display screen. As for how to display the display screen on the display devices of the restaurant terminal 200 and the liquor store terminal 300, it is conceivable to display it by sending information of a web page written in HTML or the like to the browser of the restaurant terminal 200 and the liquor store terminal 300, or it is conceivable to display the display screen by mutual cooperation with application programs (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "apps") installed on the restaurant terminal 200 and the liquor store terminal 300 via the network N.
[0022] The order processing server 100 manages liquor store product information for each liquor store that handles its products, in order to facilitate transactions between restaurants and liquor stores. It also manages system product information that unifies information on all products handled by all liquor stores (i.e., all products that can be handled on the order processing server 100). Specific examples of liquor store product information and system product information will be described later with reference to Figures 2 and 3.
[0023] Furthermore, the order placement and receiving server 100 does not need to be implemented as a single physical computer; it is also conceivable that multiple computers could collaborate to implement the functions of the order placement and receiving server 100.
[0024] The liquor store operates the liquor store terminal 300 to register information about the products it sells with the order server 100, and updates this information as needed. It is also possible that the system provider may register the liquor store's product information with the order server 100 on behalf of the liquor store. Furthermore, when a restaurant places an order for products from the liquor store, the order information can be confirmed on the display screen of the order server 100. The screen for updating the liquor store's product information will be described later with reference to Figure 7.
[0025] Furthermore, since transactions are ultimately concluded between individual liquor stores and individual restaurants, each liquor store can set different prices for the same product at different restaurants, and can also set restrictions such as only allowing orders for certain products from specific restaurants.
[0026] Restaurants and bars operate the restaurant terminal 200 to check the product information of each liquor store that will sell to them and place orders with each liquor store as appropriate. At this time, on the screen displayed on the restaurant terminal 200, identical products that have the same contents but differ in volume, quantity, or packaging are grouped together and displayed. This prevents multiple identical products from appearing on the display screen, making it easier for restaurants and bars to select products. Specific examples of the display screen shown on the restaurant terminal 200 will be described later with reference to Figures 4 and 5.
[0027] 2. Specific examples of product information The following describes specific examples of liquor store product information 20 and system product information 30 managed on the order server 100.
[0028] 2.1 Liquor Store Product Information 20 First, we will explain a specific example of liquor store product information 20 that a liquor store registers / manages, referring to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a diagram showing a specific example of liquor store product information 20. In the example in Figure 2, the liquor store product information 20 is represented as a single list (database), but it is also possible to implement the liquor store product information 20 using a relational database that combines multiple databases.
[0029] As mentioned above, the liquor store product information 20 is information about the list of products that each liquor store sells. Therefore, each liquor store is provided with liquor store product information 20 for the products it handles on the order and delivery system 1.
[0030] Typically, the liquor store product information 20 is obtained by the liquor store providing a list of products handled by the order / receiving system 1 or more to the system provider, who then registers the necessary information on the order / receiving server 100 based on that list. However, this is not the only way; for example, the liquor store itself could register the liquor store product information 20 on the order / receiving server 100.
[0031] As shown in Figure 2, the liquor store product information 20 may include information such as the product name, SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), SKU ID, liquor store product ID, volume, container type (packaging), sales format (packaging), quantity per package (number of units), sales price, start date of sales, and inventory status.
[0032] The product name and SKU are names used by users (natural persons operating the order / receiving system 1, including liquor stores and restaurants) to identify the product. In particular, the SKU name includes information such as "350ml" or "30 bottles" in addition to the product name, such as "**juice". By including information such as volume, quantity (number of units), and sales format (packaging) in addition to the usual product name in the SKU name, users can easily distinguish between identical products (SKUs) that have the same contents but differ in volume, quantity, or packaging.
[0033] An SKU ID is an ID used to identify each product (SKU). For example, a JAN code can be used as an SKU ID. Even if products have the same product name and the same contents, if they are sold in a form that differs in volume, quantity, or packaging, they will be assigned different SKU IDs. However, if a seller sells variations of the same product under the same product name, changing at least one aspect such as volume, quantity, or packaging, then different SKU IDs will be assigned. But if a liquor store independently creates variations of the product with different quantities or packaging, the SKU IDs will not be unique. For example, if a manufacturer sells the same product in the form of a single PET bottle and in a pack of six PET bottles, the SKU IDs for the two will be different. On the other hand, if a liquor store sells the product in a pack of two PET bottles, even though the manufacturer does not sell them, then the single PET bottle and the pack of two PET bottles will have the same SKU ID.
[0034] The liquor store product ID is an identifier assigned by the liquor store to identify individual products, and is uniquely assigned to each product within the liquor store product information 20. In other words, even if the liquor store in the example above independently prepares a product consisting of two PET bottles, it will be assigned a different liquor store product ID than a single PET bottle.
[0035] The terms "capacity," "container type," "sales format," and "quantity" indicate the net weight, packaging, and number of items included in a single product's sales format. In this document, container type (e.g., PET bottle, glass bottle, can, etc.) and sales format (e.g., cardboard box) are collectively referred to as "packaging format."
[0036] The selling price is the standard selling price set by the liquor store in question. If you wish to set a separate selling price for a specific beverage store, you can do so by setting that information in the "Custom Pricing Information" section.
[0037] 2.2 System Product Information 30 Next, with reference to Figure 3, a specific example of system product information 30 managed on the order server 100 will be explained. Figure 3 is a diagram showing a specific example of system product information 30. In the example in Figure 3, system product information 30 is represented as a single list (database), but as with the liquor store product information 20 mentioned above, it is also possible to implement system product information 30 using a relational database that combines multiple databases.
[0038] As mentioned above, the system product information 30 is a database for uniformly managing information on all products that can be handled on the order server 100. Within the system product information 30, even if the contents are the same, products are treated as different products if their capacity, packaging, etc., differ.
[0039] Therefore, the system provider can create system product information 30 by combining the liquor store product information 20 for each liquor store. In the system product information 30, if a manufacturer sells products with the same product name but with variations that change at least one aspect, such as volume, quantity, or packaging, these products are treated as different products. On the other hand, even if a product with the exact same product name, volume, and packaging is sold by both liquor store A and liquor store B, they are treated as the same product within the system product information 30 regardless of the retailer. Furthermore, if a specific liquor store A independently offers a product that bundles two PET bottles together, this product is treated as different from other products within the system product information 30. In short, the system product information 30 is generated by combining the liquor store product information 20 for products handled by each liquor store, and then consolidating those products that are judged to be the same, including volume and packaging, into a single item.
[0040] As shown in Figure 3, the system product information 30 may include information such as system product code, SKU ID, liquor store code, liquor store product ID, variant identifier, product name, capacity, container type, and sales format.
[0041] The system product code is an identifier uniquely assigned to each product within the system product information 30. In other words, even if there are multiple products with the same product name and contents, differing only in capacity or packaging, the system product code makes it possible to uniquely identify each product.
[0042] The SKU ID is the same as the one used in the liquor store product information 20 above, and is an identifier uniquely assigned to each product sold by the manufacturer, such as a JAN code. As mentioned above, even with the SKU ID, if a liquor store has its own unique product format, it is not possible to uniquely identify the product.
[0043] The liquor store code is an identifier uniquely assigned to each liquor store in order to identify each individual store. The liquor store product ID is the same as that included in the liquor store product information 20 described above, and is uniquely assigned to a product within the liquor store product information 20 pertaining to a single liquor store. In other words, by using both the liquor store code and the liquor store product ID, it is possible to identify individual products handled by a liquor store. As mentioned above, since the same product is often handled by multiple liquor stores, the liquor store code and liquor store product ID fields contain information for each liquor store that handles that product.
[0044] A variant identifier is used to identify variations of a product (products / variants that have the same product name and contents but differ in volume, number of items in a set, or packaging). The same variant identifier is assigned to identical variants. Conversely, products with different product names or contents are assigned different variant identifiers. This allows for the identification of whether a product is a variation with the same product name and contents but differing in volume, quantity, or packaging, using the variant identifier.
[0045] 3. Specific examples of display screens shown on the restaurant terminal 200 The following describes specific examples of the display screens shown on the restaurant terminal 200, with reference to Figures 4 and 5.
[0046] 3.1 Product List Screen 40 Figure 4 shows a specific example of the product list screen 40 displayed on the restaurant terminal 200. The product list screen 40 displays a list of products that a restaurant connected to the restaurant terminal 200 can order from a specific liquor store.
[0047] In the example in Figure 4, product icons 41A to 41D (hereinafter collectively referred to as "product icons 41"; the same applies below) for four products, "**juice", "**juice X", "tea **Peach", and "**cafe", are displayed on the product list screen 40. However, by scrolling, it is also possible to display five or more products on the product list screen 40, or to display only three or fewer products on the product list screen 40.
[0048] On top of the product icon 41 are the product image 42, product name 43, capacity information 44, price information 45, number of variations information 46, and unit price information 47.
[0049] In the example shown in Figure 4, for example, for a product with product name 43, "**Juice," the capacity information 44 is listed as "350ml~2L," and the price information 45 is listed as "¥1,200~¥4,500," indicating a range. In addition, the variation number information 46 is listed as "Other types + 5." This indicates that the product with product name 43, "**Juice," has a total of 6 variations with different capacities and prices, and these variations are aggregated and displayed as a single product icon 41A on the product list screen 40. The same applies to a product with product name 43B, "**Juice X." When a user selects the product icon 41A for the product with product name 43A, "**Juice," the display screen shown in Figure 5, which will be described later, is accessed.
[0050] On the other hand, for the two products with product names 43, "Tea**Peach" and "**Cafe," there is no range indicated in the volume information 44 and price information 45, and there is no indication of the number of variations 46, indicating that there are no variations of these products.
[0051] The presence or absence of product variations can be determined by referring to the system product information 30, which is shown in Figure 3 as a concrete example, to see if there are other products with the same variant identifier. Based on the system product information 30, the order server 100 generates a product list screen 40 by assigning one product icon 41 to groups of products with the same variant identifier and different product icons 41 to products with different variant identifiers.
[0052] Furthermore, when there are many variations of a product, the challenge arises of selecting which product to use as product image 42. In this case, product image 42 of the product selected as the main product from the group of variations will be selected.
[0053] 3.2 Product details screen 50 Figure 5 shows a specific example of a product details screen 50, which is a display screen that shows detailed product information for ordering individual products. The product details screen 50 is displayed, for example, when one product icon 41 is selected in the product list screen 40, which is illustrated in Figure 4. In this case, if there are variations of the product corresponding to product icon 41, the product details screen 50 for the main product selected will be displayed, similar to the product image 42 in the product list screen 40 described above.
[0054] In the example in Figure 5, detailed product information is displayed, including product name information such as "**juice", volume information such as "350ml", sales price information such as "¥1,200 (tax included)", and unit price information such as "¥40 / bottle". The order quantity can be selected in the order quantity selection area 51, and when the "Add to Cart" button 53 is selected, the number of items displayed on the product details screen 50 that were set in the order quantity selection area 51 are added to the cart. Similarly, when the "Order Now" button 54 is selected, the number of items displayed on the product details screen 50 that were set in the order quantity selection area 51 are ordered from the liquor store.
[0055] The product details screen 50 includes a variation product display section 52 under "Other Product Categories." This section displays icons for variations of a product displayed on the product details screen 50, where the product has the same product name and contents, but differs in at least one aspect, such as volume, quantity, or packaging. In the example in Figure 5, for the product named "**Juice," icons are shown for variations such as a 1.25L PET bottle and a pack of 12 350ml cans. For example, if the user selects the icon for the 1.25L PET bottle, the screen transitions to the product details screen 50 for the selected product.
[0056] If there are no variations of the product displayed on the product details screen 50, the variation product display field 52 will not be displayed.
[0057] Furthermore, the method of displaying variations of products is not limited to the form shown in Figure 5. For example, as illustrated in Figure 11, it is also possible to allow users to select variations of products using a pull-down menu 55 (in the example in Figure 11, "Case (4)" indicating a unit of 4 cases is selected, but this can be changed to individual products by manipulating the pull-down menu 55), and to allow ordering in the quantity set in the order quantity selection area 51.
[0058] 4. Specific example of the display screen shown on the liquor store terminal 300 The following describes specific examples of the display screens shown on the liquor store terminal 300, with reference to Figures 6 and 7.
[0059] 4.1 Product List Screen 60 Figure 6 shows a specific example of the product list screen 60 displayed on the liquor store terminal 300. The product list screen 60 displays a list of products handled by the liquor store on the order placement and receiving system 1, as connected to the liquor store terminal 300.
[0060] In the example in Figure 6, products with product names such as "(Dilutable)** Syrup," "(Dilutable)**** Orange," and "(Dilutable)**** Grapefruit" are listed as product list 61. For each product in product list 61, information such as product name, SKU, SKU ID, product image, volume, container type (packaging), sales format (packaging), quantity per package, and sales price is displayed.
[0061] Furthermore, even if there are variations of a product on product list 61, they are displayed as separate items. Specifically, products with the product name "(Dilutable) **** Grapefruit" but with different capacities or container types are displayed on separate rows in product list 61.
[0062] Then, by selecting the operation button 62 provided for each product item, the liquor store can transition to the detailed settings screen for each product, as illustrated in Figure 7.
[0063] 4.2 Detailed Settings Screen 70 Figure 7 shows a specific example of the detailed settings screen 70 displayed on the liquor store terminal 300. As mentioned above, the detailed settings screen 70 is displayed when the user selects an operation button 62 for a specific product on the product list screen 60 described above. It displays detailed information about the selected product and allows the liquor store to update the information as needed.
[0064] The detailed settings screen 70 displays information such as the SKU name, liquor store name, sales format (packaging format), volume, container type, quantity per package, list price, selling price, sales start date, sales end date, inventory status, and product image on the detailed display area 71. Of these, the SKU name, liquor store name, sales format, volume, container type, and quantity per package cannot be edited by the liquor store because changing these would result in a different product. On the other hand, the selling price, sales start date, sales end date, and inventory status can be edited by the liquor store.
[0065] Additionally, the detailed settings screen 70 also includes a custom price button 72 and a target customer button 73. A liquor store user can select the custom price button 72 on the detailed settings screen 70 to set a specific selling price for a particular restaurant. A liquor store user can also select the target customer button 73 on the detailed settings screen 70 to set which restaurants will sell the product. In other words, restaurants that do not sell this product will not see it even if they view the product list screen 40 for purchasing products from the liquor store.
[0066] 5. System configuration of order placement / receiving server 100 The functional configuration of the order processing server 100 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 8. Figure 8 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the order processing server 100. The order processing server 100 includes a product information control unit 110, a UI (user interface) control unit for restaurants 120, a UI control unit for liquor stores 130, an order processing control unit 140, and a database 150. The product information control unit 110, the UI control unit for restaurants 120, the UI control unit for liquor stores 130, and the order processing control unit 140 are typically implemented as programs, but they may be implemented as a single program or as multiple programs that can operate in cooperation through data input and output.
[0067] The product information control unit 110 manages the system product information 30 and liquor store product information 20 stored in the database 150. The product information control unit 110 includes a product information input unit 111, a product verification unit 113, a product information editing unit 115, and a main product determination unit 117.
[0068] The product information input unit 111 receives input from the liquor store, which is a list of products handled by that liquor store. The input of the list may be performed by the system provider that manages the order server 100, or the liquor store itself may perform it via the liquor store UI control unit 130.
[0069] The product matching unit 113 compares the liquor store's product list entered from the product information input unit 111 with the system product information 30 to determine whether each product listed in the entered product list is the same as or different from each product registered in the system product information 30. The product matching unit 113 is thought to be a classifier that has been pre-trained using ground truth data to determine whether the information in the entered product list and the information of the products included in the liquor store product information 20 are the same product.
[0070] The product information editing unit 115, based on the product verification unit 113's determination of whether each product listed in the input product list is the same as or different from each product registered in the system product information 30, edits the results as appropriate according to the user's input. A liquor store's product list is created independently by the liquor store, and since liquor stores are not necessarily skilled in information processing, the way various information such as product names are entered usually differs from that of the system provider, and there are often omissions in the information. Therefore, even when using the product verification unit 113, which is a classifier trained in advance by machine learning, a certain degree of error in the verification results is likely to occur. Thus, the user individually checks whether the products that the product verification unit 113 has determined to be the same or different from the product list provided by the liquor store and the system product information 30 are actually the same, and corrects any errors using the product information editing unit 115. In this way, the product information control unit 110 improves the accuracy of the database by automating the matching process using the product matching unit 113, and by allowing users to individually edit information using the product information editing unit 115.
[0071] The main product determination unit 117 determines which product will be the main product when there is a group of products with the same product name and contents but with different contents, quantities, packaging, etc. In the product list screen 40, which is shown as a specific example in Figure 4, the product image 42 of the main product is displayed. The product details screen 50, which is accessed when a product icon 41 is selected on the product list screen 40, displays information about the main product among the group of variations. The main product determination unit 117 is responsible for determining this main product. The main product determination unit 117 can, for example, set different main products for each restaurant. More specifically, for example, if a user has purchased or viewed a particular product from a group of variations, that purchased or viewed product can be determined as the main product. In this case, if the user has purchased or viewed the group of variations multiple times, the most recently purchased or viewed product may be designated as the main product, or the product with the most purchases or views may be designated as the main product. In many cases, a business relationship already exists between restaurants and liquor stores before the order server 100 is put into use. Liquor stores often register products on the order server 100 that they have previously purchased from the restaurant. Therefore, it is often easy to determine the main product using purchase history. Also, for example, if a restaurant has not purchased or viewed any product, it is possible to designate the product that has been viewed or viewed most frequently by all restaurants using the order system 1 as the main product.
[0072] The UI control unit 120 for the restaurant performs various processes to display various display screens on the restaurant terminal 200, such as the product list screen 40 and the product details screen 50, which are concrete examples shown in Figures 4 and 5. The UI control unit 120 for the restaurant may, for example, send display information as web page information written in HTML to the browser of the restaurant terminal 200, or it may display various display screens in cooperation with an application installed on the restaurant terminal 200.
[0073] The liquor store UI control unit 130 performs various processes to display various display screens on the liquor store terminal 300, such as the product list screen 60 and the detailed settings screen 70, which are shown as specific examples in Figures 6 and 7. The liquor store UI control unit 130 may, for example, send display information as web page information written in HTML to the browser of the liquor store terminal 300, or it may display various display screens in cooperation with an application installed on the liquor store terminal 300.
[0074] The order processing control unit 140 processes orders for products from liquor stores as appropriate, in response to input from the restaurant on the display screen shown by the restaurant UI control unit 120 on the restaurant terminal 200.
[0075] Database 150 manages various types of information, including liquor store product information 20 and system product information 30. The information managed by Database 150 is not limited to liquor store product information 20 and system product information 30. For example, it is conceivable that information on liquor stores and restaurants using the order placement and receiving system 1, as well as order information related to product orders from restaurants to liquor stores, could be managed on Database 150.
[0076] 6. Processing Flow The following describes the processing flow of the order placement and receiving server 100, referring to Figure 9. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing steps of the order placement and receiving server 100.
[0077] The product information input unit 111 of the order server 100 receives a list of products provided by the liquor store. This list corresponds to the liquor store product information 20 registered in the database 150. At this time, the product information input unit 111 may check for any omissions in the required information and, if there are any omissions, notify the system provider or the liquor store to prompt them to enter the information.
[0078] The product matching unit 113 compares the list of products entered from the product information input unit 111 (corresponding to the liquor store product information 20) with the system product information 30, which is used for centralized management of all products handled on the order placement and receiving system 1 (S903). Through this comparison, the product matching unit 113 identifies whether the products listed in the system product information 30 and the products listed in the liquor store product information 20 are the same product.
[0079] The system provider checks the matching results from the product matching unit 113 and verifies whether the matching is correct if the products are determined to be the same, or whether there are truly no identical products if the products are determined not to be the same. If the matching by the product matching unit 113 is incorrect, the system provider corrects the matching using the product information editing unit 115 (S905).
[0080] As a result, if it is determined that the products included in the liquor store product information 20 and the products included in the system product information 30 are the same (YES in S907), the product information included in the liquor store product information 20 is associated with the information included in the system product information 30 (S909). More specifically, for example, information relating to the read liquor store product information 20 may be added to the liquor store code and liquor store product ID fields included in the system product information 30.
[0081] On the other hand, if it is determined that the products included in the loaded liquor store product information 20 do not match any of the products included in the system product information 30 (NO in S907), the product is newly registered in the system product information 30 (S911). The product matching unit 113 then determines whether there are any variations of the newly registered product that have the same product name and contents but differ in at least one of the following: capacity, quantity, packaging, etc. The user, who is the system provider, checks the results and corrects the results in the product information editing unit 115 if there are any errors. The product information input unit 111 then sets, for example, a variant identifier included in the system product information 30 depending on whether or not the product variation exists.
[0082] If there is a group of products with the same product name or contents but different capacities or quantities (YES in S915), the main product determination unit 117 determines the main product for the restaurant from among the product variations (S917). In this case, the main product determination unit 117 may determine the product that has been most recently purchased or viewed by the restaurant, or the product that has been purchased or viewed the most times, as the main product for that restaurant. Alternatively, if there is no or few purchase or viewing records, the unit may aggregate the number of times all restaurants using the order / receiving system 1 have viewed or purchased the product and determine the product with the highest number of views as the main product.
[0083] 7. Hardware Configuration Referring to Figure 10, a specific example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 1000 in which the order processing server 100 is implemented will be described. Figure 10 is a specific example of a hardware configuration diagram in which the functional configuration of the order processing server 100 shown in Figure 8 is implemented. The information processing device 1000 can also be a generally available computer system, such as a server computer, a desktop PC, or a notebook PC.
[0084] The information processing device 1000 may include a control unit 1010, a memory 1030, a storage device 1050, an input I / F unit 1070, a data I / F unit 1090, a communication I / F unit 1110, and a display device 1130.
[0085] The control unit 1010 controls various processes in the order processing server 100 by executing programs stored in the memory 1030. For example, the product information control unit 110, the restaurant UI control unit 120, the liquor store UI control unit 130, and the order processing control unit 140, as described in Figure 8, can be implemented as programs that are temporarily stored in the memory 1030 and mainly run on the control unit 1010.
[0086] Memory 1030 is a storage medium such as RAM (Random Access Memory). Memory 1030 temporarily stores the code of the program executed by the control unit 1010 and data required when the program is executed. For example, some or all of the system product information 30 and liquor store product information 20 contained in the database 150 are stored in the storage area of memory 1030.
[0087] The storage device 1050 is a non-volatile storage medium such as a hard disk or flash memory. The storage device 1050 stores the operating system, various programs for implementing the product information control unit 110, the UI control unit for restaurants 120, the UI control unit for liquor stores 130, and the order / receiving control unit 140, as well as various data in the database 150. The programs and data stored in the storage device 1050 are loaded into the memory 1030 as needed and referenced by the control unit 1010.
[0088] The input interface unit 1070 is a device for receiving operation input. Specific examples of the input interface unit 1070 include keyboards, mice, touch panels, and various sensors. The input interface unit 1070 may be connected to the information processing device 1000 via an interface such as USB (Universal Serial Bus).
[0089] The data I / F unit 1090 is a device for inputting data from outside the information processing device 1000. Specific examples of the data I / F unit 1090 include drive devices for reading data stored on various storage media. The data I / F unit 1090 may also be located outside the information processing device 1000. In that case, the data I / F unit 1090 is connected to the information processing device 1000 via an interface such as USB.
[0090] The communication interface unit 1110 is a device for data communication with external devices of the information processing device 1000, such as a restaurant terminal 200 or a liquor store terminal 300. The communication interface unit 1110 may also be located outside the information processing device 1000. In that case, the communication interface unit 1110 is connected to the information processing device 1000 via an interface such as USB.
[0091] The display device 1130 is a device for displaying various types of information. Specific examples of the display device 1130 include liquid crystal displays and organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) displays. The display device 1130 may be located outside the information processing device 1000. In that case, the display device 1130 is connected to the information processing device 1000, for example, via a display cable.
[0092] 8. Additional Notes Furthermore, the configurations of the embodiments described above may be combined or some of the components may be replaced. Also, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0093] 1...Order / Receiving System, 20...Liquor Store Product Information, 30...Product Information for System, 40...Product List Screen, 50...Product Details Screen, 60...Product List Screen, 70...Detailed Settings Screen, 100...Order / Receiving Server, 110...Product Information Control Unit, 111...Product Information Input Unit, 113...Product Verification Unit, 115...Product Information Editing Unit, 117...Main Product Determination Unit, 120...Price UI control unit for bars, 130... UI control unit for liquor stores, 140... Order / receipt control unit, 150... Database, 200... Terminal for bars, 300... Terminal for liquor stores, 1000... Information processing unit, 1010... Control unit, 1030... Memory, 1050... Storage device, 1070... Input I / F unit, 1090... Data I / F unit, 1110... Communication I / F unit, 1130... Display device
Claims
1. An order placement and receiving system for placing orders for goods from one or more restaurants to one or more liquor stores, An input section for receiving product information related to the list of products handled by the liquor store, A management unit that manages system product information for uniquely managing each product handled by the one or more restaurants and the one or more liquor stores within the order placement and receiving system, A matching unit determines the correspondence between products included in the liquor store product information and products included in the system product information by comparing the input liquor store product information with the system product information. For each product included in the product information for the aforementioned system, an identification unit determines that the same product differs in at least one of the following: capacity, quantity, or packaging. When presenting a list of products included in the aforementioned liquor store product information to a restaurant, the display control unit aggregates the liquor store product information corresponding to products that are considered the same product but differ in at least one of the following: volume, quantity, or packaging, and presents this information to the restaurant. An order placement and receiving system equipped with the following features.
2. When presenting a list of products included in the aforementioned liquor store product information to a restaurant, the main product determination unit determines which of the one or more identical products that differ in at least one aspect—volume, number of units, or packaging—to present to the restaurant. The order placement and receiving system according to claim 1, further comprising:
3. When a restaurant selects one product from the list of products included in the liquor store product information, the display control unit displays detailed information about the selected product, along with information relating to the same product that differs in at least one of the following: volume, quantity, or packaging. The order placement and receiving system according to claim 1.
4. When presenting a list of products included in a liquor store's product information to a restaurant, it is possible to edit whether or not to include specific products in the list presented to the restaurant, or to edit the prices of products for that restaurant. The order placement and receiving system according to claim 1.
5. A system for placing orders for goods from one or more restaurants to one or more liquor stores, The process involves receiving input information about the products handled by the liquor store, and A process for managing system product information that uniquely manages each product handled by the one or more restaurants and the one or more liquor stores within the order placement and receiving system, A process to determine the correspondence between products included in the liquor store product information and products included in the system product information by comparing the input liquor store product information with the system product information, For each product included in the product information for the aforementioned system, a process is performed to determine which products are identical to the product in which at least one of the following is different: capacity, quantity, or packaging. When presenting a list of products included in the aforementioned liquor store product information to a restaurant, the system aggregates the liquor store product information corresponding to products that are considered the same product but differ in at least one of the following: volume, quantity, or packaging, and presents this information to the restaurant. A control method that performs this action.