JP2024060561A - Order management system and order management method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an order management system and order management method, which enable efficient management of order information and appropriate provision of order contents to users.SOLUTION: An order management system of the present invention comprises a setting processing unit capable of setting response to orders, received from a user, from a first menu provided to the user of a restaurant facility and from a second menu associated with the first menu, as to whether to output order information maintaining association between the first menu and the second menu to a facility terminal or to output order information without the association between the first menu and the second menu to the facility terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Application for application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act submitted. Published on the website (https://cms.fo.gnavi.co.jp/shop/) on April 10, 2023.

The present invention relates to an order management system and an order management method for managing the menus of food and beverage establishments.

In facilities such as restaurants, systems are known that allow customers to order from a menu by operating an ordering terminal installed at the table. There are also known systems that limit the number of menu items that can be ordered at one time to prevent monopolization of the kitchen (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-289207 A

In a food service facility, a specific menu (main menu) and a menu (sub-menu) related to the main menu are associated and registered in advance, and when a user selects the main menu, the facility subsequently accepts the selection of the sub-menu. For example, when a user selects a set meal menu, the facility subsequently accepts the user's selection of one of the multiple side dishes included in the set meal menu.

Here, in the case where two users A and B use one table, and user A selects set meal menu Mm1 and side menu Sm1, and user B selects set meal menu Mm2 and side menu Sm2, set meal menu Mm1 and side menu Sm1 are output (cooking instructions) to the kitchen as one piece of order information (cooking slip), and set meal menu Mm2 and side menu Sm2 are output as one piece of order information. In this case, the problem of the large amount of order information and complicated management arises. On the other hand, in the above example, if all orders (set meal menu Mm1, side menu Sm1, set meal menu Mm2, side menu Sm2) are output together as one piece of order information, the set contents of the set meal menu and side menu will become unclear, and a problem will arise in which, for example, set meal menu Mm1 and side menu Sm2 are provided to user A, and set meal menu Mm2 and side menu Sm1 are provided to user B.

The object of the present invention is to provide an order management system and method that can efficiently manage order information and provide users with appropriate order details.

The order management system according to the present invention includes a setting processing unit that can set whether to output order information that maintains the association between the first menu and the second menu to the facility terminal, or to output order information that releases the association between the first menu and the second menu to the facility terminal, when an order for a first menu and a second menu associated with the first menu is received from the user of a food and beverage facility.

The order management method according to the present invention is a method in which, when one or more processors receive an order from a user of a food and beverage facility for a first menu and a second menu associated with the first menu, the processors execute a process that can be set to output to the facility terminal order information that maintains the association between the first menu and the second menu, or output to the facility terminal order information that releases the association between the first menu and the second menu.

The present invention provides an order management system and an order management method that can efficiently manage order information and provide users with appropriate order details.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an order management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of menu information used in the order management system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of submenu information used in the order management system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a menu registration page displayed on the facility terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an order page displayed on the order terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an order page displayed on the order terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of an order management process executed in the order management system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a menu registration page displayed on the facility terminal according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a menu registration page displayed on the facility terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an order page displayed on the order terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an order page displayed on the order terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of an order page displayed on the order terminal according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of an order management process executed by the order management system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a menu registration page displayed on the facility terminal according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of an order page displayed on the order terminal according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an example of an order page displayed on the order terminal according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of order information displayed on the kitchen terminal according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing an example of order information displayed on the facility terminal according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 19 is a diagram showing another example of an order page displayed on the order terminal according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 20 is a diagram showing an example of an order page displayed on the order terminal according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing another example of order information displayed on the kitchen terminal according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 22 is a diagram showing another example of order information displayed on the kitchen terminal according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing another example of order information displayed on the kitchen terminal according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of an order management process executed by the order management system according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings to facilitate understanding of the present invention. Note that the following embodiment is an example of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[Embodiment 1]

[Order Management System 1]
1, an order management system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an order management device 2, a facility terminal 3, and an order terminal 4. The order management device 2, the facility terminal 3, and the order terminal 4 are capable of communicating with each other via a communication network N1 such as the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, or a public telephone line.

The order management device 2 accepts registration operations by the manager of the dining facility regarding menu information related to the menu of the dining facility via the facility terminal 3, and manages the menu information. The order management device 2 also accepts operations for ordering menu items (products) by users (customers) using the dining facility via the order terminal 4, and manages the order information. The order management device 2 may also have an accounting function for payment of the price of the menu (food and drink charges).

In the following, in this embodiment, the order management system 1 will be described using an example in which the dining facility is a restaurant whose main business is providing food and beverages. Note that the dining facility of the present invention includes, for example, various facilities (such as amusement facilities) that can provide food and beverages.

The facility terminal 3 is an operation terminal (such as a management terminal or POS terminal) operated by the restaurant manager, staff, etc. For example, the restaurant manager operates the facility terminal 3 to register menu information (such as menu name, price, menu image, etc.) related to the menus provided to users at the restaurant. The manager also operates the facility terminal 3 to set the user ordering method (such as minimum order quantity, sub-menu ordering method, etc.) for each menu. The facility terminal 3 may be a device installed in the restaurant office, or may be a mobile terminal that can be carried by restaurant staff. The facility terminal 3 is located in each of multiple restaurants.

The ordering terminal 4 is an operation terminal that is operated by the user when ordering a menu (food and drink) at a restaurant. The ordering terminal 4 may be a device owned by the user (e.g., a smartphone) or a device owned by the restaurant and lent to the user (e.g., a self-order terminal). When the ordering terminal 4 is a self-order terminal, the ordering terminal 4 is placed, for example, at each table in the restaurant. Users can operate the ordering terminal 4 at the restaurant to view the menu and order their desired menu items. Users can also use the ordering terminal 4 to pay for food and drink. In this way, the ordering terminal 4 can be used for menu ordering processing and accounting processing.

The order management system 1 includes one or more facility terminals 3 arranged at each restaurant, and one or more order terminals 4.

In this embodiment, the order management device 2 alone corresponds to the order management system of the present invention, but the order management system of the present invention may include one or more of the components of the order management device 2, facility terminal 3, and order terminal 4. For example, if the components of the order management device 2, facility terminal 3, and order terminal 4 work together to share and execute the order management process (see FIG. 7) described below, a system including multiple components that execute the process can be considered as the order management system of the present invention. For example, the order management device 2, facility terminal 3, and order terminal 4 may constitute the order management system of the present invention.

[Order management device 2]
1, the order management device 2 is a server (e.g., a cloud server) including a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation display unit 23, and a communication I/F 24. The order management device 2 is not limited to a single computer, and may be a computer system in which multiple computers work in cooperation. Furthermore, various processes executed by the order management device 2 may be executed in a distributed manner by one or multiple processors.

The communication I/F 24 is a communication interface that connects the order management device 2 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly, and performs data communication in accordance with a specified communication protocol with external devices such as the facility terminal 3 and the order terminal 4 via the communication network N1.

The operation display unit 23 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays various information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations.

The storage unit 22 is a non-volatile storage unit such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various information. Specifically, data such as menu information D1 and submenu information D2 is stored in the storage unit 22. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of menu information D1, and Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of submenu information D2.

Menu information D1 is information (product information) about menus (food and drink) that can be provided at a restaurant. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, menu information D1 includes information such as "menu ID", "menu name", "price", and "minimum order quantity" for each menu. The menu ID is identification information for the menu, and any ID is registered. The menu name is the name of the menu. Menu information D1 includes information on multiple menus for each menu category (genre). For example, menu information D1 includes multiple menus classified by category, such as hot pot menus, a la carte menus, set menus, set meal menus, drink menus, and dessert menus. The price is the unit price of the menu (price per portion).

The minimum order quantity is the lower limit (minimum order quantity, minimum order quantity) of the number of orders that a user is permitted to order from a menu item. For menu items for which the minimum order quantity is set, orders below the minimum order quantity are prohibited, and orders above the minimum order quantity are permitted. For example, if the minimum order quantity for pot A is set to "2," users cannot order one serving of pot A, but can order two or more servings. For example, if the minimum order quantity for pot C is set to "3," users cannot order one or two servings of pot A, but can order three or more servings. Furthermore, if the minimum order quantity for sashimi is set to "1," users can order sashimi from one serving.

Each piece of menu information D1 is registered in advance by the restaurant manager and updated as necessary. For example, the manager registers the menu name, price, minimum order quantity, etc. on the menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 4) displayed on the facility terminal 3. For example, for a hot pot menu, the manager may register a multiple order quantity (2 or more) as the minimum order quantity, taking into consideration the workload of the kitchen and staff.

The submenu information D2 (see FIG. 3) is information (additional product information) about submenus (additional menus, child menus) that are ordered together with the main menu (parent menu). For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the submenu information D2 includes information such as "menu ID", "menu name", and "submenu" for each main menu. In the submenu information D2, submenus that may be ordered together with the main menu are registered in association with the main menu. For example, "ramen", "udon", and "rice" are registered as submenus that may be ordered additionally (final menu) after ordering hot pot A and are associated with hot pot A. When registering a submenu on the menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 4), the administrator presses the registration button K61 to register one or more submenus (here, "ramen", "udon", and "rice"). For example, as menus that may be ordered together with sake, "edamame", "sashimi", and "ochoko" are registered as submenus that are associated with sake. When registering a submenu on the menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 9), the administrator presses the registration button K61 to register one or more submenus (here, "Edamame," "Sashimi," and "Ochoko"). Note that the submenu may include a menu item that is provided to the user free of charge ("Ochoko" in the above example).

For example, when ordering a steak set meal, the following submenus are registered in association with the steak set meal: meat size options "150g" and "300g", cooking method options "medium rare" and "well done", sauce options "onion sauce" and "demi-glace sauce", and rice size options "regular" and "large". When registering a submenu on the menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 14), the administrator presses the registration button K61 to register one or more submenus (here, "150g", "300g", "medium rare", "well done", "onion sauce", "demi-glace sauce", "regular rice", and "large rice").

For example, when ordering a grilled fish set meal, the following submenus are registered in association with the grilled fish set meal: "miso soup" and "pork soup" as soup dishes, "regular serving" and "large serving" as rice size options, and "coffee" and "tea" as drink options.

For example, when ordering a hamburger set, the side menu items "fries" and "salad," the drink menu items "coffee" and "orange juice," and the customization menu items "no tomatoes" and "add cheese" are each registered as submenus associated with the hamburger set.

In this way, submenus include menus added to the main menu (additional menus), menus included in the main menu (side menus), types of main menus, and menus related to the contents (size, cooking method, sauces, drinks, toppings, customizations, etc.).

The administrator can register submenus for each main menu. Figure 3 shows examples of submenu information D2 for Hot Pot A, Sake, Steak Set Meal, Grilled Fish Set Meal, and Hamburger Set. In the submenu information D2, multiple main menus and their corresponding submenus are registered according to the administrator's registration operation.

In addition, as another embodiment, some or all of the information such as the menu information D1 and the submenu information D2 may be stored in the facility terminal 3 or a server accessible from the order management device 2. In this case, the control unit 21 of the order management device 2 may acquire the information from the facility terminal 3 or the server, and execute various processes such as the order management process (see FIG. 7) described below.

The memory unit 22 also stores order data of the order information input to the ordering terminal 4. The order data includes data such as the user's table information (table number), the number of people using the table, the start time of use (time of arrival), and order history. The memory unit 22 also stores data of operation screens (web pages, etc.) such as the menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 4, etc.) displayed on the facility terminal 3, the order page P2 (see FIG. 5, etc.) displayed on the ordering terminal 4, and the checkout page (not shown).

Furthermore, the memory unit 22 stores control programs such as an order management program for causing the control unit 21 to execute the order management process (see FIG. 7) described below. For example, the order management program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB, CD, or DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a USB drive, CD drive, or DVD drive electrically connected to the order management device 2 and stored in the memory unit 22. The order management program may also be downloaded from a server accessible from the order management device 2 and stored in the memory unit 22.

The control unit 21 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS for causing the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information, and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for various processes executed by the CPU. The control unit 21 controls the order management device 2 by executing the various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 22 by the CPU.

Meanwhile, restaurants may want to set a minimum order quantity for a menu item, taking into consideration the work of the kitchen and staff. For example, in the case of a hot pot menu, it may be desirable to prohibit orders for one person and allow orders for two or more people. However, since the price per person for each menu item is generally registered in the POS data, it is possible to order from one person at a time at the ordering terminal. For this reason, in conventional technology, restaurant staff must verbally explain the minimum order quantity to the customer or check the order quantity entered by the customer at the ordering terminal, which causes a problem of reduced business efficiency at the restaurant. In addition, there is also a problem of reduced convenience for users in ordering menu items. In contrast, the order management device 2 according to the first embodiment can improve the business efficiency of restaurants and the convenience of users in ordering operations, as shown below.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 21 includes various processing units such as a display processing unit 211, a reception processing unit 212, a setting processing unit 213, an order processing unit 214, an output processing unit 215, and an accounting processing unit 216. The control unit 21 functions as the display processing unit 211, the reception processing unit 212, the setting processing unit 213, the order processing unit 214, the output processing unit 215, and the accounting processing unit 216 by executing various processes according to the order management program with the CPU. Some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 21 may be configured with electronic circuits. The order management program may be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the various processing units.

The display processing unit 211 displays various operation pages (operation screens) on the facility terminal 3 and the order terminal 4. The reception processing unit 212 also receives user operations (administrator operations, user operations) on each operation page.

For example, when a restaurant manager registers menu information, the display processing unit 211 displays a menu registration page P1 on the facility terminal 3 of the restaurant. FIG. 4 shows an example of the menu registration page P1. The menu registration page P1 includes multiple registration items K11 to K16. Registration item K11 indicates a menu ID, and the control unit 21 registers an arbitrary ID. Registration item K12 indicates a menu name, and the reception processing unit 212 accepts the administrator's input operation of the menu name. The administrator enters an arbitrary name into registration item K12.

Registration item K13 indicates a description of the menu, and the reception processing unit 212 accepts the administrator's input operation of the description. The administrator inputs a description of the menu into registration item K13. For example, the administrator inputs a description of how to order the menu into registration item K13.

Registration item K14 indicates the price (unit price) of the menu item, and the reception processing unit 212 accepts the administrator's input operation of the price. The administrator inputs the price including tax for one portion of the menu item into registration item K13.

Registration item K15 indicates the minimum order quantity for the menu item, and the reception processing unit 212 accepts the administrator's input operation of the minimum order quantity. The administrator inputs the minimum order quantity for the menu item into registration item K15. For example, the display processing unit 211 displays a list (pull-down menu display) of selection candidates K5 for the minimum order quantity, and the reception processing unit 212 accepts the administrator's selection operation of the minimum order quantity from selection candidate K5.

The registration item K16 indicates information about a submenu, and the administrator selects the registration buttons K61 and K62 when registering information about the submenu. For example, when registering a submenu for hot pot A, the administrator presses the registration button K61 to register the submenu (here, "ramen," "udon," and "rice") on the submenu registration page (not shown). In addition, for example, the administrator presses the registration button K62 to switch the linking setting for the number of orders of the submenu. For example, if a user orders "three servings" of hot pot A, and the total number of orders of the submenu is permitted to be from "one serving" (orders of any number of orders are permitted), the administrator sets "No linking of quantity of submenu" (registration button K62) to "ON." In addition, for example, if a user orders "three servings" of hot pot A, and the total number of orders of the submenu is permitted to be only "three servings" (orders of other than three servings are prohibited), the administrator sets "No linking of quantity of submenu" to "OFF." FIG. 4 shows the state where "Submenu quantity not linked" is set to "ON." In this way, the setting function of "Submenu quantity not linked" is a switching unit that switches whether or not the submenu order quantity is linked to the main menu order quantity.

When the administrator has completed inputting information for each of the registration items K11 to K16, he or she presses the registration button K17. The setting processing unit 213 registers the information entered for each of the registration items K11 to K16. Here, the setting processing unit 213 registers each piece of information about pot A in menu information D1 (see FIG. 2). The setting processing unit 213 also registers the information about "ramen," "udon," and "rice," which have been entered as submenus for pot A, in association with pot A in submenu information D2 (see FIG. 3).

The control unit 21 may be capable of switching whether or not to link the order quantity of the submenu to the order quantity of the main menu when a submenu is associated with a menu and registered. In other words, the control unit 21 may display a registration button K62 for "submenu quantity not linked" when a submenu is associated with a menu and registered. In another embodiment, the order management system 1 may omit the function related to the registration item K16.

If the administrator subsequently wishes to register information for another menu, he or she presses the Add button K18 on the menu registration page P1. When the Add button K18 is pressed, the display processing unit 211 displays a new menu registration page P1 on the facility terminal 3, the reception processing unit 212 receives input operations from the administrator for the registration items K11 to K16, and the setting processing unit 213 registers the menu information in response to the input operations.

In this way, the setting processing unit 213 can set and update each piece of information for each menu item as appropriate. For example, the setting processing unit 213 can variably set the minimum order quantity for each menu item. In other words, the setting processing unit 213 can set and change the minimum order quantity without changing the price (unit price) of the menu item.

Here, the setting processing unit 213 may receive an operation from the administrator to select whether or not to set the minimum order quantity, and set the minimum order quantity in response to the administrator's operation. For example, the control unit 21 may display an operation unit for selecting whether or not to set a minimum order quantity on the menu registration page P1, and when the administrator presses the operation unit, display a selection candidate K5 to receive input of the minimum order quantity, and set the minimum order quantity in response to the administrator's operation. The control unit 21 may also display two or more values as candidates for the minimum order quantity in the selection candidate K5. The control unit 21 may also display a default value for the minimum order quantity in the input field in advance. For example, the control unit 21 may display a minimum order quantity that is preset according to the menu in the input field, and display the selection candidate K5 when the user changes the default value.

When the control unit 21 registers the menu information D1 (see FIG. 2) and the submenu information D2 (see FIG. 3) in response to the administrator's registration operation on the facility terminal 3, it displays the order page P2 on the order terminal 4 based on this information and accepts menu orders from users.

For example, the display processing unit 211 displays the order page P2 shown in FIG. 5 on the ordering terminal 4. For example, when a customer of a restaurant accesses (logs in to) an ordering site provided by the restaurant on the ordering terminal 4, the display processing unit 211 displays the order page P2 on the ordering terminal 4. The order page P2 shown in FIG. 5 includes menu information and a quantity input field K21 for inputting the number of items ordered. Note that FIG. 5 shows the order page P2 for hot pot A that is displayed when a user selects "hot pot A" from a menu list (not shown). The display processing unit 211 displays an image of hot pot A, a price (price including tax per portion), a description of hot pot A (see FIG. 4), a quantity input field K21, a total price, and the like on the order page P2. Also, the display processing unit 211 displays a cart button K22 for adding the selected menu to a cart on the order page P2. Note that the display processing unit 211 may display an order button for confirming the order instead of the cart button K22.

The display processing unit 211 also displays buttons for increasing or decreasing the order quantity (the increase button "+" and the decrease button "-") in the quantity input field K21, and the reception processing unit 212 receives the input operation of the order quantity from the user (the operation of pressing the increase button and the decrease button).

Here, for menu items for which a minimum order quantity has been set by the setting processing unit 213, the order processing unit 214 allows the user to place orders for more than the minimum order quantity, and prohibits the user from placing orders for less than the minimum order quantity. Here, since the minimum order quantity for pot A is set to "2" (see Figures 2 and 4), the order processing unit 214 allows the user to place orders for two or more servings, and prohibits the user from placing orders for one serving. Figure 5 shows the state in which the user has entered "3" (3 servings) as the number of servings of pot A to be ordered.

For example, the order processing unit 214 pre-displays the minimum order quantity of "2" (serves two) in the quantity input field K21, and sets the decrease button "-" to be hidden or unselectable (grayed out). In this case, the user can only select the increase button "+" in the quantity input field K21. Furthermore, if a quantity exceeding the minimum order quantity (here, "3" or more) is entered, the order processing unit 214 re-displays the decrease button "-" so that it can be selected, and makes the decrease button "-" unselectable if the minimum order quantity (here, "2") is entered.

In another embodiment, the order processing unit 214 may display the cart button K22 (or the order button) selectable on the condition that an order quantity equal to or greater than the minimum order quantity is input in the quantity input field K21. In addition, the order processing unit 214 may set the cart button K22 (or the order button) to be hidden or unselectable (grayed out) while an order quantity less than the minimum order quantity is input in the quantity input field K21.

In addition, when the order processing unit 214 receives an order from a user for a main menu item that is equal to or exceeds the minimum order quantity, it allows the user to order a sub-menu item associated with the main menu item.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when a user orders three servings of hot pot A, which is more than the minimum order quantity ("2"), the display processing unit 211 displays "Ramen," "Udon," and "Rice" associated with hot pot A as submenus on the order page P2. The display processing unit 211 also displays a quantity input field K23 for the submenu on the order page P2. As shown in FIG. 6, with the configuration in which the main menu and submenus are displayed on the same order page P2, the user can select the main menu and submenu together and add them to the cart or confirm the order.

The display processing unit 211 may display information about the submenu (such as the submenu name and quantity input field K23) on the condition that the order for the main menu (hot pot A) has been completed or the main menu has been added to the cart, or may display information about the submenu on the condition that an order quantity equal to or greater than the minimum order quantity has been entered in the quantity input field K21 for the main menu (hot pot A). For example, when an order for the main menu has been completed, the display processing unit 211 may display a link to the order page for the submenu, and when the user presses the link, display information about the submenu.

Here, the order processing unit 214 may allow the acceptance of orders for sub-menus that are less than or equal to the number of orders for the main menu from the user. For example, when three servings of hot pot A are ordered, the order processing unit 214 may allow the acceptance of orders for each sub-menu where the total number of orders is one, two, or three servings. For example, when three servings of hot pot A are ordered, the order processing unit 214 may allow the acceptance of orders for one serving of ramen and one serving of udon (a total of two servings) (see FIG. 6), two servings of ramen, and one serving of rice.

In another embodiment, the order processing unit 214 may determine the number of orders that can be placed for a submenu based on the setting state of "No linking of quantity to submenu" (see FIG. 4). For example, when "No linking of quantity to submenu" (Register button K62) is set to "ON", the number of orders for the submenu is not linked to the number of orders for the main menu. That is, as described above, when a user orders "three servings" of hot pot A, the order processing unit 214 allows orders for submenus starting from "one serving" (allowing orders of any number of orders). For example, the order processing unit 214 allows an order for one serving of ramen and one serving of udon (a total of two servings) (see FIG. 6), an order for two servings of ramen and two servings of rice (a total of four servings), an order for one serving of ramen, an order for one serving of udon, an order for one serving of rice, etc.

In contrast, for example, when "submenu quantity not linked" is set to "OFF" (i.e., submenu quantity linked), the number of submenu orders is linked to the number of main menu orders. That is, when a user orders "three servings" of hotpot A, the order processing unit 214 allows only "three servings" of submenu orders (prohibiting orders for anything other than three servings), or allows only orders of "three servings" or more (prohibiting orders for less than three servings). For example, the order processing unit 214 allows an order of three servings of ramen, an order of two servings of ramen and one serving of udon (a total of three servings), an order of one serving of ramen, one serving of udon, and three servings of rice (a total of five servings), etc. Also, when "submenu quantity not linked" is set to "OFF", the order processing unit 214 may allow only orders of the minimum number of main menu orders (here, two servings) or more (prohibiting orders for one serving).

In another embodiment, when "No linking of submenu quantities" is set to "OFF", if a user orders "3 servings" of hotpot A, the order processing unit 214 may accept orders for three servings of submenus. For example, if a user enters "1" in the ramen quantity input field K23, the order processing unit 214 accepts an order for three servings of ramen (1 x 3 servings), and if a user enters "2" in the ramen quantity input field K23, the order processing unit 214 accepts an order for six servings of ramen (2 x 3 servings).

In this way, the setting processing unit 213 may be able to set whether or not to link the number of orders for the submenu to the actual number of orders for the main menu (three servings in the above example) according to the administrator's setting operation (see FIG. 4). In another embodiment, the setting processing unit 213 may be able to set whether or not to link the number of orders for the submenu to the minimum number of orders for the main menu (two servings in the above example). If the setting processing unit 213 links the number of orders for the submenu to the minimum number of orders for the main menu, users will be able to order submenus for two or more servings. In another embodiment, the setting processing unit 213 may set the upper limit of the number of orders for the submenu to the actual number of orders for the main menu (e.g., three servings). In this case, users will be able to order up to three servings of the submenu, and will be prohibited from ordering four or more servings.

In another embodiment, the setting processing unit 213 may automatically set "submenu quantity not linked" to ON/OFF depending on the type of main menu or submenu. For example, when a submenu that upgrades the main menu (e.g., upgrading pot A) is associated with the main menu, the setting processing unit 213 sets "submenu quantity not linked" to OFF, and the order processing unit 214 only allows orders for the submenu ("upgrading pot A") in the same quantity as the main menu.

In another embodiment, the setting processing unit 213 may set a menu item for which a minimum order quantity is set so that orders less than the minimum order quantity for that menu item can be ordered as a sub-menu item. For example, when the setting processing unit 213 sets the minimum order quantity for pot A to "2" (2 servings), it may set "one serving of pot A" as a sub-menu item. This allows a user to, for example, order two servings of pot A, and then order one serving of pot A as a sub-menu item. In this way, when the setting processing unit 213 sets a minimum order quantity for a menu item, the menu item less than the minimum order quantity may be registered in the sub-menu.

The output processing unit 215 outputs the order data of the order accepted by the order processing unit 214 to the kitchen. Specifically, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order data to a kitchen terminal (not shown) of the restaurant. The order data includes information such as the order details of the menu corresponding to the user's order, the table number of the table used by the user, the order number, and the date and time when the order was accepted (order date and time). The output processing unit 215 may also cause an order form including the order data to be output (printed or displayed) from the kitchen terminal. When the kitchen staff receives the order form, they prepare the food and drink ordered.

The accounting processing unit 216 performs accounting processing for the price (food and drink cost) of the menu ordered by the user. For example, when the user presses the payment button on the accounting page (not shown) displayed on the ordering terminal 4, the accounting processing unit 216 performs accounting processing (payment processing) for the food and drink cost. For example, the accounting processing unit 216 performs electronic payment (mobile payment) using the ordering terminal 4.

[Facility terminal 3]
1 , the facility terminal 3 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, an operation display unit 33, and a communication I/F 34. The facility terminal 3 is an information processing device such as a personal computer, a smartphone, a mobile phone, or a tablet terminal. The facility terminal 3 may have the same functions as the order management device 2, or may be an information processing device integrated with the order management device 2.

The communication I/F 34 is a communication interface that connects the facility terminal 3 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and performs data communication in accordance with a specified communication protocol with external devices such as the order management device 2 and the order terminal 4 via the communication network N1.

The operation display unit 33 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays information such as various web pages, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations. The operation display unit 33 displays web pages such as the menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 4). The operation display unit 33 is also configured, for example, as a touch panel, and accepts selection operations (touch operations) on various pages by the restaurant manager, staff, etc.

The storage unit 32 is a non-volatile storage unit such as a HDD, SSD, or flash memory that stores various information. For example, a control program such as a browser program is stored in the storage unit 32. Specifically, the browser program is a control program that causes the control unit 31 to execute communication processing with an external device such as the order management device 2 according to a communication protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol). The browser program may also be a dedicated application for executing communication processing with the order management device 2 according to a predetermined communication protocol.

The memory unit 32 may also store data related to management operations, such as reservation management data (reservation information) for managing reservations at restaurants and vacant seat management data for managing seat availability. For example, the reservation information may include information such as the name of the person making the reservation, the number of people using the restaurant, the date and time of visit, the table, and the course.

The control unit 31 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic operations. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS for causing the CPU to execute various processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information, and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various processes executed by the CPU. The control unit 31 controls the facility terminal 3 by executing the various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 32 with the CPU.

Specifically, the control unit 31 functions as a browser processing unit 311 by executing various processes according to the browser program stored in the memory unit 32. The browser processing unit 311 is capable of executing browser processing to display a web page provided from the order management device 2 via the communication network N1 on the operation display unit 33 and input operations on the operation display unit 33 to the order management device 2. In other words, the facility terminal 3 can function as an operation terminal for the order management device 2 by the control unit 31 executing the browser program. Note that some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 31 may be configured with electronic circuits.

For example, in the facility terminal 3, when a user operation is performed to request access to a specific URL corresponding to a website of the order management service provided by the order management system 1, the control unit 31 acquires webpage data of the website from the order management device 2 and displays the webpage on the operation display unit 33. Note that the request to access the specific URL is made, for example, by a selection operation from a list of preregistered websites, a selection operation from search results on an information search site, or a text input operation. In addition, if a dedicated application corresponding to the order management device 2 is installed in the facility terminal 3, the user (administrator, staff) of the facility terminal 3 can launch the dedicated application to display the webpage of the order management site on the operation display unit 33.

For example, when an administrator logs in to the website using the facility terminal 3, the control unit 31 causes the operation display unit 33 to display menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 4). In menu registration page P1, the administrator inputs menu information for each of a number of menus that the restaurant will provide to customers. When the administrator inputs menu information into menu registration page P1 using the facility terminal 3, the control unit 21 of the order management device 2 acquires the menu information and registers it in menu information D1 (see FIG. 2) and submenu information D2 (see FIG. 3).

[Order terminal 4]
1, the order terminal 4 includes a control unit 41, a memory unit 42, an operation display unit 43, and a communication I/F 44. The order terminal 4 is an information processing device such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer.

The communication I/F 44 is a communication interface that connects the order terminal 4 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and performs data communication in accordance with a specified communication protocol with external devices such as the order management device 2 and the facility terminal 3 via the communication network N1.

The operation display unit 43 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as an LCD display or an organic EL display that displays information such as various web pages, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations. The operation display unit 43 displays web pages such as the menu page, order page P2 (see Figures 5 and 6), and checkout page. The operation display unit 43 is also configured, for example, as a touch panel, and accepts selection operations (touch operations) by the user on various pages, etc.

The storage unit 42 is a non-volatile storage unit such as a HDD, SSD, or flash memory that stores various types of information. For example, a control program such as a browser program is stored in the storage unit 42. Specifically, the browser program is a control program that causes the control unit 41 to execute communication processing with an external device such as the order management device 2 according to a communication protocol such as HTTP. The browser program may also be a dedicated application for executing communication processing with the order management device 2 according to a predetermined communication protocol.

The control unit 41 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic operations. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS for causing the CPU to execute various processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information, and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various processes executed by the CPU. The control unit 41 controls the order terminal 4 by executing the various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 42 with the CPU.

Specifically, the control unit 41 functions as a browser processing unit 411 by executing various processes according to the browser program stored in the memory unit 42. The browser processing unit 411 is capable of executing browser processing to display a web page provided from the order management device 2 via the communication network N1 on the operation display unit 43 and input operations on the operation display unit 43 to the order management device 2. In other words, the order terminal 4 can function as an operation terminal for the order management device 2 by the control unit 41 executing the browser program. Note that some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 41 may be configured with electronic circuits.

For example, in the order terminal 4, when a user operation is performed to request access to a specific URL corresponding to the website of the order management service provided by the order management system 1, the control unit 41 acquires webpage data of the website from the order management device 2 and displays the webpage on the operation display unit 43. Note that, for example, the request to access the specific URL is made by a selection operation from a list of preregistered websites, a selection operation from search results on an information search site, or a text input operation. In addition, when a dedicated application corresponding to the order management device 2 is installed in the order terminal 4, the user of the order terminal 4 can perform an operation to launch the dedicated application, causing the webpage of the order management site to be displayed on the operation display unit 43.

For example, when a user uses the ordering terminal 4 to order a menu item, the user reads an information code placed on a table using the ordering terminal 4. This causes the control unit 41 to access the website and display a web page (menu page, order page P2) of the website. This allows the user to order the desired menu item on the order page P2 displayed on the ordering terminal 4. When the user places an order using the ordering terminal 4, the control unit 21 of the order management device 2 obtains the order data and executes the order process.

For example, when a user uses the ordering terminal 4 to make a payment, the user presses the payment button. This allows the user to pay for the food and drink on the payment page displayed on the ordering terminal 4.

[Order Management Processing]
Hereinafter, the order management processing executed in the order management system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Specifically, in this embodiment, the order management processing is executed by the control unit 21 of the order management device 2. The control unit 21 can also execute the order management processing in parallel in response to access from each facility terminal 3. Note that the control unit 21 may end the order management processing midway in response to a predetermined operation of the facility terminal 3.

The present invention can be understood as an invention of an order management method that executes one or more steps included in the order management process. One or more steps included in the order management process described here may be omitted as appropriate. The steps in the order management process may be executed in a different order as long as the same action and effect is achieved. Furthermore, although an example is described here in which each step in the order management process is executed by the control unit 21, another embodiment of the order management method can be one in which each step in the order management process is executed in a distributed manner by multiple processors.

In step S1, the control unit 21 causes the facility terminal 3 to display the menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 4). For example, when a restaurant manager accesses the website of the order management service on the facility terminal 3, the control unit 21 causes the facility terminal 3 to display the menu registration page P1.

Next, in step S2, the control unit 21 acquires menu information. For example, when the administrator inputs menu information (menu name, description, price, etc.) on the menu registration page P1, the control unit 21 acquires the menu information.

Next, in step S3, the control unit 21 obtains the minimum order quantity. For example, when the administrator inputs the minimum order quantity on the menu registration page P1, the control unit 21 obtains the minimum order quantity. The control unit 21 may also display a list of minimum order quantity selection options K5 (see FIG. 4) and accept a selection operation of the minimum order quantity from the administrator.

The control unit 21 may also receive an operation from the administrator to select whether or not to set the minimum order quantity, and set the minimum order quantity in response to the administrator's operation. For example, the control unit 21 may display an operation unit for selecting whether or not to set a minimum order quantity on the menu registration page P1, and when the administrator presses the operation unit, may display an input field or selection options K5 for the minimum order quantity, receive input of the minimum order quantity, and obtain the minimum order quantity.

When the control unit 21 obtains the minimum order quantity corresponding to a menu item, it registers it in association with the menu information for that menu item (see Figure 2).

In another embodiment, the control unit 21 may automatically set the minimum order quantity based on the menu information. For example, when a specific menu (e.g., a hotpot menu) is registered, the control unit 21 may automatically set the minimum order quantity according to the menu. In this case, the administrator may be able to change the automatically set minimum order quantity.

Next, in step S4, the control unit 21 acquires submenu information. For example, when the administrator inputs a submenu on the menu registration page P1, the control unit 21 acquires the submenu information. The control unit 21 registers the submenu information in association with the main menu information (see FIG. 3). For example, the control unit 21 registers the submenu items "Ramen," "Udon," and "Rice" in association with the main menu item "Pot A."

The control unit 21 also acquires the setting state ("ON" or "OFF") of the linking setting for the number of orders for the submenu (see FIG. 4). For example, the administrator sets "No linking of quantity for submenu" to "ON" when allowing any number of orders to be accepted for the submenu regardless of the minimum number of orders for the main menu. On the other hand, the administrator sets "No linking of quantity for submenu" to "OFF" when only allowing the acceptance of orders corresponding to the number of orders for the main menu (for example, the same number of orders as for the main menu, or more than the number of orders for the main menu).

As described above, the control unit 21 acquires submenu information including the submenu (menu name) and the linking setting for the order quantity of the submenu.

Next, in step S5, the control unit 21 determines whether or not a menu registration operation has been accepted from the administrator. If the control unit 21 has accepted a menu registration operation from the administrator (S5: Yes), the control unit 21 transitions the process to step S6. On the other hand, if the control unit 21 has not accepted a menu registration operation from the administrator (S5: No), the control unit 21 transitions the process to step S2, where it accepts the registration operations for the menu information, minimum order quantity, and submenu information, and acquires each piece of information.

For example, when the administrator presses the registration button K17 on the menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 4), the control unit 21 determines that the registration operation has been accepted.

In step S6, the control unit 21 registers menu information. For example, the control unit 21 registers information about "Nabe A" (menu name, price, minimum order quantity, description, etc.) in menu information D1 (see FIG. 2). The control unit 21 also registers information about "Ramen," "Udon," and "Rice," which have been input as submenus for Nabe A, in submenu information D2 (see FIG. 3), in association with Nabe A.

Next, in step S7, the control unit 21 determines whether or not an additional menu registration operation has been received from the administrator. If the control unit 21 receives an additional menu registration operation from the administrator (S7: Yes), the control unit 21 transitions the process to step S1 and displays a new menu registration page P1 on the facility terminal 3. For example, when the administrator presses the Add button K18 on the menu registration page P1, the control unit 21 determines that an additional menu registration operation has been received. If the control unit 21 does not receive an additional menu registration operation from the administrator (S7: No), the control unit 21 ends the process.

In this manner, the control unit 21 repeatedly executes the order management process for each menu item that the restaurant provides to customers, and registers menu information D1 (see FIG. 2) and submenu information D2 (see FIG. 3).

As described above, the order management system 1 according to the first embodiment has a configuration that allows the minimum order quantity to be variably set for each menu item provided to patrons of a restaurant (dining facility). The order management system 1 also receives an operation from a user (administrator) to select whether or not to set the minimum order quantity, and sets the minimum order quantity in response to the user's operation. When the order management system 1 receives an operation from the user to set the minimum order quantity, it further receives an operation from the user to select a minimum order quantity of 2 or more for the minimum order quantity, and sets the minimum order quantity in response to the user's operation.

When the order management system 1 performs the setting process, it allows the acceptance of orders from the user (customer) for the menu for which the minimum order quantity has been set, the minimum order quantity or more. Furthermore, when the order management system 1 accepts an order from the user for the menu for an amount equal to or greater than the minimum order quantity, it allows the acceptance of an order from the user for a submenu associated with the menu. For example, the order management system 1 allows the acceptance of orders from the user for the submenu for an amount equal to or less than the order quantity for the menu.

According to the above configuration, for example, by setting a minimum order quantity for each menu item in advance, the user can input an order quantity equal to or greater than the minimum order quantity on the ordering terminal 4. This reduces the workload of restaurant staff and improves the operational efficiency of the restaurant. It also improves the convenience of ordering operations for users.

In addition, since staff members will receive orders less frequently via the staff terminal, communication traffic related to processing between the staff terminal and the order management device 2 can be reduced, and computer resources can be used more effectively.

[Other embodiments]
The order management system of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. An order management system 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

For example, the control unit 21 may be able to select whether to allow only orders of the minimum number or more for a specific menu (e.g., hotpot) the first time, and allow orders below the minimum number from the next time onwards, or to allow only orders above the minimum number for the first and subsequent times, and always prohibit orders below the minimum number. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 21 displays a switch button K19 on the menu registration page P1 that switches between applying the minimum order condition to the first time only, or to the first and subsequent times onwards.

The administrator sets the switch button K19 to ON if the minimum order quantity condition is to be applied only to the first order, and sets the switch button K19 to OFF if the minimum order quantity condition is to be applied to the first order and subsequent orders. For example, if the switch button K19 is set to ON for pot A, when ordering pot A, the user can only place an order of more than the minimum order quantity (e.g., an order for two or more servings) when ordering the first time, but can also place an order of less than the minimum order quantity (e.g., an order for one serving) when placing additional orders from the next time onwards.

In contrast, when the switch button K19 for pot A is set to OFF, the user can only place an order for pot A that is equal to or greater than the minimum order quantity (e.g., an order for two or more servings) when first placing the order and for subsequent additional orders, and is prohibited from placing an order for less than the minimum order quantity (e.g., an order for one serving).

In this way, when the control unit 21 sets a minimum order quantity for a given menu, it may further set whether to prohibit the acceptance of orders for that menu from a user that are less than the minimum order quantity for the first order only, or to prohibit the acceptance of orders for that menu from a user that are less than the minimum order quantity for the first order and subsequent orders.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the minimum order quantity may be the minimum order unit. For example, when the minimum order unit for a certain menu (e.g., yakitori, sushi, etc.) is set to "2", the control unit 21 allows orders in units of "2" only and prohibits orders in units other than "2". For example, when the minimum order unit for yakitori is set to "2", a user is only allowed to order yakitori in units of two (orders of 2, 4, 6, etc.), and is prohibited from ordering in units of one (orders of 1, 3, 5, etc.). In this case, the control unit 21 may be able to select whether to only allow orders of the minimum order unit the first time and allow orders less than the minimum order unit from the next time onwards, or to only allow orders of the minimum order unit for the first and subsequent times and always prohibit orders less than the minimum order unit.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 21 may set a minimum order quantity according to the number of people at a table. For example, if the number of people using a table is four, the control unit 21 sets the minimum order quantity for a specific menu to "4" (4 servings). In this way, the control unit 21 may set a minimum order quantity according to the number of people visiting the restaurant.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the order terminal 4 may be an operation terminal (staff terminal) where restaurant staff verbally accept and input order details from customers. This makes it possible for staff to prohibit input of less than the minimum order quantity when inputting order details, and to input appropriate order quantities for sub-menus, eliminating the need for checking.

[Embodiment 2]
In order to obtain many orders from customers, restaurants have introduced a system in which a specific menu (main menu) and a menu (submenu) that is likely to be ordered together with the main menu are associated with each other in advance and registered, and the submenu is recommended to the customer when the main menu is selected. According to this system, for example, sake (main menu), edamame and a sake glass (ochoko) (submenu) are displayed on the order page, so that the customer can order edamame and ochoko together with sake. However, in the conventional system, the main menu and the submenu are configured as one data in the POS data, so that, for example, the number of orders for the submenu is the product of the number of orders for the main menu and the number of orders for the submenu. For example, if a user inputs "3" as the number of orders for sake and "5" as the number of orders for ochoko on the order page, the system calculates the number of orders for ochoko as "15". For this reason, the conventional technology has a problem that the convenience of the menu ordering operation by the user is reduced. In contrast, according to the order management system 1 according to the second embodiment, it is possible to improve the convenience of the ordering operation by the user as shown below.

Specifically, the order management system 1 according to the second embodiment has a configuration that allows the user of the restaurant to set whether to accept only the same number of orders as the number of orders for the first menu, which is associated with the first menu provided to the user, from the second menu, or to accept any number of orders from the user. A specific example of this configuration is described below. Note that in the second embodiment, the description of the same configuration as that shown in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

As described above, the display processing unit 211 displays the menu registration page P1 on the facility terminal 3, and the reception processing unit 212 accepts input operations by the administrator. For example, when registering a sake menu, the administrator registers the menu ID, menu name, description, price, minimum order quantity, etc. on the menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 9). When registering a sake submenu, the administrator presses the registration button K61 to register the submenu (e.g., "ochoko") on the submenu registration page (not shown). If there are other submenus, the administrator registers the submenu (e.g., "edamame" and "sashimi") on the submenu registration page. Note that in the second embodiment, the process of registering the minimum order quantity may be omitted.

For example, the administrator can press the registration button K62 to switch the linking setting of the number of orders for the submenu. For example, if the user orders "3 bottles (3 go)" of sake, and the total number of orders for the submenu ("Ochoko") is permitted to be from "1 bottle" (any number of orders is permitted), the administrator sets "No linking of quantity for submenu" (registration button K62) to "ON". For example, if the user orders "3 bottles (3 go)" of sake, and the total number of orders for the submenu is permitted to be only "3 bottles (3 go)" (orders of more than 3 are prohibited), the administrator sets "No linking of quantity for submenu" to "OFF". FIG. 9 shows the state in which "No linking of quantity for submenu" is set to "ON". In this way, the setting function of "No linking of quantity for submenu" is a switching unit for switching whether or not to link the number of orders for the submenu to the number of orders for the main menu. The main menu is an example of the first menu of the present invention, and the submenu is an example of the second menu of the present invention.

When the administrator has completed inputting information for each of the registration items K11 to K16, he or she presses the register button K17. The setting processing unit 213 registers the information entered for each of the registration items K11 to K16. Here, the setting processing unit 213 registers each piece of information related to sake in menu information D1 (see FIG. 2). The setting processing unit 213 also associates the menu information entered as a submenu for sake with sake and registers it in submenu information D2 (see FIG. 3). Note that FIG. 3 shows an example in which "Edamame," "Sashimi," and "Ochoko" have been registered as submenus for sake.

Here, the setting processing unit 213 sets whether or not to link the number of orders for the submenu to the number of orders for the main menu, depending on the setting operation of the administrator (switching operation of the switching unit (registration button K62)). Specifically, the setting processing unit 213 sets whether to allow the acceptance of orders from users for only the same number of orders as the number of orders for the main menu, for the submenu associated with the main menu provided to customers of the restaurant, or to allow the acceptance of any number of orders from users. In other words, the setting processing unit 213 sets the submenu to either a first mode that allows the acceptance of orders from users for only the same number of orders as the number of orders for the main menu, or a second mode that allows the acceptance of any number of orders from users.

When the control unit 21 registers the menu information D1 (see FIG. 2) and the submenu information D2 (see FIG. 3) in response to the administrator's registration operation on the facility terminal 3, it displays the order page P2 on the order terminal 4 based on this information and accepts menu orders from users.

For example, the display processing unit 211 causes the ordering terminal 4 to display the order page P2 shown in FIG. 10. For example, when a restaurant patron accesses (logs in to) an ordering site provided by the restaurant on the ordering terminal 4, the display processing unit 211 causes the ordering terminal 4 to display the order page P2. FIG. 10 shows the sake order page P2 that is displayed when the user selects "Sake" from a menu list (not shown). The display processing unit 211 causes the order page P2 to display an image of sake, the price (price including tax per bottle (one gou)), a description (see FIG. 9), a quantity input field K21, information on the submenu (here, "Ochoko") (menu name, price, quantity input field K23), and the like. Note that if the price of the submenu is free, the price display may be omitted (see FIG. 10).

The display processing unit 211 also displays buttons for increasing and decreasing the order quantity (the increase button "+" and the decrease button "-") in each of the quantity input fields K21 and K23, and the reception processing unit 212 receives the user's input operation of the order quantity (the operation of pressing the increase button and the decrease button). Here, the display processing unit 211 displays the quantity input field K21 (the first input unit of the present invention) for inputting the order quantity for the main menu in the main menu display area (upper area), and displays the quantity input field K23 (the second input unit of the present invention) for inputting the order quantity for the submenu in the submenu display area (lower area). This allows the user to easily distinguish between the input fields for the main menu and the submenu.

The order processing unit 214 allows users to place orders for the main menu and submenus associated with the main menu.

Specifically, the order processing unit 214 determines the number of orders that can be placed for a submenu based on the linking state between the main menu and the submenu (the setting state of "submenu quantity not linked" (see FIG. 9)). For example, when "submenu quantity not linked" (register button K62) is set to "ON" (second mode), the number of orders for the submenu is not linked to the number of orders for the main menu. That is, as described above, when a user orders "3 bottles (3 go)" of sake, the order processing unit 214 allows orders for sake cups starting from "1 cup" (allows orders of any number of orders). For example, the order processing unit 214 allows orders for 1 cup, 2 cups, 3 cups, 4 cups, 5 cups (see FIG. 10), etc. As another embodiment, the order processing unit 214 may set the upper limit of the number of orders for a submenu in the second mode to the number of users using the same table. As a result, the order processing unit 214 allows the acceptance of orders for the submenu in a number of numbers less than the number of users.

In contrast, for example, when "submenu quantity not linked" is set to "OFF" (i.e., submenu quantity linked) (first mode), the number of submenus ordered is linked to the number of main menu orders. That is, when a user orders "three bottles (three go)" of sake, the order processing unit 214 allows only "three" ochoko orders (prohibiting orders other than three). Note that in the first mode, the order processing unit 214 may display an error message if a user enters an order number other than three, or may hide the buttons for increasing or decreasing the order number (the "+" increase button and the "-" decrease button).

As another embodiment, in the first mode, the order processing unit 214 may link the upper limit of the number of orders for the sub-menu to the number of orders for the main menu. In this case, when a user orders "3 bottles (3 go)" of sake, the order processing unit 214 allows only the order of 1 to 3 sake cups (orders of 4 or more are prohibited).

In another embodiment, the order processing unit 214 may, in the first mode, link the upper limit of the number of orders for the submenu to the number of users. In this case, when two users are using the same table and one user orders "three bottles (three go)" of sake, the order processing unit 214 allows the user to order only one or two sake cups (orders of three or more are prohibited).

In this way, the setting processing unit 213 may be able to set whether or not to link the number of orders for a submenu to the number of orders for the main menu (three pieces (three bowls) in the above example) depending on the administrator's setting operation (see FIG. 9). In another embodiment, the setting processing unit 213 may be able to set whether or not to link the number of orders for a submenu to the number of users (two people in the above example).

Figures 11 and 12 show an example of another ordering method. For example, when a user inputs "3 bottles (3 go)" of sake on the order page P2 shown in Figure 11 and presses the cart button K22, the display processing unit 211 displays the order page P3 (recommended page) shown in Figure 12. The display processing unit 211 displays "Ochoko", "Edamame", and "Sashimi" (see Figure 3) associated with sake as submenus on the order page P3. On the order page P3, the user selects a submenu and inputs the number of orders. The user can input the number of orders by pressing the increase button ("+") of the quantity input field K21 displayed in the menu image field. The order processing unit 214 determines whether or not to order the submenu based on the setting state (first mode or second mode) of "No quantity linkage of submenu". For example, if the setting processing unit 213 sets "No quantity linking for submenus" to "ON", then when a user orders "3 bottles (3 go)" of sake, the order processing unit 214 allows orders of "Ochoko", "Edamame", and "Sashimi" starting from "1 piece" (allows orders of any number of pieces). Also, for example, if the setting processing unit 213 sets "No quantity linking for submenus" to "OFF", then when a user orders "3 bottles (3 go)" of sake, the order processing unit 214 allows orders of only "3 pieces" of each of "Ochoko", "Edamame", and "Sashimi" (prohibits orders of anything other than 3 pieces). In this case, the user can only select "3" or "0" for the number of pieces ordered for each submenu.

As another ordering method, the display processing unit 211 may display a submenu associated with sake ("Ochoko", "Edamame", "Sashimi") on the order page P2 shown in FIG. 11. That is, the control unit 11 may display the main menu (first menu) and a submenu associated with the main menu (second menu) on the same page (order page), and accept orders for the main menu and submenu (selection of menu, input of order quantity) on that page.

In another embodiment, when multiple submenus are associated with one main menu, the setting processor 213 may set "submenu quantity not linked" for each submenu. For example, the setting processor 213 sets "submenu quantity not linked" for "ochoko" to "OFF" and "submenu quantity not linked" for "edamame" and "sashimi" to "ON" in response to the administrator's setting operation (see FIG. 9). In this case, when a user orders "3 sake cups (3 go)", the order processor 214 allows orders for "ochoko" starting from "1 cup" (allows orders of any number), and allows orders of "edamame" and "sashimi" up to "3 cups" (prohibits orders of more than 3 cups).

In another embodiment, the setting processing unit 213 may automatically set "submenu quantity not linked" to ON/OFF depending on the type of main menu or submenu. For example, if the submenu is a menu that is always necessary for the main menu, the setting processing unit 213 sets "submenu quantity not linked" to OFF, and the order processing unit 214 allows only the same number of orders for the submenu as for the main menu. For example, if the submenu is a glass for drinks (main menu), a plate for serving food (main menu), seasonings used for food (main menu), etc., the setting processing unit 213 sets "submenu quantity not linked" to OFF. On the other hand, if the submenu is a recommended menu that is often ordered together with the main menu, the setting processing unit 213 sets "submenu quantity not linked" to ON, and the order processing unit 214 allows any number of orders for the submenu.

The output processing unit 215 outputs the order data of the order accepted by the order processing unit 214 to the kitchen. Specifically, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order data to a kitchen terminal (not shown) of the restaurant. The order data includes information such as the order details of the menu corresponding to the user's order, the table number of the table used by the user, the order number, and the date and time when the order was accepted (order date and time). The output processing unit 215 may also cause an order form including the order data to be output (printed or displayed) from the kitchen terminal. When the kitchen staff receives the order form, they prepare the food and drink ordered.

The accounting processing unit 216 performs accounting for the price (food and drink price) of the menu ordered by the user. For example, when the user presses the payment button on the accounting page (not shown) displayed on the ordering terminal 4, the accounting processing unit 216 performs accounting (settlement) for the food and drink price. For example, the accounting processing unit 216 performs electronic payment (mobile payment) using the ordering terminal 4.

[Order Management Processing]
Hereinafter, the order management process executed in the order management system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In step S11, the control unit 21 causes the facility terminal 3 to display the menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 8). For example, when a restaurant manager accesses the website of the order management service on the facility terminal 3, the control unit 21 causes the facility terminal 3 to display the menu registration page P1.

Next, in step S12, the control unit 21 acquires menu information. For example, when the administrator inputs menu information (menu name, description, price, etc.) on the menu registration page P1, the control unit 21 acquires the menu information.

Next, in step S13, the control unit 21 acquires submenu information. For example, when the administrator inputs a submenu on the menu registration page P1, the control unit 21 acquires the submenu information. The control unit 21 registers the submenu information in association with the main menu information (see FIG. 3). For example, the control unit 21 registers the submenu item "Ochoko" in association with the main menu item "Sake."

Next, in step S14, the control unit 21 determines whether an operation to set "No submenu quantity linking" to "ON" has been accepted for the linking setting of the number of orders for the submenu. For example, the administrator sets "No submenu quantity linking" to "ON" (second mode) when allowing any number of orders to be accepted for the submenu regardless of the number of orders for the main menu. On the other hand, the administrator sets "No submenu quantity linking" to "OFF" (first mode) when only the number of orders corresponding to the number of orders for the main menu (for example, the same number of orders as for the main menu, or the number of orders with the number of orders for the main menu as the upper limit) is accepted.

When the control unit 21 receives an operation to set "No quantity linking to submenus" to "ON" (S14: Yes), the control unit 21 shifts the process to step S15. On the other hand, when the control unit 21 receives an operation to set "No quantity linking to submenus" to "OFF" (S14: No), the control unit 21 shifts the process to step S41.

In step S15, the control unit 21 sets "No quantity linking for submenus" to "ON", and in step S41, sets "No quantity linking for submenus" to "OFF". The control unit 21 acquires the setting state ("ON" or "OFF") of the linking setting for the order quantity for the submenu. After steps S15 and S41, the control unit 21 transitions the process to step S16.

Next, in step S16, the control unit 21 determines whether or not a menu registration operation has been received from the administrator. If the control unit 21 has received a menu registration operation from the administrator (S16: Yes), the control unit 21 transitions the process to step S17. On the other hand, if the control unit 21 has not received a menu registration operation from the administrator (S16: No), the control unit 21 transitions the process to step S12, where it receives the registration operations for the menu information and submenu information and acquires each piece of information.

For example, when the administrator presses the registration button K17 on the menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 8), the control unit 21 determines that the registration operation has been accepted (S16: Yes).

In step S17, the control unit 21 registers the menu information. For example, the control unit 21 registers information related to "Sake" (menu name, price, minimum order quantity, description, etc.) in the menu information D1 (see FIG. 2). The control unit 21 also registers information on "Ochoko" input as a submenu of Sake in the submenu information D2 in association with Sake. Note that FIG. 3 shows an example in which information on "Ochoko", "Edamame", and "Sashimi" input as submenus of Sake are registered in the submenu information D2.

Next, in step S18, the control unit 21 determines whether or not an additional menu registration operation has been received from the administrator. If the control unit 21 receives an additional menu registration operation from the administrator (S18: Yes), the control unit 21 transitions to step S11 and displays a new menu registration page P1 on the facility terminal 3. For example, when the administrator presses the Add button K18 on the menu registration page P1, the control unit 21 determines that an additional menu registration operation has been received. If the control unit 21 does not receive an additional menu registration operation from the administrator (S18: No), the control unit 21 ends the process.

In this manner, the control unit 21 repeatedly executes the order management process for each menu item that the restaurant provides to customers, and registers menu information D1 (see FIG. 2) and submenu information D2 (see FIG. 3).

As described above, the order management system 1 according to the second embodiment has a configuration that allows the user of the restaurant to set whether to accept only the same number of orders as the number of orders for the first menu (main menu) provided to the restaurant customer for the second menu (submenu) (first mode), or to accept any number of orders from the user (second mode).

According to the above configuration, for example, a user can order the main menu and sub-menu items individually in appropriate quantities. Furthermore, when the first mode is set, the user can order the same number of sub-menus as the number of main menu items. Furthermore, when the second mode is set, the user can order any number of sub-menus regardless of the number of main menu items. Therefore, for example, if a user inputs "3" as the number of sake ordered and "5" as the number of sake cups ordered, an order for 15 sake cups will not be accepted, but the order for the five cups intended by the user will be accepted. This makes it possible to improve the convenience of ordering operations for users. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the acceptance of inappropriate orders, thereby improving the business efficiency of restaurants.

The order management system 1 may set the first or second mode for the submenu based on a setting operation by the restaurant manager.

When the order management system 1 is set to the second mode, it may display a quantity input field K21 (first input section) for inputting the order quantity for the main menu in the display area of the main menu, and a quantity input field K23 (second input section) for inputting the order quantity for the submenu in the display area of the submenu. This allows the user to input the order quantity for the main menu and the order quantity for the submenu separately.

Here, one menu may be a set menu consisting of multiple a la carte items. Examples of set menus include a hamburger set consisting of a hamburger, fries, and a drink, a pizza set consisting of pizza, salad, and a drink, and a set meal set consisting of rice, a main dish, and a side dish. In this case, the main a la carte item (main menu) of the set menu corresponds to the first menu of the present invention, and the a la carte items (sub-menus, side menus) excluding the main a la carte item of the set menu correspond to the second menu of the present invention.

In the case of a set menu, when "No quantity linking to sub-menu" is set to "ON" (second mode), the order processing unit 214 allows the ordering of the sub-menu items of fries and drink from "1 item" (any number of orders allowed) when, for example, a user orders "3" hamburger sets. For example, when three hamburgers are ordered from the main menu, the order processing unit 214 allows the ordering of two fries and three drinks, one fries and two drinks, three fries and one drink, etc., for the sub-menu.

In contrast, when "No quantity linking to sub-menus" is set to "OFF" (first mode) for a set menu, when three hamburgers are ordered from the main menu, the order processing unit 214 will only permit orders of "three" of each of the sub-menus of fries and drinks (orders of anything other than three are prohibited).

In addition, in a set menu, when a submenu includes a selectable menu, it may be possible to set whether or not to permit selection of the submenu. For example, when a hamburger set includes multiple types of drinks, it may be possible to set whether or not to permit selection of the type of drink. For example, when a mode is set to permit selection of a submenu, the order processing unit 214 permits the user to order three types of drinks (a total of three drinks) when the user orders "three" hamburger sets. In contrast, when a mode is set to prohibit selection of a submenu, the order processing unit 214 permits the user to order only one type of drink (a total of three drinks) when the user orders "three" hamburger sets, for example.

In this way, the setting processing unit 213 may set the user to be able to select any submenu from multiple submenus when the main menu is selected by the user. With this configuration, the user can, for example, input multiple orders for set menus on an order page, and then input any number of orders or select any type for the submenus.

The setting processing unit 213 may permit ordering of any type of submenu when "No quantity linking of submenus" is set to "ON" (second mode) (when the linking between the main menu and the submenu is released), and permit ordering of only one type of submenu when "No quantity linking of submenus" is set to "OFF" (first mode) (when the linking between the main menu and the submenu is enabled).

In addition, for example, restaurants may provide each customer with a free appetizer (or appetizer, etc.). For example, in a restaurant, if four customers use a table, four appetizers are provided for the number of customers at the table. In a restaurant that provides such a service, the order management system 1 may have a configuration that allows the number of appetizers provided to users to be changed. For example, when the setting processing unit 213 sets the setting related to the appetizer (appetizer setting mode) to a mode in which the amount of appetizers is linked to the number of customers (linked), the order processing unit 214 allows only the order of the same number of appetizers as the number of customers. In contrast, when the setting processing unit 213 sets the setting related to the appetizer to a mode in which the amount of appetizers is not linked to the number of customers (not linked), the order processing unit 214 allows any number of appetizers to be ordered regardless of the number of customers.

For example, the setting processing unit 213 sets the mode to linked mode or unlinked mode in response to a setting operation by the restaurant manager. In another embodiment, the setting processing unit 213 may set a table to linked mode when all users using the table order alcoholic beverages. The setting processing unit 213 may also set a table to unlinked mode when at least one of the users using the table orders a drink other than alcoholic beverages (such as a soft drink). The setting processing unit 213 may also set a table to unlinked mode when a child is included among the users using the table.

In addition, in a restaurant where a user operates the order terminal 4 to order an appetizer, the order processing unit 214 determines whether to accept an order from a user based on the appetizer setting mode. In a restaurant where an appetizer is provided to a user regardless of the user's order operation, the order processing unit 214 may accept an order operation by the restaurant staff. For example, when the setting processing unit 213 is set to a mode with linking, the order processing unit 214 allows the staff to order only the same number of appetizers as the number of users. In contrast, when the setting processing unit 213 is set to a mode without linking, the order processing unit 214 allows the staff to order any number of appetizers regardless of the number of users. For example, when the mode with linking is set, the staff can only input the number of appetizer orders in the staff terminal that is the same as the number of users using the table. Also, when the mode without linking is set, the staff can check the number of users at the table to whom appetizers can be provided and input the number of appetizer orders in the staff terminal.

In another embodiment, the setting processing unit 213 may permit any number of appetizer orders when "No quantity linking to submenus" is set to "ON" (second mode) (when the linking between the main menu and submenus is released), and may permit only the number of appetizer orders for the number of users when "No quantity linking to submenus" is set to "OFF" (first mode) (when the linking between the main menu and submenus is enabled).

[Embodiment 3]
In a restaurant, a specific menu (main menu) and a menu (sub-menu) related to the main menu are registered in advance in association with each other, and when a user selects the main menu, the restaurant accepts the selection of the sub-menu. For example, when a user selects a set menu, the restaurant accepts the selection of one of a plurality of side menus included in the set menu.

Here, in the case where two users A and B use one table, if user A selects set meal menu Mm1 and side menu Sm1, and user B selects set meal menu Mm2 and side menu Sm2, set meal menu Mm1 and side menu Sm1 are output (cooking instructions) as one order information (cooking slip) to the kitchen, and set meal menu Mm2 and side menu Sm2 are output as one order information. In this case, the problem of the large amount of order information and complicated management arises. On the other hand, in the above example, if all orders (set meal menu Mm1, side menu Sm1, set meal menu Mm2, side menu Sm2) are output together as one order information, the set contents of the set meal menu and side menu will become unclear, and a problem will arise in which, for example, set meal menu Mm1 and side menu Sm2 are provided to user A, and set meal menu Mm2 and side menu Sm1 are provided to user B. In contrast, the order management system 1 according to the third embodiment can efficiently manage order information and provide the order details to the user appropriately, as shown below.

Specifically, the order management system 1 according to embodiment 3 has a configuration that allows the system to set whether, when an order for a first menu and a second menu associated with the first menu to be provided to a restaurant customer is received from the customer, the system outputs to the facility terminal 3 order information that maintains the association between the first menu and the second menu, or outputs to the facility terminal 3 order information that releases the association between the first menu and the second menu. A specific example of this configuration is described below. Note that in embodiment 3, the description of the same configuration as that shown in embodiments 1 and 2 will be omitted as appropriate.

As described above, the display processing unit 211 displays the menu registration page P1 on the facility terminal 3, and the reception processing unit 212 accepts input operations by the administrator. For example, when registering a grilled fish set meal, the administrator registers the menu ID, menu name, description, price, minimum order quantity, etc. on the menu registration page P1 (see FIG. 14). When registering a sub-menu for the grilled fish set meal, the administrator presses the registration button K61 to register the sub-menu (for example, "miso soup," "pork soup," "regular rice," "large rice," "coffee," "tea," etc.) on the sub-menu registration page (not shown). Note that in the third embodiment, the process of registering the minimum order quantity may be omitted.

In addition, the administrator can set the method (output mode) for outputting the order information (cooking slip) to the kitchen terminal (facility terminal 3) on the menu registration page P1. Specifically, the administrator sets the output mode (individual mode) to output the order information that maintains the association between the main menu and submenu to the kitchen terminal, or the output mode (aggregated mode) to output the order information that has been released from the association between the main menu and submenu to the kitchen terminal.

For example, if two users, A and B, share a table, and user A orders a "grilled fish set meal" with the sub-menus "miso soup," "regular rice," and "coffee," and user B orders a "grilled fish set meal" with the sub-menus "pork soup," "large rice," and "coffee," if the administrator wants to consolidate "2 grilled fish set meals," "1 miso soup," "1 pork soup," "1 regular rice," "1 large rice," and "2 coffees" and output them as a single order information (cooking slip) to the kitchen terminal (facility terminal 3), the administrator sets the "aggregation setting" (setting button K63) to "ON" (aggregation mode).

On the other hand, if the administrator wishes to have the order information of User A's order and the order information of User B's order output separately to the kitchen terminal, the administrator sets the "aggregation setting" (setting button K63) to "OFF" (individual mode). Figure 14 shows the state when the "aggregation setting" is set to "ON."

In this way, the setting function of "aggregation setting" is a switching unit for switching whether multiple order information is output to the kitchen terminal collectively or individually. The main menu is an example of the first menu of the present invention, and the submenu is an example of the second menu of the present invention. The setting button K63 may be displayed on a page different from the menu registration page P1. Also, the setting button K63 and the registration button K62 (see Figures 4 and 9) may be displayed on the menu registration page P1.

When the administrator has completed inputting information for each of the registration items K11 to K16, he or she presses the registration button K17. The setting processing unit 213 registers the information entered for each of the registration items K11 to K16. Here, the setting processing unit 213 registers each piece of information related to the grilled fish set meal in the menu information D1 (see FIG. 2). The setting processing unit 213 also registers the menu information entered as a submenu of the grilled fish set meal in association with the grilled fish set meal in the submenu information D2 (see FIG. 3).

Here, the setting processing unit 213 sets whether or not to aggregate multiple pieces of order information and output them to the kitchen terminal according to the setting operation of the administrator (switching operation of the switching unit (setting button K63)). Specifically, when the setting processing unit 213 receives an order from a customer for a main menu and a submenu associated with the main menu to be provided to customers of the restaurant, it sets whether to output order information that maintains the association between the main menu and the submenu to the facility terminal 3 (kitchen terminal), or to output order information that cancels the association between the main menu and the submenu to the facility terminal 3. That is, the setting processing unit 213 sets either an individual mode (first output mode of the present invention) in which the side menu and the submenu are output as individual order information that maintains the association to the submenu to the facility terminal 3 (kitchen terminal), or an aggregated mode (second output mode of the present invention) in which the association between the side menu and the submenu is canceled, aggregated as one piece of order information, and output to the facility terminal 3 (kitchen terminal). The setting processing unit 213 also sets the individual mode or aggregated mode based on the setting operation by the manager of the dining facility.

When the control unit 21 registers the menu information D1 (see FIG. 2) and the submenu information D2 (see FIG. 3) in response to the administrator's registration operation on the facility terminal 3, it displays the order page P2 on the order terminal 4 based on this information and accepts menu orders from users.

For example, the display processing unit 211 causes the ordering terminal 4 to display the order page P2 shown in FIG. 15. For example, when a restaurant patron accesses (logs in to) an ordering site provided by the restaurant on the ordering terminal 4, the display processing unit 211 causes the ordering page P2 to be displayed on the ordering terminal 4. FIG. 15 shows the order page P2 for a grilled fish set meal that is displayed when the user selects "grilled fish set meal" from a menu list (not shown). The display processing unit 211 causes the order page P2 to display an image of the grilled fish set meal, a price, a description (see FIG. 14), a quantity input field K21, and the like.

The display processing unit 211 also displays buttons for increasing or decreasing the order quantity (the increase button "+" and the decrease button "-") in the quantity input field K21, and the reception processing unit 212 receives the input operation of the order quantity from the user (the operation of pressing the increase button and the decrease button).

When the user inputs "2 pieces (2 servings)" for the grilled fish set meal on the order page P2 shown in FIG. 15 and presses button K25, the display processing unit 211 displays the order page P3 (submenu page) shown in FIG. 16. The display processing unit 211 may display the contents of the order page P2 and the contents of the order page P3 on the same page. The display processing unit 211 displays "Miso soup," "Pork miso soup," "Regular rice," "Large rice," "Coffee," and "Tea" (see FIG. 3) associated with the grilled fish set meal as submenus on the order page P3. The user selects a submenu and inputs the number of items to be ordered on the order page P3. The user inputs the number of items to be ordered, two for each of soup, rice, and drink.

When a user selects a main menu and a submenu and presses the order button K26, the order processing unit 214 accepts the user's order. When the order processing unit 214 accepts the order, the output processing unit 215 outputs order data (order information) to the kitchen. Specifically, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order data to the restaurant's kitchen terminal (facility terminal 3). The order data includes information such as the order details of the menu corresponding to the user's order, the table number of the table used by the user, the order number, and the date and time when the order was accepted (order date and time). The output processing unit 215 may also cause an order slip (cooking slip) including the order data to be output (printed or displayed) from the kitchen terminal. When the kitchen staff receives the order slip, they prepare the food and drink ordered.

Here, when the order processing unit 214 receives multiple orders, each of which includes a main menu and a submenu, and the setting processing unit 213 sets the output mode to the individual mode, the output processing unit 215 causes the kitchen terminal to output order information associating the main menu and submenu for each of the multiple orders. In contrast, when the setting processing unit 213 sets the output mode to the aggregated mode, the output processing unit 215 causes the kitchen terminal to output order information regarding the total number of orders for each of the main menus and submenus included in the multiple orders.

For example, when the output mode is set to the individual mode and a user places an order for two items (2 servings) as shown in Figures 15 and 16, the output processing unit 215 outputs to the kitchen terminal one piece of order information P4 associating "1 grilled fish set meal", "1 miso soup", "1 regular rice", and "1 coffee", as shown in Figure 17, and another piece of order information P4 associating "1 grilled fish set meal", "1 pork soup", "1 large rice", and "1 coffee". The order information P4 may be display information displayed on the kitchen terminal, or may be a paper slip printed out from the kitchen terminal. The above two pieces of order information may also be output as separate slips. In this case, the staff places one grilled fish set meal, one miso soup, one regular serving of rice, and one coffee on one tray, and one grilled fish set meal, one pork soup, one large serving of rice, and one coffee on another tray, and serves them to the order table. In this way, by setting the "individual mode," the order contents can be managed separately for each user (see Figure 17), preventing mistakes in serving the ordered items.

In contrast, for example, when the output mode is set to the aggregated mode and a user places an order as shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the output processing unit 215 outputs to the kitchen terminal one order information P4 that aggregates "2 grilled fish set meals", "1 miso soup", "1 pork miso soup", "1 regular rice", "1 extra-large rice", and "2 coffees", as shown in FIG. 18. In this case, the staff places two grilled fish set meals, one miso soup, one pork miso soup, two regular rice, one extra-large rice, and two coffees on one tray and serves them to the order table. In this way, by setting to the aggregated mode, the amount of order information (such as the number of receipts) can be reduced (see FIG. 18), and therefore management of order information can be simplified.

As described above, the setting processing unit 213 sets the individual mode or the aggregated mode based on the setting operation by the manager of the dining facility.

In another embodiment, the setting processing unit 213 may set the individual mode or the aggregated mode based on the types of main menu and submenu. For example, there are main menus that cannot be disassociated with submenus and main menus that can be disassociated with submenus. For example, the submenus "Steak size," "How to cook steak," and "Steak sauce" for the main menu "Steak set meal" cannot be disassociated with the main menu and submenu because they are menus (cooking information) required for the cooking process of the main menu. In this case, the setting processing unit 213 prohibits the administrator from setting the main menu "Steak set meal" (switching between "aggregated settings") and automatically sets it to "individual mode."

Figure 19 shows the ordering page P2 for the steak set meal, which is displayed when the user selects "steak set meal" from the menu list (not shown). The display processing unit 211 displays an image of the steak set meal, its price, a description, a quantity input field K21, and the like on the ordering page P2.

When the user inputs "2 steak set meals (2 servings)" on the order page P2 shown in FIG. 19 and presses button K25, the display processing unit 211 displays the order page P3 (sub-menu page) shown in FIG. 20. The display processing unit 211 displays, as separate sub-menus, the "size," "cooking method," "sauce," and "rice" associated with the first steak set meal (for the first person) and the "size," "cooking method," "sauce," and "rice" associated with the second steak set meal (for the second person) on the order page P3. In this way, when the output mode is set to the individual mode, the display processing unit 211 displays selectable sub-menus for each main menu, as shown in FIG. 20.

When the output mode is set to the individual mode and a user places an order as shown in Figures 19 and 20, the output processing unit 215 outputs to the kitchen terminal, as shown in Figure 21, one piece of order information P4 associating "1 steak set meal", "1 piece of 150g size", "1 piece of medium rare", "1 piece of onion sauce", and "1 piece of regular rice", and one piece of order information P4 associating "1 steak set meal", "1 piece of 300g size", "1 piece of medium rare", "1 piece of demi-glace sauce", and "1 piece of large rice". In this case, the staff will place a steak set meal consisting of a 150g medium rare steak with onion sauce and a regular serving of rice on one tray, and a steak set meal consisting of a 300g medium rare steak with demi-glace sauce and a large serving of rice on the other tray, and serve them to the ordering table.

In this way, if the main menu is, for example, "steak set meal" and the submenu is, for example, "steak size" or "steak cooking method", i.e., if the submenu is a menu necessary for cooking the main menu, cooking will not be possible if the main menu and the submenu are separated, so the setting processing unit 213 sets the output mode to "individual mode". On the other hand, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, if the main menu is, for example, "grilled fish set meal" and the submenu is, for example, "soup", i.e., if the submenu is a menu not necessary for cooking the main menu, cooking will be possible separately even if the main menu and the submenu are separated, so the setting processing unit 213 allows the administrator to operate the settings and sets the output mode to "individual mode" or "aggregated mode" depending on the setting operation.

In another embodiment, if the main menu is, for example, a "hamburger set" and the submenu is, for example, a "side menu," cooking is possible even if the main menu and the submenu are separated, so the setting processing unit 213 allows the administrator to operate the settings and sets the setting to "individual mode" or "aggregated mode" according to the setting operation.

Figure 22 shows an example of order information when the output mode is set to "aggregation mode." As shown in Figure 22, the output processing unit 215 outputs to the kitchen terminal one piece of order information P4 that aggregates "2 hamburger sets," "1 fries," "1 salad," "1 coffee," and "1 orange juice."

Figure 23 shows an example of order information when the output mode is set to "individual mode." As shown in Figure 23, the output processing unit 215 individually outputs to the kitchen terminal one piece of order information P4 that associates "1 hamburger set", "1 fries", "1 coffee", and "1 without tomatoes", and one piece of order information P4 that associates "1 hamburger set", "1 salad", "1 orange juice", and "1 extra cheese".

As shown in FIG. 23, the customized menu "No Tomato" and the topping menu "Add Cheese" are necessary for cooking the main menu, and cannot be disassociated with the main menu "Hamburger Set". For this reason, for example, in the submenu information D2 (see FIG. 3), if a customized menu or a topping menu is registered in association with the main menu, the setting processing unit 213 may set the output mode of the main menu to "Individual Mode".

[Order Management Processing]
Hereinafter, the order management process executed in the order management system 1 according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

In step S21, the control unit 21 determines whether or not an order has been accepted from a user. If the control unit 21 accepts an order (S21: Yes), the control unit 21 transitions the process to step S22. The control unit 21 waits until the order is accepted (S21: No).

In step S22, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the received order includes a submenu. If the received order includes a submenu (S22: Yes), the control unit 21 shifts the process to step S23. On the other hand, if the received order does not include a submenu (S22: No), the control unit 21 shifts the process to step S221.

In step S221, the control unit 21 outputs the order information of the accepted order to the kitchen terminal and ends the order management process.

In step S23, the control unit 21 determines whether the output mode is set to "aggregated mode." For example, the control unit 21 sets "individual mode" or "aggregated mode" in advance for each main menu based on the setting operation of the manager of the dining facility. In another example, the control unit 21 sets "individual mode" or "aggregated mode" in advance for each main menu based on the types of main menu and submenu. The control unit 21 determines the output mode that is preset for the main menu included in the accepted order. If the output mode is set to "aggregated mode" (S23: Yes), the control unit 21 transitions the process to step S24, and if the output mode is set to "individual mode" (S23: No), the control unit 21 transitions the process to step S25.

In step S24, the control unit 21 aggregates the order information and outputs it to the kitchen terminal (facility terminal 3). For example, if a user places an order for two items (2 servings) as shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the control unit 21 outputs to the kitchen terminal one piece of order information P4 that aggregates "2 grilled fish set meals", "1 miso soup", "1 pork soup", "1 regular rice", "1 large rice", and "2 coffees" as shown in FIG. 18. Also, for example, if a user orders "2 hamburger sets", "1 potato", "1 salad", "1 coffee", and "1 orange juice", the control unit 21 outputs to the kitchen terminal one piece of order information P4 that aggregates "2 hamburger sets", "1 potato", "1 salad", "1 coffee", and "1 orange juice" as shown in FIG. 22.

In response to this, in step S25, the control unit 21 outputs the order information individually to the kitchen terminal (facility terminal 3). For example, when a user places an order for two items (2 servings) as shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the control unit 21 outputs to the kitchen terminal individually one piece of order information P4 associating "1 grilled fish set meal", "1 miso soup", "1 regular rice", and "1 coffee", and one piece of order information P4 associating "1 grilled fish set meal", "1 pork soup", "1 large rice", and "1 coffee", as shown in FIG. 17.

For example, when a user places an order as shown in Figures 19 and 20, the control unit 21 outputs to the kitchen terminal one piece of order information P4 associating "1 steak set meal", "1 150g size", "1 medium rare", "1 onion sauce", and "1 regular serving of rice", and one piece of order information P4 associating "1 steak set meal", "1 300g size", "1 medium rare", "1 demi-glace sauce", and "1 large serving of rice", as shown in Figure 21.

For example, if a user orders "2 hamburger sets," "1 fries," "1 salad," "1 coffee," and "1 orange juice," the control unit 21 outputs, as shown in FIG. 23, one piece of order information P4 associating "1 hamburger set," "1 fries," "1 coffee," and "1 no tomato," and another piece of order information P4 associating "1 hamburger set," "1 salad," "1 orange juice," and "1 extra cheese," separately to the kitchen terminal.

After steps S24 and S25, the control unit 21 ends the order management process. The control unit 21 repeatedly executes the above-mentioned process each time an order is received.

As described above, the order management system 1 according to embodiment 3 is configured to be able to set whether, when an order is received from a user for a first menu (main menu) and a second menu (sub-menu) associated with the first menu to be provided to a user of a food and beverage facility, the order information that maintains the association between the first menu and the second menu is output to a facility terminal 3 (a staff terminal, a kitchen terminal, etc.) (first output mode (individual mode)), or the order information that releases the association between the first menu and the second menu is output to a facility terminal 3 (a second output mode (aggregated mode)).

According to the above configuration, for example, by setting the individual mode, when multiple orders are received from users, each of which includes a main menu and a submenu, order information for each order can be output to the kitchen terminal individually, and a main menu and submenu can be prepared for each order. Therefore, the order contents can be provided appropriately for each user. Also, for example, by setting the aggregated mode, when multiple orders are received from users, each of which includes a main menu and a submenu, a single piece of order information that aggregates the multiple orders can be output to the kitchen terminal, making it easier to manage the order information in the kitchen. Also, it becomes possible to efficiently carry out work in the kitchen. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it becomes possible to efficiently manage order information and appropriately provide the order contents to users.

The above configuration is not limited to the exemplified main menu and submenu (see Figures 15 to 23), and can also be applied to, for example, a drink menu. In the case of a drink menu, the base drink corresponds to the main menu, and the ingredients (mixers) to be mixed into the drink correspond to the submenu. For example, if the main menu is an alcoholic drink, the submenu is water, carbonated water, syrup, etc. For example, if a user orders one bottle of shochu (one serving) and one bottle of whiskey (one serving) as the main menu, and one lemon and one bottle of water (one serving) as the submenu, the control unit 21 outputs one order information that aggregates "1 x shochu," "1 x whiskey," "1 x lemon," and "1 x water" to the kitchen terminal when the output mode is set to the aggregate mode. In this case, the staff places one bottle of shochu, one bottle of whiskey, one lemon, and one bottle of water on one tray and serves them to the order table. On the other hand, when the output mode is set to the individual mode, the control unit 21 outputs to the kitchen terminal one piece of order information associating "1 x shochu" with "1 x lemon" and one piece of order information associating "1 x whiskey" with "1 x water." In this case, the staff places one bottle of shochu and one lemon on one tray, and one bottle of whiskey and one bottle of water on another tray, and serves them to the order table.

In the above example, if the main menu is a drink that is provided to the user with a sub-menu mixed together, for example, if a drink made by mixing shochu with lemon is provided to the user, lemon becomes a menu (cooking information) necessary for the cooking process. In this case, the control unit 21 cannot cancel the association between the main menu and the sub-menu, so it prohibits the administrator from performing a setting operation (switching the "aggregated setting") for the main menu "shochu" and automatically sets it to "individual mode." In this case, the control unit 21 outputs to the kitchen terminal one piece of order information that associates "shochu x 1" with "lemon x 1," and one piece of order information that associates "whisky x 1" with "water x 1." The staff serves the shochu drink mixed with lemon and the whiskey drink mixed with water to the order table.

The present invention is not limited to the invention according to the above-mentioned embodiment 1, embodiment 2, and embodiment 3, but may be an invention that combines embodiment 1, embodiment 2, and embodiment 3. That is, the order management system 1 according to embodiment 3 may include the minimum order quantity setting process shown in embodiment 1 (configuration that allows the minimum order quantity to be variably set for orders accepted from users). Also, the order management system 1 according to embodiment 3 may include the minimum order quantity setting process shown in embodiment 2 (configuration that allows the selection of whether to allow only the same number of orders as the number of orders in the first menu to be accepted from the user (first mode), or to allow any number of orders to be accepted from the user (second mode)).

In addition, one or more processing units of the control unit 21 of the order management device 2 may be included in a device different from the order management device 2. For example, the setting processing unit 213 may be included in the order management device 2 or the facility terminal 3, and the order processing unit 214 may be included in the facility terminal 3 or the ordering terminal 4. For example, the order processing unit of the present invention may cause the order management device 2, the facility terminal 3, or the ordering terminal 4 to execute the process of accepting an order from a user. Furthermore, the output processing unit of the present invention may be included in the facility terminal 3. Furthermore, the facility terminal of the present invention may be a kitchen terminal installed in the kitchen, a POS terminal of the facility, or a mobile terminal carried by a staff member.

[Appendix 1 of the invention]
Below, an outline of the invention extracted from the above-mentioned embodiment 1 will be described. Note that the configurations and processing functions described in the following notes can be selected and combined as desired.

<Appendix 1>
An order management system including a setting processing unit that can variably set the minimum number of orders that will be accepted from a user for each menu item provided to the user of a dining facility.

<Appendix 2>
the setting processing unit receives an operation from a user selecting whether or not to set the minimum order quantity, and sets the minimum order quantity in response to the user operation.
2. The order management system of claim 1.

<Appendix 3>
when the setting processing unit receives an operation to set the minimum order quantity from the user, the setting processing unit further receives an operation to select two or more minimum order quantities as the minimum order quantity from the user, and sets the minimum order quantity in response to the user operation.
3. The order management system of claim 2.

<Appendix 4>
an order processing unit that executes a process of receiving the order from the user,
the order processing unit executes a process of permitting acceptance of an order of the first menu, for which the minimum order quantity has been set by the setting processing unit, from the user in an amount equal to or greater than the minimum order quantity;
4. An order management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

<Appendix 5>
when an order of a first order quantity, which is equal to or greater than the minimum order quantity, is received from the user for the first menu item, the order processing unit executes a process of permitting the reception of an order of a second menu item associated with the first menu item from the user;
5. The order management system of claim 4.

<Appendix 6>
the order processing unit executes a process of permitting acceptance of an order for the second menu item from the user up to the first order quantity;
6. The order management system of claim 5.

<Appendix 7>
the setting processing unit, when accepting an order from the user for a first order quantity that is equal to or greater than the minimum order quantity for a first menu, sets whether to permit acceptance of any order quantity from the user for a second menu associated with the first menu, or to permit acceptance of only the first order quantity from the user;
7. An order management system according to any one of appendix 1 to 6.

<Appendix 8>
When the setting processing unit sets the minimum order quantity for the first menu item, it further sets whether to prohibit acceptance of an order for the first menu item less than the minimum order quantity from the user for a first order only, or to prohibit acceptance of an order for the first menu item less than the minimum order quantity from the user for a first order and subsequent orders.
8. An order management system according to any one of appendix 1 to 7.

<Appendix 9>
An order management method in which one or more processors execute a process that enables variably setting the minimum number of orders that will be accepted from a user for each menu item provided to the user of a food and beverage facility.

<Appendix 10>
An order support program for causing one or more processors to execute a process capable of variably setting the minimum number of orders to be accepted from a user for each menu item provided to a user of a dining facility.

[Appendix 2 of the invention]
Below, an outline of the invention extracted from the above-mentioned embodiment 2 will be added. Note that the configurations and processing functions described in the following additions can be selected and combined as desired. Also, the configurations and processing functions described in the following additions can be selected and combined as desired with the configurations and processing functions shown in [Additional Note 1 of the Invention].

<Appendix 1>
An order management system having a setting processing unit that can set whether to accept only the same number of orders as the number of orders for a first menu provided to a user of a food and beverage facility, or to accept any number of orders from the user, for a second menu associated with the first menu.

<Appendix 2>
The setting processing unit sets, based on a setting operation by a manager of the dining facility, whether to allow the acceptance of orders for the second menu from the user only in the same number of orders as the number of orders for the first menu, or to allow the acceptance of any number of orders from the user.
2. The order management system of claim 1.

<Appendix 3>
an order processing unit that executes a process of receiving the order from the user,
the order processing unit, when accepting an order for the first menu item in a first order quantity from the user, executes a process of permitting acceptance of an order for the second menu item from the user;
3. The order management system according to claim 1 or 2.

<Appendix 4>
When the setting processing unit is set to a first mode in which only the same number of orders as the number of orders for the first menu are accepted from the user for the second menu, the order processing unit executes a process of accepting only the first order number of orders for the second menu from the user,
When the setting processing unit sets the second mode in which an arbitrary number of orders for the second menu are permitted to be accepted from the user, the order processing unit executes a process of permitting the acceptance of an arbitrary number of orders for the second menu from the user.
4. The order management system of claim 3.

<Appendix 5>
when the second mode is set, a first input section for inputting the order quantity of the first menu is displayed in a display area of the first menu, and a second input section for inputting the order quantity of the second menu is displayed in a display area of the second menu;
5. The order management system of claim 4.

<Appendix 6>
the setting processing unit sets the second menu to be selectable by the user from a plurality of second menus when the first menu is selected by the user,
6. An order management system according to any one of appendix 1 to 5.

<Appendix 7>
An order management method in which one or more processors execute a process that can set whether to accept only the same number of orders as the number of orders for a first menu provided to a customer of a food service facility as the number of orders for the first menu from the customer, or to accept any number of orders from the customer.

<Appendix 8>
An order management program that causes one or more processors to execute a process that can set whether to accept only the same number of orders as the number of orders for a first menu provided to a user of a food service facility as the number of orders for the first menu from the user, or to accept any number of orders from the user.

[Appendix 3 of the invention]
Below, an outline of the invention extracted from the above-mentioned embodiment 3 will be added. Note that the configurations and processing functions described in the following additions can be selected and combined as desired. Also, the configurations and processing functions described in the following additions can be selected and combined as desired with the configurations and processing functions shown in [Additional Note 1 to the Invention] and [Additional Note 2 to the Invention].

<Appendix 1>
An order management system comprising: a setting processing unit that can set whether, when an order for a first menu to be provided to a user of a dining facility and a second menu associated with the first menu are received from the user, order information that maintains the association between the first menu and the second menu is output to a facility terminal, or order information that releases the association between the first menu and the second menu is output to the facility terminal.

<Appendix 2>
the setting processing unit is set to a first output mode in which the order information maintaining the association between the first menu and the second menu is output to the facility terminal, or a second output mode in which the order information releasing the association between the first menu and the second menu is output to the facility terminal, based on a setting operation by a manager of the dining facility.
2. The order management system of claim 1.

<Appendix 3>
the setting processing unit sets, based on the types of the first menu and the second menu, a first output mode in which the order information maintaining the association between the first menu and the second menu is output to the facility terminal, or a second output mode in which the order information releasing the association between the first menu and the second menu is output to the facility terminal.
3. The order management system according to claim 1 or 2.

<Appendix 4>
an order processing unit that receives orders from the users;
an output processing unit that outputs the order information to the facility terminal;
Further equipped with
When the order processing unit receives a plurality of orders each including the first menu and the second menu,
When the setting processing unit sets the first output mode, the output processing unit causes the facility terminal to output the order information in which the first menu and the second menu are associated with each of the plurality of orders,
When the setting processing unit sets the second output mode, the output processing unit causes the facility terminal to output the order information related to a total order quantity of each of the first menu item and the second menu item included in the plurality of orders.
4. The order management system according to claim 2 or 3.

<Appendix 5>
The order information is information regarding cooking instructions for the order.
5. An order management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

<Appendix 6>
An order management method in which, when one or more processors receive an order from a user of a food and beverage facility for a first menu and a second menu associated with the first menu, the processor executes a process that can be configured to either output order information that maintains the association between the first menu and the second menu to a facility terminal, or output order information that releases the association between the first menu and the second menu to a facility terminal.

<Appendix 7>
An order management program for causing one or more processors to execute a process that can be set to either output, when an order for a first menu to be provided to a user of a food service facility and a second menu associated with the first menu is received from the user, output order information that maintains the association between the first menu and the second menu to a facility terminal, or output order information that releases the association between the first menu and the second menu to a facility terminal.

1: Order management system 2: Order management device 3: Facility terminal 4: Order terminal 21: Control unit 22: Memory unit 31: Control unit 41: Control unit 211: Display processing unit 212: Reception processing unit 213: Setting processing unit 214: Order processing unit 215: Output processing unit 216: Accounting processing unit 311: Browser processing unit 411: Browser processing unit D1: Menu information D2: Sub-menu information P1: Menu registration pages P2, P3: Order page P4: Order information

Claims (6)

An order management system that includes a setting processing unit that can set whether to output order information that maintains the association between the first menu and the second menu to a facility terminal, or to output order information that cancels the association between the first menu and the second menu, when an order for a first menu and a second menu associated with the first menu is received from a user of a food and beverage facility. the setting processing unit is set to a first output mode in which the order information maintaining the association between the first menu and the second menu is output to the facility terminal, or a second output mode in which the order information releasing the association between the first menu and the second menu is output to the facility terminal, based on a setting operation by a manager of the dining facility.
The order management system according to claim 1 . the setting processing unit sets, based on the types of the first menu and the second menu, a first output mode in which the order information maintaining the association between the first menu and the second menu is output to the facility terminal, or a second output mode in which the order information releasing the association between the first menu and the second menu is output to the facility terminal.
The order management system according to claim 1 . an order processing unit that receives orders from the users;
an output processing unit that outputs the order information to the facility terminal;
Further equipped with
When the order processing unit receives a plurality of orders each including the first menu and the second menu,
When the setting processing unit sets the first output mode, the output processing unit causes the facility terminal to output the order information in which the first menu and the second menu are associated with each of the plurality of orders,
When the setting processing unit sets the second output mode, the output processing unit causes the facility terminal to output the order information regarding a total order quantity of each of the first menu item and the second menu item included in the plurality of orders.
The order management system according to claim 2 or 3. The order information is information regarding cooking instructions for the order.
The order management system according to claim 4. An order management method in which, when one or more processors receive an order from a patron of a food and beverage facility for a first menu and a second menu associated with the first menu, the processor executes a process that can be set to output to the facility terminal order information that maintains the association between the first menu and the second menu, or output to the facility terminal order information that releases the association between the first menu and the second menu.

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