JPH04160561A - Restaurant managing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To recognize the states of kitchen printers in real time by selecting a message corresponding to a response from contents of a message storage part based on the response of state inquiry data transmitted to a printing part and displaying out this message. CONSTITUTION:An electronic cash register 1 and plural kitchen printers 2 as printing parts provided in different kitchens are connected by a transmission line 3. A main control part transmits state inquiry data to the transmission line 3 at an arbitrary timing and reads and displays out a message corresponding to the response from contents of the message storage part in accordance with reception of the response of the inquiry. Thus, an operator always recognizes the states of printing parts.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a restaurant management device used in a restaurant, a fast-food restaurant, or the like.

(Prior Art) In recent years, restaurants have adopted restaurant management devices in which an electronic cash register for inputting customer orders and a kitchen printer for printing out cooking slips in the kitchen are connected via a transmission line. There is. In such restaurant management devices, order data including customer information such as the number of customers and dish codes received from the electronic cash register is printed out using the electronic cash register's printer and the kitchen printer. The electronic cash register has a storage section that stores the number of the kitchen printer that outputs light in correspondence with the cooking code, and the number of a backup kitchen printer when the kitchen printer is unavailable. The order data is output according to the number of the kitchen printer in this storage section, and when outputting to the backup kitchen printer, the operator is notified by display etc. that the normal kitchen printer cannot be used.

This allows the operator to know that the kitchen printer is unusable and to take appropriate action on the kitchen printer.

However, such conventional restaurant management devices have the following drawbacks. In other words, the operator must confirm whether the kitchen printer is unusable only after transmitting the order data to the kitchen printer. Stores can be crowded at certain times, and orders generally tend to be placed at the same time. Therefore, even if it is recognized that the kitchen printer cannot be used at the time of ordering, it is not possible to take immediate action.

This means that other printers can be used in place of other printers for a certain period of time, but the kitchen must sort out the invoices depending on the dish, which requires complicated work.
This can also cause problems with customers, such as the food not being prepared due to the slip being lost.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, the conventional restaurant management device cannot know in real time whether a kitchen printer is unusable, which complicates kitchen operations and causes trouble. In view of the problems of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a restaurant management device that can check the status of kitchen printers in real time.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means for solving the problem) An input section for inputting order data including a cooking coat, and transmitting and outputting the order data input from this input section to a transmission line and displaying the input order data on a display section. In the restaurant management device, the main control unit includes a main control unit that performs registration processing, and a printing unit that is connected via the transmission line and receives and prints out the order data, and the main control unit checks the status of the printing unit. A state inquiry means for transmitting state inquiry data, a starting means for starting only this state inquiry means, a message storage section for setting and storing a plurality of types of messages indicating the state of the printing section, and a message storage section for setting and storing a plurality of types of messages indicating the state of the printing section; Message display control means for selecting a message corresponding to the response from the contents of the message storage section based on the response to the status inquiry data transmitted to the printing section by the matching means and displaying it on the display section. restaurant management device.

(Operation) The main control unit transmits and outputs status inquiry data to the transmission line at any timing. In response to receiving a response to this inquiry, a message corresponding to the response is read out from the contents of the message storage section and displayed on the display section.

(Example) Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of a restaurant management device. The restaurant management device has an electronic cash register (ECR) 1, which is a main control unit into which order data is input and controls data transmission and reception with each kitchen printer, and multiple kitchens, each of which is a printing unit installed in a different kitchen. Printer (
The electronic cash register 1 and each kitchen printer 2 are connected by a transmission line 3. Each kitchen printer 2 has an individual printer number, and when transmitting and receiving data, the destination and source are managed using this printer number.

FIG. 2 is an external view of the electronic cash register 1. As shown in FIG. The electronic cash register main body 1 includes a key fob 4 which is an input section for inputting order data, an issuing port 5 which issues an order slip with order data printed on it, a display device 6 which is a display section which displays the amount etc., and stores money. It consists of trowarf etc.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the electronic cash register 1. As shown in FIG. The CPU 8 is the core of this device that performs arithmetic processing on various data input from the transmission control circuit 13 and the keyboard 4. ROM 10 for storing fixed data, RAM 1l for storing variable data, a clock circuit 12 for measuring the current time, a transmission control circuit 13 for controlling data exchange with the kitchen printer 2, and a keyboard controller for controlling the keyboard 4. 14, a display controller 15 that controls the display 6, a printer controller 17 that controls the printer 16 that prints and issues customer order slips containing customer order data, and a signal output port 18 for opening the drawer 7. connected. Kitchen printers 2 are connected to the transmission control circuit via a transmission line 3, and order data is transmitted to each kitchen printer 2 via this transmission line 3.

FIG. 4 is a key layout diagram of the keyboard 4.

The keyboard 4 includes a numeric keypad 19 for inputting numerical values such as amounts, and a cooking key 2 for inputting dishes with one touch.
0, a check key 21 for checking the status of each kitchen printer 2, etc.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the main memory used in this embodiment within the RAM 11 of the electronic cash register.

In addition to a total memory that stores the total price of registered dishes and a communication buffer that stores data to be sent to the kitchen printer 2, the RAMII also has a cooking table 22 that stores the name, unit price, etc. for each dish code, and the kitchen printer 2. a message storage memory 23 that is a message storage unit that stores messages to be displayed according to the status; an operating status memory 24 that stores settings for the operating status of the kitchen printer 2;
It is composed of a check counter memory 25 used to check the status of the kitchen printers 2, and a kitchen printer total number memory 26 that stores the total number of connected kitchen printers 2. The cooking table 22 includes a cooking code memory 221 for storing the cooking code, a name memory 222 for storing the name of the invention, a unit price memory 223 for storing the unit price of the dish, a department memory 224 for storing the department, and normally storing order data. A printer number memory 225 that stores the printer number of the kitchen printer 2 that outputs, and an inoperable flag area 226 that indicates that the printer is inoperable.
, a backup printer number memory 227 that stores the number of the kitchen printer 2 to be backed up when the kitchen printer 2 in the printer number memory 225 is inoperable.
It consists of

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the kitchen printer 2. As shown in FIG. The CPU 27 is the central part of this device that executes arithmetic processing on various data input from the transmission control circuit 31. The CPU 27 is connected to a print program via a path line 28 consisting of an address bus, a data bus, and a control line. What to do with the ROM 29, print buffer, etc.
AM 30, a transmission control circuit 31 that controls data transmission and reception with the electronic cash register 1 via the transmission line 3, a printer controller 33 that controls the printer mechanism 32, and an indicator 3 such as an LED.
It is composed of a display controller 35 that displays 4 blinking.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing of this embodiment.

This flowchart is a flowchart of an electronic cash register l, with fixed time intervals and keyboard 4
It is executed when the check key 21 is input. The clock circuit 12 for counting a certain period of time and the check key 21 are the starting means.

In this embodiment, in the preparation stage for opening the store, the printer number of the kitchen printer 2 that will not be used on that day is set and input. This is to skip checking the status of the kitchen printer 2 located in the Chinese food kitchen when the Chinese food is closed on a particular day. It is also assumed that the total number of kitchen printers 2 connected within the system is also set in advance.

In step 100, the value A of the check counter memory 25 is cleared to 0, in step 101, 8 is incremented by 1, and in step 102, it is determined whether the suspension flag corresponding to the kitchen printer number A in the operating state memory 24 is set. . If the pause flag is set for the kitchen printer number (initially 1), the process returns to step 102 and moves on to checking the next kitchen printer. If the pause flag is not set, step 1 is a status inquiry means.
At step 03, a status check command is sent to kitchen printer A. In step 104, it is determined whether a response has been received from the kitchen printer 8. If no response has been received, it is determined in step 110 whether there is a timeout. This process is repeated until a response is received or a timeout occurs. When a response is received, the message display control means outputs a message corresponding to the response to the display 6 from among the messages stored in the message storage memory 23 in step 105. That is, the response is 0
If the response is 1, it indicates a normal status (: OK J is displayed. If the response is 02, the response indicates that the cover of the kitchen printer is open, so "Cover Open" is displayed.)
is displayed, and if the response is 03, it indicates that there is no paper, so "Paper End" is displayed. Also, if there is no response from the kitchen printer for a certain period of time, step 1
In step 10, it is determined that a timeout has occurred, and in step 111, rNG,+, which is a message corresponding to the non-response stored in the message storage area 23, is displayed.

When a response is received and a message corresponding to the response is displayed, it is determined in step 106 whether the response is data indicating no abnormality, that is, 01, and if the response is other than 0■, it means that some abnormality has occurred. So step 11
Proceed to step 2. If the response is 01, it is normal, so step 10
At step 7, the printer number memory 225 of the cooking table 22 is searched to check whether 1 is set in the inoperable blank area 226 of the corresponding kitchen printer number.

If 1 is set in the operation disabled flag area 226, it is cleared to 0. If the response is abnormal, that is, if it is not 01, 1 is set in the inoperable blank area 22G of the corresponding kitchen printer number on the cooking table 22 in step 112. Step 10
At step 9, the number B of kitchen printers in this system preset in the kitchen printer total number memory 26 is compared with the value A of the check counter memory 25, and the value of the check counter 25 is changed to the value of the kitchen printer total number memory 26. If B has not been reached, the process returns to step 101 and the process is repeated; if B has been reached, the process ends.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of what is displayed on the display of this embodiment. Assume that four kitchen printers are currently connected, and that the kitchen printer with printer number 2 is set not to be used. It is also assumed that the kitchen printer with printer number 1 is out of paper, and the kitchen printer with printer number 4 is disconnected from the transmission line.

When a certain period of time has elapsed, a check of the kitchen printer is started, and a status check command is sent to the kitchen printer with printer number 1. Response 03 indicating that there is no paper is sent from the kitchen printer with printer number 1. The electronic cash register (2) which received the response outputs the message "rKPl Paper End" at a predetermined position on the display 6. The display example is as shown in (a). Inoperable flag area 2 corresponding to printer number 1 stored in printer number memory 225 of cooking table 22
Set 26 to 1. That is, 1 is set in the non-operable blank area 226 for the dish name sashimi, etc.

Since the number of connected kitchen printers is four, the process is repeated and the process proceeds to check the kitchen printer with printer number 2. Since the suspension flag corresponding to the kitchen printer with printer number 2 in the operating state memory 24 is set to 1, the transmission of the status check command is skipped and the process proceeds to check the kitchen printer with printer number 3. Since the kitchen printer with printer number 3 is normal, it receives a response from the kitchen printer and outputs rKP30K J to the display. The display example is as shown in (a). Then proceed to check printer number 3, the kitchen printer. Since the transmission line 3 of the kitchen printer with printer number 4 is disconnected, no response is received even after waiting for a certain period of time. As a result, the electronic cash register] sends a message indicating no response, rKP4N.
GJ is output to the display 4. An example display is (tsu). And the printer number memory 22 of the cooking table 22
1 is set in the inoperable flag area corresponding to the kitchen printer number 4 stored in 5. That is, 1 is set in the inoperable flag area for coffee, etc. Then, since the value in the check counter memory 25 becomes 4, it becomes equal to the value in the total number of kitchen printers memory, so all the connected kitchen printers have been checked, and the process ends. The operator can immediately notice an abnormality in the kitchen printer and take some kind of countermeasure based on the display. After dealing with the problem, check the kitchen printer again by inputting the check key 21 to confirm whether the kitchen printer is now operational. Compared to conventional systems, which can detect abnormalities at the time an order is sent, it can be dealt with more quickly.

In addition, by providing the inoperable flag area 226,
Since it can be determined that the kitchen printer stored in the printer number memory 225 is in an inoperable state by determining this inoperable flag area, if the kitchen printer that should originally output is abnormal, , you can instantly output order data to a backup kitchen printer. This is much more efficient in transmission than the conventional method of sending the information to the kitchen printer that is supposed to output it at least once and then sending it to the backup kitchen printer. Furthermore, since the electronic cash register or each kitchen printer is monitored, it is possible to detect an abnormality even if the transmission line is disconnected. Abnormality monitoring can be performed reliably by the system that notifies the abnormality.

In this embodiment, a system in which orders are entered using an electronic cash register has been described, but a system in which orders are entered using a handy terminal may also be used. In addition, various modifications such as the format of message display can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The main control unit includes a status inquiry means for transmitting status inquiry data for checking the status of the printing section, a starting means for starting only this status inquiry means, and a plurality of types of messages indicating the status of the printing section. a message storage section for setting and storing the information, and a message corresponding to the response is selected from the contents of the message storage section based on the response to the status inquiry data sent to the printing section by the status inquiry means, and is displayed on the display section. By having a message display control means for controlling the printing part, the operator can always grasp the status of the printing part, so that if any trouble occurs in the printing part, it can be dealt with immediately.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figures all show embodiments of the present invention; Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of a restaurant management device, Fig. 2 is an external view of an electronic cash register, and Fig. 3 is an external view of an electronic cash register. Block configuration diagram, Figure 4 is a key layout diagram of the keyboard of the electronic cash register, Figure 5 is a configuration diagram of the main memory used in this embodiment in RAM II of the electronic cash register, Figure 6 is a kitchen printer FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an electronic cash register showing the processing of this embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of what is displayed on the display of this embodiment.

Claims (1)

[Claims] an input unit for inputting order data including a cooking code; a main control unit for transmitting and outputting the order data input from the input unit to a transmission line, displaying the input order data on a display unit, and performing registration processing; In the restaurant management device comprising a printing unit connected via the transmission line and receiving and printing out the order data, the main control unit is configured to send status inquiry data for checking the status of the printing unit. a status inquiry means, a starting means for activating only the status inquiry means, a message storage unit for setting and storing a plurality of types of messages indicating the status of the printing unit, and a status sent to the printing unit by the status inquiry unit. A restaurant management device comprising message display control means for selecting a message corresponding to the response from the contents of the message storage section based on the response to the inquiry data and displaying the message on the display section.