Progress management system, progress management device, and progress management method

Abstract

The present invention enables a user to confirm the processing progress status of an order without reducing work efficiency in the whole of a restaurant. An information processing device 4 comprises an attachment / detachment detection unit 42 that detects that an order slip 100 has been attached to a slip holder and that the order slip 100 has been removed from the slip holder, and transmits the respective detection information items together with holder position information to a progress management device 5. The progress management device 5 comprises a display control unit 52 that, on the basis of the information transmitted from the information processing device 4, transmits processing progress status information related to attachment / detachment of the order slip 100 to / from the slip holder to a table terminal 1 which corresponds to terminal identification information associated with the holder position information, so as to be displayed thereon. Thus, simply by attaching / detaching, by a kitchen worker, the order slip 100 to / from the slip holder of the information processing device 4 in relation to the processing progress management of the order, the processing progress status information of the order is displayed on the table terminal 1.

Description

Progress management system, progress management device, and progress management method

[0001] The present invention relates to a progress management system, a progress management device, and a progress management method, and is particularly suitable for use in a system for managing the progress of processing food and drink orders.

[0002] Many restaurants manage orders by using paper slips, which are printed out from orders entered on an ordering terminal. For example, orders are managed by placing paper slips in an order clipper (also called slip holder) installed in the kitchen, lining them up on the counter, or placing them directly on dishes. Although this is essentially a manual, physical management method, there is strong demand for it because it can be easily customized in terms of operation.

[0003] Meanwhile, as labor shortages in restaurants worsen, "smartphone self-ordering systems" that allow customers to place orders directly from their own smartphones are becoming popular as a means of achieving efficient operations in stores. Patent Document 1 also discloses a system that allows customers to place orders from their own user terminals. Patent Document 1 also discloses a mechanism that allows orders to be placed by reading a two-dimensional code displayed on a restaurant terminal with the user terminal. By using these systems, it is possible to reduce the number of times that wait staff have to visit tables to take orders.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a system that allows users to place orders without the assistance of store personnel and to check the progress of cooking, etc. In the system described in Patent Document 2, when a user operates a mobile device to send order details to a management terminal, the order details are sent from the management terminal to a kitchen terminal and displayed. In the kitchen, cooking is performed based on the order details displayed on the kitchen terminal, and when cooking progress information is entered into the kitchen terminal, the cooking progress information is sent to and stored in the management terminal, and the management terminal responds to inquiries about the cooking progress from the user's mobile device.

[0005] JP 2013-149185 A JP 2004-199136 A

[0006] The system described in Patent Document 2 can reduce the workload of wait staff and also reduce the stress customers feel from the time they order a product until it is delivered. However, this system requires kitchen staff to manually input cooking progress information into a kitchen terminal each time, which can reduce the kitchen staff's work efficiency. Therefore, from the perspective of comprehensive resource management in a restaurant, including not only wait staff but also kitchen staff, this can hinder efficient operations.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and aims to enable users to check the progress of order processing without reducing the operational efficiency of the entire restaurant.

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the progress management system of the present invention includes an order acceptance device that accepts orders from an ordering terminal operated by a store customer to order food and beverages; an information processing device having a slip holder that detachably holds one or more order slips printed by a printer for orders placed through the ordering terminal; a progress management device that manages the progress of processing orders placed through the ordering terminal; and a display terminal that displays order processing progress information managed by the progress management device. The information processing device detects the insertion of an order slip into a slip holder and the removal of an order slip from the slip holder, and transmits each detection information along with holder position information indicating the position of the slip holder to the progress management device. The progress management device associates and manages holder position information with terminal identification information that can identify the display terminal, and based on the information transmitted from the information processing device, transmits and displays at least one of processing progress information related to the insertion of the order slip into the slip holder and processing progress information related to the removal of the order slip from the slip holder to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information associated with the holder position information.

[0009] According to the present invention configured as described above, restaurant customers use the ordering terminal to order food and beverages, thereby reducing the number of times wait staff have to visit tables to take orders. Furthermore, according to the present invention, when a kitchen employee attaches or detaches an order slip to or from a slip holder, information indicating this is transmitted to the progress management device, and processing progress information related to the attachment of the order slip to the slip holder and the removal of the order slip from the slip holder are displayed on the display terminal. The attachment of an order slip to a slip holder indicates that the kitchen has accepted the customer's order, and the related processing progress information is displayed on the display terminal, allowing the customer to know that their order has been accepted. The removal of an order slip from a slip holder indicates that the food and beverage ordered by the customer has been prepared, and the related processing progress information is displayed on the display terminal, allowing the customer to know that their order has been processed. In this way, customers can understand the progress of their order, from the kitchen's receipt of the order to the completion of cooking, without the kitchen employee having to manually enter cooking progress information into the kitchen terminal each time. As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to enable users to check the progress of processing of their orders without reducing the operational efficiency of the entire restaurant.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a progress management system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the progress management system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the progress management system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating another example of the functional configuration of the progress management system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating another example of the functional configuration of the progress management system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a progress management system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the progress management system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating another example of the functional configuration of the progress management system according to the second embodiment.

[0011] (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a progress management system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the progress management system according to the first embodiment includes multiple tabletop terminals 1, an order reception device 2, a printer 3, an information processing device 4, and a progress management device 5. The tabletop terminals 1, the order reception device 2, the printer 3, and the information processing device 4 are installed inside a restaurant. Of these, the multiple tabletop terminals 1 are installed on multiple customer tables inside the restaurant. The printer 3 and the information processing device 4 are installed in the kitchen. Note that the printer 3 may be installed outside the kitchen. The order reception device 2 may also be configured as a cloud server outside the restaurant.

[0012] The tabletop terminal 1, order receiving device 2, information processing device 4, and progress management device 5 are connected to a communication network 6 such as the Internet or a mobile phone network. The order receiving device 2 and printer 3 are connected via a wireless communication means such as a wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), USB (Universal Serial Bus), or Bluetooth (registered trademark). When the order receiving device 2 is configured as a cloud server outside the store, the printer 3 may be connected to the communication network 6, and the order receiving device 2 and printer 3 may be connected via the communication network 6.

[0013] The tabletop terminal 1 corresponds to the ordering terminal and display terminal in the claims, and is an example of a configuration in which the ordering terminal and the display terminal are the same terminal. That is, the tabletop terminal 1 functions as an ordering terminal that is operated by customers of the store to order food and drink, and as a display terminal that displays processing progress status information regarding the processing progress of orders managed by the progress management device 5.

[0014] A list of available food and drink options is displayed on the display of the tabletop terminal 1. By operating the tabletop terminal 1, customers can place an order by selecting the desired food and drink options and the quantity to order from the list. It is possible to select one or more food and drink options for each order. By selecting one or more food and drink options and their respective quantities and then pressing the order button, a single order containing one or more food and drink options is sent from the tabletop terminal 1 to the order receiving device 2. The order information sent at this time includes information indicating the order details and identification information identifying the tabletop terminal 1 or the table (hereinafter, the latter is referred to as a table ID). An example using a table ID will be described below. This table ID corresponds to "terminal-specific information" in the claims.

[0015] Furthermore, order processing progress status information managed by the progress management device 5 is displayed on the display of the tabletop terminal 1 in a timely manner. For example, each time a change occurs in the processing progress status of an order, the processing progress status information is sent from the progress management device 5 to the tabletop terminal 1 and displayed. Alternatively, when a customer operates the tabletop terminal 1 to make an inquiry, the progress management device 5 may respond to this inquiry by having the tabletop terminal 1 display the processing progress status information. Details of the order processing progress status information managed by the progress management device 5 will be described later.

[0016] Although an example has been described in which the order terminal and the display terminal are the same terminal (table terminal 1), the order terminal and the display terminal may be configured as separate terminals. In this case, the order terminal and the order receiving device 2 are connected via a communication network 6, and the display terminal and the progress management device 5 are connected via the communication network 6. The display terminal and the progress management device 5 may be connected via wireless communication means such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

[0017] Regarding the terminal identification information, for example, a common table ID is associated with the order terminal and the display terminal, and the table ID is included in the order information sent from the order terminal to the order receiving device 2. Note that identification information for identifying the order terminal (hereinafter referred to as the order terminal ID) and identification information for identifying the display terminal (hereinafter referred to as the display terminal ID) may be associated in advance and registered in the progress management device 5, and the order information sent from the order terminal to the order receiving device 2 may include the order terminal ID or the display terminal ID.

[0018] When the order terminal and the display terminal are configured as separate terminals, the order terminal may be a customer's smartphone. For example, as described in Patent Document 1, a customer may read a two-dimensional code displayed on the display terminal with their smartphone, thereby accessing an order site indicated by the address recorded in the two-dimensional code and placing an order. In this case, the address of the order site and a table ID are recorded in the two-dimensional code, and the table ID obtained by decoding the two-dimensional code is included in the order information sent from the customer's smartphone to the order receiving device 2.

[0019] Order receiving device 2 accepts orders from tabletop terminal 1 (order terminal). That is, order receiving device 2 receives order information transmitted from tabletop terminal 1. Upon receiving the order information, order receiving device 2 generates print data for printing order slip 100 based on the order information and supplies the print data to printer 3. Printer 3 prints order slip 100 based on the print data received from order receiving device 2. The information printed on order slip 100 includes at least information indicating the order details. Kitchen staff check the order details printed on order slip 100 and prepare the food.

[0020] The information processing device 4 includes a slip holder 4a that detachably holds one or more order slips 100 printed by the printer 3, and a display 4b for displaying information. While FIG. 1 illustrates the slip holder 4a as being capable of holding a maximum of four order slips 100, it is actually possible for it to hold a greater number of order slips 100. While FIG. 1 also illustrates a configuration in which one slip holder 4a holds one order slip 100, this is not a limitation. For example, a single horizontally elongated slip holder 4a may be configured to hold multiple order slips 100.

[0021] A kitchen employee places an order slip 100, which is printed by a printer 3, in a slip holder 4a each time order information is sent from a plurality of table terminals 1 to the order receiving device 2, and prepares one or more ordered foods and drinks according to the order details printed on the order slip 100. When all the foods and drinks included in the order details printed on the order slip 100 have been prepared, the kitchen employee removes the order slip 100 from the slip holder 4a and places it near the dishes or hands it to a waiter employee.

[0022] Each slip holder 4a has a built-in sensor (e.g., a reflective optical sensor, a transmissive optical sensor, etc.) for detecting the insertion and removal of an order slip 100, making it possible to detect when an order slip 100 is inserted into or removed from the slip holder 4a. This sensor is installed in each position where an order slip 100 should be inserted, making it possible to detect at which position on the slip holder 4a the order slip 100 was inserted or removed. For example, if one slip holder 4a holds one order slip 100, each slip holder 4a has its own built-in sensor. Alternatively, if one horizontally long slip holder 4a holds multiple order slips 100, sensors are installed in multiple locations on the slip holder 4a, and each of these sensors detects the insertion and removal of an order slip 100 at each of these multiple locations. Information processing device 4 transmits information detected by the sensor in slip holder 4a regarding the attachment and detachment of order slip 100 to progress management device 5 along with holder position information indicating the position of slip holder 4a in which order slip 100 is attached.

[0023] Display 4b is a horizontally long liquid crystal display device arranged above slip holder 4a, spanning multiple attachment positions for order slips 100. This configuration of information processing device 4, in which slip holder 4a and display 4b are arranged horizontally, is called a "rail type." As described above, this rail type configuration may be either one of multiple slip holders 4a, each holding one order slip 100, or one horizontally long slip holder 4a, holding multiple order slips 100. Furthermore, in addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 1 , in which a single horizontally long display 4b is arranged spanning multiple attachment positions for order slips 100, multiple displays 4b may be provided, one for each of multiple attachment positions for order slips 100.

[0024] The information processing device 4 of this embodiment is not limited to the rail-type configuration described above. For example, it may be configured as a binder-type device, which includes multiple information processing devices 4, each having a display 4b and a slip holder 4a that holds one order slip 100. When the information processing devices 4 are configured as binder-type devices, the multiple information processing devices 4 may be connected to each other via wireless communication means such as BLE.

[0025] Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which multiple slip holders 4a and displays 4b are arranged vertically and horizontally in a rectangular area having a certain area in both the vertical and horizontal directions (called a board type).The board type information processing device 4 can be configured to have multiple combinations of slip holders 4a and displays 4b arranged horizontally in the vertical direction, similar to the rail type.

[0026] The progress management device 5 manages the processing progress of orders placed through the tabletop terminal 1. In the first embodiment, the order processing progress managed by the progress management device 5 is the order receiving device 2 receiving order information transmitted from the tabletop terminal 1, the attachment of the order slip 100 to the slip holder 4a, and the removal of the order slip 100 from the slip holder 4a. The order receiving device 2 receiving the order information means that the customer's order has been accepted at the restaurant. The attachment of the order slip 100 to the slip holder 4a means that the customer's order has been accepted in the kitchen. The removal of the order slip 100 from the slip holder 4a means that the food and drink ordered by the customer has been prepared.

[0027] As described above, the progress management device 5 transmits such order processing progress information to the tabletop terminal 1 (display terminal) and displays it on the display. By checking the processing progress information displayed on the display, customers can understand whether their order has been accepted by the restaurant (whether any order has been missed), whether their order has been accepted by the kitchen (whether their order is being cooked), and whether their order has been processed (whether their order will soon be served at the table).

[0028] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the progress management system according to the first embodiment, that is, an example of the functional configuration of each device related to managing the progress status of order processing as described above.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 2, the tabletop terminal 1 has, as its functional configuration, an order processing unit 11 and a progress display unit 12. The order receiving device 2 has, as its functional configuration, an order receiving unit 21 and a print data generation unit 22. The information processing device 4 has, as its functional configuration, an attachment position display unit 41 and an attachment / detachment detection unit 42. The progress management device 5 has, as its functional configuration, an association management unit 51 and a display control unit 52. The progress management device 5 also has, as a storage medium, an association information storage unit 50.

[0030] The function blocks 11 and 12 of the table terminal 1, the function blocks 21 and 22 of the order receiving device 2, the function blocks 41 and 42 of the information processing device 4, and the function blocks 51 and 52 of the progress management device 5 can each be configured using any of hardware, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or software. For example, the above function blocks are realized by the operation of a program stored in a storage medium such as RAM, ROM, a hard disk, or a semiconductor memory under the control of a microcomputer configured with a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc.

[0031] The order processing unit 11 of the tabletop terminal 1 executes processing related to food and drink orders. As described above, the order processing unit 11 displays a list of orderable food and drink items on the display of the tabletop terminal 1. When a customer operates the tabletop terminal 1 to specify the desired food and drink items and the order quantity, and then presses the order button, the order processing unit 11 transmits order information indicating the order details, including one or more food and drink items and the order quantity for each, together with a table ID to the order receiving device 2. The table ID is set in advance in the tabletop terminal 1.

[0032] The order receiving unit 21 of the order receiving device 2 receives the order information transmitted from the tabletop terminal 1. Upon receiving the order information, the order receiving device 2 transmits order reception information indicating that the order has been received from the tabletop terminal 1, together with the table ID, to the progress management device 5. The order reception information and table ID transmitted from the order receiving unit 21 are provided to the association management unit 51 and display control unit 52 of the progress management device 5.

[0033] Based on the order information received by order receiving unit 21, print data generation unit 22 generates print data for printing order slip 100 and supplies the data to printer 3. Print data generation unit 22 generates print data that will print on order slip 100 text information indicating at least the order details (the food and drink ordered and the order quantity).

[0034] As described above, the kitchen employee places the order slip 100 printed by printer 3 in slip holder 4a of information processing device 4. In this embodiment, association management unit 51 of progress management device 5 sends placement instruction information indicating the placement position of order slip 100 on slip holder 4a to information processing device 4, and the placement position of order slip 100 is notified on display 4b. The kitchen employee places order slip 100 in the position of slip holder 4a notified on display 4b.

[0035] Association management unit 51 receives attachment / detachment detection information (attachment detection information and detachment detection information) indicating the attachment / detachment of order slip 100 from attachment / detachment detection unit 42 of information processing device 4 each time, and manages which positions on slip holder 4a order slip 100 are attached and which positions order slip 100 are not attached, for example, by using flag information stored in association information storage unit 50. When association management unit 51 receives order reception information from order reception device 2, it refers to association information storage unit 50 to identify the positions on slip holder 4a where order slip 100 is not attached, and generates attachment position indication information specifying the positions where order slip 100 is not attached, and sends this to information processing device 4.

[0036] The mounting position display unit 41 of the information processing device 4 displays the designated mounting position of the order slip 100 on the display 4b based on the mounting position instruction information sent from the association management unit 51. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the display 4b, such as a liquid crystal display device, can be placed in an area spanning multiple mounting positions on the slip holder 4a, and a predetermined mark can be illuminated or flashed near the slip holder 4a designated as the mounting position. Alternatively, characters indicating the mounting position can be displayed on the display 4b. Alternatively, the display 4b can be configured with multiple LEDs positioned near each of the multiple mounting positions, and the LED located near the designated mounting position can be illuminated or flashed.

[0037] The association management unit 51 associates and manages holder position information, which indicates the position of the slip holder 4a on which the order slip 100 is attached, with the table ID of the tabletop terminal 1 for which order processing progress information related to the order slip 100 attached at the position indicated by the holder position information is to be displayed. Here, the holder position information is information indicating the position of the slip holder 4a specified by the attachment position instruction information sent to the information processing device 4. In other words, the association management unit 51 associates the table ID received together with the order reception information from the order receiving device 2 with the holder position information indicating the position of the slip holder 4a specified by the attachment position instruction information, and stores this information in the association information storage unit 50.

[0038] Based on the detection results of a sensor built into slip holder 4a, attachment / detachment detection unit 42 of information processing device 4 detects that order slip 100 has been attached to or removed from slip holder 4a, and transmits the respective attachment / detachment detection information (attachment detection information and removal detection information) along with holder position information to progress management device 5. The attachment / detachment detection information and holder position information transmitted from attachment / detachment detection unit 42 are provided to association management unit 51 and display control unit 52 of progress management device 5.

[0039] If the attachment / detachment detection unit 42 detects that the order slip 100 has been placed in a position different from that instructed by the progress management device 5, it may display warning information on the display 4b informing the user that the order slip 100 has been placed in the wrong position. Alternatively, a table ID may be printed on the order slip 100 in addition to the information indicating the order details, and the display 4b of the information processing device 4 may display the table ID in addition to lighting or flashing a predetermined mark indicating the placement position. This allows the kitchen employee to visually compare the table ID printed on the order slip 100 with the table ID displayed on the display 4b together with the mark and place the order slip 100 in the correct position.

[0040] Furthermore, if attachment / detachment detection unit 42 detects that order slip 100 has been attached in a position different from the position instructed by progress management device 5, it may notify association management unit 51 of holder position information indicating the position of the attached slip holder 4a, and association management unit 51 may associate this notified holder position information with the table ID corresponding to that order slip 100 (the table ID stored in association information storage unit 50 when the attachment position instruction information was sent to information processing device 4) and store it in association information storage unit 50. In this case, association management unit 51 rewrites the holder position information that was stored in association information storage unit 50 in association with the table ID when the attachment position instruction information was sent to information processing device 4 with the holder position information notified by attachment / detachment detection unit 42 and stores it.

[0041] The display control unit 52 generates order processing progress status information and transmits it to the tabletop terminal 1 for display. For example, in response to receiving order reception information transmitted from the order reception device 2, the display control unit 52 generates processing progress status information related to the reception of the order from the tabletop terminal 1, and transmits it to the tabletop terminal 1 corresponding to the table ID received together with the order reception information for display. At this time, the progress display unit 12 of the tabletop terminal 1 receives the processing progress status information transmitted from the progress management device 5 and displays it on the display. The processing progress status information in this case can be, for example, a message such as "Order has been received."

[0042] In addition, based on the attachment / detachment detection information sent from the attachment / detachment detection unit 42 of the information processing device 4, the display control unit 52 generates processing progress status information related to the attachment of the order slip 100 to the slip holder 4a and processing progress status information related to the removal of the order slip 100 from the slip holder 4a, and sends this information to the table terminal 1 corresponding to the table ID stored in association with the holder position information in the association information storage unit 50 for display.

[0043] At this time, the progress display unit 12 of the tabletop terminal 1 receives the processing progress information transmitted from the progress management device 5 and displays it on the display. In this case, the processing progress information related to the placement of the order slip 100 in the slip holder 4a can be, for example, a message such as "Your order has been accepted in the kitchen." Similarly, the processing progress information related to the removal of the order slip 100 from the slip holder 4a can be, for example, a message such as "Cooking is complete."

[0044] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the progress management system according to the first embodiment configured as described above. Fig. 3 shows an example of the operation of the tabletop terminal 1, order reception device 2, printer 3, information processing device 4, and progress management device 5, each in a flowchart. The flowchart in Fig. 3 shows the flow of processing related to one order, and the processing of the flowchart is executed for each order. Note that, for ease of understanding, dotted arrows indicate how the processing of each flowchart is executed in conjunction with each other, but the processing of each flowchart is executed independently.

[0045] First, the order processing unit 11 of the tabletop terminal 1 generates order information indicating the order contents in accordance with the operation of the tabletop terminal 1 by the customer, and transmits the order information together with the table ID to the order receiving device 2 (step S11). Upon receiving the order information transmitted from the tabletop terminal 1 (step S21), the order receiving unit 21 of the order receiving device 2 transmits the order reception information together with the table ID to the progress management device 5 (step S22).

[0046] The display control unit 52 of the progress management device 5 generates processing progress status information (a message such as "Your order has been accepted") related to the acceptance of the order from the tabletop terminal 1 based on the order acceptance information received from the order acceptance device 2, and transmits the information to the tabletop terminal 1 (step S51). The progress display unit 12 of the tabletop terminal 1 receives the processing progress status information transmitted from the progress management device 5, and displays the processing progress status information on the display (step S12).

[0047] After step S22, print data generator 22 of order receiving device 2 generates print data for printing order slip 100 based on the order information received by order receiving unit 21, and supplies the data to printer 3 (step S23). Printer 3 prints order slip 100 based on the print data supplied from order receiving device 2 (step S31).

[0048] After processing step S51, the association management unit 51 of the progress management device 5 refers to the association information storage unit 50 to identify the positions of slip holders 4a to which no order slips 100 are attached, generates mounting position indication information specifying the unattached positions, and transmits this information to the information processing device 4 (step S52). The association management unit 51 also associates the table ID received together with the order acceptance information from the order acceptance device 2 in the processing of step S22 with the holder position information indicating the positions of slip holders 4a identified when generating the mounting position indication information in step S52, and stores this information in the association information storage unit 50 (step S53).

[0049] Based on the attachment position instruction information sent from the association management unit 51 in step S52, the attachment position display unit 41 of the information processing device 4 displays the specified attachment position of the order slip 100 on the display 4b (step S41). The attachment / detachment detection unit 42 then determines whether the order slip 100 has been attached to the specified position of the slip holder 4a based on the detection results of a sensor built into the slip holder 4a (step S42). When the attachment / detachment detection unit 42 detects that the order slip 100 has been attached to the slip holder 4a, it sends the attachment detection information along with the holder position information to the progress management device 5 (step S43).

[0050] The association management unit 51 of the progress management device 5 stores flag information indicating that the order slip 100 has been placed in the association information storage unit 50, in association with the holder position information received from the information processing device 4 (step S54). The display control unit 52 also references the association information storage unit 50 to identify the table ID stored in association with the holder position information transmitted from the information processing device 4. Based on the placement detection information transmitted from the information processing device 4, the display control unit 52 generates processing progress status information (e.g., a message such as "Your order has been accepted in the kitchen") related to the placement of the order slip 100 in the slip holder 4a, and transmits the processing progress status information to the tabletop terminal 1 corresponding to the identified table ID (step S55). The progress display unit 12 of the tabletop terminal 1 receives the processing progress status information transmitted from the progress management device 5 and displays the processing progress status information on its display (step S13).

[0051] After step S43, information processing device 4 determines whether order slip 100 has been removed from slip holder 4a based on the detection results of a sensor built into slip holder 4a (step S44). When attachment / detachment detector 42 detects that order slip 100 has been removed from slip holder 4a, it sends the removal detection information along with the slip holder position information to progress management device 5 (step S45).

[0052] The association management unit 51 of the progress management device 5 stores flag information indicating that the order slip 100 is not attached in the association information storage unit 50, in association with the holder position information received from the information processing device 4 (step S56). The display control unit 52 also references the association information storage unit 50 to identify the table ID stored in association with the holder position information transmitted from the information processing device 4. Based on the removal detection information transmitted from the information processing device 4, the display control unit 52 generates processing progress status information (e.g., a message such as "Cooking is complete") related to the removal of the order slip 100 from the slip holder 4a, and transmits the processing progress status information to the tabletop terminal 1 corresponding to the identified table ID (step S57). The progress display unit 12 of the tabletop terminal 1 receives the processing progress status information transmitted from the progress management device 5 and displays the processing progress status information on the display (step S14).

[0053] As described above in detail, the progress management system of the first embodiment allows restaurant patrons to operate the tabletop terminal 1 to order food and beverages, thereby reducing the number of times wait staff visit tables to take orders. Furthermore, according to the progress management system of the first embodiment, when order information from the tabletop terminal 1 is received by the order receiving device 2, processing progress status information related to the order acceptance is displayed on the tabletop terminal 1. Furthermore, when a kitchen employee simply attaches or detaches an order slip 100 to or from the slip holder 4a, processing progress status information related to the attachment of the order slip 100 to the slip holder 4a and the removal of the order slip 100 from the slip holder 4a is displayed on the tabletop terminal 1. This allows customers to understand the processing status of their orders. In this way, the progress management system of this embodiment allows customers to check the processing progress of their orders without reducing operational efficiency throughout the restaurant.

[0054] Although the first embodiment described above illustrates a configuration in which the order receiving unit 21 transmits order reception information and a table ID to the progress management device 5, this is not limiting. For example, the following configuration may be adopted. Specifically, the print data generation unit 22 of the order receiving device 2 generates print data that prints a table ID on the order slip 100 in addition to text information indicating the order details, and the printer 3 is connected to the communications network 6 to be able to communicate with the order receiving device 2 and the progress management device 5. The printer 3 may also be equipped with a table ID extraction unit (corresponding to a terminal-specific information extraction unit in the claims) that extracts the table ID from the print data for the order slip 100 generated by the print data generation unit 22, and the printer 3 may transmit the table ID extracted from the print data to the progress management device 5. Upon receiving this table ID, the progress management device 5 recognizes that the order receiving device 2 has accepted the order. Alternatively, the progress management device 5 may include a table ID extraction unit, and the printer 3 may include a print data transmission unit, so that the print data generated as described above is transmitted (transferred) from the printer 3 to the progress management device 5, and the table ID is extracted from the print data by the progress management device 5. In this case, upon receiving the print data, the progress management device 5 recognizes that the order has been accepted by the order accepting device 2. The above-described variations can also be similarly applied to the configurations shown in Figures 4, 5, 7, and 8, which will be described later.

[0055] The method by which the association management unit 51 associates holder location information with table IDs is not limited to the method described above. For example, it is possible to transmit order information together with a table ID from the order receiving device 2 to the progress management device 5, while at the same time transmitting order information recognized by the information processing device 4 in a predetermined manner from an order slip 100 attached to an arbitrary position on slip holder 4a together with holder location information to the progress management device 5, and for the progress management device 5 to compare the order information from the order receiving device 2 with the order information from the information processing device 4, thereby associating holder location information and table IDs for order information with the same content.

[0056] 4 and 5 are diagrams showing two configuration examples in which holder position information is associated with a table ID by matching order information in this way. In the configuration example shown in Fig. 4, the order receiving device 2' includes an order receiving unit 21' instead of the order receiving unit 21, the information processing device 4' includes a slip photographing unit 43 instead of the mounting position display unit 41, and the progress management device 5' includes an association management unit 51' instead of the association management unit 51. In addition, the progress management device 5' further includes an order information storage unit 53.

[0057] When the order receiving unit 21' of the order receiving device 2' receives the order information transmitted from the tabletop terminal 1, it transmits the order information and order reception information indicating that the order has been received from the tabletop terminal 1, together with the table ID, to the progress management device 5'. The order information is provided to the association management unit 51', and the order reception information and table ID are provided to the association management unit 51' and the display control unit 52. Note that the transmission of the order reception information may be omitted (this is also the case in the configuration of FIG. 5). The processing of the display control unit 52 is as described above. The association management unit 51' stores the order information and table ID received from the order receiving device 2' in the order information storage unit 53. At this time, the association management unit 51' does not perform the processing of generating mounting position instruction information and transmitting it to the information processing device 4'.

[0058] Although the order receiving unit 21' here forwards the order information and table ID received from the tabletop terminal 1 to the progress management device 5', this configuration is not limiting. For example, the following configuration may be used. Specifically, the print data generation unit 22 of the order receiving device 2' generates print data that prints the table ID on the order slip 100 in addition to text information indicating the order details, and the printer 3 is connected to the communications network 6 to be able to communicate with the order receiving device 2' and the progress management device 5'. The printer 3 may then include a slip information generation unit that generates slip information and a table ID from the print data for the order slip 100 generated by the print data generation unit 22, and the printer 3 may transmit this slip information and table ID to the progress management device 5'. Alternatively, the progress management device 5' may include a slip information generation unit and a print data transmission unit, and the printer 3 may transmit (transfer) the print data generated as described above from the printer 3, and the progress management device 5' may generate slip information and a table ID from the print data. The slip information generated by the slip information generation unit also includes information indicating the order contents, similar to the order information sent by the order reception unit 21'. The above-described modified example can also be applied to the configuration of Fig. 5 and the configurations of Figs. 7 and 8 described later as a second embodiment.

[0059] When the attachment / detachment detection unit 42 detects that an order slip 100 has been placed in any position on the slip holder 4a, the slip photographing unit 43 photographs the placed order slip 100 with a camera and transmits the photographed image to the progress management device 5'. The camera is installed, for example, in a predetermined location in the kitchen, facing the slip holder 4a. While kitchen staff could photograph the order slip 100 with a portable camera, this increases the kitchen staff's workload. Therefore, it is preferable to install the camera in a fixed location and configure the camera to automatically photograph the order slip 100 when the attachment / detachment detection unit 42 detects that the order slip 100 has been placed. Alternatively, the information processing device 4' may be equipped with a camera, and when a kitchen staff member places the order slip 100 in the slip holder 4a, the printed side of the order slip 100 may be pointed toward the camera and the photograph button on the information processing device 4' may be pressed. This configuration minimizes the additional work required by the kitchen staff.

[0060] The captured image of the order slip 100 is provided to the association management unit 51' along with holder position information indicating the position of the slip holder 4a detected by the attachment / detachment detection unit 42. The association management unit 51' performs image analysis of the captured image to convert the order information from the contents of the order slip 100 into text. The association management unit 51' then references the order information storage unit 53 to search for order information with the same content as the converted text, and identifies the table ID stored in association with the order information with the same content. The identified table ID is then associated with the holder position information received from the information processing device 4' along with the captured image, and stored in the association information storage unit 50.

[0061] Although the example described above involves sending a captured image of the order slip 100 from the information processing device 4' to the progress management device 5' and performing image analysis in the association management unit 51' of the progress management device 5', the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the information processing device 4' may convert the order information into text by performing image analysis, and then transmit the textual order information from the information processing device 4' to the progress management device 5'.

[0062] In the configuration example shown in Figure 5, the order receiving device 2" has an order receiving unit 21" and a print data generating unit 22" instead of the order receiving unit 21 and the print data generating unit 22, the information processing device 4" has a code reader 44 instead of the mounting position display unit 41, and the progress management device 5" has an association management unit 51" instead of the association management unit 51. In addition, the progress management device 5" further has an order information storage unit 53.

[0063] The operation of the order receiving unit 21'' and the operation of the association management unit 51'' to store the order information and table ID received from the order receiving device 2'' in the order information storage unit 53 are similar to the operations of the order receiving unit 21' and the association management unit 51' shown in Figure 4. In the configuration example of Figure 5, the association management unit 51'' does not perform the process of generating mounting position instruction information and transmitting it to the information processing device 4''.

[0064] Based on the order information received by order receiving unit 21", print data generation unit 22" generates print data for printing order slip 100 and supplies it to printer 3. In this case, print data generation unit 22" generates print data such that, in addition to text information indicating the order details, a barcode or two-dimensional code (hereinafter simply referred to as "code") recording the order information is printed on order slip 100. For example, an API (Application Programming Interface) that codes the text information indicating the order details may be built into order receiving device 2" as auxiliary software, and print data generation unit 22" may use this API to generate the code.

[0065] Although the example of generating a code in the order receiving device 2" has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a program for encoding the order details indicated by the print data may be incorporated into the firmware of the printer 3, and the printer 3 may use this firmware to encode the order details indicated by the print data supplied from the order receiving device 2" and print the encoded code on the order slip 100. Alternatively, the printer 3 may communicate with another server (not shown) and print the code encoded by a program on that server together with text information indicating the order details.

[0066] The code reader 44 reads and decodes the code printed on the order slip 100 attached to the slip holder 4a to obtain text order information. For example, when a kitchen employee attaches the order slip 100 to the slip holder 4a, the code printed on the order slip 100 is aimed at the code reader 44 of the information processing device 4" to read the code, causing the code reader 44 to obtain the text order information from the code. The code reader 44 then transmits the obtained order information to the progress management device 5" together with holder position information indicating the position of the slip holder 4a detected by the attachment / detachment detection unit 42.

[0067] The association management unit 51'' of the progress management device 5'' refers to the order information storage unit 53, searches for order information with the same content as the order information sent from the information processing device 4'', and identifies the table ID stored in association with the order information with the same content.Then, the identified table ID is associated with the holder position information received from the information processing device 4'', and stored in the association information storage unit 50.

[0068] Although the example described above involves identifying a table ID by matching order information, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, print data generation unit 22" generates print data such that, in addition to text information indicating the order details, the table ID received by order reception unit 21" from tabletop terminal 1 is printed on order slip 100. Then, as in the example of Figure 4, the order slip 100 attached to slip holder 4a is photographed by the camera of slip photographing unit 43, and the photographed image is analyzed to identify the table ID printed on order slip 100. The identified table ID is then associated with the holder position information received from information processing device 4" and stored in association information storage unit 50.

[0069] Alternatively, print data generation unit 22" generates print data such that, in addition to text information indicating the order details, a code recording the table ID received by order reception unit 21" from tabletop terminal 1 is printed on order slip 100. Then, as in the example of Figure 5, the table ID is identified by reading the code printed on order slip 100 attached to slip holder 4a with code reader 44, and the identified table ID is associated with the holder position information received from information processing device 4" and stored in association information storage unit 50.

[0070] In this way, it is possible to eliminate the need to send table IDs and order information from the order receiving devices 2', 2" to the progress management devices 5', 5". If the sending of order reception information is configured to be omitted, it is possible to eliminate the need to send any information from the order receiving devices 2', 2" to the progress management devices 5', 5". In this case, however, it will be impossible to display on the display 4b processing progress status information related to the order reception by the order receiving devices 2', 2" from the tabletop terminal 1. Note that if the above-mentioned configuration is adopted in which a table ID or print data is sent from the printer 3 to the progress management devices 5', 5" instead of omitting the sending of order reception information, it will also be possible to display processing progress status information related to the order reception.

[0071] In the first embodiment described above, the order acceptance device 2 displays on the display 4b of the tabletop terminal 1 processing progress status information related to the acceptance of an order from the tabletop terminal 1, processing progress status information related to the attachment of an order slip 100 to a slip holder 4a, and processing progress status information related to the removal of an order slip 100 from a slip holder 4a. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the display may be configured to display both or only one of the processing progress status information related to the attachment and removal of an order slip 100 to a slip holder 4a. This also applies to the second embodiment described below.

[0072] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment, the order processing progress is managed by receiving order information transmitted from tabletop terminal 1, placing order slip 100 in slip holder 4a, removing order slip 100 from slip holder 4a, and delivering the ordered food and drink to the table.

[0073] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a progress management system according to a second embodiment. In FIG. 6, components having the same functions as those shown in FIG. 1 are assigned the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 6, the progress management system according to the second embodiment includes multiple tabletop terminals 1B, an order reception device 2B, a printer 3, an information processing device 4, and a progress management device 5B. The tabletop terminal 1B includes a button (hereinafter referred to as a "serve food button 1a") that wait staff operate when serving food. When the order terminal and the display terminal are configured as separate terminals, the serve food button 1a may be installed on either the order terminal or the display terminal. When a customer's smartphone is used as the order terminal, the serve food button 1a is installed on the display terminal.

[0074] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a progress management system according to a second embodiment. In FIG. 7, components with the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 2 have the same functions, and therefore redundant description will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 7, in the second embodiment, the tabletop terminal 1B further includes a serving detection unit 13. The order receiving device 2B includes an order receiving unit 21' similar to that shown in FIG. 4 instead of the order receiving unit 21. The progress management device 5B includes a display control unit 52B instead of the display control unit 52, and further includes an order content management unit 54, an elapsed time measurement unit 55, and a served food and drink identification unit 56. The progress management device 5B also includes an order information storage unit 53 similar to that shown in FIG. 4.

[0075] When the order receiving unit 21' of the order receiving device 2B receives the order information transmitted from the tabletop terminal 1, it transmits the order information and order reception information indicating that the order has been received from the tabletop terminal 1, together with the table ID, to the progress management device 5B. The order information and the table ID are provided to the order content management unit 54, and the order reception information and the table ID are provided to the association management unit 51 and the display control unit 52B. The processing of the association management unit 51 and the display control unit 52B at this time is as described in the first embodiment.

[0076] The order content management unit 54 associates the order information received from the order receiving device 2B with the table ID and stores it in the order information storage unit 53. In this way, the order information indicating the contents of the order, including one or more food and drink items ordered through the tabletop terminal 1, is managed in association with the table ID. Furthermore, as will be described later, the order content management unit 54 manages which of the one or more food and drink items have been served and which have not, using flag information stored in the order information storage unit 53.

[0077] The food service detection unit 13 of the tabletop terminal 1B detects that food and drink ordered through the tabletop terminal 1 have been served based on a predetermined operation performed when the food and drink are served, and transmits the food service detection information together with the table ID to the progress management device 5B. Here, the predetermined operation is the operation of the food service button 1a performed by a waiter. That is, when the food service detection unit 13 detects that the food service button 1a has been operated, it transmits the food service detection information together with the table ID preset in the tabletop terminal 1 to the progress management device 5B. The food service detection information and the table ID transmitted from the food service detection unit 13 are provided to the display control unit 52B and the elapsed time measurement unit 55.

[0078] In response to the food serving detection information transmitted from the food serving detection unit 13 of the table terminal 1, the display control unit 52B of the progress management device 5B transmits and displays processing progress status information related to the food and drink being served to the table terminal 1 (the table ID where the food serving button 1a was operated) corresponding to the table ID transmitted together with the food serving detection information.

[0079] Here, processing progress status information related to the serving of food and drink is displayed in a timely manner on the display of tabletop terminal 1. For example, when a waiter operates serving button 1a, processing progress status information is transmitted from progress management device 5B to tabletop terminal 1 and displayed. Alternatively, when a customer operates tabletop terminal 1 to make an inquiry, progress management device 5B may respond to the inquiry by having tabletop terminal 1 display processing progress status information on its display.

[0080] However, since not all of the food and beverage items included in one order are necessarily served at once, some food and beverage items may have been served and some may not have been served. Therefore, the processing progress status information related to the serving of food and beverage items may be, for example, a message informing the customer of the food and beverage items that have been served and the food and beverage items that have not been served, or a message informing the customer of the food and beverage items that have not been served, for one or more food and beverage items included in the order.

[0081] In this embodiment, components for grasping the served food and drink include an elapsed time measurement unit 55 and a served food and drink identification unit 56. In the second embodiment, the attachment / detachment detection information and holder position information transmitted from the attachment / detachment detection unit 42 are provided to the elapsed time measurement unit 55 in addition to the association management unit 51 and the display control unit 52B.

[0082] The elapsed time measurement unit 55 measures the elapsed time from when it detects that the order slip 100 has been attached to the slip holder 4a by receiving attachment detection information sent from the attachment / detachment detection unit 42 of the information processing device 4, to when it detects that the food and drink have been served by receiving food serving detection information sent from the food serving detection unit 13 of the tabletop terminal 1B. The elapsed time measurement unit 55 manages the measured elapsed time by relating it to the table ID received from the food serving detection unit 13 and the holder position information received from the attachment / detachment detection unit 42.

[0083] The served food and beverage specification unit 56 specifies the food and beverage that is estimated to have been served from among one or more food and beverage items included in the order information stored in the order information storage unit 53 in association with the table ID notified by the elapsed time measurement unit 55, based on the elapsed time measured by the elapsed time measurement unit 55 and the estimated cooking time preset for each food and beverage item. That is, the served food and beverage specification unit 56 specifies the estimated cooking time set for one or more food and beverage items that is closest to the elapsed time measured by the elapsed time measurement unit 55, and specifies that the food and beverage corresponding to the specified estimated cooking time has been served. The order content management unit 54 then notifies the identified food and beverage item to the order content management unit 54. The order content management unit 54 performs a deletion process by setting flag information indicating that the food and beverage identified by the served food and beverage specification unit 56 has been served in the order information stored in the order information storage unit 53. Note that the estimated cooking time may be replaced with an estimated serving time (= cooking time + estimated serving time).

[0084] Based on the order information (including flag information indicating whether the food and drink has been served or not) stored in the order information storage unit 53, the display control unit 52B transmits and displays processing progress information (such as a message informing the user that the food and drink identified by the food and drink served identification unit 56 has been served or that the food and drink has not been served) to the table terminal 1 corresponding to the table ID transmitted from the food serving detection unit 13 together with the food and drink serving detection information or the table ID transmitted from the table terminal 1 upon inquiry from the table terminal 1.

[0085] As an example, a case will be described in which three food items, namely, beer, edamame, and fried chicken, are included in one piece of order information stored in the order information storage unit 53. In this case, the estimated cooking times are set in the following order: beer (1 minute) < edamame (2 minutes) < fried chicken (5 minutes).

[0086] Such order information is stored in the order information storage unit 53 by the order content management unit 54, and when a kitchen employee places the order slip 100 printed by the printer 3 in the slip holder 4a, the elapsed time measurement unit 55 receives the placement detection information sent from the placement / detachment detection unit 42 and begins measuring the elapsed time.

[0087] The waiter then first serves only the beer to the table. After the beer has been served, the waiter operates the serving button 1a on the tabletop terminal 1 located at the table. In response, the serving detection unit 13 transmits serving detection information to the progress management device 5B. The elapsed time measurement unit 55 then obtains the elapsed time from when the order slip 100 is placed in the slip holder 4a to when the serving button 1a is operated to complete the serving of the beer, and notifies the served food and drink specification unit 56.

[0088] Based on the elapsed time notified by elapsed time measurement unit 55 and the estimated cooking time set in advance for each food and drink, served food and drink specification unit 56 specifies that the food and drink presumed to have been served is "beer" and notifies order content management unit 54 of this fact. At this time, order content management unit 54 stores flag information indicating that beer has been served among the foods and drinks included in the order information stored in order information storage unit 53.

[0089] At this stage, the display control unit 52B displays on the table terminal 1 a message informing that the beer has been served but the edamame and fried chicken have not yet been served, or a message informing that the edamame and fried chicken have not yet been served, based on the order information stored in the order information storage unit 53.

[0090] Next, the waiter serves only the edamame soybeans to the table. The same process as above is executed at this time. At this stage, the display control unit 52B displays on the tabletop terminal 1, based on the order information stored in the order information storage unit 53, a message informing the customer that the beer and edamame have been served but the fried chicken has not yet been served, or a message informing the customer that the fried chicken has not yet been served.

[0091] Finally, the waiter places the fried chicken on the table. The same process as described above is executed at this time. At this stage, the display control unit 52B, based on the order information stored in the order information storage unit 53, displays on the tabletop terminal 1 a message informing the customer that the beer, edamame, and fried chicken have all been served and that there is no food or drink remaining, or a message informing the customer that there is no food or drink remaining.

[0092] Here, additional orders may be placed while processing the first order is in progress. In this case, the above process is performed for each order individually. For example, by associating the holder position information associated with the table ID with each piece of order information stored in the order information storage unit 53, each piece of order information can be identified by the holder position information, and the above process is performed for each piece of order information. In this case, by notifying the food and drink serving identification unit 56 of the holder position information in addition to the table ID, it is possible to identify which table and which order the food and drink are being served for.

[0093] In the second embodiment, the example in which the identification of food and drink estimated to have been served is performed by progress management device 5B has been described, but the identification may also be performed by tabletop terminal 1B. For example, tabletop terminal 1 includes order information storage unit 53, order content management unit 54, elapsed time measurement unit 55, and served food and drink identification unit 56, and by transmitting attachment detection information output from attachment / detachment detection unit 42 to tabletop terminal 1B, the identification of food and drink estimated to have been served can be performed by tabletop terminal 1B.

[0094] In the second embodiment, the predetermined operation performed when food and drink is served is the operation of the serving button 1 a, i.e., the configuration in which the serving of food and drink is detected by the operation of the serving button 1 a is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the tabletop terminal 1 may be equipped with an IC chip for near-field communication (NFC) or voice communication, and the serving of food and drink may be detected by the operation of bringing a wireless communication card, tag, or mobile terminal carried by a waiter close to the tabletop terminal 1.

[0095] When a mobile terminal carried by a waiter is used, the waiter may detect that the food and drink has been served based on the action of bringing the mobile terminal close to the tabletop terminal 1 when serving the food and drink, and may also identify the served food and drink based on information transmitted from the mobile terminal. FIG. 8 shows an example of the functional configuration of a progress management system in this case. In FIG. 8, the tabletop terminal 1B′ includes a food serving detection unit 13′ instead of the food serving detection unit 13 shown in FIG. 7. The progress management device 5B′ includes a served food and drink identification unit 56′ instead of the served food and drink identification unit 56 shown in FIG. 7, but does not include an elapsed time measurement unit 55.

[0096] For example, a waiter selects the food and drink to be served from a list on an order management application installed on mobile terminal 10, and then brings mobile terminal 10 close to tabletop terminal 1B'. At this time, mobile terminal 10 transmits information indicating the food and drink selected by the waiter to tabletop terminal 1B'. Upon receiving this information, tabletop terminal 1B's serving detection unit 13' detects that the food and drink have been served, and transmits the information about the food and drink received from mobile terminal 10 together with the table ID to progress management device 5B'.

[0097] Based on the information received from the tabletop terminal 1B', the served food and drink specifying unit 56' of the progress management device 5B' specifies the served food and drink and notifies the order content management unit 54. The order content management unit 54 then performs a deletion process by setting flag information for the order information stored in the order information storage unit 53, which indicates that the food and drink specified by the served food and drink specifying unit 56' has been served.

[0098] Based on the order information (including flag information indicating whether the food has been served or not) stored in the order information storage unit 53, the display control unit 52B transmits and displays processing progress information related to the serving of food and drink identified by the served food and drink identification unit 56' based on information transmitted from the food and drink serving detection unit 13' of the table terminal 1B' to the table terminal 1 corresponding to the table ID transmitted together with the food and drink information from the food and drink serving detection unit 13' or the table ID transmitted from the table terminal 1 when an inquiry is made from the table terminal 1.

[0099] Instead of having waiters carry wireless communication cards, tags, or mobile terminals, wireless communication tags may be embedded in food and drink dishes, and the serving of food and drink may be detected by the serving of the dishes.Furthermore, food and drink category information (drinks, food, etc.) may be stored in the tag of the dish, and the served food and drink may be identified from the category of the served food and drink.

[0100] As described above in detail, the progress management system of the second embodiment allows customers to grasp not only that an order has been accepted at the restaurant (the order accepting device 2 has received the order information transmitted from the tabletop terminal 1), that an order has been accepted in the kitchen (the order slip 100 has been placed in the slip holder 4a), and that all food and beverage items included in the order have been prepared (the order slip 100 has been removed from the slip holder 4a), but also the progress of the processing, whether or not each of the one or more food and beverage items included in the order has been served. Furthermore, with the configuration shown in FIG. 8 , the served food and beverage identifying unit 56′ can accurately identify the served food and beverage items without fail, and the progress of the processing, whether or not each of the one or more food and beverage items has been served, can be accurately communicated to customers.

[0101] In the first embodiment described above, an example of applying the progress management system to a restaurant where customers eat and drink at tables inside the store was described, but it can also be applied in the same way to stores that sell food and drink for takeout.

[0102] In the second embodiment, an example has been described in which a configuration for further managing whether ordered food and drink has been served at a table is added to the first embodiment configured as shown in Fig. 2. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a configuration for further managing whether ordered food and drink has been served at a table may be added to the configuration of Fig. 4 or 5.

[0103] Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are merely examples of specific embodiments for carrying out the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited thereby. In other words, the present invention can be carried out in various forms without departing from the gist or main characteristics thereof.

[0104] 1, 1B, 1B' Table terminal 1a Food serving button 2, 2', 2", 2B Order receiving device 3 Printer 4, 4', 4" Information processing device 4a Slip holder 4b Display 5, 5', 5", 5B, 5B' Progress management device 10 Portable terminal 11 Order processing unit 12 Progress display unit 13, 13' Food serving detection unit 21, 21', 21" Order receiving unit 22, 22" Print data generation unit 41 Attachment position display unit 42 Attachment / detachment detection unit 43 Slip photographing unit 44 Code reader 50 Association information storage unit 51, 51', 51" Association management unit 52, 52B Display control unit 53 Order information storage unit 54 Order content management unit 55 Elapsed time measurement unit 56, 56' Food and drink served identification unit

Claims

1. An order receiving device which receives orders from an ordering terminal which is operated by store customers to order food and beverages; an information processing device having a slip holder which detachably holds one or more order slips printed by a printer for orders made through the ordering terminal; a progress management device which manages the progress of processing orders made through the ordering terminal; and a display terminal which displays order processing progress information managed by the progress management device, wherein the information processing device has an attachment / detachment detection unit which detects when the order slip is attached to the slip holder and when the order slip is removed from the slip holder and sends each of the detection information to the progress management device together with holder position information which indicates the position of the slip holder to which the order slip is attached, and the progress management device has an association management unit which associates and manages the holder position information with terminal identification information which is capable of identifying the display terminal on which the order processing progress information for the order slip attached in the position indicated by the holder position information is to be displayed, and a display control unit that transmits and displays at least one of the processing progress information related to the attachment of the order slip to the slip holder and the processing progress information related to the removal of the order slip from the slip holder based on the information transmitted from the attachment / detachment detection unit of the information processing device to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information associated with the holder position information.

2. The progress management system described in claim 1, characterized in that the order receiving device is equipped with an order receiving unit that transmits order reception information indicating that an order has been received from the order terminal together with the terminal identification information to the progress management device, and the display control unit of the progress management device transmits the processing progress status information related to the reception of the order from the order terminal based on the information transmitted from the order receiving device to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information for display.

3. The progress management system described in claim 1, characterized in that the order receiving device comprises a print data generation unit which generates print data such that the terminal-specific information is printed on the order slip in addition to character information indicating the contents of the order received from the ordering terminal and supplies the print data to the printer, the printer comprises a terminal-specific information extraction unit which extracts the terminal-specific information from the print data supplied by the print data generation unit and transmits the extracted terminal-specific information to the progress management device, and the display control unit of the progress management device, in response to receiving information transmitted from the printer, transmits the processing progress status information related to the acceptance of the order from the ordering terminal to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal-specific information for display.

4. The progress management system described in claim 1, characterized in that the order receiving device comprises a print data generation unit which generates print data such that the terminal-specific information is printed on the order slip in addition to character information indicating the contents of the order received from the ordering terminal and supplies the print data to the printer, the printer comprises a print data transmission unit which transmits the print data supplied by the print data generation unit to the progress management device, the progress management device further comprises a terminal-specific information extraction unit which extracts the terminal-specific information from the print data transmitted from the printer, and the display control unit of the progress management device, in response to receiving the print data transmitted from the printer, transmits the processing progress status information related to the acceptance of the order from the ordering terminal to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal-specific information for display.

5. A progress management system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the display terminal further comprises a food delivery detection unit that detects that the food and drink ordered through the ordering terminal has been delivered based on a predetermined operation performed when the food and drink ordered through the ordering terminal has been delivered, and transmits the food delivery detection information together with the terminal identification information to the progress management device, and the display control unit transmits the processing progress status information related to the delivery of the food and drink to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information in accordance with the food delivery detection information transmitted from the food delivery detection unit of the display terminal, and displays it.

6. The progress management device further comprises an order content management unit which manages order information representing the content of an order, including one or more foods and beverages ordered through the ordering terminal, in association with the terminal identification information; an elapsed time measurement unit which measures the elapsed time from when it is detected that the order slip has been attached to the slip holder by receiving information transmitted from the attachment / detachment detection unit of the information processing device, to when it is detected that the food and beverages have been served by receiving the serving detection information transmitted from the serving detection unit of the display terminal; and a food and beverage serving identification unit which identifies food and beverages that are estimated to have been served from the one or more foods and beverages included in the order information managed in association with the terminal identification information, based on the elapsed time measured by the elapsed time measurement unit and an estimated cooking time that is preset for each food and beverage; and the progress management system described in claim 5, characterized in that the display control unit transmits the processing progress information related to the serving of the food and beverages identified by the food and beverage serving identification unit to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information for display.

7. The progress management system described in claim 6, characterized in that the processing progress information related to the delivery of the food and beverages is information informing the customer which food and beverages have been delivered and which have not been delivered, or information informing the customer which food and beverages have not been delivered, for the one or more food and beverages included in the order.

8. The progress management device further comprises an order content management unit that manages order information indicating the content of an order, including one or more foods and beverages ordered through the ordering terminal, in association with the terminal identification information; the food delivery detection unit not only detects that the food and beverages ordered through the ordering terminal have been delivered based on a predetermined operation performed when the food and beverages ordered through the ordering terminal are delivered, but also identifies the delivered food and beverages based on information sent from a mobile terminal carried by the waiter and further transmits information on the identified food and beverages to the progress management device; and the display control unit of the progress management device transmits the processing progress status information related to the delivery of the food and beverages identified based on the information sent from the food delivery detection unit of the display terminal to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information for display. A progress management system as described in claim 5, characterized in that the progress management device further comprises an order content management unit that manages order information indicating the content of an order, including one or more foods and beverages ordered through the ordering terminal, in association with the terminal identification information; 9. A progress management system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the order terminal and the display terminal are the same terminal.

10. A system comprising an order receiving device which receives orders from an ordering terminal operated by store customers to order food and beverages, an information processing device having a slip holder which detachably holds one or more order slips printed by a printer for orders made through the ordering terminal, and a display terminal which displays progress information relating to the processing of orders made through the ordering terminal, comprising a progress management device which manages the progress of the processing of orders made through the ordering terminal, the progress management device comprising an association management unit which associates and manages holder position information indicating the position of the slip holder to which the order slip is attached and terminal identification information which can identify the display terminal which is to be the target for displaying order processing progress information relating to the order slip attached at the position indicated by the holder position information; and a display control unit which, based on detection information transmitted from the information processing device together with the holder position information when the information processing device detects that the order slip has been attached to the slip holder and that the order slip has been removed from the slip holder, transmits and displays at least one of the processing progress status information related to the attachment of the order slip to the slip holder and the processing progress status information related to the removal of the order slip from the slip holder to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information associated with the holder position information.

11. In a system including an order receiving device that receives orders from an ordering terminal operated by store customers to order food and beverages, an information processing device having a slip holder that detachably holds one or more order slips printed by a printer for orders made through the ordering terminal, and a display terminal that displays progress information regarding the processing of orders made through the ordering terminal, a method for managing the progress of orders made through the ordering terminal using a progress management device, comprising the steps of an association management unit of the progress management device associating and managing holder position information indicating the position of the slip holder to which the order slip is attached, and terminal identification information that can identify the display terminal that is to be the target for displaying order processing progress information related to the order slip attached at the position indicated by the holder position information; a display control unit of the progress management device transmitting at least one of the processing progress status information related to the attachment of the order slip to the slip holder and the processing progress status information related to the removal of the order slip from the slip holder to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information associated with the holder position information based on detection information transmitted from the information processing device together with the holder position information when the information processing device detects that the order slip has been attached to the slip holder and that the order slip has been removed from the slip holder, to the display terminal corresponding to the terminal identification information associated with the holder position information.

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