JPWO2008149942A1 - Catering equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a serving apparatus capable of quickly and accurately placing ordered foods and drinks on a plurality of customer tables. The serving device sets the serving order based on the information of a plurality of customers stored in the IC chip 25 provided on the plate 21, sets the travel route, and sets the dishes 21 on each table. It is now provided to 7 customers.

Description

  The present invention relates to a serving apparatus that provides food to customers in restaurants such as restaurants.

  In general, restaurants and other restaurants provide food and drinks such as dishes and drinks ordered from customers by waiters and waitresses.

  Therefore, it is necessary to always arrange the customer service regardless of the customer's condition at the restaurant, and the customer service needs to receive the order from the customer and carry the ordered food to the customer.

  As a restaurant manager, when there are no customers, there is a desire to reduce the number of people, but if the number of people is reduced too much, when there is a flood of orders, it will be too busy to respond to customers. Therefore, it is necessary to replenish manpower.

  In order to solve such a problem, the present inventor has developed a catering system that uses a robot for catering work in order to reduce the burden on the customer service and enhance the customer service to the customer ( Patent Document 1).

The distribution system of Patent Document 1 includes a transport cart that carries food and drinks that have been ordered and travels to the customer's seat, and delivers food and drinks to the customer.
Japanese Patent No. 3459392

  However, the above-described catering system can deal with only one table and has not yet provided a plurality of food and drinks for a plurality of tables.

  Moreover, in the said distribution system, since food / beverage is simply distributed to a customer's table, if the setting is mistaken, food / beverage may be provided to a different customer.

  Furthermore, in the above-described catering system, since the food and drink are only carried to the front of the customer's table, the customer receives the food and drink and places it on the table, which burdens the customer with labor.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made with the above problem as an example, and a first object is to provide a serving apparatus capable of placing ordered food and drink on a customer's table. In addition, a second object is to provide a serving apparatus that can definitely provide customers with ordered food and drink. Furthermore, the 3rd objective is to provide the layout apparatus which can provide several food and drink with respect to several customers.

  The present invention will be described below. In addition, in order to make an understanding of this invention easy, the reference number of an accompanying drawing is attached in parenthesis writing, However, This invention is not limited to the form of illustration by it.

  The serving apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention is a dish (21) provided with an IC chip (25) for inputting customer information, and an input means (31) for inputting the customer information to the IC chip. And a serving vehicle that accepts the order of the customer seated in the passenger seat (7), travels while delivering the dish with the IC chip loaded with food and drink corresponding to the order to the passenger seat, and provides the customer (10), wherein the layout vehicle includes drive means (11, etc.) for traveling to the passenger seat, a tray (17) for placing the dish, and the dish for the passenger seat. Placed on the tray are provision means (15, 16, etc.) to be provided to the customer, a storage unit (41) in which position information of obstacles and position information of passenger seats that are obstacles when traveling in advance are stored. The customer's information from the IC chip on the plate Reading means for reading (46), arrangement order setting means (90) for setting the arrangement order of food and drink for the plurality of customers based on the customer information, position information of obstacles stored in the storage unit, A travel route setting means (43) for setting travel routes to a plurality of passenger seats to be provided with the food and drink based on the position information of the passenger seats and the serving order set by the serving order setting means, and the travel routes Control means (49) for controlling the drive unit to travel according to the travel route set by the setting means.

  According to this invention, the serving apparatus sets a serving order according to customer information (for example, order reception time) when dishes ordered from a plurality of customers and placed in a kitchen are randomly placed, In order to go around the seats in the serving order, an optimum travel route is set, and the user travels around each seat along the travel route and provides food. Therefore, it is possible to provide a plurality of dishes to a plurality of customers quickly and accurately.

  According to claim 2 of the present invention, in the layout apparatus according to claim 1, the customer information includes a reception time when an order is received from the customer, and the layout order is the reception time. It is characterized in that it is set in the order from the earliest.

  According to the present invention, since the arrangement order is set in the order from the earliest reception time, the arrangement apparatus does not receive a complaint because the order is different from the customer.

  Further, according to claim 3 of the present invention, in the layout device according to claim 1 or 2, the tray has a notch that fits into the bottom of the dish, and the bottom surface has a tapered surface. The providing means is formed of a support shaft that can be expanded and contracted in the vertical direction, an arm that is attached to the tray, and an arm attachment means that attaches the arm to the support shaft so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The control means, when providing the dish to the customer, controls the expansion and contraction of the support shaft in the vertical direction and controls the arm to rotate downward so that the taper surface is seated on the customer. The tray is moved away from the table by controlling the driving unit in a state where the table is substantially horizontal to the table surface of the passenger seat and at least a part of the bottom of the plate is installed on the table. To.

  According to this invention, the layout device tilts the arm so that the taper surface of the tray is substantially horizontal with the table surface of the passenger seat and the main body is separated from the passenger seat in a state where a part of the plate is in contact with the table surface. Move it to remove the tray from the dish. Therefore, it is possible to automatically and surely place the dish on the audience seat.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a laying apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the radiating apparatus (70) for transmitting predetermined radio waves to at least two points on the ceiling is provided. The passenger seat receives radio waves transmitted from the transmitting device and detects its own position information, and transmits the detected position information to the serving vehicle. Information transmission means (88) for receiving the radio waves transmitted from the transmission device and detecting the position information of the vehicle itself from the passenger seat. Receiving means (46) for receiving the position information of the passenger seat, and determination means for determining whether or not at least a part of the passenger seat is arranged in the travel route based on the position information of the passenger seat and its own position information And said As a result of the disconnection, when at least a part of the passenger seat is arranged in the travel route, a modified travel that generates a new travel route by changing a part of the travel route to avoid contact with the passenger seat Route generating means (83).

  According to the present invention, the passenger seat transmits its own position information to the layout device. For example, the passenger seat is displaced from a predetermined position for some reason, which hinders the travel of the layout device. Even if it is a case, the layout device automatically corrects the travel route and can travel without staying at the place, so that the layout device can be reliably traveled to the passenger seat. .

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the arrangement device according to the fourth aspect, the position of the arrangement vehicle is determined based on position information of the passenger seat transmitted from the passenger seat to which the dish is to be provided. Control means for controlling the drive unit to be corrected is further provided.

  According to the present invention, the serving device is transmitted from the seat even if the seat to be provided cannot be served due to, for example, a predetermined position being shifted for some reason. Based on the position information, the layout apparatus corrects its own position. Therefore, it is possible to reliably provide food to the audience seats.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the arrangement device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the tray position is determined based on the arrangement order set by the arrangement order setting means. Tray position changing means for changing the order of arrangement is provided.

  According to the present invention, since the trays are rearranged in the order of the layout order, for example, it is only necessary to provide the dishes to the seats in order from the top, and the program for the layout process becomes easy and quickly. Can provide food.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a serving apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the serving vehicle is used for a sample in which dishes to be provided to customers are arranged in advance. Storage means for storing the image of the dish, imaging means for imaging the serving dish on which the food to be provided to the customer is arranged, and for providing the dish to the customer, the image of the serving dish and the sample A means for comparing the images of the dishes and determining whether or not the serving state of the dish to be provided to the customer is appropriate, and if the result of the determination indicates that the serving state is not appropriate, And swinging means for swinging the plate.

  According to the present invention, for example, even if the dishes are biased during traveling, the dishes can be provided to the customer with the dishes returned to their proper positions.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a serving apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the serving vehicle is a serving dish on which dishes to be provided to customers are arranged. A plate pull-up time calculating means for calculating the pull-up time of the serving plate from the time when the serving plate is provided, and a storage means for storing an image of the sample plate on which dishes to be provided to the customer are preliminarily provided, An imaging means for imaging the serving dish to be lifted when the pulling time is reached, and an image of the sample dish and serving for traveling after reaching the customer's table when the pulling time is reached And determining means for comparing the images of the plates and determining whether the serving plate can be pulled up.

  According to the present invention, the plate pulling operation can be performed automatically, so that the burden on the customer service can be reduced.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it is possible to place the plate in which the food and drink ordered quickly and accurately were piled up in the passenger seat (table) of several customers.

It is an arrangement plan in a store where a serving apparatus is installed. It is an external view of a layout vehicle. FIG. 3A is a longitudinal sectional view and FIG. 3B is a transverse sectional view showing the internal structure of the layout vehicle. FIG. 4A is a diagram showing an example of the arm operation in the horizontal direction, and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing an example of the arm operation in the vertical direction. It is a block diagram of a layout apparatus. It is a flowchart figure which shows the operation example in a layout apparatus. It is a figure which shows the outline | summary of 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of a layout apparatus. It is a flowchart figure which shows the operation example in a layout apparatus. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the operation | movement process of a layout apparatus. It is a flowchart for demonstrating a plate raising operation | movement process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 7 Passenger seat 10 Wheeled vehicle 11 Wheel 15 Spindle 16 Arm 21 Dish 25 IC chip 31 Input part 41 Memory | storage part 43 Traveling path setting part 46 Communication part 49 Control part 70 Transmitting device 81, 86 Radio wave receiving part 83 Correction traveling path generation part 88 Sending part 90 Serving order setting part

  Hereinafter, the best embodiment of the present application will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

-First embodiment-
FIG. 1 is a layout diagram in a store where a layout device is installed, FIG. 2 is an external view of the layout vehicle, FIG. 3 shows an internal structure of the layout vehicle, FIG. 3A is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, FIG. 4 shows an example of arm operation, FIG. 4 (a) is a diagram showing an example of the arm's horizontal operation, and FIG. 4 (b) is a diagram showing an example of the arm's vertical operation. 5 is a configuration diagram of the layout apparatus, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the layout apparatus. In addition, the catering apparatus S of this embodiment is applied to the restaurant 2 which provides food and drink to customers as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a restaurant 2 is provided with a kitchen 4 for cooking food and drinks and a guest seat 6 divided by a partition body 5. There is provided a place where the serving vehicle 10 that transports the vehicle waits. The serving vehicle 10 reciprocates between the kitchen 4 and the passenger seat 6 through a predetermined travel route 12.

  The passenger seat 6 includes, for example, a table 7 formed in a rectangular shape and a plurality of seats 8 on which the customer is seated. The seat 8 is provided on the periphery of the table 7. In addition, a flat table terminal 9 is provided in a part of the table, and the table terminal 9 functions as an area for placing a dish on which food and drink carried by the serving vehicle 10 are placed. To do.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the layout vehicle 10 has a main body 10 a formed in a cylindrical shape. A wheel 11 is provided at the lower end of the main body 10 a so that the vehicle can freely travel according to a travel route 12. Yes. For example, the wheel 11 is provided with a total of three wheels, two at the front and one at the rear, and a drive motor (not shown) for rotating the wheel 11 is provided at the front wheel. And the direction change of the layout vehicle 10 is performed by steering a rear wheel. A plurality of sensors 13 for detecting obstacles and the like are provided around the outer periphery of the main body 10a. The number of wheels 11 is not limited to that number, and for example, there may be three or more wheels.

  The drive motor is connected to a drive control unit 44 that drives and controls the main body 10a. The drive control unit 44 rotates the wheels 11 at a predetermined number of rotations.

  Inside the main body 10a, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of support shafts 15 configured by using a hydraulic actuator that can be vertically expanded and contracted by a drive motor M and a predetermined gear (not shown), and the like, The arm 16 separately attached to the spindle 15 and the tray 17 for placing food and drink provided on each arm 16 are provided. The trays 17 are arranged in the vertical direction inside the main body 10a by the arms 16, and the arms 16 are attached to the support shafts 15 so that the trays 17 adjacent in the vertical direction do not contact each other.

  The tray 17 is formed in a plate-like body that is cut into a substantially semicircular shape at the front end and is formed in a substantially U shape. As shown in FIG. 4 (b), a dish 21 for serving food and drink is supported by the notched portion 18 that is notched. The dish 21 includes, for example, a main body 21 a whose upper surface is slightly depressed, and a bottom portion 22 formed so as to protrude downward, and the bottom portion 22 fits into the notch portion 18 of the tray 17. It has become. At this time, at least a part of the bottom portion 22 of the plate 21 protrudes from the lower surface of the tray 17. Further, the notch 18 is formed to be larger than the width of the bottom 22 of the plate 21 so that the bottom 22 of the plate 21 can be pulled out from the notch 18.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4A, the arm 16 is supported in the horizontal direction (direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the support shaft) by an arm mounting mechanism such as a drive motor and a predetermined gear (not shown). As shown in FIG. 4 (b), the tip is rotatable in the vertical direction (the axial direction of the support shaft 15) with the base end portion of the arm 16 as a support point. It is attached.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 4B, the tray 17 has a longitudinal cross-sectional shape with a tapered surface 17a formed on the bottom surface thereof, and the tapered surface 17a is formed by inclining the tip of the arm 16 downward. On the table 7, the tapered surface 17a is formed to be horizontal.

  When placing the plate 21 on the table 7, the layout vehicle 10 tilts the arm 16 downward so that the taper surface 17a of the tray 17 abuts on the upper surface of the table 7, and the main body 10a is left as it is. It is made to move away from the table 7. Thus, when the arm 21 is tilted downward, the tray 21 comes into contact with a part of the bottom portion 22 of the tray 21 on the table 7, and the main body 10 moves, so that the bottom portion 22 is notched 18. Since it is pulled out from and placed on the table 8, the plate 21 can be placed on the table 7 from the tray 17 reliably and easily.

  The motor that drives the arm 16 and the support shaft 15 is connected to a drive control unit 44 that controls the drive of the main body 10a, and the arm 16 or the support shaft 15 is driven and controlled by the drive control unit 44.

  Next, the whole structure of the layout apparatus of this application is demonstrated using FIG.

  The serving device S includes a management terminal 30 installed in the kitchen 4, a serving vehicle 10, a table terminal 9 installed in a part of the table 7 in the restaurant 2, and a dish on which food and drink prepared by ordering are served. 21. The dish 21 is provided with, for example, an IC chip 25 on the bottom surface that records predetermined information or can read out the recorded information.

  The management terminal 30 includes an input unit 31 for inputting customer information including at least an order received from a customer, a storage unit 32 for storing order reception information data created based on the customer information, and the order reception information data. It includes a display unit 33 for displaying, a recording unit 34 for recording customer information on the IC chip 25 of the plate 21, and a control unit 35 including a CPU for controlling the units 31 to 34. The management terminal 30 is a terminal generally called a PC, and the processing of each unit is performed under the control of the control unit 35.

  The customer information is, for example, table number information corresponding to the seat on which the customer is seated, order information for the food received from the customer, reception time information for receiving the order, etc. When customer information is input by the input unit 31, The control unit 35 stores the customer information in the storage unit 32 as order acceptance information data.

  The cook in the kitchen cooks while looking at the order reception information data displayed on the display unit 33, arranges the cooked food on the plate 21, performs a predetermined operation when cooking is finished, and the control unit 35 performs the operation. Order reception information data corresponding to the order for which cooking has been completed is stored in the IC chip 25 provided on the plate 21. The order acceptance information data stored in the IC chip 25 is deleted from the storage unit 32 of the management terminal 30 and deleted from the display unit 33 by the control unit 35. Thereby, the cook can prevent mistakes, such as cooking the food ordered by misunderstanding etc. twice. Further, the dish 21 in which the order acceptance information data is stored in the IC chip 25 is placed on the tray 17 of the serving vehicle 10 by, for example, a customer service.

  Next, the layout vehicle 10 has a storage unit 41 storing position information of obstacles (for example, the table 7 and the seat 8) that become obstacles when traveling in advance and table position information, and order reception information data. An order acceptance information detecting unit 42 for detecting food, a serving order setting unit 90 for setting the serving order of the table 7 for providing food, a travel route setting unit 43 for setting an optimal travel route, the arm 16 and the support shaft 15. Alternatively, a drive control unit 44 that controls a drive unit such as a drive motor connected to the wheels 11, a surrounding detection unit 45 that detects a situation around the main body 10 a by the sensor 13, and transmission / reception of information with the table terminal 9 The communication part 46 which performs and the control part 49 which controls each part collectively are comprised.

The control unit 49 as a computer stores a CPU (Central Processing Unit) having a calculation function, a working RAM, a nonvolatile memory, and various processing programs and data.
An OM or the like is provided. Then, when the CPU executes a main body control processing program stored in, for example, a ROM (starts a main body control application), the computer functions as a control device. This main body control processing program is a processing program that is executed by the control unit 49 of the layout vehicle 10 when providing ordered food and drink to customers.

  Further, the position information of the obstacle and the position information of the table 7 stored in the storage unit 41 are the outer frame shape of the table composed of the X and Y coordinates, the outer frame shape of the seat, and the like, which are obstacles in advance. A plurality of travel routes 12 defined so as to avoid the table may be stored. When the travel route 12 on which the arranged vehicle 10 should actually travel is set, the travel route setting unit 43 sets the travel route 12 in an appropriate combination.

  The travel route 12 is route data when traveling from the kitchen 4 to each table 7 or from each table 7 to each other table 7, and the route data or the position information of the obstacle, the position information of the table, Necessary data is appropriately read out by the travel route setting unit 43.

  The order reception information detection unit 42 detects the order reception information data from the IC chip 25 of the plate 21 placed on the tray 17 and outputs it to the serving order setting unit 90.

  The arrangement order setting unit 90 determines an arrangement order for each table 7 based on the order information (table information, order reception time information) and outputs the order to the travel route setting unit 43. As for the arrangement order, for example, the priority is determined in the order of the elapsed time after receiving the order, whether or not the customer has been reserved in advance, and the distance to the table, and the arrangement order is determined in the order of priority. .

  The travel route setting unit 43 travels for serving while referring to the obstacle position information, the table 7 position information, or the travel route 12 information stored in advance in the storage unit based on the arrangement order. The path 12 is set and output to the drive control unit 44.

  The drive control unit 44 controls the drive motor in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 49 to change the order of the dishes 21 placed on the tray 17 based on the arrangement order set by the arrangement order setting unit 90. For example, the position of the tray 17 is changed so that the dishes 21 are arranged in order from the top according to the arrangement order so that the dishes 21 can be provided to each customer in order. When changing the position of the tray 17, for example, the support shaft 15 is vertically expanded and contracted in a state where the tray 17 to be rearranged is horizontally rotated to avoid contact with the other tray 17. After that, the tray 17 is rotated in the horizontal direction so as to be arranged linearly with the other trays 17. Moreover, the drive control part 44 controls a drive motor based on the said driving | running route 12 set, makes the main body 10a drive | work, and each dish 21 on which the food and drink corresponding to each table 7 were piled up was each set. Place on table 7.

  Further, when placing the plate 21 on the table 7, the control unit 49 determines whether or not to place the plate 21 based on the detection result transmitted from the table terminal 9. Therefore, only when there is no object on the table terminal 9, the control unit 49 drives the drive motor by the drive control unit 44 to place the plate 21 corresponding to the table 7 on the table terminal 9. It is supposed to be placed.

  Further, the control unit 49 controls the traveling state of the main body 10 a based on the detection result detected by the surrounding detection unit 45. Specifically, when an obstacle such as a person is detected around the vehicle, the traveling of the main body 10a is stopped or slowed down.

  Next, the table terminal 9 transmits at least an obstacle detection unit 51 that detects whether an obstacle such as another plate 21 is placed on the table terminal 9 and transmits the detection result to the layout vehicle 10. The unit 52 and a control unit 55 including a CPU or the like that controls the units 51 and 52 are configured. The table terminal 9 is a terminal generally called a PC, and the processing of each unit is performed under the control of the control unit 55.

  The control unit 55 detects whether or not the other dish 21 is placed on the table terminal 9 by the obstacle detection unit 51, and transmits the detection result to the layout vehicle 10 by the transmission unit 52. ing.

  Next, an operation example of the layout vehicle in the layout apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. For ease of understanding, reference numerals are assigned to portions corresponding to FIGS. 1 to 5, but the embodiment is not limited thereto.

  First, a waitress such as a waitress or a waiter receives an order, a plate 21 prepared by a cook of the kitchen 4 and loaded with food and drink is placed on the tray 17, and then a star and a button provided on the serving vehicle 10. It is assumed that the serving vehicle 10 of the present application is activated when is pressed. When the customer comes to the store, the customer service staff guides the customer to each table 9 and receives an order. The customer service staff operates the operation unit based on the received order slip and inputs it to the management terminal 30. The input items to the management terminal 30 include information on presence / absence of a reservation of a visitor and a table number of the table that received the order. Table information such as, food and beverage information such as the name of the food and beverage ordered, and reception time information such as the time when the order was received.

  First, according to the order received from the customer, in the kitchen 4, the food and drink cooked by the order is placed on the plate 21 provided with the IC chip 25. Order acceptance information is input to the IC chip 25 by the control unit 35 of the management terminal 30. Specifically, the cook in the kitchen 4 cooks while looking at the order reception information displayed on the display unit 33, cooks food and drink corresponding to the order reception information, and places the food on the plate 21. By this operation, the order acceptance information is input to the IC chip 25 provided on the plate 21.

  Next, the dish 21 is placed on each tray 17 of the serving vehicle 10 by the cook or the customer service, and the starter button is pressed, whereby the serving vehicle 10 is activated.

  First, the control unit 49 of the serving vehicle 10 determines whether or not the start button has been pressed by the cook or the customer service (step S101). The start button is pressed by the customer service staff or the cook as appropriate.For example, if a plurality of dishes are cooked in a short time, the plurality of dishes are put on the tray after the dishes are cooked. It is designed to be pressed after waiting to be placed. In the following description, a processing example in the case where it is necessary to arrange for a plurality of tables will be described.

  Next, the control unit 49 reads the order reception information from the IC chip 25 of the plate 21 placed on each tray 17 by the order reception information detection unit 42, and the arrangement order to each table 7 by the arrangement order setting unit 90. Is determined (step S102).

  Subsequently, the control part 49 sets the optimal driving | running route at the time of providing food to each table 7 by the driving | running route setting part 43 based on the said distribution order. Specifically, the control unit 49 reads the route data stored in the storage unit 41 and sets the travel route at the shortest distance that can go around the table 7 in that order based on the set arrangement order. It has become.

  Next, the control unit 49 causes the drive control unit 44 to drive the drive motor based on the arrangement order, changes the arrangement position of each tray 17, and then causes the drive control unit 44 to drive the drive motor based on the travel route. The main body 10a is driven to drive, and the plate 21 on which food and drink are served is placed on the table terminal 9 of each table 7 to be provided, and the process returns to the standby place to complete the process.

  Here, the food / drink placement process will be specifically described.

  The control unit 49 causes the main body 10a to travel based on the travel route, stops beside each table 7, and controls the drive motor by the drive control unit 44 so that foods and drinks associated with the table 7 are piled up. The tray 17 on which the serving plate 21 is placed is driven.

  Specifically, first, the control unit 49 controls the drive motor by the drive control unit 44, extends the support shaft 15 upward, rotates the tray 17 in the horizontal direction with the axis as a fulcrum, and the tray 17 Is held above the table terminal 9.

  Next, the control unit 49 controls the drive motor by the drive control unit 44, rotates the tip in the vertical direction with the base end of the arm 6 supporting the tray 17 as a fulcrum, and lowers the tip of the tray 17 downward. The taper surface 17 a formed on the bottom surface of the tray 17 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the table terminal 9.

  Next, the control unit 49 controls the drive motor by the drive control unit 44 and causes the main body 10 a to travel away from the table 7. As a result, the dish 21 is pulled out from the cutout portion 18 of the tray 17, and the dish 21 is placed on the table terminal 9.

  Next, the control unit 49 controls the drive motor by the drive control unit 44, tilts the arm 16 upward, returns it to the initial position, rotates the tray 17 to return to the initial position, and supports it. The shaft 15 is contracted to accommodate the tray 17 in the main body 10a, and the process is terminated.

-Second Embodiment-
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an outline of the present embodiment.

  In the first embodiment, the serving vehicle 10 serves the plate 21 on which the dishes 7 are served by traveling on the travel route 12 set by appropriately selecting the travel route 12 stored in advance in the storage unit 41. However, for example, in the process of traveling to the target table 7 for some reason, the position of another table 7 is shifted, and the set travel route 12 is blocked. It can be assumed that the serving vehicle 10 cannot travel to the table 7 or the table 7 that provides the dish is shifted from a predetermined position and the dish cannot be placed at the specified position. The following embodiments are examples made to solve the above problems. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the part which is common in 1st Embodiment, and the detailed description shall be abbreviate | omitted.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, the layout vehicle 10 and each table 7 have at least two positioning devices 70 and 70 for positioning their current positions arranged on the ceiling, and the layout vehicle 10 and each table. 7 control units 49 and 55 are provided with radio wave receiving units 81 and 86 for receiving radio waves emitted from the positioning device 70, and coordinate data indicating their positions based on the radio waves received by the radio wave receiving units 81 and 86. Can be calculated.

  Further, the table terminal 9 provided in the table 7 is provided with a transmitter 88 capable of transmitting coordinate data indicating its own position in the periphery, and coordinate data indicating its position in the periphery by the transmitter 88. Is to be sent. On the other hand, the layout vehicle 10 receives coordinate data transmitted from the transmitter 88 of the table terminal 9 while traveling on the specified travel route by the communication unit 46.

  The controller 49 of the layout vehicle 10 determines whether or not a part of the table 7 exists on the travel route based on the coordinate data transmitted from the transmitter 88 of the table terminal 9. When a part of the table 7 exists on the travel route, the modified travel route setting unit 83 grasps the arrangement state of the table 7 based on the coordinate data so as to avoid contact with the table 7. A corrected travel route in which the route is corrected is generated, and the drive control unit 44 is controlled so that the layout vehicle 10 travels according to the corrected travel route.

  Further, based on the coordinate data transmitted from the target table 7, the control unit 49 determines whether the position information of the table 7 stored in advance in the storage unit 41 matches the coordinate data transmitted from the table 7. If the coordinate data does not match the position information, the coordinate data transmitted from the table 7 is recognized as the position information of the table 7, and the position information of the table 7 stored in the storage unit 41 is recognized. In addition, after the position at which the vehicle stops is corrected by the drive control unit 44, the food and beverage placement process is performed.

  Below, the whole structure and operation | movement of a concrete layout apparatus are demonstrated using FIG.8 and FIG.9. FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of the layout apparatus, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation example of the layout apparatus. 8 and 9, the same reference numerals are given to portions common to FIGS. 1 to 5, and descriptions thereof are omitted.

  Note that the position information of the table 7 and the position information of the table received by radio waves indicate the same position, and the position information is composed of one point on the table or a plurality of points that can specify the shape.

-Overall configuration of the arrangement device-
As shown in FIG. 8, the serving apparatus S is cooked by order, a management terminal 30 installed in the kitchen 4, a serving vehicle 10, a table terminal 9 installed in a part of the table 7 in the restaurant 2. And a dish 21 on which food and drink are served. The dish 21 is provided with, for example, an IC chip 25 on the bottom surface that records predetermined information or can read out the recorded information.

  The management terminal 30 includes an input unit 31 for inputting customer information including at least an order received from a customer, a storage unit 32 for storing order reception information data created based on the customer information, and the order reception information data. It includes a display unit 33 for displaying, a recording unit 34 for recording customer information on the IC chip 25 of the plate 21, and a control unit 35 including a CPU for controlling the units 31 to 34.

  Next, the layout vehicle 10 receives a radio wave from the positioning device 70 arranged on the ceiling, and continuously receives the absolute position information of the reception point (for example, the travel point of the layout vehicle 10), A storage unit 41 in which a plurality of travel routes are stored in advance, an order reception information detection unit 42 that detects order reception information data, a serving order setting unit 90 that sets a serving order of a table that provides dishes, and an optimum A travel route setting unit 43 that sets a travel route, a modified travel route generation unit 83 that temporarily corrects the travel route so as to avoid the obstacle when the travel route is blocked by an obstacle, and the arm 16 A driving control unit 44 for controlling a driving unit such as a motor connected to the spindle 15 and the like, a surrounding state detecting unit 45 for detecting a surrounding state of the main body by the sensor 13, and a table terminal 9. It constituted a communication unit 46 for transmitting and receiving broadcast, a control unit 49 which controls each section, include.

  When performing the catering process, the control unit 49 receives radio waves transmitted from each table 7 while traveling on the travel route 12, and based on the position information of the table 7 calculated by the radio waves, the table 7 or its It is determined whether or not a part is arranged on the travel route. As a result of this determination, if the table 7 is arranged on the travel route, the modified travel route generation unit 83 generates a modified travel route for temporarily avoiding contact with the table 7, and the modified travel. The drive control unit 44 is controlled so as to travel along the route.

  Moreover, the control part 49 receives the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the target table 7 which should provide a dish, and judges whether the positional information on the table 7 calculated by the electromagnetic wave was received. When the position information of the table 7 is received, it is determined whether or not the position information matches the position information stored in the table 7 in advance, and the received position information matches the position information stored in advance. If not, the position information stored in the storage unit 41 is replaced with the latest received position information and stored, and the drive control unit 44 is controlled to correct its own position based on the position information.

  Next, the table terminal 9 receives radio waves from the positioning device 70 arranged on the ceiling, and continuously receives the absolute position information of the reception point (for example, the travel point of the layout vehicle 10), A transmitter 88 for transmitting the position information obtained by the radio wave receiver 86 to the periphery, and an obstacle detector 51 for detecting whether or not an obstacle such as another plate 21 is placed on at least the table terminal 9; The transmission unit 52 that transmits the detection result to the layout vehicle 10 and the control unit 55 including a CPU that controls each unit are configured.

  The controller 55 continues to transmit the position information received by the radio wave receiver 86 by the transmitter 88. Note that the position information may be transmitted only when the serving vehicle 10 is approached.

  Next, an operation example of the layout vehicle in the layout device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. For ease of understanding, reference numerals are assigned to portions corresponding to FIG. 8, but the embodiment is not limited thereby. In the following operation example, in particular, in the catering process, the catering vehicle 10 starts from a specified position, travels according to the predetermined travel route 12, and reaches the target table 7 to be served. Will be described, and other processing will be omitted.

  First, the control unit 49 of the layout vehicle 10 determines whether or not a radio wave transmitted from the table 7 is received by the radio wave receiving unit 81 (step S201). If this determination is affirmed, the process proceeds to the next step. If the determination is negative, the vehicle continues to travel according to the travel route 12 set by the travel route setting unit 43 and waits until a radio wave transmitted from the table 7 is received.

  Next, the control unit 49 determines whether or not the table 7 corresponding to the coordinate position calculated based on the received radio wave is the target table 7 that should serve food (step S202), and this determination is affirmed. If the result is negative, the process proceeds to step S203.

  If the table corresponding to the received radio wave is not a table for serving food, the control unit 49 determines whether a part of the table 7 is arranged on the travel route based on the coordinate position ( In step S203), if this determination is affirmed, the process proceeds to the next step, and if denied, the process returns to step S201.

  Based on the coordinate position of the table 7, the control unit 49 generates a corrected travel route in which the travel route is corrected to avoid contact with the table 7 based on the coordinate position of the table 7 (step S204). . Specifically, the correction is made within a range that does not deviate significantly from the travel route.For example, when the vehicle travels between adjacent tables, the travel route is changed if it is in contact with another table even if the correction is made. The travel route that can reach the target table without passing through is reset.

  Next, the control unit 49 controls the drive control unit 44 based on the corrected travel route to travel the main body 10a (step S205), and returns to step S201. After traveling on the corrected travel route, the drive control unit 44 is controlled to travel on the travel route 12 set by the travel route setting unit 43.

  On the other hand, in step S202, if the table corresponding to the received radio wave is a target table to be provided with a dish, the control unit 49 indicates that the position information calculated based on the received radio wave is the target table 7. In step S206, if the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S207. If the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S210.

  In step S207, the control unit 49 controls the drive control unit 44 to perform the food / drink placement process, and then determines whether or not the other table needs to be arranged (step S208). . If this determination is affirmed, the process returns to step S201, and the drive control unit 44 is controlled to travel on the travel route 12 set by the travel route setting unit 43. Return to the specified position and finish all processing.

  In step S206, if the position information calculated based on the received radio wave does not match the position information defined in advance for the target table, the control unit 49 corresponds to the table in the storage unit 41. The position information stored in the table is corrected and stored in the position information received from the table, and the position of the main body 10a is corrected by controlling the drive control unit 44 based on the latest position information (step S210). ).

  Next, the control unit 49 controls the drive control unit 44 to perform the placing process of the food and drink (dish 21) (step S211), and then determines whether or not the other table needs to be arranged. Judgment is made (step S212). If this determination is affirmed, the process returns to step S201, and the drive control unit 44 is controlled to travel on the travel route 12 set by the travel route setting unit 43. Return to the specified position and finish all processing.

-Third embodiment-
This embodiment relates to an operation process for preventing the food from being provided to the customer in a state where the food is not properly served on the plate when the food is provided to the customer in the first embodiment, for example. is there. This process is performed when the layout vehicle 10 reaches the customer's table to be provided.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the layout vehicle will be described with reference to FIG. Detailed descriptions of parts common to the components described in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 will be omitted.

  Although not shown, the serving vehicle 10 includes a photographing unit for photographing the surroundings and a dish on which dishes to be actually provided to customers (hereinafter referred to as “providing dishes”) are provided. Based on 49 instructions, the dishing state in the serving plate is imaged.

  In addition, the storage unit 41 stores an image of a plate (hereinafter, referred to as “sample plate”) on which dishes to be provided to the customer are arranged.

  The control unit 49 reads an image of the sample plate from the storage unit 41, compares the image of the serving plate with the image of the sample plate, and the dish is properly placed on the plate (arranged). ) Is determined. For example, the control unit 49 determines that the dish placed on the plate is inappropriate when it is biased to the left or right.

  In addition, in order to return the biased dish to an appropriate position, the present embodiment includes a swinging device for swinging (or vibrating) the arm 16 supporting the dish in the vertical direction, the front-rear direction, or the horizontal direction. Yes. For example, the swing device may simply swing the arm 16 back and forth or in the left-right direction, or may be provided with a vibrator device for swinging up and down, back and forth, or left and right in small increments. Absent.

  Next, an operation example of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the operation process of the layout apparatus. For ease of understanding, reference numerals are assigned to portions corresponding to FIGS. 1 to 4, but the embodiment is not limited thereby.

  First, the control unit 49 of the layout vehicle 10 determines whether or not the table to be provided has been provided (step S301), and if this determination is affirmed, the table 7 provides the table to be provided. Before placing the image, the imaging unit captures an image of the serving dish (step S302). On the other hand, if the determination is negative, the process waits until the predetermined table 7 is reached.

  Next, the control unit 49 reads an image of the sample plate from the storage unit 41 (step S303), compares the image of the serving plate with the image of the sample plate, and whether the dish is unevenly arranged. It is determined whether or not (step S304). If the result of this determination is that the dishes are not biased, the dish is placed on the table 7 (step S305).

  On the other hand, when the dish is biased, the control unit 49 swings the arm 16 using the swing device (step S306). As a result, the dishes on the plate are moved appropriately, and the dishes are returned to their proper positions.

  Then, the process returns to step S304, and the sample plate and the image of the serving plate are compared again to determine the dish bias.

  If it is determined that the dish is biased in the serving vehicle 10 that is not provided with a swinging device due to cost reduction or the like, it is possible to reach a predetermined standby position without placing the plate on the table 7. The processing may be terminated by returning to the management terminal 30 to that effect.

  According to the serving apparatus S configured in this manner, for example, even if the dishes are biased during traveling, the dishes can be provided to the customer in a state where the dishes have been returned to their proper positions. .

-Fourth embodiment-
The present embodiment relates to an operation process for pulling up the serving plate after providing the serving plate to the customer in the first and third embodiments, for example.

  Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the layout apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. Detailed descriptions of portions common to the components described in the first and third embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 will be omitted.

  The serving vehicle 10 has a clock function, and when the serving tray is placed on a predetermined table, the storage unit 41 completes delivery indicating the time when the serving tray is placed on the table. Time information is stored together with table number information defined in advance in the provided table 7.

  In addition, the management terminal 30 includes a communication unit that can communicate predetermined information with the arranged vehicle 10 and can communicate predetermined information with each other. The delivery completion time information is transmitted from the layout vehicle 10 to the management terminal 30.

  The management terminal 30 has a clock function, and when the control unit 35 of the management terminal 30 receives the delivery completion time information, it is appropriate to pull up the serving tray from the completion of delivery of the serving tray in advance. The plate pulling time information (for example, 30 minutes) determined to be determined is defined, and the plate pulling operation time assumed from the delivery completion time information is calculated. In addition, when the control unit 35 of the management terminal 30 reaches the time of the plate pulling operation, the control unit 35 transmits a providing plate pulling operation command corresponding to the table number information to the layout vehicle 10.

  And the layout vehicle 10 starts the raising operation | movement of the tray for a provision from the predetermined | prescribed table based on the said raising operation command of the said tray. In the present embodiment, the dish pulling operation time is calculated by the management terminal 30, but may be performed by the control unit 49 of the layout vehicle 10.

  Next, the dish raising operation process will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the dish raising operation process.

  First, the control unit 49 of the layout vehicle 10 travels the layout vehicle 10 to a predetermined table 7 corresponding to the table number information based on the dish pulling operation command from the management terminal 30, and the imaging unit 47 causes the table to be moved. 7 is photographed (step S401).

  Next, the control unit 49 reads an image of the sample plate corresponding to the providing plate from the storage unit 41 (step S402), compares the image of the providing plate and the sample plate, and It is determined whether the images are different (whether the dish is in a different state) (whether the dish can be pulled up) (step S403). When the images are different, it is recognized that the customer has finished cooking, and a voice output is made to the customer as to whether or not the dish can be lowered, and a pulling operation instruction from the customer (or to the serving vehicle 10) A pulling operation button is provided, and a dish pulling operation is started based on an operation process in which the customer presses the pulling operation button (step S404).

  If there is no instruction for the lowering operation by the customer, the layout vehicle 10 returns to a predetermined standby position (step S405), travels again to the predetermined table 7 after a predetermined period of time, and proceeds from step 401 to step 401. The process of S405 is repeated.

  It should be noted that a sensor capable of sensing an object is provided around the main body 10a in the layout vehicle 10, and the control unit 49 determines whether or not the customer is seated on the table 7, so that the customer is seated. If it is determined that the image is detected (detected by a sensor), the above-described operation process may be performed. On the other hand, when the customer is not seated at the table, the dish lifting operation may be started immediately.

  According to the serving apparatus S configured as described above, it is possible to consistently perform the processing from the provision of the dish to the customer to the raising operation of the provided dish by the serving vehicle 10. Therefore, since the burden on the customer service is reduced, it becomes possible for the customer service to concentrate on other services to the customer.

  In addition, this embodiment is one form, and is not limited to this form. For example, in the layout vehicle 10 of this embodiment, the tray 17 is stored inside the main body 10a during traveling, and is intended. When it reaches the table, it is assumed that the tray 17 is exposed to the outside and the arm 16 is driven to provide the plate 21 to each table 7. However, the tray 17 is exposed to the outside and travels. It doesn't matter if you do.

  Further, when the plurality of tables 7 are rotated according to the set order and the plate 21 is placed on the table 7, the arm 16 from which the plate 21 has been removed is rotated 180 degrees horizontally, for example, After the arm 21 on which the arm 21 is placed is disposed so as to face the arm 16 via the support shaft 15, the arm 16 may be rotated downward and folded. Moreover, you may make it provide the accommodating part which accommodates the arm 16 after mounting the plate | board 21 in the inside of the main body 10a.

  In this way, when the other arm 16 is driven, the arm 16 from which the plate 21 has been removed does not get in the way, so that the plate 21 can be quickly provided to the target table 7 and the other arm 16 can be provided. The program can be simplified, for example, by making it easier to control the drive.

  In this embodiment, food and drinks are directly served on the plate 21, but when carrying drinks in addition to food, dishes and drinks on which food is separately served are stored on the plate 21. A cup may be placed.

The serving apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention is a dish (21) provided with an IC chip (25) for inputting customer information, and an input means (31) for inputting the customer information to the IC chip. And a serving vehicle that accepts the order of the customer seated in the passenger seat (7), travels while delivering the dish with the IC chip loaded with food and drink corresponding to the order to the passenger seat, and provides the customer (10), wherein the layout vehicle includes drive means (11, etc.) for traveling to the passenger seat, a tray (17) for placing the dish, and the dish for the passenger seat. Placed on the tray are provision means (15, 16, etc.) to be provided to the customer, a storage unit (41) in which position information of obstacles and position information of passenger seats that are obstacles when traveling in advance are stored. The customer's information from the IC chip on the plate Reading means for reading (46), arrangement order setting means (90) for setting the arrangement order of food and drink for the plurality of customers based on the customer information, position information of obstacles stored in the storage unit, A travel route setting means (43) for setting travel routes to a plurality of passenger seats to be provided with the food and drink based on the position information of the passenger seats and the serving order set by the serving order setting means, and the travel routes Control means (49) for controlling the drive unit to travel according to the travel route set by the setting means.
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a serving apparatus comprising: an input means for inputting customer information including customer order information; and customer seat information indicating a position of the seat on which the customer is seated; and a dish corresponding to the order. And a distribution vehicle (10) for delivering the food to the customer seated by the customer and providing the dish to the customer, wherein the distribution vehicle travels to the customer seat (11 etc.) And a tray (17) for placing the dish on which the dish is arranged, providing means (15, 16, etc.) for providing the dish to the customer at the passenger seat, and obstacles that become obstacles when traveling in advance A storage unit (41) in which position information and seat position information are stored, a reading unit (46) for reading the customer information input to the input unit, and a plurality of the customer based on the customer information A cooking order for The serving order setting means (90), the position information of the obstacles stored in the storage unit, the position information of the audience seats, and the serving order set by the serving order setting means, the dish should be provided A travel route setting means (43) for setting a travel route to a plurality of passenger seats, and a control means (49) for controlling the drive unit to travel according to the travel route set by the travel route setting means. It is characterized by having.

According to this invention, the serving apparatus sets a serving order according to customer information (for example, order reception time) when dishes ordered from a plurality of customers and placed in a kitchen are randomly placed, In order to go around the seats in the serving order, an optimum travel route is set, and the user travels around each seat along the travel route and provides food. Therefore, it is possible to provide a plurality of dishes to a plurality of customers quickly and accurately.

Claims (8)

A dish provided with an IC chip for inputting customer information; an input means for inputting the customer information to the IC chip; and a food and drink corresponding to the order received from the customer seated in a seat. A serving vehicle provided with a serving vehicle that travels while delivering the served dish with the IC chip to the passenger seat and provides the customer;
The catering vehicle is
Driving means for traveling to the passenger seat;
A tray for placing the dishes;
Providing means for providing the plate to the customer at the seat;
A storage unit storing position information of obstacles and position information of passenger seats that become obstacles when traveling in advance;
Reading means for reading the customer information from the IC chip of the dish placed on the tray;
A serving order setting means for setting a serving order of food and drinks for the plurality of customers based on the customer information;
Based on the position information of the obstacles stored in the storage unit, the position information of the audience seats, and the serving order set by the serving order setting means, the travel routes to the plurality of seats to be provided with the food and drink are set. Traveling route setting means to perform,
Control means for controlling the drive unit to travel according to the travel route set by the travel route setting means;
A catering device characterized by comprising: The customer information includes a reception time when an order is received from the customer,
2. The layout apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the layout order is ranked and set in order of the reception time. The tray has a notch that fits into the bottom of the dish, and a tapered surface is formed on the bottom surface.
The providing means includes:
A support shaft that can be vertically expanded and contracted;
An arm attached to the tray;
Arm mounting means for mounting the arm so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction with respect to the support shaft,
The control means includes
When providing the dish to the customer, the support shaft is controlled to extend and contract in the vertical direction, and the arm is controlled to rotate downward so that the tapered surface is substantially horizontal with the table surface of the customer seat on which the customer is seated. And the tray is moved in a direction away from the table by controlling the driving unit in a state where at least a part of the bottom of the dish is installed on the table. Catering equipment. A radio wave transmitter for transmitting predetermined radio waves to at least two points on the ceiling;
The audience seat is
Position information detecting means for receiving radio waves transmitted by the transmitting device and detecting its own position information;
Comprising information transmitting means for transmitting the detected position information to the serving vehicle,
The catering vehicle is
Position information detecting means for receiving radio waves transmitted by the transmitting device and detecting its own position information;
Receiving means for receiving position information of a passenger seat transmitted from the passenger seat;
Determining means for determining whether or not at least a part of the passenger seat is arranged in a travel route based on the position information of the passenger seat and the own position information;
As a result of the determination, when at least a part of the passenger seat is arranged in the travel route, a correction is made to change a part of the travel route to avoid contact with the passenger seat and generate a new travel route. Traveling route generating means;
A catering device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by comprising:   5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising control means for controlling the drive unit to correct the position of the serving vehicle based on position information of the passenger seat transmitted from the passenger seat to which the dish is to be provided. The serving apparatus described in 1.   The tray position changing means for changing the position of the tray in the order of the arrangement order based on the arrangement order set by the arrangement order setting means. Catering equipment. The catering vehicle is
Storage means for storing an image of a sample dish on which dishes to be provided to customers are arranged in advance;
Imaging means for imaging a serving dish with dishes to be provided to customers;
When providing a dish to the customer, a judgment means for comparing the image of the serving dish with the image of the sample dish and judging whether or not the serving state of the dish to be provided to the customer is appropriate;
As a result of the determination, when it is determined that the serving state is not appropriate, the swinging means for swinging the serving dish;
A catering device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by comprising: The catering vehicle is
A dish pulling time calculating means for calculating a pulling time of the serving dish from a time when the serving dish on which dishes to be provided to customers are served is provided,
Storage means for storing an image of a sample dish on which dishes to be provided to customers are arranged in advance;
An imaging means for imaging the serving dish to be pulled up when the lifting time is reached;
When the pull-up time is reached, after traveling to the customer's table, the image of the sample plate and the image of the donation plate are compared to determine whether the donation plate can be pulled up. A judgment means to
A catering device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by comprising:

Images