JP2021043796A - Method and system managing food material, program, recording medium and server - Google Patents

Abstract

To simplify confirmation of an inventory amount of a food material, to improve accuracy and to increase speed of the inventory amount management and to automate the management by combining identification information, numerical quantity information and attribute information of the food material.SOLUTION: A method for managing a food material includes the steps of: storing food materials (F) in food material storing units (2, 2-1, 2-2,..., 2-N); generating inventory information (M) representing an inventory for each food material by combining identification information (i) for the food material storing units to identify the food material, one or more pieces of attribute information (p) representing an attribute of the food material, and numerical quantity information (n) representing a numerical quantity of the food material; periodically or irregularly acquiring the inventory information from the food material storing unit; and creating inventory adjustment information (Mb) of the food material storing unit on the basis of the inventory information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to, for example, a storage technique for storing foodstuffs using a storage.

It is known to utilize image data, bar code data, etc. to identify foodstuffs in order to store foodstuffs such as commercial refrigerators that refrigerate foodstuffs.
Regarding this food storage, the inventory management department manages the expiration date and inventory of the stored food in the food storage (refrigerator), connects to the ordering system of the vendor by the communication device, and orders the food that is out of stock online. Is known (for example, Patent Document 1).
Regarding inventory management in the refrigerating room, a camera that photographs the inside of the refrigerator extracts images of warehousing and warehousing from the images of the chilled room before and after opening and closing the door of the refrigerating room. It is known that inventory management is performed by storing the time information of the above (for example, Patent Document 2).
Further, regarding inventory management of products in a refrigerator, it is known to perform inventory management such as storing product information in the refrigerator, grasping the inventory status, and transmitting a purchase guide for insufficient products (for example, patent documents). 3).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-134707 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-169412 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2017-068812

In terms of food management, inventory confirmation in refrigerators and other storage tends to be performed for overtime work after the business is closed, increasing the human burden. In the food and beverage industry, which has a serious labor shortage, reducing the working hours of employees is an urgent issue, and it is necessary to avoid forcing the remaining work after the business is closed.
Ingredients that can be stored in a storage such as a refrigerator can be easily recognized by using a technique such as image recognition. Even if such an image recognition technology is used, there is a problem that the human load cannot be reduced because it is indispensable to grasp the name and the number of stored foods in order to check the inventory of the stored foods.
When inventory control of foodstuffs, which are constantly in a fluid state due to repeated consumption and compensation, is performed on paper media, it is generally discarded at the same time as the end. Confirmation work, which is premised on such work, increases the human load, and if this is done as the remaining work after the business is closed, the employees will be forced to do harsh work.
If there are food storage departments in stores scattered around the country, even if the inventory in each food storage department is managed by the management center, if the inventory check in each food storage department is not completed, the management center will manage it. There is a problem that inventory confirmation must be delayed.
By combining attribute information in addition to identification information and quantity information of foodstuffs to be stored, the inventor can improve the accuracy of checking the stock amount of foodstuffs to be stored and reduce the human burden. It was found that the same applies to the management center that controls multiple food storage departments.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to combine the identification information, quantity information, and attribute information of foodstuffs based on the above-mentioned problems and the above-mentioned findings, to simplify the confirmation of the stock amount, improve the management accuracy, and speed up and automate the processing. There is.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the food material management method of the present invention, the process of storing the food material in the food material storage unit, the identification information for the food material storage unit to identify the food material, and the attributes of the food material are provided. A process of generating inventory information representing inventory for each ingredient by combining one or more attribute information representing one or more attribute information and quantity information representing the quantity of ingredients, and a process of acquiring the inventory information periodically or irregularly from the ingredient storage unit. And a step of generating inventory adjustment information of the foodstuff storage unit based on the inventory information.
This foodstuff management method may further include a step of transmitting the inventory adjustment information to the foodstuff storage unit.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the foodstuff management system of the present invention, identification information for identifying foodstuffs, one or more attribute information indicating the attributes of foodstuffs, and quantity information indicating the quantity of foodstuffs are provided. It is provided with a foodstuff storage unit that generates inventory information indicating inventory for each foodstuff in combination, and a management server that periodically or irregularly acquires from the foodstuff storage unit and generates inventory adjustment information of the foodstuff storage unit.
In this foodstuff management system, the management server may further transmit the inventory adjustment information to the foodstuff storage unit.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the program of the present invention, it is a program to be realized by a computer, and a function of generating storage information for storing foodstuffs in a foodstuff storage unit and a function of identifying foodstuffs are identified. A function that combines identification information for foodstuffs, one or more attribute information that represents the attributes of foodstuffs, and quantity information that represents the quantity of foodstuffs, and acquires inventory information for each foodstuff from the foodstuff storage section on a regular or irregular basis. The computer realizes a function of generating inventory adjustment information of the foodstuff storage unit based on the inventory information.
In this program, the computer may further realize a function of transmitting the inventory adjustment information to the foodstuff storage unit.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the recording medium of the present invention, the program is stored.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the server of the present invention, the identification information for identifying the foodstuff, one or more attribute information indicating the attribute of the foodstuff, and the quantity information indicating the quantity of the foodstuff are combined. It includes a communication unit that periodically or irregularly acquires inventory information for each generated foodstuff from the foodstuff storage unit, and a processing unit that generates inventory adjustment information from the inventory information.

According to the present invention, any of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The foodstuff storage department acquires identification information of foodstuffs, quantity information, and one or more attribute information representing the attributes of foodstuffs, generates inventory information of foodstuffs, and manages the stock of foodstuffs. It is possible to improve the accuracy of inventory management.
(2) The management server can acquire inventory information of ingredients from each food storage department on a regular or irregular basis, generate inventory adjustment information based on this inventory information, and send it to each food storage department. , The inventory of the food storage section can be adjusted efficiently.
(3) It is possible to improve the accuracy and automation while simplifying the confirmation of the inventory amount.
(4) You can check the inventory of ingredients and grasp the condition.
(5) It is possible to improve the distinction and classification accuracy of managed ingredients.
(6) The human burden of food storage can be reduced.

It is a flowchart which shows the food material management process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the food material management system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the management information file. It is a figure which shows the hardware of the management server. It is a flowchart which shows the inventory processing process of the food material storage part. It is a figure which shows an example of the food material storage part. A is a diagram showing the acquisition of appearance information of foodstuffs, B is a diagram showing acquisition of weight information of foodstuffs, C is a diagram showing acquisition of temperature information of foodstuffs, and D is a diagram showing acquisition of odor information of foodstuffs. It is a figure which shows. It is a figure which shows an example of the inventory information file. It is a flowchart which shows the inventory processing process of another food material storage part. It is a figure which shows an example of another foodstuff storage part. It is a figure which shows an example of another inventory information file. It is a figure which shows the food material management system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the food material storage part. It is a figure which shows the hardware of the food storage part. It is a figure which shows the information presentation on the foodstuff storage department side. It is a figure which shows the sequence of the inventory processing of a food material. It is a figure which shows the link display of the management information file and the inventory information file. It is a figure which shows the management sequence of the foodstuff management system. It is a figure which shows the food material management system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows a food material management process according to the first embodiment. The foodstuff management process shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a process.
This food material management step includes acquisition management of inventory information M (S101, S102), generation of inventory adjustment information Mb (S103), and transmission management of inventory adjustment information Mb (S104, S105).
Acquisition management of inventory information M (S101, S102): The management server 104 (FIG. 2) has, for example, food storage units 2-1 and 2-2, ..., 2-N (hereinafter, simply referred to as simply) scattered at a plurality of locations. Inventory information M is acquired from (referred to as "food storage unit 2"). The acquisition management of the inventory information M includes the management of the acquisition time point tx of the inventory information M. The acquisition time point tx of the inventory information M is set, for example, at a specific time of the day. The management server 104 monitors the arrival of the acquisition time tx, waits for the arrival of the acquisition time tx, and acquires the inventory information M from each food material storage unit 2.

Generation of inventory adjustment information Mb (S103): The management server 104 generates inventory adjustment information Mb for each food material F for each food material storage unit 2 using the inventory information M acquired from each food material storage unit 2. This generation includes the calculation of increase / decrease information according to the consumption of each foodstuff F in each foodstuff storage unit 2.
Inventory adjustment information Mb transmission management (S104, S105): The inventory adjustment information Mb transmission management includes management of the transmission time point ty of the inventory adjustment information Mb. The management server 104 monitors the arrival of the transmission time point ty, waits for the arrival of the transmission time point ty, and transmits the inventory adjustment information Mb to each food material storage unit 2. That is, based on this inventory adjustment information Mb, inventory adjustment is performed for each ingredient F of each ingredient storage unit 2.

<Foodstuff management system 100>
FIG. 2 shows the foodstuff management system 100 according to the first embodiment. The configuration shown in FIG. 2 is an example, and the foodstuff management system of the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
The food material management system 100 is equipped with a computer, for example, to realize the above-mentioned food material management process (FIG. 1) by information processing. The foodstuff management system 100 is provided with a plurality of foodstuff storage units 2 and a management server 104. Each food storage unit 2 and the management server 104 are linked via a network 106 via a wireless connection or a wired connection.

Each food storage unit 2 is equipped with a computer having a communication function in addition to the food storage function. That is, each food storage unit 2 is provided with a storage 4, a food detection unit 6, and a storage server 8 (8-1, 8-2, ..., 8-N). The storage 4 is used for storing various foodstuffs F. The storage 4 includes, for example, a food storage, a refrigerator, a freezer, a hot storage, and the like.
The food material detection unit 6 detects the appearance, weight, temperature, odor, deadline, etc. as the attribute information of the food material F. The storage server 8 manages the food material F stored in the storage 4. For information processing of this storage server 8,
a) Acquisition of food material information, identification information i, quantity information n, and attribute information p b) Generation of inventory information M c) Transmission of inventory information M and the like are included.

The management server 104 is composed of a computer having a communication function. Therefore, the information processing of the management server 104 is
d) Acquisition of inventory information M from each food storage unit 2 on a regular or irregular basis in cooperation with each food storage unit 2 e) Inventory information M for each food material F that triggers inventory adjustment of each food storage unit 2 Generation of adjustment information Mb f) Generation and update of management information file 108 (FIG. 3) g) Transmission of inventory adjustment information Mb h) Generation of history information and the like are included.

<Management information file 108>
FIG. 3 shows an example of the management information file 108. The configuration shown in FIG. 3 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
This management information file 108 is an example of a management information database. The management information of the foodstuff storage unit 2 is stored in the management information file 108. In this management information file 108, a food material storage unit information unit 110, an inventory information unit 112, an inventory adjustment information unit 114, and a history information unit 116 are set.
The food material storage unit information unit 110 stores food material storage unit information including identification information i for identifying each food material storage unit 2 managed by the management server 104. The inventory information unit 112 includes link information L34-1, L34-2, ..., L34- of inventory information files 34-1, 34-2, ..., 34-N provided by the food storage unit 2. N is stored. The link information L34-1 is linked to the inventory information M1 provided by the food storage unit 2-1. That is, for example, the inventory information file 34-1 of the food storage unit 2-1 can be acquired as information processing for inventory adjustment on the management server 104. Similarly, the inventory information file 34-2 of the food storage unit 2-2 can be obtained from the link information L34-2. Further, the link information L34-N can be expanded synchronously with the inventory information file 34-N of the food storage unit 2-N.
In the inventory adjustment information unit 114, the management server 104 uses the inventory information M1, M2, ..., MN to generate inventory adjustment information Mb-1, Mb-2, ..., Mb-N for each food material F. Is stored. The history information unit 116 stores various history information such as reception of inventory information M, calculation history of inventory adjustment information Mb, and transmission history of inventory adjustment information Mb.

<Management server 104>
FIG. 4 shows an example of the hardware of the management server 104. The configuration shown in FIG. 4 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The management server 104 is provided with a processing unit 130, and a storage unit 132, a timer 134, a communication unit 136, an operation input unit 138, and an information presentation unit 140 are connected to the processing unit 130.
The processing unit 130 is composed of a computer, and executes information processing by various programs such as an OS (Operating System) and a food material management program in the storage unit 132. In addition to the information processing described above, this information processing includes management of the inventory information M acquisition time point tx by the timer 134 and management of the inventory adjustment information Mb transmission time point ty.
The storage unit 132 includes a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a RAM (Random-Access Memory), and the like, and is an example of a recording medium for storing the program included in the present invention.
The timer 134 is a timekeeping means for monitoring the arrival of the inventory information M acquisition time point tx and the inventory adjustment information Mb transmission time point ty.
The communication unit 136 is controlled by the processing unit 130 and performs communication for exchanging information with each food material storage unit 2 on a regular or irregular basis.
The operation input unit 138 is used for manual input of food material information and the like. The operation input unit 138 includes a user interface such as a bar code reader.
The information presentation unit 140 is an example of information presentation means including an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). For example, the information presentation screen of the information presentation unit 140 may be provided with a touch input unit to form a part of the operation input unit 138, or an information input unit such as a mouse may be provided.

<Inventory adjustment processing by food management system 100>
For this inventory adjustment process,
a) Supply of foodstuff F to all foodstuff storage units 2 b) Supply of foodstuff F to specific foodstuff storage units 2 c) Inventory adjustment between foodstuff storage units 2 is included.
a) Supply of foodstuff F to all foodstuff storage unit 2: When the total amount of foodstuff F stored in all foodstuff storage unit 2 is small with respect to the consumption amount, the foodstuff F lacking in all foodstuff storage unit 2 is used. It is necessary to replenish. The management server 104 generates replenishment information indicating the amount to be replenished for each food material F based on the inventory information M from the food material storage unit 2, and transmits this replenishment information to the food material storage unit 2. The food material storage unit 2 replenishes the food material F according to the received replenishment information.

b) Supply of foodstuff F to a specific foodstuff storage unit 2: Specific one or more foodstuff storage units 2 specific to the stock amount or average stock amount of foodstuff F stored in all foodstuff storage units 2. When the stock amount of the food material F is insufficient, it is necessary to replenish the insufficient food material F. The management server 104 generates replenishment information indicating the amount to be replenished for each food material F based on the inventory information M from the food material storage unit 2, and transmits this replenishment information to the specific food material storage unit 2. The foodstuff storage unit 2 that has received this replenishment information replenishes the foodstuff F according to the replenishment information.

c) Inventory adjustment between foodstuff storage units 2: For example, the consumption of specific foodstuff F varies with respect to the stock amount or average stock amount of foodstuff F stored in all foodstuff storage units 2, and specific foodstuff storage If the stock amount of the foodstuff F is large in the part 2 and the stock amount of the foodstuff F is insufficient in the specific foodstuff storage part 2, the foodstuffs F that are in an increasing or decreasing state can be interchanged between the foodstuff storage parts 2 to complement each other. It is rational. The management server 104 generates supplementary information indicating the amount to be replenished and the amount to be reduced for each foodstuff F in the increasing / decreasing state based on the inventory information M from the foodstuff storage unit 2, and the supplementary information is in the increasing / decreasing state. It is transmitted to a plurality of food storage units 2. Each foodstuff storage unit 2 that has received this supplementary information adjusts the foodstuff F according to the supplementary information. As a result, it is possible to make an overall adjustment of the foodstuff F having a variation in the consumption state, and it is possible to prevent the foodstuff F that exceeds the expiration date and the expiration date from being discarded.

<Inventory processing of food storage unit 2>
FIG. 5 shows an inventory processing process of each food material storage unit 2. The inventory processing step shown in FIG. 5 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a step.
In this inventory processing step, identification of the food material F (S201), acquisition of the identification information i (S202), acquisition of the attribute information p (S203), acquisition of the quantity information n (S204), and generation of the inventory information M (S205) are performed. included.
Identification of foodstuff F (S201): The storage server 8 specifies foodstuff F to be stored, such as foodstuff F to be refrigerated. This food material F includes foods such as cooked foods as well as foods to be cooked before cooking.
Acquisition of identification information i (S202): The storage server 8 acquires the identification information i of the food material F in order to identify the food material F. For this identification information i, information that can identify the food material F such as a name, a symbol, and food material information may be used. The acquisition form of the identification information i includes information input by the administrator of the identification information i, reading of a barcode, acquisition of image information of the food material F, and the like.

Acquisition of attribute information p (S203): The foodstuff F to be managed by each foodstuff storage unit 2 includes a wide variety of foodstuffs F, but any information can be scientifically detected from the foodstuff F. This attribute information p includes, for example, appearance information s, weight information g, temperature information t, odor information q, and deadline information r of the food material F. The appearance information s is information representing the appearance of the food material F. For example, the image information obtained by photographing the food material F with the camera 12 (A in FIG. 7) is an example of the appearance information s of the food material F. The weight information g is information representing the weight of the food material F, and can be acquired by the weight sensor 14 (B in FIG. 7). The temperature information t is information representing the temperature of the food material F, and can be acquired by the temperature sensor 16 (C in FIG. 7). The odor information q is the odor of the food material F, and can be acquired by measuring the odor particle SN generated by the food material F, for example, by the odor sensor 18 (D in FIG. 7). The expiration date information r is information indicating an expiration date such as an expiration date or an expiration date of the food material F.

Then, for these attribute information p, any or two or more of appearance information s, weight information g, temperature information t, odor information q, and deadline information r may be acquired according to the above-mentioned identification information i of the food material F. Specifically, it is preferable to acquire any or two or more of appearance information s, weight information g, temperature information t, odor information q, and deadline information r as attribute information p suitable for discriminating the food material F.
As an example, 16 kinds of food material F appearance information s1, s2, ..., s16, weight information g1, g2, ..., g16, temperature information t1, t2, ..., t16 odor information q1, q2, ..., q16, deadline information r1, r2, ..., When r16 is used as attribute information, a plurality of attribute information p1, p2, ..., P31 are, for example,
p1 = s1
p2 = g1
p3 = t1
p4 = q1
p5 = r1
p6 = s2 + g2
p7 = s3 + t2
p8 = s4 + q2
p9 = s5 + r2
p10 = g3 + t3
p11 = g4 + q3
p12 = g5 + r3
p13 = t4 + q4
p14 = t5 + r4
p15 = q5 + r5
p16 = s6 + g6 + t6
p17 = g7 + t7 + q6
・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・
p31 = s16 + g16 + t16 + q16 + r16
Can be represented by.

Acquisition of quantity information n (S204): Represents the quantity of foodstuff F stored in storage 4 (FIG. 6), the quantity of foodstuff F carried into storage 4, or the quantity of foodstuff F carried out from storage 4. Acquire the quantity information n. The quantity information n may be acquired, for example, from the captured image of the camera 12 of the foodstuff detection unit 6 for acquiring the attribute information p.
Generation of inventory information M (S205): Inventory information M (= M1, M2, ..., M31) is information indicating the inventory amount of the food material F remaining in the storage 4 at the time of aggregation tm, or information including the inventory amount. Is. The inventory information M includes, for example, identification information i1, i2, ..., I31 of several kinds of foodstuffs F, quantity information n1, n2, ..., N31 and attribute information p1, p2, ..., P31. Inventory information M is obtained for each food material F that is combined and stored in the storage 4.

This inventory information M is
M1 = i1 + p1 + n1
M2 = i2 + p2 + n2
M3 = i3 + p3 + n3
M4 = i4 + p4 + n4
M5 = i5 + p5 + n5
M6 = i6 + p6 + n6
M7 = i7 + p7 + n7
M8 = i8 + p8 + n8
M9 = i9 + p9 + n9
M10 = i10 + p10 + n10
M11 = i11 + p11 + n11
M12 = i12 + p12 + n12
M13 = i13 + p13 + n13
M14 = i14 + p14 + n14
M15 = i15 + p15 + n15
・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・ ・
M31 = i31 + p31 + n31
Will be.
The generation of the inventory information M includes the presentation of the inventory information M, although not shown. This inventory information M is stored and stored in the inventory information file 34 (FIG. 8). The inventory information file 34 may be used for presenting the inventory information M, and the inventory information file 34 is generated as a screen display.

<Each food storage section 2>
FIG. 6 shows the food storage unit 2. The configuration shown in FIG. 6 is an example, and the food storage unit 2 of the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
The food material storage unit 2 is equipped with a computer, for example, to realize the above-mentioned inventory processing step (FIG. 5) by information processing. The food storage unit 2 includes a storage 4, a food detection unit 6, and a storage server 8.
The storage 4 is used for storing the food material F. The storage 4 includes, for example, a food storage, a refrigerator, a freezer, a hot storage, and the like. The storage 4 is provided with a plurality of shelves 9 and has a plurality of storage spaces 10-1, 10-2, ..., 10-N (hereinafter referred to as "storage space 10") for storing the food material F. Is formed.
In this example, the storage spaces 10 are arranged in one column in the vertical direction of the storage 4, but for example, a partition may be provided in the horizontal direction to arrange a matrix of a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns.

The food material detection unit 6 detects the attribute information p of the food material F to be stored. The foodstuff detection unit 6 is an example of an attribute information acquisition unit, and includes a camera 12, a weight sensor 14, a temperature sensor 16, and an odor sensor 18. The camera 12 is controlled by the control information generated by the processing unit 20 to take a picture of the food material F.
The weight sensor 14 is composed of a weighing scale or the like, and acquires the weight information g of the food material F. The temperature sensor 16 detects the temperature of the food material F and acquires the temperature information t. The odor sensor 18 detects the odor particle SN of the food material F and acquires the odor information q.
A computer is installed in the storage server 8, and a processing unit 20, a storage unit 22, an operation input unit 24, and an information presentation unit 26 are installed. The processing unit 20 executes information processing such as a food material management program based on the OS in the storage unit 22. The storage unit 22 includes a storage element such as a ROM or RAM, and stores an OS, a food material management program, and inventory information files 34 (FIG. 8) and 35 (FIG. 11).
The operation input unit 24 is an example of an identification information acquisition unit that acquires the identification information i, and is used for inputting the identification information i by operation.
The information presenting unit 26 is provided with, for example, an LCD or the like, and is used for presenting information on the identification information i, the quantity information n, and the attribute information p of the foodstuff F including the foodstuff information.

<Acquisition of attribute information p>
As shown in A (acquisition of appearance information s and deadline information r) of FIG. 7, if the food material F is installed in the food material detection area 28 and the food material F is photographed, one of the attribute information p of the food material F is taken through the camera 12. Appearance information s can be acquired. As a result, the appearance information s of the food material F is provided to the storage server 8, and the label information of the food material F is provided. The above-mentioned deadline information r can be obtained from this label information. This deadline information r may be input from the operation input unit 24.
As shown in B (acquisition of weight information g) of FIG. 7, if the food material F is installed in the food material detection area 28, the weight information g, which is one of the attribute information p of the food material F, can be acquired through the weight sensor 14. it can.
As shown in C (acquisition of temperature information t) of FIG. 7, if the foodstuff F is installed in the foodstuff detection area 28 and, for example, the stylus 32 of the electronic thermometer 30 is installed in the foodstuff F as the temperature sensor 16, the electron is electronic. The temperature information t, which is one of the attribute information p of the food material F, can be acquired through the thermometer 30.

As shown in D (acquisition of odor information q) of FIG. 7, if the food material F is installed in the food material detection area 28, the odor particle SN is detected by the odor sensor 18, and converted into an electronic signal, the attribute information of the food material F is obtained. The odor information q, which is one of p, can be acquired.
Any sensor such as a semiconductor type or a crystal oscillator type may be used for the odor sensor 18. The semiconductor type utilizes the change in the resistance value of the semiconductor due to the adsorption of odor molecules on the surface of the semiconductor, and includes the oxide semiconductor type and the organic semiconductor type. The crystal oscillator type is provided with an odor-sensitive film that adsorbs odor particles SN on the surface of the crystal oscillator, and odor molecules are adsorbed to increase the mass of the odor-sensitive film and decrease the resonance frequency of the crystal oscillator. Take advantage of that. This decrease in resonance frequency is quantified and converted into an electric signal. This electric signal represents the odor information q. Further, if an FET biosensor is used for the odor sensor 18, the odor can be detected by the potential difference due to the adsorption of the odor particles SN on the gate electrode. If a film-type surface stress sensor is used for the odor sensor 18, the odor particle SN can be detected.

<Inventory information file 34>
The inventory information file 34 is an example of a database of inventory information M, and is an aggregate of inventory information files 34-1, 34-2, ..., 34-N provided by each food material storage unit 2.
FIG. 8 shows an example of the inventory information file 34. The inventory information file 34 stores, for example, storage information including inventory information M for each food material F. In this inventory information file 34, a food material information unit 36, an identification information unit 38, a quantity information unit 40, an attribute information unit 42, and an inventory information unit 44 are set.
For example, food material information F1, F2, ..., F31 is stored in the food material information unit 36 as food material information representing the food material F to be cooled. This food ingredient information may include manually input information by the administrator, shooting information by the camera 12, and the like.
The identification information unit 38 stores the identification information i for identifying the food material F. In this example, the identification information i1, i2, ..., I31 are stored.

The quantity information unit 40 stores quantity information n1, n2, ..., N31 representing the quantity of the foodstuff F associated with the foodstuff information F1, F2, ..., F31.
The attribute information unit 42 stores the attribute information p representing the attribute detected from the food material F. As an example, the attribute information unit 42 is set with an appearance information unit 42-1, a weight information unit 42-2, a temperature information unit 42-3, an odor information unit 42-4, and a deadline information unit 42-5. Appearance information s1, s2, ..., S16 are stored in the appearance information unit 42-1. Weight information g1, g2, ..., G16 are stored in the weight information unit 42-2. Temperature information t1, t2, ..., T16 is stored in the temperature information unit 42-3. The odor information unit 42-4 stores odor information q1, q2, ..., Q16. The deadline information unit 42-5 stores the deadline information r1, r2, ..., R16.
The inventory information unit 44 stores inventory information M1, M2, ..., M31 representing the inventory amount for each food material F.

<Information processing of storage server 8>
For information processing of the storage server 8,
a) Acquisition of identification information i of foodstuff F b) Acquisition of attribute information p of foodstuff F c) As attribute information p, appearance information s, weight information g, temperature information t, smell information q, deadline information r of foodstuff F Acquisition of one or more d) Acquisition of quantity information n of foodstuff F e) Combining identification information i, attribute information p and quantity information n, generation of inventory information M for each foodstuff F f) Inventory information for each foodstuff F Processing such as generation of presentation information including M is included.
It is not necessary to acquire all of the appearance information s, the weight information g, the temperature information t, the odor information q, the deadline information r, and the quantity information n for each food material F. That is, any or two or more of the attribute information p necessary or sufficient for specifying the food material F according to the identification information i or the attribute information p may be selected.

<Other inventory processing of each food storage unit 2>
FIG. 9 shows another inventory processing process of each food material storage unit 2. The inventory processing step shown in FIG. 9 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a step.
In this inventory processing step, identification of food material F (S301), acquisition of identification information i (S302), acquisition of attribute information p (S303), acquisition of quantity information n (S304), acquisition of position information d (S305), The generation of inventory information M (S306) is included.

In this inventory processing step, identification of food material F (S301) = identification of food material F (S201), acquisition of identification information i (S302) = acquisition of identification information i (S202), acquisition of attribute information p (S303) = attribute Since the acquisition of the information p (S203) and the acquisition of the quantity information n (S304) = the acquisition of the quantity information n (S204), the description thereof will be omitted.

Acquisition of position information d (S305): Acquire the position information d indicating the storage position of the food material F stored in the storage 4. A position sensor 46 (FIG. 10) is used to acquire the position information d.
Generation of inventory information M (S306): Position information d is added to the inventory amount represented by the inventory information M (= M1, M2, ..., M31). That is, the storage position of the food material F representing the inventory amount is specified. Others are the same as the inventory processing process shown in FIG. 5, so the description thereof will be omitted.
The generation of the inventory information M includes aggregation management and presentation of the inventory information M. In the aggregation process, the position information d is taken into consideration. Others are the same as the inventory processing process shown in FIG. 5, so the description thereof will be omitted. Further, in the presentation of the inventory information M, the food material information, the identification information i, the attribute information p, the position information d, and the inventory information M of the food material F are stored and stored in the inventory information file 35 (FIG. 11). The inventory information file 35 (FIG. 11) may be used for presenting the inventory information M, and the inventory information file 35 is generated as a screen display.

<Modification example of each food storage unit 2>
FIG. 10 shows a modified example of each food storage unit 2. The configuration shown in FIG. 10 is an example, and the food storage unit 2 of the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. In the configuration shown in FIG. 10, the same parts as those in FIG. 6 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.
The food material storage unit 2 is equipped with a computer, for example, to realize the above-mentioned inventory processing step (FIG. 9) by information processing. Therefore, the food storage unit 2 has a position sensor 46 that detects the storage position of the food F stored in the storage space 10 (= 10-1, 10-2, ..., 10-N) of the storage 4. Is provided.
In this modification, as the position sensor 46, cameras 48-1, 48-2, ..., 48-N that individually photograph the inside of each storage space 10 are used. That is, the cameras 48-1, 48-2, ..., 48-N photograph the inside of each storage space 10, and the processing unit 20 acquires the position information d indicating the storage position of the food material F from the photographed image.

<Inventory information file 35>
This inventory information file 35 is an example of a database of inventory information M, and inventory information files 35-1, 35-2, which are provided by each food material storage unit 2 instead of an aggregate of inventory information files 34 (FIG. 8), ..., an aggregate of 35-N.
FIG. 11 shows an example of this inventory information file 35. The inventory information file 35 stores, for example, storage information including inventory information M for each food material F. In this inventory information file 35, the same parts as those of the inventory information file 34 (FIG. 8) are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.
In the inventory information file 35, the position information unit 50 is added to the inventory information file 34 (FIG. 8). The position information unit 50 stores position information d1, d2, ..., D31 indicating the storage position of the food material F in the storage 4.

<Information processing of storage server 8>
For information processing of the storage server 8,
g) Acquisition of image information by photographing each storage space 10 of the storage 4 h) Acquisition of position information d indicating the storage position of the food material F in the storage 4 i) Processing such as generation of presentation information including the position information d included.

<Effect of the first embodiment>
According to this first embodiment, any of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Each foodstuff storage unit 2 that stores the foodstuff F acquires identification information i, quantity information n, and one or more attribute information ps that represent the attributes of the foodstuff F, and each foodstuff storage unit 2 acquires the foodstuffs. The inventory information M of F can be generated, the inventory management and inventory adjustment of the food material F can be performed, and the accuracy of inventory management can be improved.
(2) Each management server 104 acquires inventory information M of foodstuff F from each foodstuff storage unit 2 periodically or irregularly, generates inventory adjustment information Mb based on this inventory information M, and each foodstuff storage unit 2 It is possible to efficiently adjust the inventory in each food storage unit 2.
(3) It is possible to improve the accuracy and automation while simplifying the confirmation of the inventory amount.
(4) The state can be grasped while checking the inventory amount of foodstuff F.
(5) It is possible to improve the distinction and classification accuracy of the managed foodstuff F.
(6) It is possible to reduce the distinction of food material F and reduce the burden on the operator.
(7) The processing accuracy of the inventory information M for specifying the food material F can be improved.
(8) It can be used for automatic detection of the inventory amount of foodstuff F to be managed.
(9) It can be used for inventory confirmation work and automation of ordering.
(10) The position sensor 46 can acquire the position information d indicating the storage position of the food material F.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 12 shows the foodstuff management system 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 12, the same parts as those in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals. The configuration shown in FIG. 12 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration.
The foodstuff management system 100 includes a management server 104 and realizes the above-mentioned foodstuff management method or program by information processing by a computer.
The storage unit 132 is an example of a recording medium, and stores an OS, a food material management program, the above-mentioned management information file 108, inventory information files 34 (FIG. 8), 35 (FIG. 11) provided by each food material storage unit 2, and the like. Store.
The processor 142 executes various programs such as an OS and a food material management program in the storage unit 132.
The I / O 146 is controlled by the processor 142 to take in the timekeeping information of the timer 134, control and output the information of the communication unit 136, take in the operation input of the operation input unit 138, output the presentation information to the information presentation unit 140, and the like. Be done.

<Food storage department 2>
FIG. 13 shows the food storage unit 2. In FIG. 13, the same parts as those in FIGS. 6 and 10 are designated by the same reference numerals.
The foodstuff storage unit 2 is a system linked with the foodstuff management system 100 described above, and stores a wide range of foodstuffs F. The food storage unit 2 includes a storage 4 and a management unit 70. The management unit 70 includes a portable management housing unit 72. The foodstuff detection unit 6 and the storage server 8 described above are mounted on the management housing unit 72. As described above, the food material detection unit 6 includes a camera 12, a temperature sensor 16, an odor sensor 18, and the like, and also includes a food material detection table unit 74 in which the food material detection area 28 is formed. The foodstuff detection unit 6 includes a position sensor 46. A weight sensor 14 for detecting the weight of the food material F is installed in the food material detection area 28. For example, the food material F is carried into the food material detection area 28 together with the tray 11 by a belt conveyor, and after detecting the food material, it is stored in the storage 4.
The operation input unit 24, the display screen 60 of the information presentation unit 26, and the like are installed on the front panel unit 78 of the storage server 8.

The storage 4 is provided with a plurality of storage spaces 10. A door 82 for opening and closing the storage space 10 is installed on the front surface of the housing 80 of the storage 4 so as to be openable and closable. A plurality of cameras 48 (48-11, 48-12, ..., 48-15, 48-21, 48-15, 48-21, etc., are provided on the door 82 as position sensors 46 for detecting the storage position of the food material F in each storage space 10. 48-22, ..., 48-25) are installed.

<Hardware of food storage unit 2>
FIG. 14 shows an example of the hardware of the food storage unit 2. In FIG. 14, the same parts as those in FIGS. 6 and 10 are designated by the same reference numerals.
The processing unit 20 includes a processor 52, an I / O 54, and a timer 56. The processor 52 is a central functional unit of the processing unit 20, and executes the above-mentioned information processing by various programs such as a food material management program.
The I / O 54 is used for capturing shooting information of the camera 12, detection information of the weight sensor 14, temperature sensor 16, odor sensor 18, and the like. That is, through the I / O 54, the processing unit 20 receives the appearance information s of the food material F from the camera 12, the weight information g of the food material F from the weight sensor 14, the temperature information t of the food material F from the temperature sensor 16, and the food material F from the odor sensor 18. Smell information q can be obtained.
The timer 56 is used for acquiring time information such as timekeeping at the time of totaling the inventory amount tm.
The operation input unit 24 is used for inputting the identification information i of the food material F, inputting the quantity information n such as the amount of the food material, and the like. The operation input unit 24 includes a keyboard used for information input, a barcode reading unit, a mouse, an information terminal connected to the I / O 54, and a touch panel. The touch panel may be installed on the display screen of the information presentation unit 26.
The communication unit 58 is used for communication with the management server 104 that controls the foodstuff management system 100, the administrator terminal, and the like.

<Information presentation by information presentation unit 26>
FIG. 15A shows an inventory information table display 62 developed on the display screen 60 of the information presentation unit 26. The inventory information table display 62 is the same as the inventory information file 35 described above.
FIG. 15B shows the display of the actual image of the food material F. For example, if the position information d5 of the inventory information table display 62 is clicked, the food image display unit 66 corresponding to the position information d5 of the food information F5 is expanded on the inventory information table display 62 and displayed on the position information d5. An actual image of the corresponding foodstuff F can be presented.
Thereby, it is possible to easily recognize what kind of appearance form of the food material F is in the food material information F5.
In this example, the label 68 is acquired and displayed together with the food material F. The expiration date information r indicating the expiration date, the expiration date, and the like of the food material F displayed on the label 68 is acquired.

<Inventory processing of foodstuff F>
FIG. 16 shows a sequence of inventory processing by each food material storage unit 2 (FIGS. 13 and 14).
In this inventory processing, the food material F is specified by using the operation input unit 24 (S401). By specifying the food material F, the processing unit 20 acquires the food material information representing the food material F (S402) and acquires the identification information i of the food material F (S403). As a result, it is determined what kind of attribute information p can be assumed for the specified food material F, and as one or more attribute information p, for example, the appearance information s, the weight information g, and the temperature information t of the food material F. There is odor information q. The optimum attribute information p for the food material F is selected from these attribute information p (S404), the attribute information p is specified (S405), and the food material detection unit 6 is instructed to detect the food material (S406).
The foodstuff detection unit 6 receives an instruction from the processing unit 20 and detects the foodstuff (S407). That is, any or two or more of the optimum appearance information s, weight information g, temperature information t, odor information q, and deadline information r are acquired as the attribute information p selected by the food material F.

The processing unit 20 acquires the attribute information p based on the food material detection from the food material detection unit 6 (S408). The processing unit 20 acquires image information from the camera 12 or the position sensor 46, and acquires the quantity information n indicating the stored quantity of the food material F (S409). The processing unit 20 acquires, for example, image information from the position sensor 46 of the food material detection unit 6, and acquires the position information d indicating the storage position of the food material F (S410).
The processing unit 20 stores the previously acquired identification information i, attribute information p, quantity information n, and position information d in the inventory information file 35 (S411). The processing unit 20 instructs the information presentation unit 26 to present information about the inventory information file 35 (S412).
The information presentation unit 26 receives an instruction from the processing unit 20, and presents, for example, the inventory information file 35 (FIG. 11) (S413). Then, the processing unit 20 continues the storage management of the food material F (S414).

<Link processing of information presentation on management server 104>
FIG. 17A shows the management information file display 150 expanded on the display screen 148 of the information presentation unit 140 of the management server 104. The management information file display 150 is the same as the management information file 108 described above.
FIG. 17B shows an inventory information file display 152 linked to the management information file display 150.
The management information file display 150 is expanded on the display screen 148 of the information presentation unit 140 of the management server 104, and for example, the link information L35-2 of the management information file display 150 is clicked. With this click as an opportunity, a link is made to the inventory information file display 152 shown in FIG. 17B, and any inventory information file 35 is expanded. In this case, the inventory information file 35-2 of the food storage unit 2-2 is displayed on the inventory information file display 152 linked to the link information L35-2.
As a result, the inventory status in the food storage unit 2-2 can be easily recognized.

<Inventory adjustment processing of foodstuff F>
FIG. 18 shows a sequence for inventory adjustment of each foodstuff storage unit 2 (= 2-1, 2-2, ..., 2-N) by the foodstuff management system 100.
The management server 104 monitors the acquisition time point tx of the inventory information M (S501), and when the acquisition time point tx arrives (YES in S501), transmits an instruction to transmit the inventory information M to each food material storage unit 2 (YES). S502). Each foodstuff storage unit 2 that receives the transmission instruction of the inventory information M transmits the inventory information M (S503), and the management server 104 acquires each inventory information M (S504).

The management server 104 generates inventory adjustment information Mb for each food material F using the acquired inventory information M (S505). As described above, inventory adjustment information Mb is generated for each food material F, such as replenishment information of the food material F for each food material storage unit 2 and adjustment information of the food material F.
The management server 104 monitors the transmission time point ty of the inventory adjustment information Mb (S506), and when the transmission time point ty arrives (YES in S506), the inventory adjustment information Mb is transmitted to each food storage unit 2 (S507). ), Return to S501.
Each food material storage unit 2 acquires inventory adjustment information Mb from the management server 104 (S508), and adjusts the inventory for each food material F.

<Effect of the second embodiment>
According to this second embodiment, any of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.
(2) By storing the food material F using the identification information i that identifies the food material F and one or more attribute information p, the identification information i, the quantity information n, and the position information d that represent the attributes of the food material F. , It is possible to carry out general management of each food storage unit 2.
(3) It is possible to grasp the storage status of the foodstuff F in each foodstuff storage unit 2, prevent excessive inventory, and realize economical and rational foodstuff management.
(4) The attribute information p acquired from the food material F can be used not only for distinguishing and classifying the food material F but also for managing the food material such as its freshness and expiration date, and can contribute to the provision of the highly fresh food material F.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 19 shows the foodstuff management system 100 according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 19, the same parts as those in FIGS. 2 and 13 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.
In the third embodiment, the food storage unit 2 is configured with a storage device in which the storage 4, the food detection unit 6, and the storage server 8 are integrated, and the system is made compact.

<Effect of the third embodiment>
According to this third embodiment, any of the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The same effect as that of the first and second embodiments can be obtained, and each storage space 10
It is possible to detect the food material F in the above and monitor the storage state.
(2) By utilizing this foodstuff management system 100, even if the foodstuff F is frequently taken in and out of each foodstuff storage unit 2, the inventory information M in the foodstuff storage unit 2 can be updated, and this inventory information M can be regularly updated. Alternatively, the management server 104 can acquire it irregularly and adjust the inventory of the food material F.

[Other Embodiments]
(1) Regarding the acquisition of the attribute information p of the food material F, the surface temperature information may be acquired by an infrared camera as one of the attribute information p.
(2) In the above embodiment, the food storage unit 2 exemplifies storage means such as a refrigerator and a freezer, but the food storage unit 2 may be a transportation means such as a refrigerating truck, a freezing truck, and a food transport vehicle. ..
As described above, the most preferable embodiment of the present invention has been described. The present invention is not limited to the above description. It goes without saying that various modifications and changes can be made by those skilled in the art based on the gist of the invention described in the claims or disclosed in the form for carrying out the invention. Needless to say, such modifications and modifications are included in the scope of the present invention.

According to the present invention, identification information i for identifying foodstuff F, one or more attribute information p representing the attributes of foodstuff F, quantity information n, and position information d are acquired, and inventory information is obtained by combining these information. It can be generated, the foodstuffs can be specified using this inventory information, the stock status of a plurality of foodstuff storage units can be centrally managed, and used for inventory adjustment.

100 Foodstuff management system 104 Management server 106 Network 108 Management information file 110 Food storage department Information department 112 Inventory information department 114 Inventory adjustment information department 116 History information department 130 Processing department 132 Storage unit 134 Timer 136 Communication unit 138 Operation input unit 140 Information presentation Part 142 Processor 146 Input / output part (I / O)
2,2-1, 2-2, ..., 2-N food storage unit 4 storage 6 foodstuff detection unit 8, 8-1, 8-2, ..., 8-N storage server 9 shelves 10, 10-1, 10-2, ..., 10-N Storage space 11 Tray 12 Camera 14 Weight sensor 16 Temperature sensor 18 Smell sensor 20 Processing unit 22 Storage unit 24 Operation input unit 26 Information presentation unit 28 Food detection area 30 Electronic Thermometer 32 Magnifier 34, 34-1, 34-2, ..., 34-N, 35, 35-1, 35-2, ..., 35-N Inventory information file L34-1, L34-2 , ・ ・ ・, L34-N Link information 36 Food information unit 38 Identification information unit 40 Quantity information unit 42 Attribute information unit 42-1 Appearance information unit 42-2 Weight information unit 42-3 Temperature information unit 42-4 Smell information unit 42-5 Deadline Information Department 44 Inventory Information Department 46 Position Sensors 48-1, 48-2, ..., 48-N, 48-11, 48-12, ..., 48-15, 48-21, 48-22, ..., 48-25 Camera 50 Position information unit 52 Processor 54 Input / output unit (I / O)
56 Timer 58 Communication unit 60 Display screen 62 Stock information table display 66 Food image display unit 68 Label 70 Management unit 72 Management housing unit 74 Foodstuff detection table unit 78 Front panel unit 80 Housing unit 82 Door 148 Display screen 150 Management information file Display 152 Inventory information file display

Claims (8)

The process of storing ingredients in the ingredients storage department,
A process in which the foodstuff storage unit combines identification information for identifying foodstuffs, one or more attribute information indicating the attributes of foodstuffs, and quantity information indicating the quantity of foodstuffs to generate inventory information representing the inventory of each foodstuff. ,
The process of acquiring the inventory information from the food storage section on a regular or irregular basis, and
A process of generating inventory adjustment information of the foodstuff storage unit based on the inventory information, and
A method of managing foodstuffs, which is characterized by containing. The method for managing foodstuffs according to claim 1, further comprising a step of transmitting the inventory adjustment information to the foodstuff storage unit. A food storage unit that combines identification information for identifying foodstuffs, one or more attribute information that represents the attributes of foodstuffs, and quantity information that represents the quantity of foodstuffs to generate inventory information that represents the inventory of each foodstuff.
A management server that acquires inventory adjustment information from the food storage section on a regular or irregular basis and generates inventory adjustment information for the food storage section.
A food management system characterized by being equipped with. The foodstuff management system according to claim 3, wherein the management server transmits the inventory adjustment information to the foodstuff storage unit. It is a program to be realized by a computer
A function to generate storage information for storing ingredients in the food storage section,
By combining identification information for identifying foodstuffs, one or more attribute information indicating the attributes of foodstuffs, and quantity information representing the quantity of foodstuffs, inventory information for each foodstuff is acquired from the foodstuff storage unit on a regular or irregular basis. Function and
A function to generate inventory adjustment information of the foodstuff storage unit based on the inventory information, and
A program for realizing the above with the computer. The program according to claim 5, further, for realizing the function of transmitting the inventory adjustment information to the foodstuff storage unit by the computer. A recording medium in which the program according to claim 5 or 6 is stored. Identification information for identifying foodstuffs, one or more attribute information representing the attributes of foodstuffs, and inventory information for each foodstuff generated by combining quantity information representing the quantity of foodstuffs are sent from the foodstuff storage department on a regular or irregular basis. Communication department to acquire and
A processing unit that generates inventory adjustment information from the inventory information,
A server characterized by containing.

Images