JP7140371B2 - Cooked rice processing equipment management system - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cooked rice processing equipment management system, and more particularly to a cooked rice processing equipment management system capable of managing cooked rice produced by a plurality of cooked rice processing equipment to always have a desired quality.

Demand for Japanese food is increasing year by year in countries around the world. As a result, the number of stores selling cooked rice products is increasing. Improving the performance of rice processing equipment and expanding services are essential in order to quickly provide flexible, high-quality food that matches regional characteristics.
By the way, the properties of "rice" vary greatly depending on the variety, water quality, cooking method, storage temperature, country and region, and so on. Therefore, machine maintenance (settings and care) suitable for the "rice" to be handled is required on a site-by-site basis.

However, conventionally, workers (cooks) who handle cooked rice processing equipment have not received special training, and workers are frequently replaced. . As a result, troubles such as the problem that the performance of the device cannot be sufficiently exhibited and the device error/failure are caused. In particular, errors/failures are difficult to repair by workers, and complaints are reported from time to time.

Currently, such complaints are reported by telephone or on-site by engineers.
Patent Document 1 describes checking the remaining amount of rice or water in a rice cooker at home via the Internet from a terminal such as a mobile phone or a personal computer. In other words, based on this idea, if the status of the rice processing machine can be confirmed and the equipment can be controlled remotely, it will be possible to provide high-quality food and respond to problems such as equipment errors and failures. have a nature.

JP-A-2003-135273

However, according to the invention described in Patent Document 1, remote control via a telephone line or the Internet only requires detection of the ON/OFF signal of a limit switch to know whether the weight of rice or water is sufficient. There was a problem that it was not possible to provide high-quality rice and to deal with troubles.

The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-mentioned points. An object of the present invention is to provide a cooked rice processing equipment management system capable of providing processing.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a cooked rice processing equipment management system according to the present invention is a cooked rice processing equipment management system in which maintenance of cooked rice processing equipment is performed by a management device via communication, wherein the management device comprises: 1 CPU, a first storage device for storing default values of a plurality of parameters related to the operation of the cooked rice processing machine, and a first communication means for communicating with the cooked rice processing machine, The cooked rice processing machine comprises: a second CPU for controlling the operation of the machine; a second storage device for storing some setting values of a plurality of parameters relating to the operation of the machine; and the second storage device. and a second communication means for communicating with the management device, wherein the first CPU of the management device is configured to The parameters obtained from the second CPU of the processing equipment are compared with the default values stored in the first storage device, and the parameters of the cooked rice processing equipment are corrected to appropriate values for the second CPU. It is characterized by controlling the operation of the cooked rice processing equipment so as to

The measuring means includes means for measuring information relating to the torque of the motor used for stirring the rice, means for measuring the temperature of the rice for forming the processed product, and the amount of rice for forming the processed product. It is desirable to include at least any means for measuring
In addition, it is desirable that the first CPU of the management device accumulates data of defects or errors in the one or more cooked rice processing machines in the first storage device to obtain statistics.
Further, it is preferable that the first CPU of the management device updates the programs stored in the second storage device collectively via communication for the one or more cooked rice processing machines.

According to such a configuration, one or a plurality of cooked rice processing machines are each provided with a communication means, the management device acquires various parameters for grasping the state of each cooked rice processing machine, and the acquired parameters If the value is different from the default value, the management device should perform control to correct it.
As a result, for example, when a defect occurs in a molded product in boiled rice processing equipment scattered in a plurality of locations, the cause of the defect can be easily identified and corrected in a short period of time.
In addition, since each setting value can be managed for each cooked rice processing machine, it is possible to provide quick and accurate solutions to troubles and errors according to workers and regional characteristics.
In addition, since the management device can obtain statistics by accumulating defect/error data for a plurality of cooked rice processing machines in the first storage device, it is possible to develop and design better products.
Furthermore, it is possible to collectively update the programs for each cooked rice processing machine through communication, and for example, it is possible to provide uniform services to countries around the world.

According to the present invention, for one or more cooked rice processing machines, the state thereof can be grasped via communication, and by maintaining each cooked rice processing machine, appropriate cooked rice processing can be provided. system can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the cooked rice processing equipment management system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flow showing a procedure for maintenance management of the cooked rice processing equipment. 3A and 3B are examples of parameter tables displayed on the display unit.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the cooked rice processing equipment management system according to the present invention.
The cooked rice processing equipment management system 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of cooked rice processing machines 1 installed in a plurality of restaurants (for example, conveyor belt sushi restaurants) that provide cooked rice, and one management device 10 for managing them. It consists of

The management device 10 is installed in a management center (not shown) that collectively manages a plurality of cooked rice processing machines 1, and remotely acquires information from the plurality of cooked rice processing machines 1 via a network 30 (communication network). Alternatively, it is configured to issue an operation instruction. Specifically, in the cooked rice processing equipment 1, there are cases where the performance cannot be sufficiently exhibited, and troubles such as machine errors and failures may occur. It is configured to perform maintenance of each cooked rice processing machine 1 via 30.

The network 30 may use an Internet line, or may be a dedicated communication line network. Each cooked rice processing device 1 can be connected to the network 30 by WiFi (wireless LAN), or may be connected to the network 30 using a SIM card for dedicated communication. The communication protocol, communication speed, encryption method, etc. using the network 30 are not particularly limited.

Each cooked rice processing device 1 has a device body (not shown) that agitates, transports, shapes, cuts, etc. the cooked rice. do.
The cooked rice processing device 1 also includes a heater 9 for cooking and keeping rice warm, a thermocouple 2 (measuring means) for measuring the temperature of the cooked rice (rice for forming the processed product), and a rice cooker. and a load cell 4 (measuring means) for measuring the amount of rice.

Furthermore, the cooked rice processing equipment 1 stores a CPU 5 (second CPU) for controlling the operation of the thermocouple 2, the motor 3, the load cell 4, etc., and data such as a program for processing cooked rice. A ROM 6 (second storage device) for . Incidentally, the communication interface 8 indicates, for example, a wireless LAN module, a SIM communication module, or the like.

On the other hand, the management device 10 can be configured by, for example, a workstation or a personal computer. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, an operation unit 11 (keyboard, mouse, etc.) for an administrator (operator of the management apparatus 10) to perform an input operation, and a display unit for displaying a management screen, etc. 12 (liquid crystal monitor, etc.).

Further, a CPU 13 (first CPU) that performs calculation and control, a ROM 14 (first storage means) that stores programs and the like, and a RAM 15 that temporarily stores data are provided in the apparatus housing. Further, an input/output interface 16 for connecting the operation unit 11 and the display unit 12 to the CPU 13 and a communication interface 17 (first communication means) for connecting to the network 30 are provided. Incidentally, this communication interface 17 can be configured by a wireless LAN module, a SIM communication module, or the like.

The management device 10 identifies the plurality of cooked rice processing devices 1 by, for example, IP addresses, and can issue instructions to and obtain information from each of the cooked rice processing devices 1 by using the IP addresses.

Next, a procedure for maintenance management of the cooked rice processing machine 1 will be described using the flow of FIG. In this example, maintenance control (investigation of the cause and correction) in a situation where there is a problem with the performance when one cooked rice processing machine 1 forms a sushi rice plate, for example, will be described.
First, the CPU 13 of the management device 10 instructs the plurality of cooked rice processing devices 1 to upload (upload) each setting value (parameter) in each device (step S1 in FIG. 2).

The set values are the thickness, density, length, position, etc. of the rice plate to be output, and these set values are recorded in the ROM 6 of each cooked rice processing machine 1 .
The CPU 13 of the management device 10 temporarily stores the retrieved set values in the RAM 15 . Then, it is compared with a default value set as a reference value for the sushi plate and held in the ROM 14 in advance, and it is determined whether or not the retrieved value is a normal value (step S2 in FIG. 2).
Here, the reference value is a value within a predetermined range having a lower limit and an upper limit, and it is determined whether or not each set value is normal depending on whether it is within the range of the reference value.
It is preferable to display the retrieved set values and the corresponding default values on the display unit 12 of the management device 10, for example, as in the management data table T1 shown in FIG. 3(a). This allows the administrator to easily know whether each set value is correct.

In step S2, if the read set value differs from the default value (if it is incorrect), the CPU 13 instructs the CPU 5 of the rice processing machine 1 to update the set value recorded in the ROM 6 to the correct value. (step S3 in FIG. 2).
Then, it is determined whether or not the sushi plate is formed correctly in the sushi plate formation after the setting values are correctly updated (step S4 in FIG. 2).

Here, if the rice plate is formed correctly, the verification ends, but if there is no improvement even after updating the set values, the management device 10 instructs the CPU 5 of each cooked rice processing device 1 to measure the rice plate measured by the thermocouple 2 temperature information (parameter) is requested (step S5 in FIG. 2). As a result, the temperature of the rice plate is taken up by the CPU 13 of the management device 10 and displayed on the display section 12 as shown in the table T2 in FIG. 3(b).

The CPU 13 of the management device 10 determines whether or not the obtained temperature information is appropriate (step S6 in FIG. 2). An instruction is given to control the output of the heater 9 (or to cool it with a cooling device (not shown)) (step S7 in FIG. 2).
More specifically, the ROM 14 stores the temperature of the sushi rice plate or the increase/decrease value of the rice plate thickness with respect to the temperature change. is read out, and the output of the heater 9 is controlled so that the temperature of the sushi rice plate becomes appropriate.
The sushi plate temperature may be controlled by storing the temperature of the sushi plate or the increase/decrease value of the sushi plate length or the sushi plate density with respect to the temperature change.
As a result, rice in a better condition is obtained, and it is determined whether or not the sushi rice plate formed from the rice has been formed correctly (step S8 in FIG. 2).

If the sushi plate is formed correctly in step S8, the process ends. However, if the rice plate is still not formed correctly even after temperature control is performed, the CPU 13 of the management device 10 requests torque information (parameters) of the motor 3 from the CPU 5 (step S9 in FIG. 2). The motor 3 is used for stirring rice, and the torque information includes torque current amount (mA), rotation speed (rpm), drive time (min), and the like.

As a result, the torque information of the motor is taken up by the CPU 13 of the management device 10 and displayed on the display section 12 as shown in the table T2 in FIG. 3(b).
If the CPU 13 of the management device 10 determines that the obtained torque information is sufficient (step S10 in FIG. 2), it determines that the reason why the rice plate is not formed correctly is due to factors that have not yet been picked up. (Step S13 in FIG. 2).

The factors that have not yet been sucked up include, for example, the weight of rice that can be measured by the load cell 4 and the like.
Furthermore, as factors that are difficult to obtain as data, factors due to rice varieties, insufficient or excessive application of vegetable oil for food equipment, deformation of molded parts, and aged deterioration can be considered. In the case of such a factor that is difficult to obtain as data, it is possible to solve the problem through operations via telephone or e-mail between the management device 10 side and the cooked rice processing machine 1 side (step S14).

On the other hand, if it is determined that the motor torque is not sufficient (step S10 in FIG. 2), the CPU 5 of the cooked rice processing machine 1 is commanded to increase or decrease the torque output of the motor 3. That is, the current (mA) supplied to the motor 3, the rotation speed (rpm), etc. are controlled to increase or decrease the torque output (step S11 in FIG. 2).
Specifically, similar to the temperature of the rice plate, the value of the torque information and the increase/decrease value of the rice plate thickness (or the rice plate length or the rice plate density) with respect to the torque information change are stored in the ROM 14, and the rice plate thickness ( Alternatively, the torque information value and torque information change are read from the ROM 14 depending on how much the rice plate length and rice plate density deviate from the default value, and the torque of the motor 3 is controlled to be optimum.
If the sushi plate can be formed correctly after the torque output rises, the verification ends, and if it cannot be properly formed (step S12 in FIG. 2), the reason why the sushi plate is not properly formed lies in factors that have not yet been identified. (Step S13 in FIG. 2).

In the flow of FIG. 2, the information retrieved from each cooked rice processing machine 1 is only the setting value of the sushi rice plate, the sushi rice plate temperature, and the motor torque information. Instead, other information (measured values) should be sucked up and controlled to correct the values.

As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of cooked rice processing machines 1 is provided with communication means, and various parameters for grasping the state of each cooked rice processing machine 1 are acquired by the management device 10. In addition, when the acquired parameter values are different from the default values, the management device 10 performs control to correct them.
As a result, when a defect occurs in a molded product in the cooked rice processing equipment 1 scattered in a plurality of places, the cause of the defect can be easily identified and corrected in a short time.

In addition, since each setting value can be managed for each cooked rice processing machine 1, it is possible to provide prompt and accurate solutions to troubles and errors according to operators and regional characteristics.
In addition, since the management device 10 can obtain statistics by accumulating defect/error data in the ROM 14 for a plurality of cooked rice processing machines 1, it is possible to develop and design better products.
Furthermore, it is possible to collectively update the program for each cooked rice processing machine 1 via the network 30, so that, for example, uniform service can be provided to countries all over the world.

In the above-described embodiment, the management device 10 sequentially acquires and verifies the information, which is the candidate for the formation of the sushi rice plate, from the cooked rice processing machine 1. The form is not limited.
For example, information on a plurality of factor candidates may be collectively obtained, and after correcting information that differs from the default value, a sushi plate may be shaped to verify the result.

In addition, when the user of the cooked rice processing equipment 1 requests maintenance management according to the contract between the user of each cooked rice processing equipment 1 and the administrator side, the contract form (for example, contract using a dedicated line by communication SIM or WIFI connection The content of the maintenance service may be differentiated according to a contract for only one contract, etc.).
Specifically, for example, maintenance via basic communication will be performed regardless of the contract with any charge type, but in the case of a contract using communication SIM with a high charge type, more additional services (telephone support, personnel dispatch at the time of failure, etc.) may be included.

In the above embodiment, the cooked rice processing machine 1 forms a rice plate for sushi rolls, but the present invention is not limited to this form, and the rice balls and vinegar blending are performed. Even the cooked rice processing machine 1 can be suitably used.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example of performing maintenance management for a plurality of cooked rice processing machines 1 was shown, but the present invention is not limited to this form, and only one cooked rice processing machine 1 is provided. It is also suitable for performing maintenance management.

1 Cooked rice processing equipment 2 Thermocouple (measurement means)
3 motor 4 load cell (measurement means)
5 CPU (second CPU)
6 ROM (second storage device)
7 RAM
8 communication interface (second communication means)
9 heater 10 management device 11 operation unit 12 display unit 13 CPU (first CPU)
14 ROM (first storage device)
15 RAM
16 input/output interface 17 communication interface (first communication means)
30 network (communication network)
100 Cooked rice processing equipment management system

Claims (4)

A cooked rice processing equipment management system for controlling the operation of the cooked rice processing equipment through communication by a management device when there is a problem with the quality of the processed product formed by the cooked rice processing equipment,
The operation of the cooked rice processing equipment is controlled based on a plurality of parameters,
A plurality of said parameters are
a first parameter;
a second parameter;
including
The management device
a first CPU;
a first storage device that stores default values for each of the plurality of parameters ;
a first communication means for communicating with the cooked rice processing machine;
has
The cooked rice processing equipment includes:
a second CPU that controls the operation of the cooked rice processing equipment;
a second storage device that stores the setting value of the first parameter ;
measuring means for measuring the value of the second parameter;
a second communication means for communicating with the management device;
has
The second storage device stores the value of the second parameter and an increase/decrease value of the value of the first parameter according to the amount of change in the value of the second parameter;
The management device
Acquiring the set value of the first parameter via the second CPU,
Comparing the acquired set value of the first parameter and the default value of the first parameter stored in the first storage device,
When the set value of the first parameter is different from the default value of the first parameter, the set value of the first parameter of the cooked rice processing equipment is updated to the default value of the first parameter, and the cooked rice Determining whether the processed product molded by the processing equipment is correctly molded,
When it is determined that the processed product formed by the cooked rice processing machine is not formed correctly, the first controlling the operation of the cooked rice processing equipment so that the value of the second parameter measured by the measuring means changes based on the increase or decrease value of the parameter value of
A cooked rice processing equipment management system characterized by: The measuring means are
means for measuring information on torque of a motor used for stirring rice used in the cooked rice processing equipment ;
means for measuring the temperature of said rice;
means for measuring the amount of rice ;
including at least one of
The cooked rice processing equipment management system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first CPU accumulates data of defects or errors in one or more of the cooked rice processing machines in the first storage device to obtain statistics .
3. The boiled rice processing equipment management system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first CPU updates the programs stored in the second storage device collectively via communication for one or more of the cooked rice processing machines ,
The cooked rice processing equipment management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that:

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