JPH0844311A - Menu order device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce a personnel cost and to enable a customer to calmly select a menu by allowing the customer himself to operate an order device of every table, to check the displayed menu contents and to transmit the information thereof by way of radios or wires. CONSTITUTION:The menu order device 11 arranged at every table consists of a liquid crystal display section 11a, a flat keyboard 11b for menu selection and a flat keyboard 11c for menu order. The respective keys of the flat keyboard 11b for menu selection correspond 1:1 to the menus and the information on the menu including the contents of the menu selected by the liquid crystal display section 11a, i.e., the images of real samples, explanations on the cooking contents, prices, recommendation PR, etc., is displayed by selecting the menu. The customer operates the flat keyboard 11c for menu order in the display state of the menu when the menu to be ordered is determined to transmit the menu information and the table information to a host computer 2 by a radio transmission device 12 when the menu to be ordered is determined.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a menu order device which can contribute to labor saving in restaurants and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a general menu ordering device for a restaurant which has a POS (Point of Sales) system will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 1 is a wireless transmission handy terminal, and a waiter (or waitress) inputs a customer's order and table number from these terminals. Wireless information from the terminal is input to the host computer 2 connected by a wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

The processing information of the host computer 2 instructs the kitchen printer 4 to print out an order via the Ethernet LAN 3 and is also transmitted to the order form printer 5 to print out the order form. An accounting terminal 6 also receives processing information from the host computer 2 via the LAN 3 and responds to the customer's cash payment. Reference numeral 8 is a center computer of a chain store group, which collects order information of restaurants existing in a wide area through the ISDN line 7 in real time to perform strategic management information processing.

[0004]

However, in the menu ordering apparatus as described above, the customer's order is input by the waiter directly through a 1: 1 dialogue with the customer, so that a plurality of waiters always wait. Must be kept, which is a bottleneck for reducing labor costs of restaurants.

As a means for solving such a problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-59
-64898 "Signage display device" is disclosed. The feature of this technology is that when a customer requests a service, a button placed on the table is pressed to wirelessly call the waiter's waiting place, but it is also necessary to wait for the waiter and unattended It is difficult to convert.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving the above problems, and it is installed for each table,
And a menu ordering device operated by the customer himself who is seated, a keyboard function corresponding to the menu, a display function for displaying menu contents by this keyboard operation, an order keyboard function for ordering the displayed menu, It is characterized in that it has a function of transmitting ordered menu information and table information to an order entry device wirelessly or by wire.

[0007]

In the apparatus of the present invention, the seated customer himself / herself installs for each table and directly operates the menu ordering device to confirm the menu contents corresponding to the key on the display and order by the key operation. The ordered menu information and table information are wirelessly or wired transmitted to the order entry device.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. An embodiment of the menu ordering device according to the present invention is shown in FIG. The same components as those of the conventional device described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 9 indicates a table, and 10 indicates a chair. Reference numeral 11 denotes a flat panel menu order device according to the present invention, and one or a plurality of menu order devices are arranged on a table in correspondence with chairs.

The menu ordering device 11 comprises a liquid crystal display section 11a, a menu selecting flat keyboard 11b, and a menu ordering flat keyboard 11c. In the menu selection flat keyboard 11b, each key corresponds to the menu in a 1: 1 ratio, and by selecting this, the contents of the menu selected on the liquid crystal display unit 11a, that is, a sample image of the actual product, a description of the contents of the dish, Information about the menu such as price, options, recommended PR, etc. is displayed.

When the menu to be ordered is determined, the order processing is executed by operating the menu ordering flat keyboard 11c in the display state of the menu. Reference numeral 12 is a wireless transmission device installed for each table, and wirelessly transmits the ordered menu information and table information to the host computer 2 which is an order entry device. The following information processing is the same as that of the conventional device.

The transmission means may be a wired LAN wired under the floor, an optical coupling LAN, etc., in addition to the wireless communication. It is also possible to add a call key function as a function of the keyboard for requesting explanations such as unclear operation or unclear menu contents.When this is pressed, it is displayed or voiced to the floor service personnel. To be done.

The menu ordering device 11 and the wireless transmission device 12 of the present invention are functionally similar to the functions of a known handy terminal, and can be easily realized by a known electronic technique.

[0013]

As described above, in the apparatus of the present invention, since the customer orders the menu by himself / herself, the serviceability of the customer service is slightly lowered, but the labor cost reduction effect is increased. Another advantage for customers is that they can select menus calmly without having to worry about the waiters on their side. With such a system, orders can be entered in the kitchen and cooking can be started in the shortest time, and the implementation effect of this system is great for both the restaurant management side and the customer side.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a menu order according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional menu ordering device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Host computer 3 Ethernet LAN 4 Kitchen printer 5 Order slip printer 6 Accounting terminal 7 ISDN line 8 Center computer 9 Table 10 Chair 11 Menu ordering device 12 Transmission device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A menu ordering device that is installed for each table and operated by a seated customer himself / herself, and has a keyboard function corresponding to the menu and a display function for displaying menu contents by the keyboard operation. A menu ordering device having an order keyboard function for ordering a menu and a transmission function for transmitting ordered menu information and table information to an order entry device wirelessly or by wire.