Alcohol amount management system and alcohol amount management method

Abstract

An alcohol amount management system (1) for managing the amount of alcohol consumed by a user causes a computer to function to: set the user's tolerance for alcohol consumption; acquire consumption information indicating the user's alcohol consumption status; on the basis of the tolerance and the consumption information, set an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol to be included in an alcoholic beverage that is to be consumed by the user such that the user does not consume alcohol beyond an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance; and output the set appropriate value.

Description

Alcohol Intake Management System and Alcohol Intake Management Method

[0001] The present invention relates to an alcohol intake management system and the like for managing the amount of alcohol consumed by a user.

[0002] There is known a system that discriminates a beverage suitable for a user's state based on the user's action history, vital information such as body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure, and environmental information such as weather and temperature, and recommends the discriminated beverage to the user (see Patent Document 1). There is also known a system that obtains user needs information and desire information regarding beverages, and prepares and supplies a custom-made beverage to the user based on the obtained information (see Patent Document 2).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-127835, Patent No. 6830902

[0004] The system of Patent Document 1 described above merely selects a beverage product suitable for the user's state from existing various beverage products and recommends it to the user. When an alcoholic beverage is recommended to the user, the amount of alcohol in the beverage is not adjusted. The system of Patent Document 2 is not intended for managing the amount of alcohol in the first place.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an alcohol intake management system and the like that can manage the amount of alcohol consumed by a user by adjusting the amount of alcohol in an alcoholic beverage.

[0006] An alcohol intake management system according to an aspect of the present invention includes at least one computer and is an alcohol intake management system for managing the amount of alcohol consumed by a user. The computer sets a tolerance of the user regarding alcohol intake, obtains intake information indicating the alcohol intake situation of the user, and based on the tolerance and the intake information, sets an appropriate value of the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage consumed by the user so that the user does not consume alcohol exceeding an appropriate range according to the tolerance, and outputs the set appropriate value.

[0007] An alcohol quantity management method according to one aspect of the present invention is an alcohol quantity management method for managing the amount of alcohol consumed by a user, comprising setting a user's tolerance level for alcohol consumption, acquiring consumption information indicating the user's alcohol consumption status, and, based on the tolerance level and the consumption information, setting an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage consumed by the user so that the user does not consume alcohol beyond an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level.

[0008] Figure 1 shows a perspective view illustrating the system configuration of an alcohol quantity management system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 shows a functional block diagram illustrating the configuration of the main parts of the control system in the alcohol management system. Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of the dispensing unit in a drink server. Figure 3 shows an example of a liquid delivery device. Figure 1 shows an example of a general procedure when using the alcohol management system. Figure 2 shows an example of a pre-registration screen. Figure 3 shows an example of a pre-registration screen following Figure 6. Figure 4 shows an example of an order screen. Figure 5 shows an example of the relationship between the number of alcoholic beverages consumed by the user and the amount of alcohol consumed by the user. Figure 6 shows an example of a questionnaire screen. Figure 7 shows an example of updating the tolerance level based on evaluation information obtained through the questionnaire screen. Figure 8 shows an example of the pre-registration process procedure performed by the management server. Figure 9 shows an example of the alcohol quantity control process performed by the management server and the dispensing control process performed by the drink server. Figure 10 shows an example of the tolerance level update process procedure performed by the management server. Figure 11 shows an example of a system configuration with a store terminal as an example of a facility terminal. Figure 15 shows a functional block diagram illustrating the configuration of the main parts of the control system in the alcohol management system. Figure 15 shows an example of the pre-registration process procedure performed by the management server in association with blood alcohol concentration. A flowchart illustrating an example of the procedures for alcohol quantity control processing performed by the management server in relation to blood alcohol concentration and dispensing control processing performed by the drink server. A flowchart illustrating an example of the procedures for tolerance level update processing performed by the management server in relation to blood alcohol concentration.

[0009] Hereinafter, an alcohol quantity management system (hereinafter abbreviated as "management system") according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of the management system. The management system 1 is provided to manage the amount of alcohol consumed by users in alcoholic beverages so that users do not consume alcohol beyond an appropriate amount at drinking occasions such as banquets held at food and beverage facilities. Food and beverage facilities include various types of facilities such as restaurants, bars, halls, bars, hotel banquet halls, rental conference rooms, and event venues, regardless of their form, as long as they provide alcoholic beverages at the request of users. It is irrelevant whether the provision of alcoholic beverages is for a fee or free of charge. Facilities that provide only alcoholic beverages and facilities that provide various food and beverages other than alcoholic beverages are included in the concept of food and beverage facilities. However, the management system 1 described below is an example of the management system according to the present invention. The management system according to the present invention is not limited to the example of managing the amount of alcohol in alcoholic beverages provided at food and beverage facilities, but can be applied to the use of managing the amount of alcohol consumed by users at various drinking occasions.

[0010] The management system 1 includes a management server 2 installed on a predetermined network NT, and user terminals 3 and a drink server 4 that function as clients to the management server 2. The management server 2 can be configured as an on-premise server realized by a single computer device, a combination of multiple computer devices, or a cloud server realized by linking multiple computer devices. The network NT is, for example, the internet. The network NT may also be configured by a combination of a WAN (such as the internet) and a LAN (land area network).

[0011] User terminal 3 is an information and communication terminal that is a computer device capable of network connectivity. For example, a smartphone 3a or tablet terminal 3b equipped with information and communication functions can be used as user terminal 3. However, various computer devices such as stationary or mobile PCs may be used as user terminal 3, as long as they are capable of network connectivity. User terminal 3 may be an information and communication terminal personally owned by a user using the management system 1, or it may be an information and communication terminal installed in a food and beverage establishment as an ordering terminal for ordering food and beverages. An information and communication terminal personally owned by a user and an information and communication terminal installed in a food and beverage establishment as an ordering terminal for ordering food and beverages may be used in combination as user terminal 3.

[0012] The drink server 4 is installed in a food and beverage facility. The drink server 4 is configured as a commercial beverage dispensing device that pours raw alcoholic beverages such as Western liquor and shochu into drinking containers 5 such as glasses. The raw alcoholic beverage is prepared and provided to the user by mixing it with a mixer such as mineral water or carbonated water to dilute the raw alcoholic beverage. Therefore, the raw alcoholic beverage refers to the alcoholic beverage before dilution with a mixer. The alcohol concentration in the raw alcoholic beverage varies depending on the type of raw alcoholic beverage. The drink server 4 has a function to control the amount of raw alcoholic beverage dispensed according to instructions from the management server 2. Therefore, the drink server 4 functions as an example of a facility terminal.

[0013] The management server 2 obtains various information necessary for managing the amount of alcohol consumed by the user during drinking occasions via the user terminal 3. Based on the obtained information, it sets an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol that should be included in the alcoholic beverage consumed by the user, so that the user does not consume alcohol beyond a reasonable limit. Furthermore, the management server 2 instructs the drink server 4 to dispense a base liquor containing an amount of alcohol corresponding to the set appropriate value. The drink server 4 dispenses the base liquor of the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user into the drinking container 5 in accordance with the instructions from the management server 2. The amount of base liquor dispensed changes appropriately according to the appropriate value set by the management server 2.

[0014] Figure 2 shows the configuration of the main control systems in the management server 2, user terminal 3, and drink server 4. The management server 2, user terminal 3, and drink server 4 are each equipped with control units 20, 30, and 40, respectively. Each control unit 20, 30, and 40 is configured as a computer unit including a microprocessor and internal storage devices such as cache memory, ROM, and RAM necessary for its operation.

[0015] The control unit 20 of the management server 2 is equipped with an order processing unit 21, an information acquisition unit 22, a tolerance setting unit 23, and an intake amount management unit 24 as logical devices realized through the cooperation of the hardware resources of the management server 2 and the computer program for the server implemented in the management server 2. The order processing unit 21 works in conjunction with the user terminal 3 to process orders for alcoholic beverages and the like from the user. For example, the order processing unit 21 receives orders for alcoholic beverages and the like from the user via the user terminal 3, and if an alcoholic beverage is ordered, it instructs the drink server 4 to dispense the base liquor of that alcoholic beverage.

[0016] The information acquisition unit 22 works in conjunction with the user terminal 3 to acquire various information necessary to manage the user's alcohol intake. The tolerance setting unit 23 sets the user's tolerance level for alcohol intake based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 22. In the example in Figure 2, the tolerance setting unit 23 sets the user's tolerance level for alcohol intake as the tolerance level for alcohol intake at drinking occasions. The tolerance level is an example of a value that quantitatively indicates the tolerance level. The intake management unit 24 acquires intake information necessary to determine the user's alcohol intake status at drinking occasions, and based on the acquired intake information, sets an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol that should be included in the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user so that the user does not consume alcohol beyond an appropriate range according to the tolerance level.

[0017] The intake status is a concept that indicates how much alcohol a user has consumed, and the intake information only needs to be information that can determine how much alcohol has been consumed. For example, the cumulative amount of alcohol consumed by the user at drinking occasions may be treated as intake information indicating the intake status. The appropriate range may be set, for example, as a range below the permissible amount, or a range with an upper limit of a certain margin amount subtracted from the permissible amount. The appropriate value set by the intake amount management unit 24 is provided to the order processing unit 21. The order processing unit 21 instructs the drink server 4 to prepare an alcoholic beverage containing the amount of alcohol corresponding to the appropriate value. For example, the order processing unit 21 instructs the drink server 4 to prepare the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user by providing the drink server 4 with information indicating the type of alcoholic beverage ordered by the user and the appropriate value of the amount of alcohol set by the intake amount management unit 24 in the preparation information. Therefore, the drink server 4 is an example of an output destination for preparation information.

[0018] The control unit 20 of the management server 2 can access the user database DBu. The user database DBu may be directly accessible by the management server 2, or it may be accessible via a database server different from the management server 2. The user database DBu records user data DTu for each user who uses the management system 1, associated with a user ID as an example of user identification information. The user data DTu is acquired by the order processing unit 21 and the information acquisition unit 22, or generated by the tolerance setting unit 23, and includes basic information, order history information, tolerance information, and evaluation information. Basic information is information that users are required to declare in advance when using the management system 1. Examples of basic information will be described later. Order history information is log information that records the user's order history of alcoholic beverages and other beverages at drinking occasions. Tolerance information is information that indicates the tolerance amount set by the tolerance setting unit 23. Evaluation information is information that indicates the user's evaluation result regarding the excess or deficiency of alcohol at drinking occasions to which the alcohol amount management by the management system 1 is applied. The user data DTu may include further information, but examples are omitted.

[0019] The control unit 30 of the user terminal 3 is equipped with an order processing unit 31 and an information acquisition unit 32, which are logical devices realized through the cooperation of the hardware resources of the user terminal 3 and the computer program for the terminal implemented in the user terminal 3. The order processing unit 31 uses the input device 33 and display device 34 of the user terminal 3 to perform various processes necessary for the user to order alcoholic beverages, etc. For example, the order processing unit 31 displays an order screen on the display device 34, acquires the user's order details based on the operation of the input device 33 on the order screen, and provides the acquired information to the management server 2 as order information.

[0020] The information acquisition unit 32 acquires various types of information, such as the basic information and evaluation information mentioned above, using the input device 33 and the display device 34, and provides the acquired information to the management server 2. The input device 33 and the display device 34 may be configured as appropriate according to the hardware configuration of the user terminal 3. For example, the display device 34 may be a flat panel display, and the input device 33 may be a touch panel installed on the flat panel display. Various input devices such as keyboards and mice may also be used as the input device 33.

[0021] The computer program implemented on the user terminal 3 may be configured as a dedicated application program for the management system 1, or as a general-purpose application program such as a web browser. In the latter case, the user terminal 3 may view web pages managed by the management server 2 using the web browser, and order information and basic information may be obtained through those web pages. Alternatively, the user terminal 3 may access an SNS site operated on an external server different from the management server 2, and order information and basic information may be obtained by the management server 2 through the SNS site.

[0022] The control unit 40 of the drink server 4 includes a dispensing control unit 41, which is a logical device realized through the cooperation of the hardware resources of the drink server 4 and the computer program implemented in the drink server 4. The dispensing control unit 41 controls the amount of raw liquor dispensed by the dispensing unit 42 provided in the drink server 4, according to instructions from the management server 2. The dispensing unit 42 may be configured as appropriate, as long as the amount of raw liquor dispensed can be adjusted. An example of the configuration of the dispensing unit 42 is shown in Figure 3.

[0023] In the example shown in Figure 3, the dispensing unit 42 comprises three storage units 45 as sources of raw liquor, a tap 46 provided for each storage unit 45, and a liquid delivery device 48 provided in the dispensing passage 47 connecting each storage unit 45 and each tap 46. The storage unit 45 is, for example, composed of a beverage container such as a bottle or glass bottle containing raw liquor. The storage unit 45 may also be configured as a tank into which raw liquor is injected from the beverage container. The tap 46 can be switched between an open state that allows dispensing of raw liquor and a closed state that stops dispensing of raw liquor by, for example, operating a lever 46a. The liquid delivery device 48 operates according to instructions from the dispensing control unit 41 and draws in the amount of raw liquor instructed by the dispensing control unit 41 from the storage unit 45 and delivers it to the tap 46. By switching one of the taps 46 to the open position and driving the liquid dispensing device 48, the raw spirit from one of the three storage sections 45 is dispensed from the tap 46. Since different types of raw spirits are stored in the storage sections 45, it is possible to select and dispense one type of raw spirit from the three types. However, the number of storage sections 45 is not limited to three, and the number of storage sections 45 may be set to one or more as appropriate.

[0024] Various pumps and other liquid dispensing devices may be used in the liquid dispensing device 48, as long as the amount of raw spirit dispensed can be adjusted. Figure 4 shows an example of the liquid dispensing device 48. In the example in Figure 4, the liquid dispensing device 48 comprises a housing 50, a rotor 51 disposed within the housing 50, and a drive unit 52 that rotates the rotor 51 according to instructions from the dispensing control unit 41. At least a portion of the dispensing passage 47 is made up of a flexible tube 47a, which is arranged along the inner circumference of the housing 50 from the inlet 50a to the outlet 50b. The inlet 50a side of the tube 47a leads to the storage section 45, and the outlet 50b side leads to the tap 46.

[0025] The rotor 51 has multiple rollers 51a, for example four, arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Each roller 51a is designed to elastically deform the tube 47a to the extent that its internal flow path is closed. The drive unit 52 uses a drive source such as an electric motor to rotate the rotor 51 around its central axis at a constant speed. The rotation direction of the rotor 51 is set so that the rollers 51a move inside the housing 50 from the inlet 50a to the outlet 50b, as shown by arrow R in the figure. Therefore, when the rotor 51 rotates, the raw liquor in the tube 47a is transported from the inlet 50a to the outlet 50b, and a flow of raw liquor is generated in the tube 47a as shown by arrows A and B. The amount of raw liquor transported by the liquid transport device 48 is proportional to the amount of rotation of the rotor 51 from the start of rotation, in other words, the driving time of the rotor 51. Therefore, by rotating the rotor 51 for a duration corresponding to the amount to be dispensed as instructed by the dispensing control unit 41, the instructed amount of raw sake can be dispensed.

[0026] Next, the method for managing alcohol intake in Management System 1 will be explained. Figure 5 shows an example of a general procedure when using Management System 1. In the example in Figure 5, in step S1, a restaurant or bar to be used by the user for a banquet or similar event is reserved. The restaurant or bar to be reserved is a restaurant or bar where the drink server 4, which constitutes Management System 1, is installed. Hereinafter, such restaurants or bars will be referred to as "target establishments." At this stage, the necessary information for the banquet or similar event reservation, such as the target establishment, date and time of use, number of participants, and course name, is determined according to the user's wishes, and the determined information is generated as reservation information. The generated reservation information is recorded in an appropriate database accessible by Management Server 2, associated with reservation identification information such as a unique reservation number for each reservation.

[0027] At the reservation stage, it may be possible to register additional information such as the username of the participant as part of the reservation information. However, a reservation at the target store is not required to use management system 1. For example, even without a prior reservation, management system 1 may be made available when the user's user ID is notified to management server 2 when using the target store. Reservations do not necessarily have to be processed by management system 1. As long as the reservation information is accessible to management server 2, reservations may be processed by a reservation processing system established separately from management system 1.

[0028] In the following step S2, pre-registration necessary for using the management system 1 is performed. Pre-registration is performed for the purpose of the management server 2 to obtain basic information to be recorded in the user data DTu in Figure 2. Pre-registration is performed for users who will be participants in the banquet, etc., reserved in step S1. If multiple people will be participating in the banquet, etc., all participants may be subject to pre-registration, or only some participants may be subject to pre-registration, depending on the wishes of each participant. Pre-registration for each user can be achieved, for example, by distributing information such as a URL that guides participants associated with the reservation information to pre-register to each user terminal 3, and each user pre-registers according to that information. The basic information obtained through pre-registration is recorded in the user data DTu in association with the user's user ID. By associating the reservation information obtained in step S1 with the user ID, the user's user ID can be identified as a participant in the reserved banquet, etc. For users who have previously used Management System 1 and whose user data DTu has already been generated, it is sufficient to specify the user ID at the stage before dining begins at the target store, for example, during the pre-registration stage; there is no need to register basic information again.

[0029] When a user arrives at the designated restaurant according to their reservation details, the banquet or other dining event begins in step S3. Note that the pre-registration in step S2 only needs to be completed before the banquet or other dining event begins. Even if the restaurant is used without a reservation, the management system 1 can be used as long as pre-registration by the participants is completed before the dining begins, or as long as a user ID already obtained by the participants is specified. Once the dining begins, the ordering of food and beverages in step S31 and the provision of food and beverages in step S32 are repeated as appropriate. During this process, alcoholic beverages are ordered at the user's request, the ordered alcoholic beverages are provided, and the provided alcoholic beverages are consumed by the user. During this time, the amount of alcohol contained in the alcoholic beverages consumed by the user is managed by the management system 1.

[0030] Once the meal and drink are finished, a questionnaire regarding the use of Management System 1 is conducted in step S4. The questionnaire targets users who used Management System 1 in step S3 and is conducted to obtain evaluation information showing the user's evaluation of whether the amount of alcohol was excessive or insufficient during the drinking occasion to which Management System 1 was applied. Based on the obtained evaluation information, the set tolerance level is revised to be the tolerance level to be applied to future drinking occasions. The questionnaire can be conducted at any time after the meal and drink are finished. For example, the questionnaire may be conducted the day after the meal and drink in step S3, or within a few days after the meal and drink.

[0031] Next, with reference to Figures 6 to 11, specific examples of the alcohol quantity management method by the management system 1 will be explained, relating them appropriately to Figures 2 and 5. Figures 6 and 7 show examples of the registration screen 100 displayed on the user terminal 3 during the pre-registration stage in step S2 of Figure 5. The registration screen 100 is displayed by the information acquisition unit 32 of the user terminal 3 for the purpose of acquiring basic information contained in the user data DTu in Figure 2. Figure 6 shows a part of the registration screen 100, and Figure 7 shows the registration screen 100 scrolled downwards from Figure 6.

[0032] The registration screen 100 is configured to allow the user to input various types of information that should be included in the basic information shown in Figure 2. In the examples shown in Figures 6 and 7, the registration screen 100 includes fields 101, 102, and 103 for the user's gender, height, and weight; a field 104 showing answer choices for a question about alcohol tolerance; a field 105 for a question about the amount of alcohol consumed per day when drinking outside; a field 106 for a question about the amount of alcohol consumed when drinking outside that would cause memory loss or a hangover; a field 107 for a question about the amount of alcohol consumed when drinking outside that would make it difficult to stop drinking; and a field 108 showing answer choices for a question about the types of alcohol consumed most often. For example, answer fields 105 to 107 are configured to allow the user to answer the amount of alcohol consumed in units of "cups." One "cup" corresponds to the amount of alcohol consumed in one serving of a drinking container such as a mug or glass for beer, various sours, etc., and one go (180ml) for sake. In other words, the unit "cup" may be set to represent the amount of alcohol consumed in a socially accepted sense.

[0033] At least some of the questions on the registration screen 100 are set as questions to determine the degree of alcohol tolerance. The questions in Figures 6 and 7 are examples. The registration screen 100 may include appropriate questions, insofar as they can be used to determine the degree of alcohol tolerance, i.e., the degree of strong or weak tolerance for alcohol. Basic information obtained through the registration screen 100 is acquired by the information acquisition unit 22 of the management server 2 and recorded in user data DTu associated with the user ID. The registration screen 100 may include various information necessary for the operation of the management system 1 as basic information, such as the user's name in the management system 1, the user's email address, contact information such as telephone number, and a password for logging into the management system 1. The user's contact information can be used, for example, to notify the user terminal 3 of the completion or confirmation of the reservation in step S1 of Figure 5, or to notify the user of the questionnaire in step S4 of Figure 5. The user's email address or other contact information may be used as the user ID. When adding a payment function to the management system 1, credit card information and other information as payment method information of the user may be made available for registration via the registration screen 100.

[0034] Pre-registration using the registration screen 100 is performed for users who are using the management system 1 for the first time. Users who have previously used the management system 1 and whose basic information has already been registered do not need to pre-register again. In that case, for example, at the pre-registration stage in step S2 of Figure 5, the user may be asked to specify a user ID associated with user data DTu, and the process may be completed by associating the specified user ID with the reservation information in step S1. The basic information recorded in user data DTu may be made changeable at the user's request.

[0035] Once basic information is obtained through the registration screen 100, the tolerance setting unit 23 in Figure 2 sets an allowance as an example of the tolerance. The allowance may be set at an appropriate time between the completion of pre-registration in step S2 in Figure 5 and the start of eating and drinking in step S3. For example, once pre-registration is performed in step S2 in Figure 5, the allowance is set immediately afterward. The allowance is set by referring to at least some of the answers to the questions on the registration screen 100. It is not necessarily required to refer to all the answers obtained as basic information when setting the allowance. For example, in the management system 1, the answers to answer field 104 in Figure 6 and answer fields 106 and 107 in Figure 7 are used as reference information to be referred to when setting the allowance. An example of a method for setting the allowance is described below.

[0036] In Management System 1, the user's alcohol tolerance is classified into one of the following three types based on their answers in the response field 104 in Figure 6: "Very strong" or "Strong": NN type; "Average" or "Weak": ND type; "Cannot drink at all": DD type

[0037] Next, based on the type determined according to the answer in answer column 104 in Figure 6, and the answers in answer columns 106 and 107 in Figure 7, the initial value of the user's tolerance for alcohol intake is calculated using the following formula (1): Initial value f1 = min{α,β} × 20 × Ct …(1)

[0038] In equation (1), the variable "α" in the first term is the number of drinks entered in answer field 106, and the variable "β" is the number of drinks entered in answer field 107. The function "min{α, β}" means selecting the smaller of the number of drinks α or β. The constant "20" in the second term is a constant set by assuming that the amount of alcohol contained in one drink is 20g. The coefficient "Ct" in the third term is a correction coefficient according to the type. For example, it is set to 0.9 for NN type, 0.8 for ND type, and 0.7 for DD type. In other words, the coefficient Ct is differentiated according to the answer in answer field 104 so that the tolerance is set higher the more the user is estimated to be able to drink alcohol. Therefore, the initial value f1 of the tolerance is obtained as a quantitative value that shows the user's tolerance for alcohol intake in grams, which is the weight of alcohol.

[0039] Once the initial value of the tolerance is calculated, the calculated initial value is recorded as tolerance information in the user data DTu associated with the user ID. This sets the tolerance corresponding to the user. However, if the user is already using management system 1, basic information is not newly acquired. In that case, the tolerance information already recorded in the user data DTu corresponding to the user's user ID is retained. If the user changes their basic information, the initial value f1 of the tolerance may be newly set according to the changed basic information.

[0040] In the above example, the answers to answer field 104 in Figure 6 and answer fields 106 and 107 in Figure 7 are used as examples of reference information to be used to determine the tolerance level. However, the initial value of the tolerance level may also be determined by using the answers from other answer fields as reference information and determining the user type by combining multiple types of answers. For example, the user may be further divided into many types by referring to information about the user's physique, such as height and weight, and information about the user's gender, and the initial value of the tolerance level may be set using a coefficient Ct corresponding to the type.

[0041] Figure 8 shows an example of an order screen 110 displayed on the user terminal 3 at step S31 in Figure 5. The order screen 110 is displayed by the order processing unit 31 of the user terminal 3 for the purpose of obtaining order history information associated with the user when the user orders food and beverages, including alcoholic beverages. In other words, the order screen 110 is displayed for the purpose of determining the user's order and obtaining the user's order information regarding alcoholic beverages. In the order screen 110 of Figure 8, it is assumed that four users A to D are participating in a banquet, etc., and that each user has been pre-registered. The order screen 110 includes a product selection unit 111 and a user selection unit 112.

[0042] The product selection unit 111 displays tiles 113 for each beverage product available at the store currently being used. The tiles 113 display, for example, a product image, product name, price, etc. When a user selects a tile 113 of a beverage product they wish to order by touching it, that tile 113 is enlarged. The beverage products displayed in the product selection unit 111 are not limited to alcoholic beverages; they may also include non-alcoholic beverages such as soft drinks. Furthermore, alcoholic beverages may include beverages that are not diluted with mixers, such as beer.

[0043] The user selection unit 112 displays user selection buttons 114 for each of the pre-registered users A to D. When the ordering user selects the user selection button 114 corresponding to themselves and selects the tile for the beverage product they wish to order, order information is generated that associates the ordering user's user ID with the product ID of the selected beverage product. The management server 2 can determine which user ordered which beverage product based on the order information. To enable order differentiation, the order information may be managed in association with order identification information such as a unique order number for each order. When placing an order, a confirmation screen such as a window for confirming the order details may be displayed, and the order information may be generated by confirming the order on that confirmation screen. The generated order information is acquired by the order processing unit 21 of the management server 2 in Figure 2. The order screen 110 further displays a continue button 115 to continue the order and an end button 116 to indicate the end of the order.

[0044] When the order processing unit 21 of the management server 2 acquires order information, it adds and records the current order information to the order history information of the user data DTu associated with the user ID included in the order information. Assuming that the user drinks up the alcoholic beverage ordered, by referring to the order information, it is possible to determine for each order how much alcohol the user has consumed. Therefore, the order information functions as an example of intake information indicating the alcohol intake situation of the user. Since the order history information is information in which order information is accumulated, by referring to the order history information, it is possible to determine the integrated value of the amount of alcohol consumed by the user on a drinking occasion.

[0045] When the user orders an alcoholic beverage, the intake amount management unit 24 acquires the tolerance information recorded in the user data DTu in association with the user ID specified in the order information, and based on the tolerance amount recorded in the tolerance information and the order history information, sets an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user so that the user's alcohol intake amount is suppressed within an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance amount. The appropriate value of the alcohol amount may be set as a value indicating the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage consumed by the user in terms of its weight or volume. Alternatively, according to the alcohol concentration in the base liquor of the alcoholic beverage, a value obtained by converting the alcohol amount into the amount of base liquor may be set as the appropriate value. When a standard amount is defined for the amount of base liquor to be included in the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user, the appropriate value can also be set as the ratio of the amount of base liquor actually to be included in the alcoholic beverage to the standard amount. In any case, the appropriate value only needs to be set as a value representing the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user, and it is possible to appropriately set the amount of alcohol itself to be included in the alcoholic beverage or a value correlated with the amount of alcohol as the appropriate value.

[0046] The appropriate alcohol amount is notified to the order receiving processing unit 21 in FIG. 2. The order receiving processing unit 21 generates preparation information so as to include the type of the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user and the appropriate alcohol amount to be included in the alcoholic beverage, and provides the preparation information to the drink server 4, thereby instructing the drink server 4 to prepare the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user. The drink server 4 adjusts the pouring amount of the base liquor included in the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user so that the alcohol amount ingested by the user does not exceed the allowable amount by pouring out the base liquor corresponding to the type of the alcoholic beverage instructed in the preparation information by an amount corresponding to the instructed appropriate value. An example of the adjustment is shown in FIG. 9.

[0047] FIG. 9 shows the correspondence between the number of glasses of the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user from the start of eating and drinking on the horizontal axis and the alcohol amount ingested by the user on the vertical axis. The alcohol amount is the sum of the alcohol amounts included in each glass of the alcoholic beverage, that is, the integrated value. Each number of glasses on the horizontal axis corresponds to the time when the user finishes drinking the alcoholic beverage provided in each order. The solid line La in FIG. 9 shows an application example in which the alcohol amount is managed by the intake management unit 24, and the broken line Lc in the same figure shows the change in the comparative example in which the management of the alcohol amount by the intake management unit 24 is not applied and the alcoholic beverage containing the standard amount of the base liquor is provided to the user. The one-dot chain line Lf in FIG. 9 shows an example of the allowable amount F set by the tolerance setting unit 23 and recorded in the tolerance information.

[0048] The % display in FIG. 9 indicates the ratio of the actual alcohol amount contained in the alcoholic beverage when the alcohol amount when the standard amount of the base liquor is included in the alcoholic beverage is set to 100%. For example, if it is 70%, it means that the actual alcohol amount contained in the alcoholic beverage is 70% with respect to the alcohol amount contained in the standard amount of the base liquor. The % display in black corresponds to the change of the solid line Ls, and the % display in white corresponds to the change of the broken line Ld. Note that the alcohol amount contained in the standard amount of the base liquor varies depending on the alcohol concentration of the base liquor, but in FIG. 9, the change in the alcohol amount is shown assuming that the same type of alcoholic beverage is continuously ingested.

[0049] In the example shown in Figure 9, in the comparative example, the amount of alcohol reaches the tolerable limit F after the fourth drink, and thereafter the amount of alcohol increases beyond the tolerable limit F. On the other hand, in the application example, the amount of alcohol in the first drink is 100%, but from the second drink onward, the amount of alcohol is adjusted to gradually decrease to 70%, 50%, and 30% so that the amount of alcohol consumed by the user does not exceed the tolerable limit F. For example, if we consider the amount of alcohol equivalent to 100% to be 20g, the amount of alcohol is adjusted to be 14g from the second to the fourth drink, 10g for the fifth drink, and 6g for the sixth drink. The cumulative amount of alcohol consumed by the user can be determined by identifying the history of alcoholic beverage orders from the order history information, calculating the amount of alcohol in each drink from the amount of base liquor included in each drink and the alcohol concentration of that base liquor, and then adding up the calculated amounts of alcohol.

[0050] The rate of reduction in alcohol content relative to a standard amount may be adjusted, for example, according to the difference between the user's alcohol intake and tolerance level, obtained from order history information. For instance, multiple reduction levels such as 70%, 50%, and 30%, as illustrated in Figure 9, may be pre-set, and the reduction rate may be changed so that the alcohol content decreases further when the difference between alcohol intake and tolerance level exceeds a predetermined limit for each level. Alternatively, the reduction rate may be changed by a predetermined value for each number of drinks so that the slope of the solid line La in Figure 9 decreases as the number of drinks increases.

[0051] The intake management unit 24 in Figure 2 adjusts the appropriate value according to the increase in the number of drinks consumed, so that the amount of alcohol in the alcoholic beverage gradually decreases as the number of drinks consumed by the user increases, compared to when the alcoholic beverage contains a specified amount of alcohol, so that the amount of alcohol consumed by the user does not exceed an appropriate range corresponding to the permissible amount. However, as is clear from the example in Figure 9 where the amount of alcohol from the second to the fourth drink is set to 70%, it is not necessarily required to change the amount of alcohol to decrease with each drink. It is also possible to maintain the amount of alcohol within an appropriate range of drinks and then reduce the amount of alcohol when the amount of alcohol consumed approaches the permissible amount to some extent. The specified amount mentioned above corresponds to the amount of alcohol in the alcoholic beverage when the standard amount of base liquor mentioned above is included in the alcoholic beverage. As mentioned above, the appropriate value can be set as the amount of alcohol itself or a value correlated with the amount of alcohol, but in any case, the appropriate value should be set so that as the amount of alcohol consumed by the user approaches the permissible amount, the amount of base liquor in the alcoholic beverage consumed by the user decreases compared to the standard amount. This allows the system to manage the amount of alcohol a user consumes so that it does not exceed an appropriate range according to their tolerance level, thereby reducing the possibility of adverse effects from excessive drinking, such as intoxication and hangovers. However, in the case of alcoholic beverages that are not diluted with mixers, such as beer, an appropriate alcohol content value is not set, and the undiluted beverage itself is provided to the user as an alcoholic beverage. Nevertheless, orders for such alcoholic beverages are also recorded in the order history information as order information, so that it can be reflected in the calculation of the cumulative amount of alcohol consumed by the user.

[0052] Figure 10 shows an example of the questionnaire screen 120 displayed on the user terminal 3 at step S4 in Figure 5. The questionnaire screen 120 is displayed by the information acquisition unit 32 of the user terminal 3 for the purpose of having the user evaluate whether the amount of alcohol consumed was excessive or insufficient at drinking occasions to which the management system 1 was applied, after the end of a banquet or similar event, acquiring evaluation information showing the evaluation results, and correcting the tolerance amount recorded in the tolerance information included in the user data DTu in Figure 2 to the tolerance amount that should be applied to future drinking occasions based on the obtained evaluation information.

[0053] In the survey screen 120 of Figure 10, for example, a question such as "How was yesterday's drinking party?" is presented, along with five answer choices ranging from 1 to 5. The higher the numerical value of the choice, the more alcohol the user consumed. Option 1 is indicated as "drank not enough," option 3 as "just the right amount of drunkenness," and option 5 as "drank too much." Option 2 is between options 1 and 3, and option 4 is between options 3 and 5. When a user selects an option that matches their feelings and operates the answer button 121, the answer choice is acquired as evaluation information by the information acquisition unit 22 of the management server 2, and the obtained evaluation information is recorded in user data DTu. The evaluation information functions as feedback information from the user to the control of the management server 2. The tolerance setting unit 23 modifies the tolerance amount recorded in the tolerance information based on the evaluation information recorded in user data DTu, and updates the tolerance amount in the tolerance information of user data DTu to the modified tolerance amount. Therefore, the evaluation information obtained via the questionnaire screen 120 corresponds to a type of reference information that should be used when setting the tolerance level by the tolerance setting unit 23.

[0054] The calculation of the tolerance using evaluation information is performed using the following formula (2) as an example: Tolerance fn = Kp × fn - 1 + Ca …(2) Here, "Kp" in the first term is a coefficient corresponding to the answer choice on the questionnaire screen 120. For example, option 1 is set to 1.2, option 2 to 1.1, option 3 to 1.0, option 4 to 0.9, and option 5 to 0.8. "fn - 1" in the second term is the most recent tolerance before correction, and the constant "Ca" in the third term is a correction value that the user specifies when they want to intentionally change the tolerance. For example, if the user wants to intentionally reduce their alcohol intake, such as when they are feeling unwell or on a diet, a negative value is set for the correction value Ca, and if the user wants to consume more alcohol than usual, a positive value is set for the correction value Ca. The correction value Ca may be set by the user via the user terminal 3 at the pre-registration stage in step S2 of Figure 5, or at the eating and drinking stage in step S3. However, setting the correction value Ca is not mandatory.

[0055] As described above, the management system 1 allows the user to evaluate whether the amount of alcohol is excessive or insufficient, and the permissible amount is adjusted appropriately based on the evaluation results. Therefore, as the opportunities to use the management system 1 increase, the permissible amount is gradually adjusted to a value that is more suitable for the user. Figure 11 shows an example of how the permissible amount is adjusted, with the number of times the management system 1 is used on the horizontal axis and the amount of alcohol on the vertical axis. In Figure 11, the permissible amount Fp is the appropriate value of the permissible amount for the user, f1 is the initial value of the permissible amount, and f2 and below show the permissible amount adjusted based on the evaluation information from the previous use of the management system 1. For example, f2 shows the permissible amount adjusted based on the evaluation information from the first use, and f3 shows the permissible amount adjusted based on the evaluation information from the second use. As is clear from the example in Figure 11, the more opportunities to use the management system 1 increase, the more the permissible amount converges towards the appropriate value Fp. Therefore, the more the management system 1 is used, the more appropriately the amount of alcohol can be managed so that the amount of alcohol consumed does not exceed the appropriate range for the user.

[0056] Next, with reference to Figures 12 to 14, an example of various processing procedures performed by the control units 20, 30, and 40 of the management system 1 to achieve the above-mentioned alcohol quantity management will be described. Figure 12 shows an example of a pre-registration process procedure performed by the control unit 20 of the management server 2 to record the user's basic information in user data DTu and set the initial value of the allowable amount. The process in Figure 12 is an example of the process performed at step S2 in Figure 5. In the pre-registration process in Figure 12, first, in step S101, the information acquisition unit 22 of the control unit 20 works in cooperation with the information acquisition unit 32 of the user terminal 3 to display the registration screen 100 in Figures 6 and 7 on the user terminal 3, and acquires the answer content entered by the user from the information acquisition unit 32 of the user terminal 3. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit 22 determines the user ID corresponding to the user, generates user data DTu associated with that user ID, and records the basic information in the user data DTu.

[0057] Once the basic information is recorded, the tolerance setting unit 23 of the control unit 20 starts setting the tolerance amount. First, in step S102, the tolerance setting unit 23 determines the user type according to the answer in the answer field 104 of Figure 6 included in the basic information. In this process, it is sufficient to determine whether the user is of the NN, ND, or DD type as described above. Next, in step S103, the tolerance setting unit 23 calculates the initial value of the user's tolerance amount by substituting the answers α and β to the answer fields 106 and 107 of Figure 7 and the correction value Ct corresponding to the user type into the above equation (1). After that, the tolerance setting unit 23 proceeds to step S104 and sets the user's tolerance amount by recording the calculated initial value of the tolerance amount in the tolerance information of the user data DTu corresponding to the user ID. With this, the control unit 20 completes the pre-registration process shown in Figure 12.

[0058] Figure 13 shows an example of a processing procedure executed in cooperation between the control units 20 and 40 of the management server 2 and the drink server 4 when a beverage product is ordered on the order screen 110 of Figure 8. The processing in Figure 13 is an example of the processing performed at step S32 of Figure 5. As an example, when a beverage product is ordered on the order screen 110 and order information is provided from the order processing unit 31 of the user terminal 3 to the order processing unit 21 of the management server 2, the control unit 20 of the management server 2 starts the alcohol quantity control processing shown in Figure 13. In the alcohol quantity control processing shown in Figure 13, first, in step S121, the order processing unit 21 identifies the user ID of the ordering user according to the order information, and in the following step S122, it records the current order information in the order history information of the user data DTu corresponding to the identified user ID. If the ordered beverage product is an alcoholic beverage, the intake management unit 24 of the control unit 20 then starts the process of setting an appropriate value for the alcohol quantity.

[0059] The intake management unit 24 first obtains the user's tolerance level in step S123 by referring to the tolerance information recorded in the user data DTu corresponding to the customer's user ID. Next, in step S124, the intake management unit 24 calculates the amount of alcohol consumed by the user during this drinking occasion by referring to the order history information recorded in the user data DTu corresponding to the customer's user ID. The amount of alcohol consumed calculated here is the cumulative amount of alcohol from the first drink. Subsequently, the intake management unit 24 proceeds to step S125, and based on the tolerance level obtained in step S123 and the order history information in the user data DTu in step S124, determines the appropriate amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage ordered this time, and records the determined appropriate value in the order history information as the amount of alcohol corresponding to the current order information. Thus, the appropriate value is set. As mentioned above, the appropriate value set at this stage may be either the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage itself, or a value correlated with that amount of alcohol. Therefore, in step S125, the amount of raw liquor to be included in the alcoholic beverage, or the ratio of the amount of raw liquor to be included in the alcoholic beverage to the standard amount, may be set as an appropriate value.

[0060] Subsequently, the intake management unit 24 provides the order processing unit 21 with the determined appropriate value for the amount of alcohol. In the following step S126, the order processing unit 21 generates preparation information including the type of alcoholic beverage ordered and the appropriate value for the amount of alcohol determined by the intake management unit 24, and provides this preparation information to the drink server 4 to instruct it to prepare the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user. In this case, the preparation information may include information that can identify the customer, such as the order number, the customer's username, or the customer's user table number, so that it can be determined which user placed the order. With this, the control unit 20 of the management server 2 completes the alcohol amount control processing.

[0061] The control unit 40 of the drink server 4 starts the dispensing control process upon receiving the instruction in step S126. In the dispensing control process, the dispensing control unit 41 of the drink server 4 drives the liquid delivery device 48 of the dispensing unit 42 in step S141 so that the amount of raw liquor of the type notified by the management server 2 corresponds to the appropriate value of alcohol content instructed by the management server 2, and then ends the dispensing control process. If the appropriate value is instructed as the amount of alcohol, the dispensing control unit 41 calculates the amount of raw liquor to be dispensed from the alcohol concentration in the raw liquor of the alcoholic beverage and the appropriate value instructed in the preparation information, and drives the dispensing unit 42 according to the calculated amount of dispensing and the type of alcoholic beverage. If the appropriate value is instructed as the ratio of the amount of dispensing to the amount of raw liquor or standard amount, the dispensing control unit 41 drives the dispensing unit 42 according to the instructed amount of raw liquor or ratio and the type of alcoholic beverage. As a result of the process in step S141, the drink server 4 dispenses an amount of raw liquor corresponding to the appropriate value into the drinking container 5. The poured base liquor is mixed with a mixer to prepare the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user and serve it to the user. The mixing of the base liquor and mixer may, for example, be done manually by the staff of the establishment. The mixer may be placed in the drinking container 5 either before or after the base liquor is poured.

[0062] Figure 14 shows an example of the procedure for updating the tolerance level, which is performed by the control unit 20 of the management server 2 to update the tolerance level based on evaluation information. The tolerance level update process in Figure 14 is an example of the process performed at step S4 in Figure 5. For example, the tolerance level update process in Figure 14 may be performed at an appropriate time between the time the user's evaluation information obtained via the questionnaire screen 120 in Figure 10 is recorded in the user data DTu and the start of drinking at the next drinking opportunity. In the tolerance level update process in Figure 14, the tolerance level setting unit 23 of the management server 2 obtains the evaluation information of the user data DTu in step S161. In the following step S162, the tolerance level setting unit 23 obtains the correction value Ca of the above formula (2). The correction value Ca may, for example, be obtained by querying the user via the user terminal 3 at the stage when the process in Figure 14 is executed, or the information acquisition unit 22 may obtain a correction value Ca specified in advance by the user, and the obtained correction value Ca may be recorded in the user data DTu as a type of tolerance information. The correction value Ca obtained in step S162 is 0 unless otherwise specified by the user.

[0063] In the following step S163, the tolerance setting unit 23 substitutes the tolerance amount currently recorded in the tolerance information, the numerical value of the evaluation information selection acquired in step S161, and the correction value Ca from step S162 into the above equation (2) to calculate the corrected tolerance amount. Then, in step S164, the tolerance setting unit 23 updates the tolerance amount recorded in the user data DTu with the corrected tolerance amount. Once the tolerance amount is updated, the control unit 20 of the management server 2 completes the tolerance amount update process shown in Figure 14.

[0064] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and may be implemented in forms that have been appropriately modified or altered. Other embodiments will be described below, focusing on the differences from the above embodiments.

[0065] In the above configuration, the management system 1 is configured by a management server 2 and user terminals 3 and drink servers 4 that act as its clients. However, the management system 1 is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in Figure 15, a store terminal 6, which is an example of a facility terminal, may be installed in the food and beverage facility, and the management system 1 may be configured so that the store terminal 6 functions as a client to the management server 2, and the drink server 4 operates according to instructions from the store terminal 6. The store terminal 6 is an information and communication terminal as a computer device that can connect to a network. For example, a stationary or mobile PC may be used as the store terminal 6. However, mobile terminals such as tablet terminals and smartphones may also be used as the store terminal 6.

[0066] In the configuration of the management system 1 shown in Figure 15, at least one of the order processing unit 21 and the intake management unit 24 shown in Figure 2 may be provided on the store terminal 6. An example of this is shown in Figure 16. In the example in Figure 16, the control unit 20 of the management server 2 is provided with an information acquisition unit 22 and an tolerance setting unit 23. The store terminal 6 is also provided with an order processing unit 21 and an intake management unit 24 as logical devices realized through the cooperation of the control unit 60 as computer hardware and the computer program implemented on the store terminal 6. In this case, the order processing unit 21 of the store terminal 6 can receive orders for beverage products using the user terminal 3 and record order history information on the storage device of the store terminal 6. The intake management unit 24 obtains the alcohol tolerance corresponding to the user from the management server 2, and based on the obtained tolerance and the order history information held on the store terminal 6, it executes the alcohol amount control process shown in Figure 13 to set an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage and instructs the drink server 4 to prepare it.

[0067] In the example shown in Figure 16, the setting of appropriate alcohol amounts for individual orders at each store is performed using the store terminal 6 within the store. Therefore, the management server 2 does not need to be involved in the orders of individual stores, and only needs to bear the processing necessary for setting and updating the permissible amount that should be used in common among the stores. Thus, it is possible to reduce the burden on the management server 2. However, as a modification of Figure 16, the order processing unit 21 may be provided on the management server 2, and the intake management unit 24 of the store terminal 6 may receive order information via the management server 2. Alternatively, even if a store terminal 6 is provided, the order processing unit 21, information acquisition unit 22, permissible amount setting unit 23, and intake management unit 24 may be provided on the management server 2. In this case, the store terminal 6 acquires the preparation information provided by the management server 2 and controls the dispensing operation of the drink server 4. In this case, the output destination of the preparation information is the store terminal 6.

[0068] Regardless of whether the intake management unit 24 is located on the management server 2 or the store terminal 6, the output destination for the preparation information may be the display device of the store terminal 6 or a printer connected to the store terminal 6. In this case, it is not necessarily required that the store terminal 6 be connected to the drink server 4 for communication. For example, the preparation information displayed on the display device of the store terminal 6 or printed out by the printer can be referenced by an employee of the target store to operate the drink server 4, causing it to dispense the amount of base liquor corresponding to the type of alcoholic beverage indicated in the preparation information, in an amount corresponding to the appropriate value indicated in the preparation information. In this configuration, it is possible to manage the amount of alcohol by the management system 1 using a drink server 4 that does not have a dispensing volume control function. Furthermore, if the store terminal 6 is the output destination for the preparation information, the drink server 4 can be omitted. For example, the preparation information displayed on the display device of the store terminal 6 or printed out by the printer can be referenced by an employee of a food and beverage establishment to manually dispense the amount of base liquor corresponding to the indicated appropriate value and mix it with a mixer.

[0069] On the other hand, the drink server 4 may be capable of dispensing not only the base liquor but also the mixer. In that case, the drink server 4 can dispense the base liquor corresponding to the type of alcoholic beverage specified in the preparation information in an amount equivalent to the appropriate value specified in the preparation information, and an appropriate amount of the mixer can be dispensed from the drink server 4 to prepare the alcoholic beverage. Furthermore, the drink server 4 itself may be equipped with the function of a store terminal 6. In this case, as illustrated in Figure 16, the drink server 4 may be provided with an order processing unit 21 and an intake management unit 24.

[0070] In the above configuration, the user's tolerance for alcohol intake was set as a tolerable amount, which is the weight of alcohol consumed at drinking occasions. However, tolerance is not necessarily limited to such examples. From the perspective of preventing excessive alcohol intake, a tolerable value related to the user's blood alcohol concentration may be set as the tolerance. Furthermore, the alcohol intake situation to be compared with the tolerance may be quantified by the user's current blood alcohol concentration instead of the cumulative amount of alcohol consumed at drinking occasions.

[0071] Blood alcohol concentration correlates with the user's level of intoxication, and the following guidelines are given as an example: 0.02–0.04% ... Euphoria 0.05–0.10% ... Mildly intoxicated 0.11–0.15% ... Early stages of intoxication 0.16–0.30% ... Extreme intoxication 0.31–0.40% ... Severe intoxication 0.41% and above ... Coma

[0072] Therefore, for example, if the goal is to limit a user's level of intoxication to a mildly tipsy state, the acceptable value for blood alcohol concentration should be set to a value corresponding to the mildly tipsy state. In this case, the acceptable value may be increased or decreased to account for individual differences in users, using at least some of the basic information shown in Figures 6 and 7. As an example, the acceptable value may be increased or decreased depending on whether the user falls into the NN, ND, or DD category described above. For example, the acceptable value may be set to be higher the more a user is estimated to have a high tolerance for alcohol, such as 0.15% for the NN type, 0.13% for the ND type, and 0.11% for the DD type.

[0073] Furthermore, a user's blood alcohol concentration can be estimated using, for example, the following formula (3): Blood alcohol concentration BAC (%) = (Amount of alcohol consumed (ml) × Alcohol percentage (%)) ÷ (833 × Body weight (kg)) ... (3)

[0074] In management system 1, the user's weight is obtained through pre-registration. In addition, the type of alcoholic beverage ordered by the user can be determined from the order information obtained via user terminal 3. Therefore, each time an alcoholic beverage is ordered, the quantity and alcohol content of that beverage can be determined from the order information. Thus, by referring to the order history information, the current blood alcohol concentration can be estimated by calculating the sum of the first term in equation (3) and dividing by the second term. Then, as the current blood alcohol concentration rises and approaches the acceptable level, the amount of base alcohol contained in the alcoholic beverage is gradually reduced, and the alcohol content in the first term of equation (3) is gradually lowered, making it possible to keep the user's alcohol intake within an appropriate range corresponding to the acceptable level and maintain the user's level of intoxication at an appropriate stage, such as being slightly tipsy.

[0075] The current blood alcohol concentration may increase or decrease due to factors such as individual differences in the user's alcohol metabolism ability, the time elapsed since alcohol consumption, and the consumption of non-alcoholic beverages during drinking occasions, such as so-called chasers. Of these factors, the elapsed time and the consumption of non-alcoholic beverages can be obtained from order history information, and the current blood alcohol concentration may be calculated more precisely by taking these factors into consideration. Furthermore, individual differences in the user's alcohol metabolism ability can be reflected in the alcohol quantity management by the management system 1 by adjusting the tolerance value based on the evaluation information obtained through the questionnaire screen 120 in Figure 10.

[0076] Figures 17 to 19 show modified versions of the processing procedures of Management System 1 shown in Figures 12 to 14, when an acceptable value is set for blood alcohol concentration and the amount of alcohol is managed based on that acceptable value and the user's current blood alcohol concentration. In Figures 17 to 19, procedures common to Figures 12 to 14 are given the same step number, and procedures that differ are given the subscript A next to the step number.

[0077] The pre-registration process in Figure 17 differs from the pre-registration process in Figure 12 in that in step S103A, an initial value for the permissible blood alcohol concentration is calculated. This calculation may be performed by determining a permissible value appropriate to the user's type based on the type determined in step S102 and the relationship between blood alcohol concentration and the degree of intoxication described above. The alcohol amount control process in Figure 18 differs from the alcohol amount control process in Figure 13 in that in step S123A, the permissible blood alcohol concentration of the user is obtained from the tolerance information, the current blood alcohol concentration is calculated in step S124A, and the appropriate amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage is determined in step S125A based on the permissible blood alcohol concentration and the current value. The permissible value update process in Figure 14 differs from the permissible value update process in Figure 14 in that in step S163A, the permissible value for the user's blood alcohol concentration is calculated based on evaluation information and a correction value.

[0078] In the configuration described above, the various information processing performed by the control units 20 and 60, which are computer hardware resources of the management server 2 or the store terminal 6, according to the computer program, can be expressed, for example, as a means of realizing a function through cooperation between the computer hardware resources and the computer program, as follows. That is, the information acquisition unit 22 and the tolerance setting unit 23 of the management server 2 function as an example of tolerance setting means for setting the user's tolerance level regarding alcohol consumption by executing the processes of steps S101 to S104 in Figure 12 and steps S161 to S164 in Figure 14, or by executing the processes of steps S101 to S104 in Figure 17 and steps S161 to S164 in Figure 19. The order processing unit 21 of the management server 2 or the store terminal 6 functions as an example of consumption information acquisition means for acquiring consumption information indicating the user's alcohol consumption status by executing the processes of steps S121 and S122 in Figure 13 or Figure 18.

[0079] The intake management unit 24 of the management server 2 or the store terminal 6 functions as an example of an appropriate value setting means for setting an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol that should be included in the alcoholic beverage consumed by the user, by executing the processes of steps S123 to S125 in Figure 13 or S123A to S125A in Figure 18. The order processing unit 21 of the management server 2 or the store terminal 6 functions as an example of an appropriate value output means for outputting an appropriate value by executing the process of step S126 in Figure 13 or Figure 18. In addition, the information acquisition unit 22 and the tolerance setting unit 23 of the management server 2 function as an example of an initial value setting means for setting an initial value of the tolerance by executing the processes of steps S101 to S104 in Figure 12 or Figure 17, and function as an example of a correction means for correcting the set tolerance by executing the processes of steps S161 to S164 in Figure 14 or Figure 19. Furthermore, the dispensing control unit 41 of the drink server 4 functions as an example of a dispensing control means that controls the amount of raw liquor dispensed by executing the process of step S141 in Figure 13 or Figure 18.

[0080] The present invention can be further modified as follows.

[0081] In the above configuration, the user's tolerance for alcohol intake was set as either a tolerance for the amount of alcohol or a tolerance for blood alcohol concentration. However, tolerance is not necessarily limited to such examples. For instance, regardless of the type of alcoholic beverage, the amount of alcohol in one glass of alcoholic beverage can be considered a constant value, such as 20g as set in the second term of equation (1) above. In this case, the tolerance can be converted to an amount of alcohol by multiplying the set number of glasses by the set value for the amount of alcohol per glass. The amount of alcohol that should be included in alcoholic beverages can then be managed based on the resulting amount of alcohol and the amount of alcohol actually consumed by the user.

[0082] The tolerance level does not necessarily have to be set using basic information and evaluation information obtained via the user terminal 3 as reference information. For example, the tolerance level may be set to a fixed value regardless of individual differences among users. Even in that case, it is possible to appropriately manage alcohol intake compared to not managing alcohol intake at all. Alternatively, if basic information and evaluation information are obtained offline and the tolerance level is set, it is not necessary to use the user terminal 3 to set the tolerance level.

[0083] The above example illustrates how alcohol content can be managed to prevent excessive alcohol consumption by users. However, the present invention is not limited to managing alcohol content for such purposes. For example, the amount of alcohol to be included in an alcoholic beverage can be adjusted so as not to exceed the appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level, by reflecting the desired level of restriction on the user's level of intoxication in light of various circumstances such as the purpose of drinking and plans after drinking. In this case, it is not essential to set the tolerance level at an upper limit of the range of alcohol content or blood alcohol concentration that is unlikely to cause adverse effects such as intoxication or hangovers. It is also possible to set the tolerance level at a range of relatively small alcohol content, for example, by setting the tolerance level at an amount of alcohol corresponding to the initial stages of feeling refreshed or slightly tipsy. In short, the present invention can be applied to manage the amount of alcohol consumed by a user within an appropriate range by adjusting the amount of alcohol contained in an alcoholic beverage, and preventing excessive consumption is just one example of this. Therefore, the appropriate range is not limited to a range that prevents excessive intake, but can be flexibly set in accordance with the tolerance level, such as a range with an upper limit set considering various circumstances, or a range that allows for a certain margin beyond the tolerance level.

[0084] Alcoholic beverage orders may be processed on an external server different from the management server 2. In this case, the management server 2 may obtain intake information corresponding to the order from the external server, set an appropriate alcohol amount based on the obtained intake information and tolerance level, and output the set appropriate amount as preparation information to the external server or to the food and beverage facility's output destination.

[0085] In the above configuration, the amount of alcohol consumed by the user is calculated by considering the alcohol concentration of the base liquor in the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user, and the amount of base liquor dispensed in the next alcoholic beverage is determined by considering the alcohol concentration of the base liquor. However, if the alcohol concentration of the base liquor can be considered to be roughly constant regardless of the type of base liquor, or if the alcohol concentration of the base liquor can be represented by an average value, the cumulative amount of alcohol consumed by the user can be simply calculated by considering the alcohol concentration of the base liquor as a constant value, and the appropriate amount of alcohol can also be simply determined by considering the alcohol concentration of the base liquor as a constant value. Even in that case, it is possible to appropriately manage alcohol intake compared to not managing alcohol intake at all.

[0086] In the above configuration, the management system was configured with the aim of managing the amount of alcohol consumed by a user by adjusting the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage ordered by the user at a drinking occasion at a food and beverage establishment. However, the present invention is not limited to such examples. For example, even in drinking parties held without using a food and beverage establishment, or when a user drinks at home, the present invention can be applied to encourage moderate drinking by setting an acceptable level according to the present invention, and then setting and presenting an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol based on that acceptable level and the user's alcohol consumption status, so as not to exceed an appropriate range corresponding to the acceptable level.

[0087] In the above configuration, the appropriate value for the amount of alcohol to be included in alcoholic beverages is set by the management server 2, or by the cooperation of the management server 2 and the store terminal 6. However, the alcohol amount management system of the present invention can also be implemented by a single computer device, such as a user terminal 3. In the above example, the control unit 30 of the user terminal 3 and the computer program for the user terminal 3 cooperate to make the control unit 30 function as a logical device corresponding to the tolerance setting unit 23 and the intake amount management unit 24. The control unit 30 acquires the user's basic information and alcoholic beverage intake information via the information acquisition unit 32, sets the tolerance, acquires the intake information, sets an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol based on the tolerance and intake information, and outputs it to the display unit 34.

[0088] Various aspects of the present invention derived from the embodiments and modifications described above are described below. In the following description, corresponding components shown in the accompanying drawings are indicated in parentheses to facilitate understanding of each aspect of the present invention, but this does not mean that the present invention is limited to the illustrated forms.

[0089] An alcohol quantity management system (1) according to one aspect of the present invention includes at least one computer (2; 2, 6) and is an alcohol quantity management system for managing the amount of alcohol consumed by a user, wherein the computer sets the user's tolerance level for alcohol consumption (S101 to S104 in Figure 12, S161 to S164 in Figure 14; S101 to S104 in Figure 17, S161 to S164 in Figure 19), acquires consumption information indicating the user's alcohol consumption status (S121, S122 in Figure 13 or Figure 18), sets an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage consumed by the user so that the user does not consume alcohol beyond an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level (S123 to S125 in Figure 13 or S123A to S125A in Figure 18), and outputs the set appropriate value (S126 in Figure 13 or Figure 18).

[0090] An alcohol quantity management method according to one aspect of the present invention is an alcohol quantity management method for managing the amount of alcohol consumed by a user, comprising: setting the user's tolerance level for alcohol consumption (S101 to S104 in Figure 12, S161 to S164 in Figure 14; S101 to S104 in Figure 17, S161 to S164 in Figure 19); acquiring consumption information indicating the user's alcohol consumption status (S121, S122 in Figure 13 or Figure 18); and, based on the tolerance level and the consumption information, setting an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage consumed by the user so that the user does not consume alcohol beyond an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level (S123 to S125 in Figure 13 or S123A to S125A in Figure 18).

[0091] According to the above embodiment, a tolerance level is set as a guideline for how much alcohol a user will consume, intake information indicating the user's alcohol consumption status is acquired, and based on the tolerance level and intake information, an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol to be included in alcoholic beverages is set and output so that the user's alcohol intake does not exceed an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level. Therefore, the amount of alcohol contained in the alcoholic beverages consumed by the user can be appropriately adjusted according to the tolerance level and intake status, thereby managing the amount of alcohol consumed by the user so as not to exceed an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level.

[0092] In one embodiment, the present invention can also be specified as a computer program that causes the computer to function by setting a user's tolerance level for alcohol consumption (S101-S104 in Figure 12, S161-S164 in Figure 14; S101-S104 in Figure 17, S161-S164 in Figure 19), acquiring consumption information indicating the user's alcohol consumption status (S121, S122 in Figure 13 or Figure 18), setting an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage consumed by the user so that the user does not consume alcohol beyond an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level (S123-S125 in Figure 13 or S123A-S125A in Figure 18), and outputting the set appropriate value (S126 in Figure 13 or Figure 18). The computer program may be provided stored on a storage medium. Using this storage medium, for example, the system of the present invention can be realized using a computer by installing and running the computer program according to the present invention on that computer. The storage medium on which the computer program is stored may be a non-transient storage medium such as a CD-ROM.

[0093] In the above embodiment, the following matters may be further added. These various matters may be applied in appropriate combinations, provided they do not conflict with each other.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the computer may acquire information for determining the degree of the user's tolerance to alcohol as reference information to be used in setting the tolerance level, and set the user's tolerance level based on the acquired reference information. This allows setting a tolerance level appropriate to the user by referring to the reference information.

[0095] The computer may acquire information for determining the user's tolerance to alcohol as reference information to be used in setting the tolerance level, set an initial value for the user's tolerance level based on the acquired reference information (S101-S104 in Figure 12 or S101-S104 in Figure 17), acquire evaluation information as a type of reference information that shows the user's evaluation result regarding the excess or deficiency of alcohol in drinking occasions to which the alcohol quantity management system is applied (S161 in Figure 14 or Figure 19), and modify the set tolerance level to be applied to subsequent drinking occasions based on the acquired evaluation information (S162-S164 in Figure 14 or Figure 19). According to this, after setting an initial value for the tolerance level by referring to the reference information, the tolerance level is modified according to the user's evaluation of alcohol management by the alcohol management system, making it possible to update the tolerance level to better suit the user as the system is used, thereby managing the amount of alcohol more appropriately.

[0096] The computer may determine the user's intake status based on the intake information and set an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol that the user should include in the next alcoholic beverage they consume, based on the tolerance level and the determination result of the intake status. The computer can determine the amount of alcohol the user has consumed as an intake status based on the intake information, and from the determination result and tolerance level, it can understand how much alcohol the user will consume before exceeding the appropriate range, and determine an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol that the user should include in the next alcoholic beverage they consume so as not to exceed that appropriate range.

[0097] The computer may set the user's tolerance level for alcohol intake as the tolerance level, determine the cumulative value of the user's alcohol intake based on the intake information as the intake status, and set an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol that the user should include in the next alcoholic beverage they consume, such that the determined cumulative value does not exceed an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level. According to this, the user's tolerance level for alcohol intake can be quantitatively set as the alcohol tolerance level, and by quantitatively comparing the cumulative value of alcohol intake determined from the intake information with the tolerance level, an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol that the user should include in the next alcoholic beverage they consume can be set, such that the cumulative value of the user's alcohol intake does not exceed an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level.

[0098] The computer may set an acceptable value for the user's blood alcohol concentration as the tolerance level, determine the user's current blood alcohol concentration based on the intake information as the intake status, and set an appropriate amount of alcohol to be included in the next alcoholic beverage consumed by the user so that the determined current value does not exceed an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level. According to this, the user's tolerance level for alcohol intake is quantitatively set as an acceptable value for the user's blood alcohol concentration, while the current value of the user's blood alcohol level is determined from the intake information, and an appropriate amount of alcohol to be included in the next alcoholic beverage consumed by the user is set by comparing the acceptable value and the current value of the blood alcohol concentration so that the user's blood alcohol concentration does not exceed an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level.

[0099] The computer may change the appropriate value in accordance with the increase in the number of drinks consumed by the user, such that the amount of alcohol contained in the alcoholic beverage gradually decreases as the number of drinks consumed increases compared to when the alcoholic beverage contains a predetermined amount of alcohol. In this case, as the number of drinks consumed by the user increases, the amount of alcohol contained in the alcoholic beverage gradually decreases. Therefore, the increase in alcohol intake becomes smaller as the number of drinks consumed increases, and the intake of alcohol exceeding the appropriate range can be effectively suppressed.

[0100] The alcohol quantity management system in the above embodiment may include a beverage dispensing device (4) capable of dispensing raw spirit to be used in the preparation of the alcoholic beverage and having an adjustable dispensing amount, wherein the computer outputs the appropriate value to the beverage dispensing device, and the beverage dispensing device controls the dispensing amount of the raw spirit so that a raw spirit containing an amount of alcohol corresponding to the appropriate value is dispensed (S141 in Figure 13 or Figure 18). According to this, by outputting the appropriate value to the beverage dispensing device, a raw spirit containing an amount of alcohol corresponding to the appropriate value can be dispensed from the beverage dispensing device. This makes it possible to reliably prepare an alcoholic beverage containing an amount of alcohol corresponding to the appropriate value.

[0101] The alcohol management system in the above embodiment includes a management server (2) and a facility terminal (4) installed in a food and beverage facility and operating as a client of the management server, wherein the management server may be configured to function as a computer that sets the tolerance level, acquires the intake information, sets the appropriate value, and outputs the set appropriate value to the facility terminal. This reduces the burden on the facility terminal by processing the setting of the tolerance level and appropriate value on the management server.

[0102] The alcohol management system in the above embodiment may include a management server (2) and a facility terminal (6) installed in a food and beverage facility and operating as a client of the management server, wherein the management server functions as a computer for setting the tolerance level, at least one of the management server and the facility terminal functions as a computer for acquiring the consumption information, and the facility terminal functions as a computer for setting the appropriate value and outputting the set appropriate value. With this configuration, the user's tolerance level is centrally managed by the management server, while the facility terminal handles the management of which alcoholic beverages should be included in each individual alcoholic beverage, thereby reducing the burden on the management server.

[0103] 1 Alcohol quantity management system 2 Management server 3 User terminal 4 Drink server 6 Store terminal 21 Order processing unit 22 Information acquisition unit 23 Tolerance setting unit 24 Intake quantity management unit 41 Dispensing control unit

Claims

1. An alcohol quantity management system comprising at least one computer for managing the amount of alcohol consumed by a user, wherein the computer sets the user's tolerance level for alcohol consumption, acquires consumption information indicating the user's alcohol consumption status, sets an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage consumed by the user based on the tolerance level and the consumption information, and outputs the set appropriate value.

2. The alcohol quantity management system according to claim 1, wherein the computer acquires information for determining the degree of the user's tolerance to alcohol as reference information to be used in setting the tolerance level, and sets the user's tolerance level based on the acquired reference information.

3. The alcohol quantity management system according to claim 1, wherein the computer acquires information for determining the degree of the user's tolerance to alcohol as reference information to be used in setting the tolerance level, sets an initial value for the user's tolerance level based on the acquired reference information, acquires evaluation information as a type of reference information indicating the user's evaluation result regarding the excess or deficiency of alcohol in drinking occasions to which the alcohol quantity management system is applied, and modifies the set tolerance level to be applied to subsequent drinking occasions based on the acquired evaluation information.

4. The alcohol quantity management system according to claim 1, wherein the computer determines the user's intake status based on the intake information, and sets an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol that the user should include in the next alcoholic beverage they consume, based on the tolerance level and the determination result of the intake status.

5. The alcohol quantity management system according to claim 4, wherein the computer sets a tolerance level for the amount of alcohol consumed by the user as the tolerance level, determines the cumulative value of the amount of alcohol consumed by the user based on the consumption information as the consumption status, and sets an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol that the user should include in the next alcoholic beverage consumed by the user so that the determined cumulative value does not exceed an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level.

6. The alcohol quantity management system according to claim 4, wherein the computer sets an acceptable value for the user's blood alcohol concentration as the tolerance, determines the current value of the user's blood alcohol concentration based on the intake information as the intake status, and sets an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol that the user should include in the next alcoholic beverage to be consumed, such that the determined current value does not exceed an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance.

7. The alcohol quantity management system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the computer changes the appropriate value in accordance with the increase in the number of drinks consumed by the user, such that the amount of alcohol contained in the alcoholic beverage gradually decreases compared to when the alcoholic beverage contains a predetermined amount of alcohol, as the number of drinks consumed by the user increases.

8. The alcohol quantity management system according to claim 1, comprising a beverage dispensing device capable of dispensing raw spirit to be used in the preparation of the alcoholic beverage and having an adjustable dispensing amount, wherein the computer outputs the appropriate value to the beverage dispensing device, and the beverage dispensing device controls the dispensing amount of raw spirit so that a raw spirit containing an amount of alcohol corresponding to the appropriate value is dispensed.

9. The alcohol quantity management system according to claim 1, comprising a management server and a facility terminal installed in a food and beverage facility and operating as a client of the management server, wherein the management server functions as a computer that sets the tolerance level, acquires the intake information, sets the appropriate value, and outputs the set appropriate value to the facility terminal.

10. The alcohol quantity management system according to claim 1, comprising a management server and a facility terminal installed in a food and beverage facility and operating as a client of the management server, wherein the management server functions as a computer for setting the tolerance level, at least one of the management server and the facility terminal functions as a computer for acquiring the intake information, and the facility terminal functions as a computer for setting the appropriate value and outputting the set appropriate value.

11. An alcohol intake management method for managing the amount of alcohol consumed by a user, comprising: setting a user's tolerance level for alcohol intake; acquiring intake information indicating the user's alcohol intake status at the drinking occasion; and, based on the tolerance level and the intake information, setting an appropriate value for the amount of alcohol to be included in the alcoholic beverage consumed by the user so that the user does not consume alcohol beyond an appropriate range corresponding to the tolerance level.

12. The method for managing the amount of alcohol consumed by the user, wherein the appropriate value is changed in accordance with the increase in the number of drinks consumed, such that the amount of alcohol contained in the alcoholic beverage gradually decreases as the number of drinks consumed by the user increases compared to when the alcoholic beverage contains a predetermined amount of alcohol.

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