JP7394364B2 - Information processing equipment and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device and a program.

In recent years, the shortage of manpower at restaurants has become serious. On the other hand, with the diversification of customer ordering patterns and the diversification of services provided by stores, the burden on employees, including customer service staff and cooks, is increasing. From this point of view, a mechanism has been proposed to reduce the burden on staff at restaurants and prevent service from deteriorating (Patent Document 1, etc.).

Patent Document 1 discloses an invention of an ordering system that includes a display device (kitchen monitor) installed in a kitchen and an order input device. In this ordering system,
The cooking instructions for the ordered product can be displayed in multiple display formats (single item display format, order unit display format,
When the cooking of the product is completed, the serving instruction for the product corresponding to the completed cooking instruction is displayed on the display device.

JP2019-067463A

Depending on the restaurant, multiple terminals capable of receiving order information, such as kitchen monitors and kitchen printers, may be installed at multiple locations within the store. In such a case, for example,
If input order information is transmitted to all terminals, it becomes complicated for each person in charge to check the ordered items for which he or she is responsible, and mistakes in checking order information are likely to occur. Mischecking order information can result in ordered items not being delivered or duplicate items being delivered. Problems related to confirmation of order information are not limited to restaurants.

The present invention aims to support employees in responding to orders.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a receiving means for receiving order information indicating at least an ordered product, and an ordered product indicated by the order information received by the receiving means among a plurality of output devices provided in a store. An information processing device is provided, comprising: a control means for controlling output so that the order information is output on one or more output devices selected in accordance with the order information.

In a more preferred embodiment of the information processing device, the control means selects an output device corresponding to the type of ordered product indicated by the order information received by the receiving means as the output destination of the order information. Good too.

In another preferred aspect of the information processing apparatus, the control means selects an output device corresponding to a terminal from which the order information received by the reception means is a source, as an output destination of the order information. Good too.

Further, in another preferred embodiment of the information processing device, the order information represents the number or quantity of the ordered items, and the control means controls the number or quantity of the ordered items indicated by the order information received by the receiving means. A corresponding output device may be selected as the output destination of the order information.

Further, in the information processing device according to another preferred aspect, a plurality of ordered items are specified in one piece of order information, and the control means outputs an output corresponding to a combination of ordered items indicated by the order information received by the receiving means. The device may be selected as the output destination of the order information.

Further, in another preferred embodiment of the information processing device, the information processing device further includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire information indicating the operating status of the store, and the control unit is configured to perform processing according to the operating status indicated by the information acquired by the acquisition unit. The output device may be selected as an output destination of the order information received by the receiving means.

Further, in another preferred aspect of the information processing apparatus, each of the plurality of output devices has at least one of a printing function and a display function, and the control means is configured to display order information received by the reception means. An output device having a function corresponding to the ordered item may be selected as the output destination of the order information.

Further, in another preferred embodiment of the information processing device, the control means selects an output device that meets the order provision conditions indicated by the order information received by the reception means as the output destination of the order information. , it may be done as follows.

Further, in another preferred embodiment of the information processing device, the plurality of output devices are provided in a first store and a second store, and the control means gives priority to the output device provided in the first store. If the first store cannot provide the ordered product indicated by the order information received by the receiving means, the order information is sent from an output device installed at the second store. You may select the output destination.

Moreover, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention includes a receiving step in which a computer receives order information indicating at least ordered items from a terminal, and a receiving step in which the computer receives order information indicating at least an ordered item from among a plurality of output devices provided in the store. A control step for controlling output so that order information is output from one or more output devices selected in accordance with an ordered item indicated by the order information is provided. The above program can be downloaded from CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only M
It may be written on a computer-readable recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or a memory card and distributed, or it may be downloaded via a telecommunications line such as the Internet.

According to the present invention, employees are supported in responding to orders.

1 is a diagram showing an overview of an ordering system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing an example of order information. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an order management device 90. FIG. It is a figure showing an example of a store information table. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an order management device 90. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an output control device 401. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of an output control table. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an output control device 401. FIG. This is an operation example of the same embodiment. It is a figure showing the outline of ordering system 1A concerning other examples of the present invention. It is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of an order management device 90A. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of the output control table. It is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the system.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
<1. Configuration>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of an ordering system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ordering system 1 includes a store system 100-1 constructed within the store of restaurant X (hereinafter simply referred to as "store X"). In the example shown in the figure, a similar store system 100-2 is also provided within a store Y, which is different from store X. In addition, store systems 100-1 and 100-2
Although the number of output devices 40 provided and the detailed functions of the output devices 40 may differ,
They have a common feature in that they have a function (details will be described later) of selectively outputting orders addressed to the own store from the output device 40.
As shown in FIG. 1, each store system 100 includes a store terminal 20 and a sales management device 30.
, output devices 40-1 to 40-3, and output control devices 401-1 to 401-1 connected to each output device.
401-3.
The store system 100 further includes an order management device 90, user terminals 70-1 and 70-2.
, has an order agent server 80. Note that the user terminal 70-1 is a mobile terminal owned by a user outside the store, and the user terminal 70-2 is a mobile terminal owned by a user who has visited store X.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sales management device 30 is connected to an in-store LAN provided within the store
(Local Area Network) 50. The in-store LAN 50 may be a wired LAN or a wireless LAN. Further, the in-store LAN 50 is connected to the Internet 60 including a mobile communication network via a relay device such as a router or a gateway (not shown in FIG. 1).

The store terminal 20 is realized as a computer equipped with a touch panel or an input terminal carried by each customer service person, and is used to allow the customer or the customer service person to input the order details of a customer who visits store X and orders food, etc. This is the device. The store terminal 20 generates order information indicating the details of the customer's order in response to input by the customer service person, and transmits it to the order management device 90 and the sales management device 30. Note that in FIG. 1, for convenience, only one store terminal 20 is illustrated, but a plurality of store terminals 20 may be included in the store system 100. Similarly, the number of user terminals 70-2 is also arbitrary.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of order information. In this example, the order information includes information indicating the contents of the order (in this example, information indicating the type of order item, order item identification information uniquely indicating the order item, information indicating the number or quantity of the order item), the order Information indicating the origin (in this example, the store where the customer placed the order and the table where the customer is seated), additional information (in this example, information indicating the time of the order, and information indicating the conditions for providing the ordered item) etc. are included. In addition, if the order source and the provider are different (for example, in an order mode where the order is placed outside the store and the product or service is provided inside the store), information about the provider may be included in the order information.
Here, the order information only needs to include at least information specifying the ordered item identification information and information indicating the order source. Note that one piece of order information may include only information regarding one type of ordered item, or may include information regarding multiple types of ordered items (a combination of ordered items).
Here, the type of ordered item may be a category such as food/drink, or a genre such as Western food/Japanese food, soft drink/alcohol. In short, the classification of types can be defined according to the business structure of the store, such as the location within the store or the person in charge.
An example of the ordered item identification information is an ordered item ID such as a serial number assigned to the ordered item in advance according to the order of placement in the menu, or a character string indicating the name of the ordered item. In this embodiment, the latter is used. It has been adopted. Examples of information indicating the order source include information indicating the table where the customer who ordered the order is seated, the identifier of the store terminal 20, the communication address of the user terminal 70-1,
It may also be the communication address of the order agent server 80.

Here, when a customer at a table in the store places an order using the user terminal 70-2, the order source information is included in the order information as follows, for example. For example, the customer installs an application program provided by the store that displays a list (menu) of available products, inputs an order, generates order information based on the input order, and sends it to the information processing device. I'll keep it. When the customer is seated, the customer starts the application program and reads the QR code that is attached to the table and contains the table number that uniquely identifies each table.
The code (registered trademark) is read using the user terminal 70. The read table number is passed to the application program. Thereafter, the application program will be
Include the read table number in all order information.

Examples of provision conditions include whether it is take-out or eat-in, whether there is a fixed time of provision, etc. Take-out refers to a mode in which ordered items are provided so that they can be taken out of the store and eaten outside the store, and eat-in refers to a mode in which ordered items are provided so that they can be eaten inside the store.

In the store system 100 of this embodiment, in addition to the store terminal 20, a user terminal 70-1 (for example, a smartphone) that can be connected to the Internet 60 or an order agent server connected to the Internet 60 serves as the source of order information. obtain. Specifically, the user terminal 70
A customer who owns a store enters information regarding the food and beverages they wish to take out from Store Examples include aspects in which the Note that in order to facilitate access to menu information by the user of the user terminal 70 after visiting the store, the QR code may include information (such as a URL) for accessing the menu screen.

The sales management device 30 is a device that totals the sales performance of ordered items on an individual item basis based on order information received via the Internet 60 or the in-store LAN 50. The sales management device 30 is not particularly different from that of a general POS (Point of Sale System), so a detailed explanation will be omitted.

Each of the output devices 40-1 to 40-3 is a terminal installed in the store of store X and used mainly by employees to confirm order details. Each of the output devices 40-1 to 40-3 is connected to the order management device 90 by wire or wirelessly. Preferably, the output devices 40-1 to 40-
3 has at least one of a display function for displaying received order information on a screen and a print function for printing the same order information on a recording medium such as printing paper. Note that instead of or in addition to displaying characters and images on the screen, the order information may be notified to the employee using voice such as synthesized voice. In the following, each of the output devices 40-1 to 40-3 will be referred to as "output device 40" when there is no need to distinguish them. A kitchen monitor is a specific example of the output device 40 having a display function. A kitchen printer is a specific example of the output device 40 having a printing function.
Further, each output device 40 is provided with a communication interface for exchanging information with the output control device 401 by wire or wirelessly. Each output device 40 includes an output control device 40
1 and operates based on a control signal supplied from the output control device 401.
Each output control device 401 acquires order information from the order management device 90 via the Internet 60, generates a control signal based on the acquired order information, and supplies it to the output device 40. As an example, the output control device 401 connects to the Internet 60 via a mobile communication network such as 4G, and exchanges information with the output device 40 according to a short-range wireless communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark). The output control device 401 is realized, for example, as a portable information processing device such as a smartphone. Note that the output device 40 and the output control device 401 may be a so-called IoT device configured integrally as hardware.

In this embodiment, each of the output devices 40-1 to 40-3 is installed at a predetermined location within the store X. For example, the interior of Store Assume that there is a kitchen B on the second floor, and a kitchen C for preparing food for eat-in customers. In this case, it is conceivable that the output device 40-1 is installed in the hall A, the output device 40-2 is installed in the kitchen C, and the output device 40-3 is installed in the kitchen B. Note that the output device 40 may be a portable terminal. Also,
The store system 100 of this embodiment includes three output devices 40.
The number of 0's is just an example.

The order management device 90 is a device that receives order information via the Internet 60 and distributes the received order information to each order destination. Specifically, the order management device 90 transmits the order information to any one or more (preferably all) of the output control devices 401-1 to 401-3 in the store system 100 of the store to which the order is placed.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the order management device 90. As shown in Figure 3,
The order management device 90 includes a processor 110, a memory 120, a storage 130, and a communication I/F section 140. As shown in FIG. 3, these devices are connected via a bus 150.

The processor 110 executes various processes by reading programs into the memory 120 and executing them. For example, the processor 110 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit)
It may be configured by Memory 120 stores programs executed by processor 110. For example, the memory 120 may be a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Rand
om Access Memory).
Storage 130 stores various data and programs. For example, storage 1
30 is configured by a hard disk drive or flash memory. The storage 130 stores in advance a control program that causes the processor 110 to implement control that clearly shows the features of this embodiment. Additionally, as shown in FIG. 4, the storage 130 stores a store information table. The store information table stores information for connecting all the output devices 40 installed in the store to the corresponding output control device 401 in association with each store. In the example shown in the figure, three output control devices 401 are associated with store X (store system 100-1), and two output control devices 401 are associated with store Y (store system 100-2). It is being The communication I/F section 140 performs data communication via the Internet 60.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the order management device 90.
The order management device 90 includes a receiving means 102 and an order management means 104. The receiving means 102 and the order management means 104 in the figure are operated by the processor 110 through the cooperation of a control program stored in the storage 130 and the processor 110 that executes this control program.
This is a software module realized by the calculation of The processor 110 reads the control program from the storage 130 to the memory 120 and starts its execution, and the receiving means 1
12 and a control means 114.

The receiving means 102 receives terminals (store terminal 20, user terminal 70) via the Internet 60.
Alternatively, the order information sent from the order agent server 80) is received. Order management means 10
4 refers to the store information table and transfers the order information to all output control devices 401 associated with the store specified by the order source information included in the received order information.
Note that if the order information includes information about the order destination in addition to the order source information, the forwarding destination is determined according to the order destination information.
In addition, the order management device 90 has a function of storing at least part of the information (order information, accounting information, etc.) possessed by the store system 30 related to each store system 100 and sending a reply in response to a request from the store system 100. may have. Furthermore, the order management device 90 has all the menu information of the stores where each store system 100 is installed, and has a function of providing menu information of each store in response to a request from the user terminal 70 or the order agent server 80. It may have.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the output control device 401. As shown in the figure, the output control device 401 includes a processor 110, a memory 120, a storage 130,
A communication I/F section 140 is provided. These devices are connected via a bus 150.

The processor 110 executes various processes by reading programs into the memory 120 and executing them. For example, the processor 110 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit)
It may be configured by Memory 120 stores programs executed by processor 110. For example, the memory 120 may be a ROM (Read Only Memory) or a RAM (Rand
om Access Memory). Storage 130 stores various data and programs. Storage 130 is, for example, a semiconductor memory.
The storage 130 stores in advance a control program that causes the processor 110 to implement control that clearly shows the features of this embodiment. The communication I/F section 140 is connected to the Internet 60
Perform data communication via. In addition, the storage 130 stores information that defines how to control the output device 40 that the device itself is in charge of according to the received order information.
FIG. 7 is an example of an output control table stored in the storage 130. The store information table describes control details corresponding to the type of ordered product. In this example, if the received order information is for drinks, the output control device 401 transmits the order information to the output device 401.
-1, and it is stipulated that the order information is not output if it is a dish or a simple menu. Note that if one piece of order information includes different order types, the control signal is generated by extracting only information about the ordered item to be output from the order information.

FIG. 8 shows an example of the functional configuration of the output control device 401.
Output control device 401 includes receiving means 112 and control means 114. The receiving means 112 and the control means 114 in the figure are software modules realized by the calculations of the processor 110 through cooperation between a control program stored in the storage 130 and the processor 110 that executes this control program. The processor 110 reads the control program from the storage 130 to the memory 120 and starts executing it, and functions as the receiving means 112 and the controlling means 114.

The receiving means 112 receives order information via the order management devices 90 to 60. The control means 114 outputs the order information from one or more output devices 40 selected from among the plurality of output devices 40 provided in the store in accordance with the ordered product indicated by the order information received by the receiving means 112. control the output so that Specifically, the control means 114 refers to the output control table, determines the control content that corresponds to the type of ordered item described in the received order information, and performs control as necessary according to the determined content. A control signal is generated and supplied to the output device 40.
Specific aspects of control by the control means 114 include the first to fifth aspects described below,
and combinations of any plurality of these five aspects are possible. In addition, in each aspect, the relationship between order information and control details may be described in advance in the output control table depending on the control details to be realized.

In the first aspect, the control means 114 of each output control device 401 causes the output device 40 corresponding to the type of ordered product indicated by the order information received by the reception means 112 of each output control device 401 to control the order information. selected as the output destination. Specifically, each output control device 401
The control means 114 determines whether or not to output order information by referring to an output control table included in the device itself.
For example, among the ordered items indicated by the order information received by the receiving means 112, drinks are sent from the terminal in Hall A (i.e., output device 40-1), and general dishes are sent from the kitchen C.
From the terminal in Kitchen B (i.e., output device 40-3), the terminal in Kitchen B (i.e., output device 40-3) for simple menus that are easier to prepare than general cooking (e.g., just serve, heat in the microwave, etc.) 2), each is output.

In the first aspect, the output destination of the order information may be determined in further consideration of the function of the output device 40. For example, for order information regarding food, the output device 40 with a printing function is set as the output destination so that the order information is always printed, and for order information regarding drinks, the order information is displayed on the screen. It is only necessary to set the output device 40 having a display function as the output destination so that the information is outputted. Specifically, each output control device 401
Control contents that take into account the functions of the output device 40 connected to the device itself may be written in the output control table stored in the device.
Note that the output control table may be embedded in the above control program, or
It may be stored in the storage 130 separately from the control program.

In the second aspect, the control means 114 controls the output device 40 corresponding to the terminal from which the order information is transmitted.
is selected as the output destination of the order information. Specifically, the control means 114 of each output control device 401 operates according to whether the order information is sent from the store terminal 20, the user terminals 70-1, 70-2, or the order agent server 80. , determines whether or not the order information can be output to each output device 40.
For example, first, for each output control, an output control table is created in which information indicating the store terminal 20 to which the order information from the source indicated by the information is output is written in association with information indicating the type of the source of the order information. It is stored in the storage 130 of the device 401 in advance. And each control means 1
In step 14, the sender is identified based on the sender's identification information included in the order information, and the order information received by the receiving means 112 is transmitted to the output device 40 by referring to the output control table. Decide whether or not to proceed. Note that if the source of the order information is the user terminal 70-1,
The control means 114 acquires the position information of the user terminal 70-1, and the user terminal 70-
Whether or not the order information can be output may be determined depending on whether the item 2 is located inside the store or outside the store.
According to this aspect, for example, in the case of a business system in which a person in charge of processing is determined for each order source, each person in charge only needs to check the output device for which he/she is in charge.

In the third aspect, the output device 40 corresponding to the number or amount of ordered items indicated by the order information received by the receiving means 112 of each output control device 401 is selected as the output destination of the order information. For example, for drinks or dishes, in principle, whether or not to output order information is determined according to the contents stored in the output control table illustrated in FIG. In cases where the output device 40-2 is selected as the output destination in place of or in addition to the output device 40-1, in exceptional cases such as when there are multiple floors that can accommodate the ordered product. Furthermore, in the output control table stored in each output control device 401, the control contents may be described so that whether or not output is possible depends on the number or quantity of items.
Note that when the same order information is output from multiple output devices 40, the order information includes information on other output devices 40 that share the same order information and how the order is divided among multiple floors. It is also possible to include information indicating whether the order should be made, and output this information from the output device 40 in addition to the order information. This helps employees on multiple floors work together to process order information.

In the fourth aspect, the output device 40 corresponding to the combination of ordered items indicated by the order information received by each receiving means 112 is selected as the output destination of the order information. Specifically, an output control table is stored in advance in the storage 130 in which the output of the order information is stored in association with the combination of ordered items indicated by the order information. Each control means 114 may refer to the output control table to determine whether or not to output the received order information. For example, one kitchen out of multiple kitchens may have an employee system that is suitable only for serving a specific combination of dishes such as a set menu, and orders for that specific combination of dishes may be handled by a staff system that is set up in that kitchen. A conceivable operation is to notify only the output device 40, and when an order is made for a single item, notify the output device corresponding to the type of dish.

In the fifth aspect, the output device 40 that meets the conditions for providing the ordered product indicated by the order information received by the receiving means 112 is selected as the output destination of the order information. The provision conditions include, for example, conditions regarding the mode of provision such as take-out or eat-in, information regarding the timing of provision of ordered items (for example, if multiple items are ordered from the same table, the multiple items are provided at the same timing) condition). For example, if there are drink machines on each of the first and second floors of store , the contents of the output control table of each output control device 401 are written so that when the ordering customer is on the first floor, the output device 40 on the first floor is selected as the output destination of the order information. .

In each of the above embodiments, when determining the output destination of order information, an algorithm other than using a table in which the correspondence between ordered items and output destinations is described may be used. Furthermore, this algorithm is not limited to a rule-based one, and may be a trained model obtained by machine learning to achieve the most efficient business according to the contents and conditions of the order.

In addition, a processor 11 that operates according to a control program in each output control device 401
0 performs a method including a receiving step and a controlling step. In the receiving step, the receiving means 112 of each output control device 401 receives order information from the store terminal 20, the user terminal 70-1 or 70-2, or the order agent server 80, respectively. In the control step,
The control means 114 of each output control device 401 cooperates to select one or more output devices 40 among the plurality of output devices 40 corresponding to the ordered product indicated by the order information received in the receiving step SA100. It functions as a control means to control output so that order information is output.

<2. Operation>
FIG. 9 shows an example of the operation of the system.
In this example, a customer who visits store X where store system 100 is installed places an order using his or her smartphone (user terminal 70-2).
The customer executes an application program provided by the order management device 90 or the like, accesses the order management device 90 to access menu information of the store, and displays a menu screen on the user terminal 70 (SB110). And the Q posted on the table where the customer was seated.
Photograph the R code with your smartphone. This QR code includes the store identifier and table number.
Thereafter, the store identifier and table number are generated when a customer inputs an order using a smartphone, and are included in the order information sent from the application to the order management device 90. Thereby, the order management device 90 recognizes the order source (provider).
When the customer operates a smartphone to place an order (SB120) and the order management device 90 receives the order information (SB130), the order management device 90 stores the order information (SB14).
0). Then, the order management device 90 determines the store to which the order information specified from the order information is to be transferred (SB150). Then, the order information is transmitted to all output control devices 401 of the determined store (SB170). Each output control device 401 that has received the order information performs output control, and if the conditions are met, causes the output device 40 to output the order information.

As mentioned above, in this embodiment, the output control table shown in FIG. 7 is stored in advance in the storage 130 of each output control device 401, and each processor 110
The output device 40 corresponding to the type of ordered product is selected in this manner. In this operational example, the type of ordered item indicated by the order information transmitted from the store terminal 20 is a simple menu, and only the output device 40-2 can output the simple menu. Therefore, the transmitted order information is output only from the output device 40-2. The person in charge of cooking the simple menu in kitchen B confirms the ordered item and destination from the order information output from the output device 40-2, cooks the simple menu, and instructs the person or the customer service person. and provide it to the recipient (customer of the orderer).

Thereafter, the sales management device 30 of the store system 100 sends store and provision destination information (
For example, when receiving an accounting request that includes a table number, the order management device 90 extracts the order information associated with the provider from the storage 130, and if necessary, the order management device 90 extracts the order information that is stored in advance. Accounting information corresponding to the extracted order information may be generated using price information etc., and the generated accounting information may be transmitted to the sales management device 30.

According to this embodiment, the order information regarding the simple menu is not transferred to the output device 40-3 installed in the kitchen C, so there is a situation where the simple menu is duplicated in the kitchen C. will never occur. At this time, the person in charge of cooking the simple menu only needs to check the output device 40-2 installed in kitchen B;
There is no need to check -1 and output device 40-3. Similarly, the person in charge of cooking only needs to check the output of the output device 40-3 installed in the kitchen C, and there is no need to check the output of the output device 40-1 and the output device 40-2. .

According to this embodiment, information regarding the ordered item is output only to a predetermined output device depending on the type of the ordered item. In other words, each person in charge is notified only of the orders that he or she must process. This reduces the effort required for the person in charge to check the ordered items, and reduces the occurrence of problems caused by checking errors such as forgetting to provide ordered items or providing duplicate ordered items.

<3. Modified example>
The following modifications may be made to the above embodiment. Each modification aspect may be used in combination.

In the above embodiment, one output device 40 corresponds to one output control device 401, but one output control device 401 controls a plurality of output devices 40 (for example, all main devices in one store system 100). You may. In this case, the storage 130 of the output control device 401 stores information that defines the control contents for all the output devices 40 that are in charge of control. Furthermore, in this case, the sales management device 30 may also serve as the output control device 401. In short, the receiving means 112 and the controlling means 114 may be implemented in any device within the store system 100.
Further, instead of the Internet 60, the output control device 401 and the order management device 90 may be connected via the in-store LAN 50.

Furthermore, the functions of the order management device 90 and the output control function (output control device 401) may be implemented in one device. In this case, the store information table and the output control table may be integrated into one table. For example, the function of the output control device 401 can be omitted from each store system 100 and the function can be integrated into the order management device 90. Conversely, if there is only one store (store system 100) that can be used as an order destination, instead of omitting the order management device 90, the function of storing order information possessed by the order management device 90 can be implemented in the store system 100. It can be implemented in any device.

FIG. 10 shows an overview of an ordering system 1A according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this example, a function for selectively notifying the order information output device 40 is provided outside the store system 100. Specifically, this system differs from the store system 100 in that it has an output control device 401A instead of the output control device 401, and an order management device 90A instead of the order management device 90.
The order management device 90A is a user terminal 70-1, 70-2 or an order agent server 80.
A function for receiving and storing order information transmitted from a server, and a function for receiving and storing order information transmitted from a plurality of output devices 40 provided in the ordering system 1A. ) to determine one or more output devices 40 to which output is to be performed.

FIG. 11 shows the functional configuration of the order management device 90A. The order management device 90A controls the control means 1
It differs from the order management device 90A in that it has a control means 114A instead of the order management device 14.
As shown in FIG. 12, the order management device 90A stores a table that describes order information and information specifying the output device 40 as the output destination for each store, and the control means 114A stores this table. The output device 40 to which the output should be output is determined based on the received order information. Then, the order information and output destination information are transmitted as a set to the output control device 401A of the store (store system 100) specified from the order information. When the output control device 401A receives order information from the order management device 90A, it transmits the order information only to the output destination. Specifically, the order information and output command may be sent only to the relevant device, or the order information and output command may include identification information for 40 destinations, and the information is broadcast and transmitted, and each of the 40 received When the identification information of the own device is recognized, the command may be recognized as being addressed to the own device. In this embodiment, it is sufficient to provide one device in 100 that accepts and transfers order information.

FIG. 13 shows an example of the operation of the ordering system 1A. The difference from the operation example shown in FIG. 9 is that in 90A, the output device 40 to which the order information is output is determined (SB150A).
, and the point where the order information and output command are transmitted to the determined output device 40 via the output control device 401A (SB160A).

Acquisition means for acquiring information indicating the operating status of the store is provided in the control means 114 (1
14A), the output device 40 may be selected in consideration of the operating status of the store. A specific example of the information indicating the operating status of the store is the number or amount of food being cooked in the kitchen C. Alternatively, the operational status of the store may be estimated by capturing the actions and utterances of the store staff using a camera or microphone. Specifically, in the control contents of the output control table, information indicating whether or not order information can be output from each output device and information indicating the operating status of the store are stored in association with each other.
For example, for drinks or food, if the number of dishes being cooked in Kitchen C exceeds a predetermined threshold (or the number of simple menus being cooked in Kitchen B is below a predetermined threshold), ), the output device 40-2 is exceptionally selected as the output destination for the order information regarding the food.

When selecting an output destination store (and output destination device), the output device to be selected may span multiple stores (store system 100). In this case, the output device installed at the first store (store The output destination of the order information received by the receiving means 112 may be selected from among the output devices provided in Y). According to this aspect, for example, when an order is received for a special menu that cannot be handled at the own store, or when the ordered item is out of ingredients, it becomes possible to receive cooperation from a nearby affiliated store.
Specifically, in the output control table of the order management device 90A, the output device (or a plurality of output devices) such as one or more kitchen printers and kitchen displays installed in other stores is associated with the ordered item. Write the address of the device (device that controls the output). On the other hand, in each 100, the output control device 401 etc. has a function of determining whether or not the received ordered product can be provided, and if it is determined that the order cannot be provided, a function 90 is provided to reject the order.
A function will be provided to notify A.
When the order management device 90A receives a notification from 100 that the ordered item cannot be provided, the order management device 90A specifies another store that accepts the order described in the output control table, and outputs the devices (output device 40, The order information is transferred to the output control device 401 (401A)).
Alternatively, information on whether the ordered item cannot be provided or whether it can be provided is notified from 100 to 90A prior to receiving the order information, and the order management device 90A uses the notification. You may also decide where to forward the order information.

In the embodiment described above, a control program that causes the processor 110 of the output control device 401 (401A) or the order management device 90A to function as the receiving means 112 and the control means 114 is installed in the storage 130 in advance. However, the method includes a receiving step of receiving order information indicating at least the ordered item to one or more computers (processors), and a receiving step of receiving order information indicating at least the ordered item received by the receiving means from a plurality of output devices provided in the store. A program for executing a control step for controlling output so that the order information is output from one or more correspondingly selected output devices may be provided after the fact. In addition, the specific manner in which such a program is provided is that the program is written on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM and distributed, or that it is distributed by downloading via a telecommunications line such as the Internet. can be mentioned.

The present invention may be applied to an ordering system built in a store other than a restaurant, such as a clothing or accessory store, or a massage parlor, a beauty parlor, etc., where a fee-based The present invention may be applied to an ordering system built within a store that provides services. In other words, the term "order"("orderedproduct") in the present invention is a concept that includes not only products that are tangible products that are sold, but also services that are intangible products that are provided in response to customer requests. , including any content requested by the customer. Further, the store in which the device for outputting order details is installed may be a mobile store, and the installation location of the output device and the relationship with the employee who checks the output device may vary.

In short, in the information processing system according to the present invention, the step of receiving order information indicating at least the contents of the order, and the step of receiving order information indicating at least the contents of the order, and selecting one of the plurality of output devices used by the employee corresponding to the received order contents. The step of controlling the output so that the order information is output from one or more output devices may be executed.

1, 1A...Ordering system, 100, 100-1, 100-2...Store system,
20... Store terminal, 30... Sales management device, 40-1 to 40-3... Output device, 401-1
~401-3...Output control device, 50...In-store LAN, 60...Internet, 70-1,
70-2...User terminal, 80...Order agent server, 90, 90A...Order management device, 11
0... Processor, 120... Memory, 130... Storage, 140... Communication I/F section, 150
...Bus, 102, 112...Reception means, 114, 114A...Control means, 104...Order management means.

Claims (5)

Receiving means for receiving order information including information indicating the order details regarding the ordered product and information about the delivery destination ;
Among the plurality of output devices provided in each of the plurality of different stores, the order information is outputted by the output device selected corresponding to the ordered item indicated by the order information received by the receiving means. , a control means for controlling the output;
has
The control means includes:
It is determined whether or not the ordered item indicated in the order information can be provided at the store specified as the provision destination in the order information received by the receiving means , and if the item can be provided, the store specified as the provision destination is determined. Select the output destination of the order information from among the output devices installed at the specified store, and if provision cannot be performed , select the output destination of the order information from among the output devices installed at the unspecified store. Information processing device to select. The control means is configured to share the availability of the ordered item indicated by the order information from the plurality of stores prior to receiving the order information, and select an output destination of the order information based on the shared content. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1. A method implemented in a computer comprising a processor and a memory, the processor comprising:
receiving order information including information indicating the contents of the order and information about the delivery destination;
Output is controlled so that the received order information is output by an output device selected from a plurality of output devices provided in each of a plurality of different stores corresponding to the ordered item indicated by the received order information. Steps to do
Run
In the controlling step,
It is determined whether or not the ordered item indicated in the order information can be provided at the store designated as the provision destination in the received order information, and if the item can be provided, a A method for selecting an output destination for the order information from among output devices, and selecting an output destination for the order information from among output devices installed at unspecified stores if provision cannot be executed. A program for causing a computer including a processor and a memory to execute , the program causing the processor to:
receiving order information including information indicating the contents of the order and information about the delivery destination;
Output is controlled so that the received order information is output by an output device selected from a plurality of output devices provided in each of a plurality of different stores corresponding to the ordered item indicated by the received order information. Steps to do
run the
In the controlling step,
It is determined whether or not the ordered item indicated in the order information can be provided at the store designated as the provision destination in the received order information, and if the item can be provided, a A program that selects an output destination for the order information from output devices, and selects an output destination for the order information from among output devices installed at unspecified stores if provision cannot be executed. Receiving means for receiving order information including information indicating the order details regarding the ordered product and information about the delivery destination;
The order information is outputted by the output device selected from among the plurality of output devices provided in each of the plurality of different stores corresponding to the ordered item indicated by the order information received by the receiving means, a control means for controlling the output;
has
The control means includes:
It is determined whether or not the ordered item indicated in the order information can be provided at the store specified as the provision destination in the order information received by the receiving means, and if the item can be provided, the specified store A system that selects an output destination for the order information from among output devices installed at a store, and if provision cannot be executed, selects an output destination for the order information from among output devices installed at an unspecified store. .

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