In-store storage management system for refrigerated bread dough

Abstract

Provided is an in-store storage management system for refrigerated bread dough, the in-store storage management system managing the internal temperature of a refrigerator for refrigerated bread dough so as to provide bread dough in a state of being refrigerated to an optimal temperature according to a production plan table of bakery products to be produced in a sales store.　An in-store storage management system for refrigerated bread dough according to the present invention includes a refrigerator for bread dough, and a computer device for management that is communicably connected to the refrigerator for bread dough. The computer device for management includes an input part for receiving input of a production plan table, and a sensor part connected to an air temperature sensor. The computer device calculates a target refrigeration temperature for the refrigerated bread dough stored in the refrigerator for bread dough by using a bread dough temperature calculation model formula that includes the temporal length of a refrigerated bread dough temperature restoration step designated by the received production plan table, the amount of refrigerated bread dough to be prepared, and the indoor temperature of a store acquired by the sensor part as input variables, the dough temperature of the bread dough at the time of completion of the temperature restoration step being employed as an output variable, and the computer device transmits, to the refrigerator for bread dough, control data for adjusting the internal temperature of the refrigerator for bread dough to the calculated target refrigeration temperature. The refrigerator for bread dough controls the internal temperature according to the transmitted control data.

Description

In-store storage management system for refrigerated dough

[0001] The present invention relates to an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough, and more particularly to an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough that manages the temperature inside a dough refrigerator installed in a store so that refrigerated dough is provided at an optimum temperature in accordance with the production schedule for the day of production of bakery products produced in the store.

[0002] In recent years, the number of stores offering freshly baked, high-quality bread, Danish pastries, and other bakery products to customers has increased, while customer needs and preferences have become more diverse.However, if bakery products remain unsold on the day of production, their value decreases and food waste occurs, and conversely, if they run out of stock, sales opportunities are lost.Therefore, in order to improve profits and stabilize management, it is extremely important to accurately predict the items to be produced and their production quantities for each sales day and to carry out work so that freshly baked bakery products can be provided according to a production plan (timetable) based on the prediction results.

[0003] Conventionally, the types and quantities of bakery products that would be sold on each sales day and each time period have been predicted by experts such as store managers and chain store managers based on intuition gained from many years of experience. However, because the sales of the products in question are generally affected by a wide variety of variable factors (season, day of the week, weather, events, etc.), it has been difficult to make highly accurate predictions using a method of instructing production based on intuition gained from such experience.

[0004] Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that calculates and indicates the appropriate quantity of a product to be produced based on past product sales data. However, the technology in Patent Document 1 simply calculates and indicates the production volume to be produced in a specified time period, and does not address the need to prepare bread dough refrigerated at the optimal temperature according to the environment (temperature and humidity) of the production site on the day in order to finish the specified quantity of products by the scheduled production completion (baking) time.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a method for producing freshly baked bread using frozen dough, but this method requires that the frozen dough required for bread to be supplied within a specified unit time be thawed and proofed using a dough conditioner, and then the dough be kept in a standby state under certain conditions (temperature of 5 to 15°C and humidity of 60 to 98%), which inevitably leads to deterioration of the dough during the standby state.Furthermore, it is difficult for small stores, etc., that cannot install a dough conditioner due to financial and store space constraints, to adopt the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2, and therefore there is a need for an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough that is suitable for small stores that are particular about quality.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-99363 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-149000

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough that controls the temperature inside a dough refrigerator in a store that stores refrigerated dough, so that refrigerated dough is provided at an optimum temperature in accordance with the production plan for the day of production of bakery products produced in the store.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention provides an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough that manages the temperature inside a dough refrigerator installed in the store based on a production schedule for the day of production so that refrigerated dough used for bakery products produced in the store is provided in a refrigerated state at an optimum temperature at the start time of production of the bakery products. The in-store storage management system includes the dough refrigerator and a management computer device communicably connected to the dough refrigerator, and the management computer device includes an input unit that receives input of the production schedule, a sensor unit that is connected to an air temperature sensor installed in the store, and input variables that include the length of a reheating process of the refrigerated dough in a production run specified in the received production schedule, the amount of refrigerated dough to be prepared, and the indoor temperature of the store acquired by the sensor unit, and a data communication unit that transmits control data including the calculated target refrigeration temperature to the dough refrigerator; a memory unit that stores dough information including the received production schedule, the dough temperature calculation model formula, and heat transfer characteristic data of the refrigerated dough; and a control unit that controls the overall operation of the management computer device, wherein the dough refrigerator controls a cooling unit of the dough refrigerator based on the control data transmitted from the management computer device so that the dough temperature of the stored refrigerated dough is maintained at the target refrigeration temperature, and the production schedule includes the amount of refrigerated dough to be prepared for each production run set for different time periods on the day of production, the start time of production, and the end time of the reheating process which begins simultaneously with the start of production.

[0009] The refrigeration temperature calculation unit of the management computer device back-calculates the dough temperature of the refrigerated dough at the start time of the production run specified in the production schedule by inputting the target dough temperature of the refrigerated dough at the end time of the rewarming step for the production run specified in the production schedule into the output variable of the dough temperature calculation model equation, and sets the dough temperature of the refrigerated dough calculated by the back-calculation as the target refrigeration temperature, and the target dough temperature of the refrigerated dough at the end time of the rewarming step is preferably manually input to the input unit or pre-stored in the memory unit.The dough refrigerator may include a probe-type dough temperature sensor for measuring the core temperature of the refrigerated dough stored in the dough refrigerator, and may control a cooling unit of the dough refrigerator so that the core temperature of the refrigerated dough measured by the probe-type dough temperature sensor is maintained at the target refrigeration temperature. The management computer device may continuously acquire the indoor temperature of the store from the sensor unit at predetermined time intervals after the start time of the production run, input the acquired indoor temperature, the length of time for the reheating process of the refrigerated dough in the next production run, and the amount of the refrigerated dough to the dough temperature calculation model equation to recalculate the target refrigeration temperature of the refrigerated dough, and transmit control data including the recalculated target refrigeration temperature to the dough refrigerator. The dough refrigerator preferably has multiple refrigeration compartments, each of which is configured to be able to independently control its internal temperature. The refrigerated dough is preferably refrigerated after being divided into portions of dough that has undergone primary fermentation. The in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough further includes an information processing server at a store management center that manages multiple stores. The management computer device is connected to the information processing server via a communication network and can receive the production schedule from the information processing server via the data communication unit.

[0010] According to the present invention, high-quality freshly baked bakery products can be produced in a timely manner with stable quality in accordance with the production schedule for each store on the day of production. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the temperature inside the store's dough refrigerator is autonomously managed so that the refrigerated bread dough specified in the production schedule is maintained at the optimal refrigeration temperature in accordance with the production start time, which reduces the labor required and makes the production process more efficient, and high-quality bakery products can be provided without relying on the experience of the craftsman.

[0011] 7 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management computer device included in an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a refrigerated dough refrigerator included in an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of a refrigerated dough refrigerator according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a management computer device according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operational steps by which a management computer device according to this embodiment generates control data. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a regression line between measured data of indoor temperature in a specific store and the outdoor air temperature at the location of the store at the date and time corresponding to the measured data. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a production schedule table for the day of production input to an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of changes in dough temperature over time during the reheating period of refrigerated dough in each production run of the production schedule table shown in FIG. 7. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing server at a store management center according to this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operational steps by which the information processing server at the store management center according to this embodiment creates a production schedule. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] Hereinafter, specific examples of embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] The in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough according to the present invention is designed to handle the in-store production of bakery products using refrigerated dough, which is made by dividing the dough that has undergone primary fermentation and then refrigerating it at a temperature range of -7°C to 2°C to put the yeast to sleep.The refrigerated dough is then reheated, shaped, proofed, and then baked in an oven within the sales store (hereinafter referred to as the store).

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, an in-store storage management system 1 for refrigerated dough according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a management computer device 10 and a refrigerated dough refrigerator (hereinafter referred to as a dough refrigerator) 20 installed in the store, with these devices connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0016] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the management computer device 10 is installed inside a store, but the installation location of the management computer device 10 does not have to be limited to inside a store and can be installed anywhere as long as it can communicate with the dough refrigerator 20. Furthermore, the management computer device 10 does not have to be configured as an independent device and may be configured as being incorporated into the dough refrigerator 20. The management computer device 10 may also be communicably connected to an information processing server 30 of a store management center (described later) via a communication network 5 including the Internet or the like, and may be connected to one or more POS (Point of Sales) terminals 40 installed inside the store.

[0017] The management computer device 10 can be configured as a general-purpose PC (personal computer) or a dedicated information processing device.

[0018] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a management computer included in an in-store storage management system for refrigerated bread dough according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the management computer device 10 includes a control unit 11 including a CPU, a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, etc. (not shown); a data communication unit 12 that handles communication with the dough refrigerator 20 etc.; a display unit 13 that displays various information on a predetermined display means (not shown); a memory unit 14 that stores data processed by the control unit 11, a production process master of bakery products to be produced in the store (information such as the work content and standard process time for each production process), dough information including the heat transfer characteristics and shapes of various refrigerated doughs used in the store, and data on a production plan created for the store; and an input unit 15 that receives input instructions from the store operator or production manager.

[0020] The management computer device 10 further includes a sensor unit 16 connected to a temperature sensor 16a and a humidity sensor 26b installed in a location within the store where bakery products are manufactured (hereinafter referred to as the manufacturing site). The detection signals from the temperature sensor 16a and the humidity sensor 16b are converted from analog to digital by the sensor unit 26 and transmitted to the control unit 11 at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 1 to 10 minutes) as measurement data for the temperature and humidity of the manufacturing site (hereinafter referred to as the room temperature).

[0021] The management computer device 10 may be configured to accept a production plan for the day of production created for the store via the input unit 15 or to receive it from an external device (e.g., an information processing server 30 of a store management center) via the data communication unit 12. The production plan for the day of production for the store may be created by the information processing server 30 of the store management center using a method described below, or may be created by the management computer device 10 of the store. The production plan for the day of production (hereinafter simply referred to as the production plan) includes the items and quantities of bakery products to be produced for each time slot (production run) on the production day, the type of refrigerated dough to be used, the start time of production for each production run, and the end time of the reheating process, which begins simultaneously with the start of production. Reheating refers to returning the temperature of refrigerated dough to an appropriate temperature near room temperature.

[0022] The management computer device 10 may have a function to create a dough preparation slip (instruction list) to notify or present to an operator the type and preparation amount (number and total weight) of refrigerated dough to be stored in advance in the dough refrigerator 20 installed in the store for the bakery products to be produced in each production run specified in the production plan for the store. The preparation amount is calculated based on the quantity of bakery products to be produced and the specifications of the refrigerated dough to be used, as specified in the production plan.

[0023] The management computer device 10 may store the production plan table and the dough preparation slip created based on the production plan table in the memory unit 14 and display them on the display unit 13. The management computer device 10 may also be connected to a printer so that the production plan table and the dough preparation slip can be printed on paper.

[0024] The management computer 10 also has the function of calculating a target temperature for refrigerating the refrigerated dough (hereinafter referred to as the target refrigeration temperature) based on the duration of the reheating process of the refrigerated dough specified in the production schedule, the amount of refrigerated dough to be prepared, and the indoor temperature of the store, so that the refrigerated dough refrigerated at the optimal temperature will be provided (i.e., released from the dough refrigerator 20) at the production start time, and generating control data for controlling the temperature inside the dough refrigerator 20 so that the dough temperature (more preferably the temperature at the center of the dough) of the refrigerated dough is maintained at the calculated target refrigeration temperature. The generated control data is transmitted to the dough refrigerator 20 via the data communication unit 12. The above-mentioned functions and operation of the management computer 10 will be described in detail below.

[0025] Furthermore, the management computer device 10 may have a function to acquire sales information (POS data) of bakery products entered into a POS terminal 40 installed in the store, add a predetermined store identification code to the data, store the data in the memory unit 14, and transmit the data to the information processing server 30 of the store management center. The POS terminal 40 may be of various types, such as a dedicated POS register, a PC-type POS terminal, or a tablet-type POS terminal. Note that the POS terminal 40 may itself add a predetermined store identification code to the sales information (POS data) of bakery products and transmit it directly to the information processing server 30 of the store management center via the communication network 5.

[0026] When sales information is input to the POS terminal 40, the control unit 11 of the management computer device 10 synchronizes with this and causes the sensor unit 16 to acquire indoor temperature and humidity data at the production site within the store, and stores the acquired indoor temperature and humidity data in the memory unit 14 in association with the sales information (POS data) input to the POS terminal 40, and may also transmit the data to the information processing server 30 of the store management center. The transmitted POS data can be used to create a production schedule, which will be described later.

[0027] Next, the configuration of a dough refrigerator included in an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The equipment configuration for implementing the refrigeration function is the same as that of a general dough refrigerator, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0028] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a refrigerator for refrigerated dough included in an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, the dough refrigerator 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention is configured such that the internal temperature of the refrigerator body 20a, which is equipped with multiple shelves (not shown) on which trays (23a, 23b) containing refrigerated dough 3 are placed, is controlled by a control unit 21 of the dough refrigerator 20, which controls a cooling unit 22 (including a cooling means, a defrosting means, and a fan, not shown) based on control data received from the management computer device 10, so that the dough temperature (more preferably the temperature at the center of the dough) of the refrigerated dough 3 is maintained at a target refrigeration temperature calculated based on the production schedule for the day of production.

[0030] Refrigerator body 20a is provided with front door 20b for inserting and removing trays (23a, 23b), and refrigerator body 20a is provided with interior temperature sensor 24 for detecting the interior temperature. Refrigerator body 20a may also be provided with interior humidity sensor 25 for detecting the interior humidity. Interior temperature sensor 24 and interior humidity sensor 25 are connected to control unit 21, and analog signals detected by these sensors are sequentially converted by control unit 21 into numerical data (digital data) corresponding to the interior temperature and interior humidity, i.e., measurement data, respectively.

[0031] The dough refrigerator 20 according to this embodiment may be equipped with a probe-type dough temperature sensor 26 in the refrigerator body 20a for measuring the core temperature of the refrigerated dough 3. By inserting the probe of the dough temperature sensor 26 into at least one of the refrigerated dough 3 arranged on the trays (23a, 23b), the core temperature of the refrigerated dough 3 can be monitored, enabling more accurate refrigeration temperature control of the refrigerated dough 3 than controlling the internal temperature solely based on the internal temperature measurement data detected by the internal temperature sensor 24. The movable range in which the probe can be inserted can be adjusted by presetting the length of the cable portion 26a connected to the dough temperature sensor 26 to an appropriate length.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the configuration of a refrigerated dough refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] The other configuration example shown in Figure 4 is the same as the configuration example of the bread dough refrigerator 20 shown in Figure 3, except for the shape and location of the probe-type dough temperature sensor for measuring the core temperature of the refrigerated dough 3. In the configuration example shown in Figure 3, the probe-type dough temperature sensor 26 is connected to a cable 26a drawn from the wall of the refrigerator main body 20a. However, in the other configuration example shown in Figure 4, the probe-type dough temperature sensor 27 is provided with its probe portion protruding from the bottom of the trays (23a, 23b). While Figure 4 shows an example in which the dough temperature sensor 27 is provided only on the lower tray 23b, the present invention is not limited to this; the dough temperature sensor 27 may be provided on either or both the upper and lower trays. Furthermore, the number of dough temperature sensors 27 provided on each tray and their locations within the bottom of the trays (23a, 23b) can be set arbitrarily.

[0034] The dough temperature sensors (26, 27) are connected to the control unit 21, and the analog signal detected by the dough temperature sensors is converted into numerical data, i.e., measurement data, corresponding to the core temperature of the refrigerated bread dough 3 (hereinafter referred to as the dough core temperature).

[0035] The control unit 21 of the dough refrigerator 20 includes a microcontroller or processor (not shown) and a cooling unit control circuit, and controls the operating state and output level of the cooling means, defrosting means, and fan included in the cooling unit 22 of the dough refrigerator 20 using control data received from the management computer device 10 and measurement data of the internal temperature, internal humidity, and dough core temperature continuously obtained by the internal temperature sensor 24, internal humidity sensor 25, and dough temperature sensors (26, 27).

[0036] The control unit 21 may provide (transmit) measurement data of the internal temperature, internal humidity, and dough core temperature acquired by each of the above-mentioned sensors (24, 25, 26, or 27) to the management computer device 10. To compensate for the time lag and temperature difference between the internal temperature acquired by the internal temperature sensor 24 and the dough core temperature acquired by the dough temperature sensors (26, 27), the control unit 21 may use a correspondence table or relationship equation between the internal temperature and the dough core temperature, which is created in advance based on actual measurements, to perform temperature control (e.g., PID control) that corresponds to internal temperature fluctuations over short intervals (e.g., several seconds to one minute) and internal temperature fluctuations over long intervals (e.g., several minutes to several tens of minutes). Internal temperature fluctuations over short intervals correspond, for example, to temperature fluctuations associated with the opening and closing of the front door 20b, while internal temperature fluctuations over long intervals correspond, for example, to fluctuations in the room temperature at the production site throughout the day.

[0037] Of the measurement data on the internal temperature, internal humidity, and dough core temperature provided (transmitted) from the control unit 21, the management computer device 10 can apply the measurement data on the dough core temperature to a dough temperature calculation model equation for calculating the target refrigeration temperature described below. The management computer device 10 generates control data including the target refrigeration temperature calculated from the dough core temperature and transmits it to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 controls the cooling unit 22 using the control data reflecting the dough core temperature, thereby more accurately maintaining the dough core temperature at the target refrigeration temperature.

[0038] The dough refrigerator 20 may have multiple refrigeration compartments that can be independently controlled for temperature and humidity. By providing multiple refrigeration compartments, different types of refrigerated dough can be handled independently at the same time, improving work efficiency and temperature control accuracy.

[0039] Next, the functions and operations of the management computer device constituting the in-store storage management system for refrigerated bread dough according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a management computer device according to this embodiment.

[0041] In this embodiment, the management computer device 10 includes a fabric information creation unit 11a, a refrigeration temperature calculation unit 11b, and an indoor temperature prediction unit 11c as functional units realized by executing a predetermined software program on the CPU of the control unit 11.

[0042] The dough information creation unit 11a creates a dough preparation slip (instruction list) to notify or display to store workers the type and preparation amount (number and total weight) of refrigerated dough to be stored in advance in the dough refrigerator 20 installed in the store, based on the information on the type and quantity of bakery products to be produced on the production day specified in the production plan and the type (type) of refrigerated dough to be used. The control unit 11 displays the created dough preparation slip on the display unit 13.

[0043] The refrigeration temperature calculation unit 11b inputs the planned production quantity (batch amount) for each time period (production run) specified in the production schedule, the length of the reheating process for the refrigerated dough, and the indoor temperature at the production site as input variables into an equation (a dough temperature calculation model equation based on Newton's law of cooling, described later) derived using past production performance data that represents a temperature change curve of the dough temperature of refrigerated dough after it is taken out of the dough refrigerator 20, changing over time in response to the indoor temperature of the store (more specifically, the production site), and further inputs the dough temperature at the end of the reheating process (target dough temperature) as an output variable term for the refrigerated dough temperature, thereby back-calculating the dough temperature of the refrigerated dough at the time of its release from the dough refrigerator 20 (the initial temperature, described later), and setting the back-calculated dough temperature at the time of its release as the target refrigeration temperature.

[0044] The control unit 11 generates control data for the dough refrigerator 20 including the set target refrigeration temperature, and transmits the control data to the dough refrigerator 20 via the data communication unit 12 .

[0045] The indoor temperature prediction unit 11c continuously acquires the indoor temperature of the production site from the sensor unit 16 at predetermined time intervals (for example, every 1 to 10 minutes) after the start time of each production run, inputs the acquired indoor temperature of the production site into a predetermined prediction formula, calculates a predicted value of the indoor temperature of the production site at the start time of the next production run, and transmits the calculated predicted value to the refrigeration temperature calculation unit 11b. The prediction formula may be a general prediction algorithm based on the rate of change over time of the indoor temperature of the production site (temperature rise / temperature fall) measured and accumulated in the past.

[0046] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operational steps for generating control data by the management computer device according to this embodiment.

[0047] When the management computer device 10 receives (or creates) a production schedule (step S110), the control unit 11 activates the refrigeration temperature calculation unit 11b to read from the storage unit 14 a dough temperature calculation model equation defined by the following formula (1), which represents a temperature change curve in which the dough temperature of the type of refrigerated dough specified in the received production schedule increases over time in accordance with the room temperature at the production site after it is taken out of the dough refrigerator 20 (step S120), and adds to the formula (1) the duration of the reheating process (corresponding to t) and the dough temperature at the end of the reheating process (corresponding to T), which are specified in the production schedule, and the room temperature at the production site at the start time of production (T ｒｍ ) and the calculated value of the exponent corresponding to the amount of refrigerated dough to be prepared, and the initial temperature of the refrigerated dough that satisfies the entered reheating conditions (T ０ The initial temperature of the refrigerated dough is calculated backwards (corresponding to the temperature of the dough at the time of removal from the dough refrigerator), and the calculated initial temperature is set as the target refrigeration temperature (step S130).

[0048] where T is the dough temperature of the refrigerated dough, T ０ is the initial temperature of the refrigerated dough, T ｒｍ is the indoor temperature at the production site, h is the heat transfer coefficient of the refrigerated dough, S is the surface area of ​​the refrigerated dough, C is the heat capacity of the refrigerated dough, and t is the elapsed time after delivery.

[0049] In the dough temperature calculation model formula described above, the term "t" is entered as the duration of the reheating process, which is the time from the start of production to the end of the reheating process. The exponent (h x S) / C is calculated by the control unit 11 reading from the storage unit 14 a calculation formula corresponding to the type of refrigerated dough specified in the production plan and inputting the batch amount into the calculation formula. This calculation formula is derived in advance based on the specifications of the refrigerated dough (dough form and heat transfer characteristic data) and stored in the production information storage unit 14b of the storage unit 14. Note that dough information including the specifications of the refrigerated dough is stored in advance in the production information storage unit 14b of the storage unit 14.

[0050] On the other hand, the indoor temperature T ｒｍ Because the temperature fluctuates throughout the day, it is preferable to use the measurement data from temperature sensor 16a installed at the production site in the store after the production start time as input and use the predicted indoor temperature at the production site at the start time of the next production run calculated by indoor temperature prediction unit 11c. The predicted indoor temperature is input and an updated target refrigeration temperature for the next production run is calculated. The updated target refrigeration temperature for the next production run is sent to dough refrigerator 20, and dough refrigerator 20 controls cooling unit 22 based on the updated target refrigeration temperature, enabling more appropriate temperature setting.

[0051] In addition, the indoor temperature at the production site at the time of delivery for the first production run on the day of production may be a predicted value calculated using a regression equation derived by variable analysis of past indoor temperature measurement data at the production site and weather information (outdoor temperature) for the location of the store on the date and time corresponding to this measurement data.

[0052] Figure 7 shows an example of a scatter plot plotting indoor temperature measurement data for a specific store against meteorological information (outdoor temperature) for the store's location at the date and time corresponding to the measurement data. The figure also shows an example of a line segment based on a regression equation derived from univariate analysis of indoor and outdoor temperatures.

[0053] It is preferable that the dough temperature calculation model equation representing the temperature change curve of refrigerated dough is derived in advance as an individual model equation corresponding to the type of refrigerated dough and stored in the production information storage unit 14b of the storage unit 14. This is because the specific heat, surface area, etc. differ depending on the type of refrigerated dough used in the bakery product to be manufactured, resulting in differences in the indices included in the model equation.

[0054] The control unit 11 of the management computer device 10 generates control data for controlling the cooling unit 22 so that the dough temperature (particularly the temperature at the center of the dough) of the refrigerated dough 3 stored in the dough refrigerator 20 is maintained at the target refrigeration temperature calculated by the refrigeration temperature calculation unit 11b, and transmits the control data to the dough refrigerator 20 via the data communication unit (step S140).

[0055] The generation of control data by the management computer device 10, which is executed in steps S130 to S140, will now be described in more detail.

[0056] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a production schedule for the day of production input into an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the change in dough temperature over time during the reheating period of the refrigerated dough in each production run in the production schedule shown in Fig. 8.

[0057] (1) When the control unit 11 of the management computer device 10 receives the production schedule, it activates the refrigeration temperature calculation unit 11b to obtain the duration of the reheating process for the refrigerated dough for each time period (production run) (reheating periods A, B, and C) from the received production schedule, and obtains the dough temperature of the refrigerated dough at the end of the reheating process (target dough temperature) from the dough information stored in the memory unit 14. For example, in the case of reheating period A, the duration of the reheating process corresponds to the time from the start time t1 of the first production run to the end time t2 of the reheating process. The target dough temperature may be manually entered into the input unit 15 by the baker in charge of production. (2) Next, the refrigeration temperature calculation unit 11b obtains the indoor temperature (predicted value) of the production site in the store at the start time of each production run from the indoor temperature prediction unit 11c. (3) The refrigeration temperature calculation unit 11b then inputs the indoor temperature (predicted value) of the production site obtained in (2) into the dough temperature calculation model equation for refrigerated dough described above to calculate the initial temperature of the refrigerated dough (i.e., the target refrigeration temperature) for each batch so that the dough center temperature of the refrigerated dough reaches the target dough temperature at the end of the reheating process for that batch. (4) The control unit 11 of the management computer unit 10 then generates control data for controlling the temperature inside the refrigerator so that the dough temperature (dough center temperature) of the refrigerated dough 3 stored in the dough refrigerator 20 is maintained at the calculated target refrigeration temperature. For example, if the indoor temperature is predicted to be (a°C) during the first batch shown in Figure 8, the management computer unit 10 inputs the indoor temperature (a°C) into the dough temperature calculation model equation and generates control data for adjusting the temperature inside the refrigerator so that the refrigerated dough center temperature is maintained at the target refrigeration temperature (e.g., -1°C) calculated backward. On the other hand, for example, if it is predicted that the indoor temperature will be (b°C) higher than (a°C) during the second production run shown in Figure 8, the management computer device 10 will input the indoor temperature (b°C) into the dough temperature calculation model formula and generate control data to adjust the temperature inside the cabinet so that the core temperature of the refrigerated dough is maintained at the target refrigeration temperature (e.g., -3°C) calculated backwards.

[0058] In addition, the model equation (bread dough temperature calculation model equation) that represents the curve of how the dough temperature of refrigerated dough changes over time depending on the ambient temperature (room temperature at the production site) has an exponent derived for each type of refrigerated dough based on the results of actual measurements conducted in advance, and the management computer device 10 calculates the target refrigeration temperature of the refrigerated dough using the bread dough temperature calculation model equation that corresponds to the type of refrigerated dough specified in the production planning table.

[0059] The control unit 21 of the dough refrigerator 20 controls the cooling unit 22 of the dough refrigerator 20 using the control data generated by the above-described method and the measurement data of the internal temperature, internal humidity, and dough core temperature acquired by the internal temperature sensor 24, internal humidity sensor 25, and dough temperature sensor (26, 27). This provides refrigerated dough so that the dough temperature reaches the target dough temperature after the reheating period (reheating period) specified in the production schedule has elapsed (the end time of the reheating process). This eliminates discrepancies in work time due to differences in the time it takes for the dough temperature to reach the target dough temperature depending on the indoor temperature at the production site on the day of production after the worker removes the refrigerated dough from the dough refrigerator, thereby enabling on-time product shipment. It also reduces the need to frequently check the dough temperature, improving work efficiency.

[0060] Next, an example of a processing flow will be described in which a production plan table for the day of production, which is used in an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough according to one embodiment of the present invention, is created by the information processing server 30 in the store management center.

[0061] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing server in a store management center according to this embodiment.

[0062] As shown in Figure 10, the information processing server 30 of the store management center in this embodiment is composed of a general-purpose computer and includes a system control unit 31, a data storage unit 32, an input unit 33, an information display unit 34, an output unit 35, and a communication unit 36.

[0063] The information processing server 30 is further connected to a weather information providing server 50 that provides weather information including weather forecasts (numerical forecasts) via a communication network 5 including the Internet or the like.

[0064] The system control unit 31 has a central processing unit (CPU), a main memory device, and an auxiliary memory device (not shown), and by reading an OS (Operating System), predetermined programs, and various data and having the CPU execute them, it realizes each of the functional units described below and controls the entire server system including these functional units.

[0065] The data storage unit 32 stores various data including POS data of multiple stores managed by the store management center, prediction formulas and parameters for the indoor temperature of each store used to create a production schedule, and the data storage unit 32 is provided with storage areas and databases according to the data content, as described below. The data storage unit 32 may be configured as a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive). Furthermore, the data storage unit 32 does not need to be a single storage device, but may be distributed across multiple storage devices connected via the communication network 5. That is, the data storage unit 32 may be built into the information processing server 30 of the store management center or may be configured as a group of data servers connected via the communication network 5.

[0066] The input unit 33 is an input device for accepting various inputs, including instruction inputs, from users of the system, such as store managers and production managers, and may be composed of a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, and / or a touchpad.

[0067] The information display unit 34 includes a display device that visually displays to the user the input screen generated by the system control unit 31, and the acquired information and calculation results. The information display unit 34 may be configured to share some of the functions with the input unit 33 as a touch panel combined with a touch pad that allows touch input.

[0068] The output unit 35 outputs the production planning table created by the system control unit 31 and other calculation results, etc. in a predetermined data format to a printer and / or a data writing device for writing to a computer-readable recording medium, and also outputs the created production planning table to the communication unit 36 ​​and transmits it to the management computer device 10 of the target store via the communication unit 36.

[0069] The communication unit 36 ​​is composed of communication devices for establishing network connections with the management computer 10, dough refrigerator 20, POS terminal 40, and weather information server 50, and functions as a communication interface. The communication unit 36 ​​may include, for example, a communication card for a wired or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), Bluetooth (registered trademark), or Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and may also include a router for optical communication, a router for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), or a modem for various types of communication.

[0070] In this embodiment, the system control unit 31 includes a sales quantity prediction unit 31a, a production planning table creation unit 31b, and a control data generation unit 31c as functional units realized by executing a predetermined software program on a CPU.

[0071] The system control unit 31 also stores the POS data of bakery products sent from the management computer device 10 of each store in association with weather information (weather, temperature, humidity, etc.) at the time of sale of the bakery product obtained from the weather information providing server 50 in a database of the sales record storage unit 32a provided in the data storage unit 32. The POS data includes the name of the sold product, the price of the sold product, the date and day of the week when the product was sold, the name of the store where the product was sold, the number of products sold, etc.

[0072] The sales quantity prediction unit 31a inputs the day of the week of the production date (scheduled production date) and the weather information (numerical forecast data) for the location of the store into a sales quantity prediction model for each store that has been machine-learned using POS data for bakery products associated with weather information at past sales times, which is stored in the database of the sales record storage unit 32a, to calculate the planned sales quantities of the bakery products by time slot. The calculation process of the planned sales quantities of the bakery products by time slot by the sales quantity prediction unit 31a may be automatically executed at a predetermined time every day using a pre-programmed routine. The calculated planned sales quantities of the bakery products by time slot are sent to the production plan creation unit 31b.

[0073] The sales volume prediction model may be, but is not limited to, a prediction model (prediction function) created by machine learning using training data such as past sales records, sales volumes by day of the week and time period, and meteorological information (weather, temperature, humidity) at the time of sale. For example, a model formula derived using deep learning may also be used. In order to reflect the regional characteristics of each store, the sales volume prediction model is preferably created and trained for each store and stored in the production information storage unit 32b provided in the data storage unit 32. However, this is not limited to this, and a general-purpose model using sales records from multiple stores may also be created and used. The sales volume prediction model may be created for each bakery product item, or may be created as a model incorporating the item as an explanatory variable.

[0074] When an instruction to create a production plan for a specific store is input to the input unit 33 from a store operator, a production manager, etc., the production plan creation unit 31b reads out the bakery product production process master stored in advance in the production information storage unit 32b of the data storage unit 32, and creates a bakery product production plan based on the standard process times for each of the multiple processes included in the read out production process master and the planned sales quantities of the bakery products by time period at the store calculated by the sales quantity prediction unit 31a.

[0075] In addition, the production plan creation unit 31b creates a production plan (timetable) for bakery products to be produced in each store, and may also create dough preparation instruction information that specifies the type and amount of refrigerated dough to be stored in advance in the dough refrigerator 20 installed in the store so that refrigerated dough that has been reheated to a predetermined dough temperature is provided for bakery products that will begin production at the time specified in the created production plan.

[0076] The production plan creation unit 31b may automatically create a production plan and dough preparation instruction information when it receives the sales quantity by time period of bakery products on the day of production calculated using a pre-programmed routine from the sales quantity prediction unit 31a without instructions from the store manager, production manager, etc.

[0077] The production plan created by the production plan creation unit 31b can be created in the form of a timetable in which the start time of each process is specified based on the standard process time of each of the multiple processes for producing bakery products so that bakery products corresponding to the planned sales quantities for each time period are provided (baked) in each time period. The created production plan is sent to the management computer device 10 of the corresponding store or to the control data generation unit 31c.

[0078] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operational steps for the information processing server of the store management center to create a production plan table according to this embodiment.

[0079] In this embodiment, the information processing server 30 of the store management center acquires weather information for the production date (planned production date) for the location of the store for which a production plan is to be created from a weather information providing server 50, which has a weather forecast site and weather data site, either in response to an instruction input from a store manager or a production manager, or as a pre-programmed routine process (step S210). The acquired weather information includes the weather, temperature, and humidity for the production date (planned production date). In the case of the planned production date, the weather, temperature, and humidity are those indicated in the weather forecast (numerical forecast).

[0080] When the system control unit 31 of the information processing server 30 of the store management center acquires weather information from the weather information providing server 50, it activates the sales quantity prediction unit 31a, reads out the sales quantity prediction model for the store to be created from the data storage unit 32, inputs the acquired weather information and the date and day of production into the sales quantity prediction model, and calculates the expected sales quantity of bakery products by time period for the store (step S220).

[0081] When the system control unit 31 calculates the planned sales quantity by time period, it activates the production plan creation unit 31b, reads the bakery product production process master from the production information storage unit 32b of the data storage unit 32, and creates a bakery product production plan based on the standard process times for each of the multiple processes included in the production process master and the calculated bakery product sales quantity by time period (step S230).

[0082] The production plan creation unit 31b creates a production plan in the form of a timetable in which the start time of each process is specified based on the standard process time of each of the multiple processes of the bakery products so that bakery products corresponding to the planned sales quantities for each time period are provided (baked) in each time period. The created production plan is sent to the management computer device 10 of the store for which the production plan was created or to the control data generation unit 31c (step S240).

[0083] The standard process time for each of the multiple processes included in the manufacturing process master may be extended or shortened to reflect the effects of weather information on the day of manufacturing. In this case, the manufacturing planning table creation unit 31b may apply (multiply) a correction coefficient derived from past performance data to the standard process time to calculate the corrected process time (referred to as the process time for the day), and create a manufacturing planning table in the form of a timetable in which the start time of each process is set, calculated backward from the calculated process time for the day for each process, with the shipping time as the end point, so that bakery products corresponding to the planned sales quantity for each time period are provided (baked) in each time period.

[0084] Since the standard process time for each process included in the manufacturing process master increases or decreases depending on the production quantity, a calculation formula with the production quantity as an input variable may be derived in advance, and the planned sales quantity of bakery products by time period calculated by the sales quantity prediction unit 31a may be converted into the production quantity and input into the calculation formula, thereby calculating the quantity-adjusted standard process time for each process.

[0085] While the above describes an example in which the information processing server 30 of the store management center creates the production plan table and the dough preparation instruction information, the present invention is not limited to this, and the process of creating the production plan table and the dough preparation instruction information may be executed by the store's management computer 10. In this case, a program for executing these processes may be installed in advance in the store's management computer 10, and a set of sales performance data, a prediction model, and the like required for creation may be stored in advance in the storage unit 14 (sales performance storage unit 14a) of the store's management computer 10, and the management computer 10 may be caused to execute the same processes as those of the information processing server 30 described above to create the production plan table and the dough preparation instruction information.

[0086] The control data generation unit 11c of the information processing server 30 functions to generate control data for adjusting the temperature inside the dough refrigerator 20 in the store where the refrigerated dough is stored, based on the created production schedule and weather information for the day of production. If the store management computer 10 does not have the function to generate control data, the system control unit 31 causes the control data generation unit 31c to function to generate control data, and the generated control data may be sent via the communication unit 36 ​​to the management computer 10 of the specified store or directly to the dough refrigerator 20 in the store.

[0087] The method by which the control data generating unit 31c of the information processing server 30 of the store management center generates control data is the same as the procedure executed by the management computer terminal 10 described above, so a duplicated explanation will be omitted.

[0088] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of an in-store storage management system for refrigerated dough according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] 12, in another embodiment of the present invention, a refrigerated dough in-store storage management system 1' includes management computers (10a, 10b) installed in a plurality of stores, each connected to an information processing server 30 at a store management center via a communication network 5 including the Internet, and each store's management computer (10a, 10b) is connected to a refrigerated dough refrigerator and one or more POS terminals. Specifically, the computer (10a) at store A is connected to a refrigerated dough refrigerator (20a), POS terminal 1 (40a), and POS terminal 2 (40b), while the computer (10b) at store B is connected to a refrigerated dough refrigerator (20b) and POS terminal 3 (40c).

[0090] The configurations of the management computer terminals (10a, 10b), dough refrigerators (20a, 20b), and POS terminals (40a-40c) of each store are the same as those in the previously described embodiment, so detailed explanations will be omitted.

[0091] The management computer device (10a, 10b) of each store may be configured to be accessible via the communication network 5 using a communication terminal (not shown) owned by the store manager or production manager in charge of each store, and the production plan table of the corresponding store stored in the management computer device (10a, 10b) may be configured to be viewable from these communication terminals. The communication terminals may be configured as smartphones, tablet terminals, or computer terminals.

[0092] The in-store refrigerated dough storage management system of the present invention described above allows bakery products such as high-quality freshly baked bread to be produced in a timely and stable manner within the store in accordance with the production schedule for the day of production. Furthermore, the temperature inside the store's dough refrigerator is automatically controlled so that refrigerated dough that has been reheated to the optimal temperature according to the production schedule is provided, which improves work efficiency and allows bakery products to be provided with little variation in production without relying on the experience of the craftsman.

[0093] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be modified in various ways without departing from the technical scope of the present invention.

[0094] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1' In-store storage management system for refrigerated dough 3 Refrigerated dough 5 Communication network 10, 10a, 10b Management computer device 11 Control unit 11a Dough information creation unit 11b Refrigeration temperature calculation unit 11c Indoor temperature prediction unit 12 Data communication unit 13 Display unit 14 Memory unit 14a Sales information memory unit 14b Production information memory unit 15 Input unit 16 Sensor unit 16a Temperature sensor 16b Humidity sensor 20 Refrigerated dough refrigerator 20a, 20b Refrigerator body 21 Control unit 22 Cooling unit 23a, 23b Tray 24 Internal temperature sensor 25 Internal humidity sensor 26, 27 Dough temperature sensor 30 Information processing server 31 System control unit 31a Sales quantity prediction unit 31b Production plan table creation unit 31c Control data generation unit 32 Data storage unit 32a Sales record storage unit 32b Manufacturing information storage unit 33 Input unit 34 Information display unit 35 Output unit 36 ​​Communication unit 40, 40a, 40b, 40c POS terminal 50 Weather information providing server 51 Numerical forecast site 52 Weather data site

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