JP4317040B2 - Order input device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable order input device that is carried by a store clerk at a restaurant such as a restaurant or a pub, and is used for inputting information related to a food and drink menu ordered by a customer.

  For example, a family restaurant has conventionally introduced an order management system using a portable order input device, a so-called order entry terminal. In restaurants where this system is introduced, waiters and waitresses called so-called waitresses, so-called customer service representatives, each carry an order entry terminal to serve customers. When an order for a food / beverage menu item is received from a customer, the input unit of the order entry terminal is operated to input information regarding the food / beverage menu item for which the order has been received.

  Thus, the menu item order information input to the order entry terminal is transmitted to the order management apparatus using the wireless communication function, and stored and managed in the order management apparatus. Then, based on the order menu information, a cooking instruction is given to the kitchen, and a billing process for food and drink is performed.

As a conventional order input device (order entry terminal) used in such a store, each key has a key input unit to which a menu item is assigned, and the ordered menu item is assigned to the key input unit. If it is not assigned, press the corresponding key, and if it is not assigned, press the menu number key assigned as a function key to directly enter the menu number and process the order information for the menu item. There was a thing (for example, refer to patent documents 1).
JP2003-132438

  However, since this type of order input device is portable, the number of keys in the key input unit is limited, and the number of menu items allocated to each key is necessarily limited. For this reason, in a large-scale restaurant that handles a large number of menu items, the customer service representative has to enter a menu number in response to an order for many menu items, which is a burden on the customer service representative.

  Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, a menu classification key assigned with a menu item classification such as a Japanese food key, a Western food key, or a Chinese key is provided as a function key, and a touch panel is provided on the display screen of the display unit. Installing. Then, when any menu classification key is pressed, the menu item list of the classification assigned to the key is displayed on the display unit, and when any menu item is selected from the menu item list by a touch operation, It has been considered that the order information of the menu item is input.

  However, even in such a configuration, the customer service representative must remember all the categories to which the ordered menu item belongs, which is a big burden especially for new staff. There is no.

  The present invention has been made based on such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an order input device capable of easily inputting order information of menu items ordered by anyone without burden. It is what.

  The present invention relates to a menu for identifying various menu items in an order input device having an input unit for inputting order information of menu items and a display unit for displaying order information input via the input unit. For each piece of identification information, the page number of the menu table on which the menu item is posted is stored in association with each other. Further, page number input means for inputting the page number of the menu table is provided. Then, a list of menu items identified by the menu identification information stored in association with the input page number is displayed on the display unit, and the menu item selected from the list via the input unit is displayed. The order information is input.

  According to the present invention in which such a measure is taken, the ordered menu item is selected from the menu item list displayed on the display unit by inputting the page number of the menu table on which the ordered menu item is posted. Then, since the order information of the menu item is input, it is possible to provide an order input device capable of easily inputting the order information of the menu item ordered by anyone.

The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to an order entry terminal of an order management system built in a restaurant such as a family restaurant.

  FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an order management system according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a portable type for each customer service representative to input information on food and drink menu items received from customers. This is an order entry device, a so-called order entry terminal. The order entry terminal 1 has a built-in wireless communication function, and can perform data communication with the wireless unit 2 of the order management apparatus 3 using wireless communication. The wireless unit 2 is attached to, for example, the ceiling of the passenger seat and relays data transmission between the order management device 3 and each order entry terminal 1.

  The order management device 3 is a computer device that centrally manages customer orders, cooking, and accounting, and includes a kitchen terminal 5, a slip issuing machine 6 and a POS via a communication line 4 such as a LAN (Local Area Network). The terminal 7 is connected online.

  When the order management device 3 receives the customer order menu information wirelessly transmitted from each order entry terminal 1 via the wireless unit 2, the order management device 3 stores and manages the order menu information for each customer and cooks the ordered food and drink menu items. Instruction data is created and transmitted to the kitchen terminal 5. Thereby, in the kitchen terminal 5, the cooking instruction | indication of the ordered food / beverage menu item is output by a display, printing, an audio | voice, etc. Further, the order management apparatus 3 creates print data of the order slip based on the order menu information and transmits it to the slip issuing machine 6. As a result, an order slip for each customer is printed and issued from the slip issuing machine 6. Further, when the slip number of the customer to be accounted for is input at the POS terminal 7, the order management device 3 reads the customer order menu information identified by the slip number from the storage unit and transmits it to the POS terminal 7. Thereby, in the POS terminal 7, the accounting process of the food-and-drink price is performed.

  A menu file 8 is formed in a nonvolatile storage device such as a hard disk of the order management device 3. In the menu file 8, as shown in FIG. 2, the menu name and unit price corresponding to the menu identification information set for each item to identify each menu item, so-called menu code (MC), The group number for identifying the classification to which the menu item belongs and the page number of the menu table on which the menu item is posted are stored. Each time the menu file 8 is updated, the latest data is downloaded to each order entry terminal 1 by radio and stored in the memory. Here, each order entry terminal 1 includes storage means for associating and storing the page number of the menu table in which the menu item is posted for each menu identification information for identifying various menu items.

  Each order entry terminal 1 has an input unit for inputting order information of menu items at restaurants, a display unit for displaying order menu information input via the input unit, and order information for one unit of customer. And an output unit for outputting order menu information stored in the order storage unit. One unit of customer is an individual or group customer managed by one slip.

  FIG. 3 is an external view of the order entry terminal 1, and FIG. The order entry terminal 1 is composed of a thin plate-like main body 10 that is provided with a keyboard 11 that functions as an input unit on one side when the page is opened and a touch panel that functions as an input unit is mounted on the other side. The displayed display 12 is provided as a display unit.

  The main body 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 13 as a main control unit, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 14 in which fixed data such as programs are stored in advance, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) in which the menu file 8 is downloaded. ) 15, a wireless circuit 16 as an output unit, a keyboard controller 17 for controlling the keyboard 11, a display controller 18 for controlling screen display of the display 12 with a touch panel, a touch panel signal input circuit 19 for controlling touch panel input, and the like. ing. The CPU 13, the ROM 14, the RAM 15, the wireless circuit 16, the keyboard controller 17, the display controller 18, and the touch panel signal input circuit 19 are connected by a bus line such as an address bus or a data bus.

  The keyboard 11 includes an order key 21 for declaring input of food and drink menu items ordered by customers, and a menu group for classifying each menu item (lunch, salad / soups, pasta, gratin / doria, bread) Menu group designation key 22, designation key 23, confirmation / send key 24, page key 25, enter, etc. for designating foods, meat dishes, Japanese dishes / foods, desserts, children, drinks, noodles, etc. A key 26 and the like are provided. The numeric key 23 and the page key 25 function as page number input means for inputting the page number of the menu table on which various menu items are posted.

  In the RAM 15, in addition to an area as a storage unit for storing the menu file 8 downloaded from the order management apparatus 3, as shown in FIG. A numeric register 32 for temporarily storing data, a flag memory 33 for a numeric flag NF set in response to input of numeric data, a final menu page memory 34 for storing the final page number P of the menu table, and the like are formed. Has been.

  The order entry terminal 1 having such a configuration is configured such that the CPU 13 executes the order key process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 when the order key 21 is input. That is, when starting the order key process, the CPU 13 first clears the order memory 31 and the numeric register 32. Further, the numeric flag NF is set to “0”.

  Thereafter, the CPU 13 waits for a key input as ST1. If the input of the numeric key 23 is detected as ST2, the CPU 13 stores the numeric value N entered by the numeric key 23 in the numeric register 32 while sequentially shifting it. Further, the numeric flag NF is changed to “1”.

  On the other hand, when the input of the menu group designation key 22 is detected as ST3, the CPU 13 searches the menu file 8 of the RAM 15 with the group number of the menu group assigned to the menu group designation key 22, and the group. Reads all menu names of menu items for which numbers are set. Then, the list screen of each menu name is displayed on the display 12. Thereafter, an order menu input process to be described later is executed.

  An example of a menu list screen (hereinafter referred to as a menu group-specific menu list screen 40) when the menu group designation key 22 is input is shown in FIG. This screen is a menu list screen 40 for each menu group that is displayed when the menu group designation key 22 of the classification “Lunch” is input, and includes a touch key unit 41 composed of a plurality of sections, an OK button 42, and the like. , A name display unit 43. The touch key unit 41 displays the menu names of the menu items in which the group number of the classification “lunch group” is set for each section. The name display unit 43 displays the name of the menu item in the touch-operated section.

  On the other hand, when the input of the page key is detected as ST4, the CPU 13 checks whether or not the numeric flag NF is changed to “1” as ST5. If it has been changed to “1”, the numerical value data N is stored in the numerical value register 32, so that the numerical value data N and the menu preset in the menu final page memory 34 are set as ST6. The last page P is compared. As a result, if the numeric data N is equal to or less than the last page P, the CPU 13 searches the menu file 8 in the RAM 15 using the numeric data N as the page number N, and the menu item for which the page number is set. Read all menu names. Then, a list of the menu names is displayed on the display 12 (menu list display means). Thereafter, an order menu input process to be described later is executed.

  If the numerical value flag NF remains set to “0” in ST5, or if the numerical value data N is larger than the last menu page P in ST6, the input of the page key 25 is regarded as an error. The numeric register N is cleared, and the process returns to the ST1 key input standby state.

  An example of a menu list screen (hereinafter referred to as a page-specific menu list screen 50) when the page key 25 is input is shown in FIG. This screen is a menu list screen 50 for each page that is displayed when the page number “3” of the menu table is entered, and, like the menu list screen 40 for each menu group, is a touch composed of a plurality of sections. It consists of a key part 51, an OK button 52, and a name display part 53. The touch key portion 51 displays the menu names of the menu items for which the page number “3” is set for each section. The name display unit 53 displays the name of the menu item in the touch-operated section.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart specifically showing the contents of the order menu input process. This process is executed in a state where the menu group-specific menu list screen 40 or the page-specific menu list screen 50 is displayed on the display 12.

  That is, the CPU 13 touches the OK button 42 or 52 of the menu list screen 40 or 50 being displayed as ST11, or selects any menu item on the list by the touch operation of the touch key unit 41 or 51 as ST12. Wait to be done. Here, when the touch operation of the touch key unit 41 or 51 is detected by a signal from the touch panel, the order of the menu item displayed in the touched section is instructed, so the CPU 13 Information related to the instructed menu item, that is, the menu code and the menu name is read from the menu file 8 of the RAM 15. Then, order menu information of this menu code, menu name and order number = 1 is created and stored in the order memory 31 (order input processing means). Thereafter, it waits until the OK button 42 or 52 is touched again or a menu item is selected.

  If it is detected in ST11 that the OK button 42 or 52 has been touched by a signal from the touch panel, the CPU 13 checks the numeric flag NF, and if it has been changed to “1”, “0”. Return to. Also, the register register 32 is cleared. After that, if the menu list screen 40 or 50 displayed on the display 12 is deleted, the process returns to the key input standby process in ST1 of the order key process.

  In the order key process, when a key input other than the numeric key 23, the menu group designation key 22, and the page key 25 is detected, the CPU 13 executes the corresponding key process. For example, when the input of the confirmation / transmission key 24 is detected, a confirmation screen of the order menu information stored in the order memory 31 is displayed on the display 12. If the input of the confirmation / transmission key 24 is detected again in this state, the order menu information stored in the order memory 31 is wirelessly transmitted to the order management apparatus 3 via the wireless circuit 16.

  In the restaurant where the order management system of the present embodiment configured as described above is introduced, each customer service person called a wearer or waitress carries the order entry terminal 1 to serve customers. When an order for a menu item is received from a customer, the order information is input to the order entry terminal 1.

  At this time, the customer service representative can input the order information of the menu item in two ways. The first method uses the classification of the menu item that has been ordered. For example, when it is clear from the menu name such as the menu item “Special Lunch” that the menu item belongs to the category “Lunch”, the customer service representative sets “Lunch” on the menu group designation key 22. Press. Then, the menu list screen 40 for each menu group having the contents shown in FIG. Since a list of menu items belonging to the classification “lunch” is displayed on the touch key portion 41 of this screen 40, the customer service representative touches the menu item “special lunch”. Through the above operation, order information for the menu item “special lunch” can be input.

  The second method uses the page number of the menu table on which the ordered menu item is posted. That is, when a customer service representative receives an order for a menu item from a customer, the customer service representative checks the page number of the menu table on which the menu item is posted. Assuming that the menu item that has been ordered is “Katsusand” and is listed on page 3 of the menu table, the customer service representative places the page number “3” with the numeric key 23 and then the page. Press the key 25. Then, the menu list screen 50 for each page having the contents shown in FIG. Since the list of menu items listed on the third page of the menu table is displayed on the touch key portion 51 of the screen 50, the person in charge of the customer touches the menu item “Katsusand”. Through the above operation, order information for the menu item “Katsusand” can be input.

  Of course, when inputting the order information of the menu item “Special Lunch”, the page number of the menu table in which this item is posted is displayed to display the menu list screen 50, and the corresponding order information is input. It goes without saying that it is good.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the menu item list is narrowed down by a simple operation using the page number of the menu table on which the ordered menu item is posted, and a desired item is selected from the narrowed list. Since the menu item order information can be input, the customer service representative can avoid the burden of having to memorize all the menu items to which class. For this reason, even a new customer service representative can enter order information for menu items that have been ordered without confusion, just like a veteran customer service representative, thus improving the processing efficiency of orders for the entire store. And the impression given to customers will be good.

The present invention is not limited to the one embodiment.
For example, in the above embodiment, the page number is entered with the numeric key 23 and then the page key 25 is operated to input the page number of the menu table. However, the page number input means is not limited to this. Absent. For example, after the page key 25 is operated and the page number input declaration is made, the page number is set with the number key 23, and the enter key 26 is operated to complete the input. Also, a plurality of keys assigned page numbers may be provided on the keyboard 11, and the page numbers may be input by one-touch operation of any key.

  In the above embodiment, the menu file 8 is provided as the storage means, and the menu table posting page number of the menu item identified by the menu code is stored in correspondence with the menu code. For example, the menu identification information of the menu items listed in the menu number of each menu table is stored together in each table area to which each menu number is assigned and set. Also good.

In the above-described embodiment, the menu file 8 is downloaded in advance to the order entry terminal 1, but is not downloaded, and whenever the order entry terminal 1 needs to refer to the menu file 8, the order management device is used wirelessly. You may make it ask 3.
Of course, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an order management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The schematic diagram which shows the data structure of the menu file in the embodiment. The top view which shows the external appearance structure of the order entry terminal in the embodiment. The block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the order entry terminal in the embodiment. The schematic diagram which shows the main memory areas formed in RAM of the same order entry terminal. The flowchart which shows the principal part of the order key process which CPU of the same order entry terminal performs. The flowchart which shows the order menu input process in FIG. 6 concretely. The top view which shows an example of the menu list screen classified by menu group displayed on the display part of an order entry terminal in the embodiment. The top view which shows an example of the menu list screen classified by page displayed on the display part of an order entry terminal in the embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Order entry terminal, 2 ... Wireless part, 3 ... Order management apparatus, 8 ... Menu file, 11 ... Keyboard, 12 ... Display with a touch panel, 13 ... CPU, 21 ... Order key, 22 ... Menu group designation key, 23 ... Setting Number key, 25 ... Page key, 31 ... Order memory, 40 ... Menu list screen by menu group, 50 ... Menu list screen by page.

Claims (2)

In an order input device including an input unit for inputting order information of a menu item and a display unit for displaying order information input through the input unit,
Storage means for storing the page number of the menu table in which the menu item is posted for each menu identification information for identifying each of the various menu items;
A numeric key for entering the numeric value of the page number of the menu table;
A menu last page memory for storing the last page number of the menu table;
A comparison means for comparing the page number input by the numeric key with the final page number stored in the menu final page memory;
When the page number input by this comparison means is less than or equal to the last page number, it is identified by the menu identification information stored in the storage means in association with the page number input by the number. Menu list display means for displaying a list of menu items on the display unit;
Order input processing means for inputting order information of the menu item selected via the input unit from the list displayed by the menu list display means;
An order input device characterized by comprising:   The order input device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit has a touch panel mounted on a display screen, and the touch panel functions as the input unit.

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