KR20160095949A - Buffet management system using electronic scales - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a buffet management system using an electronic scale. More specifically, a buffet comprises: a food display space part in which a variety of dishes are placed; an eating space part to eat a taken dish; and multiple food stands placed in the food display space part to place a variety of dishes. The system comprises: multiple electronic scales installed in each of the food stands to measure the weight of a container including a corresponding dish; a control part separately calculating and controlling data transmitted from each of the electronic scales; a warning part controlled by the control part, and generating and transmitting a warning signal about the container when the weight of the container is not higher than a predetermined weight; and a sensor network part connecting the electronic scales with each other, and connecting the electronic scales with the control part. Therefore, the present invention is capable of checking the consumption of the dishes by checking a change of a measured value of the electronic scales, received by the control part, in real time, and then quickly refilling the dishes due to the warning part.

Description

[0001] Buffet management system using electronic scales [

The present invention relates to a buffet management system, and more particularly, to a system and method for checking the consumption of each food in real time and refilling it so that it is not exhausted, thereby solving the problem that the user can not eat or wait, The present invention relates to a system for managing a buffet using an electronic balance capable of easily managing a variety of buffets.

In general, changes in food culture continue to evolve as social changes, and customers first demand a variety of services, such as taste preferences.

Also, the buffet is increasingly being operated as it is required to eat a variety of foods in one place.

In such a buffet, if the demand prediction fails due to various foods being stuck, a large amount of food waste is generated, and a loss is incurred as the operation cost is wasted.

In order to overcome this problem, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Application No. 10-0911646, the customer's preferred set menu is combined, and the actual preference and the remaining amount are analyzed to minimize the amount of food garbage And waste of costs is minimized.

However, there is a problem in that a separate investigation process is required to confirm the menu preferred by the customer, and the investigation cost is increased rather than a short period of time.

Accordingly, there is an urgent need to develop a technology that can reduce the cost because the customer can quickly confirm the menu preferred by the user while operating the restaurant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a food stall for arranging a plurality of foods in a food display space portion of a buffet, And a control unit for receiving data in real time communication with each electronic balance and confirming a change in real time weight of each of the containers by a plurality of electronic scales received by the control unit, By checking the change in weight, it is possible to confirm the real consumption amount of each food, so it can be refilled before the food is dropped. It provides convenience to the users and also provides the buffet management system using the electronic scale which can provide convenient management of the buffet The purpose is to do.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a food stall having a food display space for storing various foods and an intake space for consuming food, and a food stall for arranging a plurality of foods in the food display space, A plurality of electronic scales for measuring the weight of a container provided in each of the food cradles and containing the food, a control unit for calculating and controlling data transmitted from the respective electronic scales, A warning unit for generating and transmitting a warning signal to the container when the weight of each container is equal to or less than a predetermined weight and a sensor network unit for connecting the electronic balance and the control unit, , And the change in the measured value of the electronic balance received by the control unit is confirmed in real time , It is possible to determine the consumption of the food, it is possible to rapidly refill the food by the warning section.

The electronic balance includes a body housing having an installation space therein, a plurality of body housings provided therein, a measurement module for measuring the weight of the container, and a controller for calculating and controlling data transmitted from each measurement module, And a controller for transmitting and receiving data to and from the control unit. The connection between the plurality of measurement modules, the connection between the measurement module and the controller, and the connection between the controller and the controller are connected by the sensor network unit.

The measurement module may include a load cell, a measurement calculation unit for calculating a weight by transmitting a measurement signal measured by the load cell, and a measurement control unit for controlling the measurement and calculation unit, And a sensor module provided in each of the measurement modules and the controller can transmit and receive the measurement modules and transmit and receive the measurement modules and the controller.

The arrangement of the measurement modules is arranged at regular intervals in the installation space of the body housing when viewed in plan.

In addition, the arrangement of the measurement modules may be divided into a plurality of measurement module rows by a predetermined number in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction when viewed from a plane, and the rows of measurement modules may be spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance Wherein the corresponding measurement module row disposed on the outermost side is disposed such that the bottom end of the container is positioned on the measurement module of the corresponding measurement module row.

The arrangement of the measuring module is arranged such that the lower end of the container to be measured is in contact with the weight when viewed in plan.

In addition, the plurality of measurement modules arranged are divided into a plurality of zones, and weights of different containers are measured for each zone.

In addition, the corresponding controller is provided for each of the above-mentioned zones to measure the weight of the different objects.

In addition, the weight calculated for each zone is transmitted to the controller through the sensor motes, and the weight of the multiple zones is confirmed by one controller.

The plurality of measurement modules are connected in series to transmit and receive information through the sensor network.

The plurality of measurement modules are connected in parallel to transmit and receive information through the sensor network.

The plurality of measurement modules are interconnected to transmit and receive information through the sensor network.

Also, the controller transmits an identification ID request signal to one of the plurality of measurement modules, and the one of the measurement modules, which has received the request signal, transmits the identification ID to the controller, The measurement module transmits an identification ID request signal to another adjacent measurement module to which the measurement module is connected and the other measurement module that has received the request signal transmits the identification ID to the controller and repeats the same, If not, the measurement module corresponding to the last received identification ID is determined as the last measurement module, and the corresponding identification ID of all connected measurement modules is confirmed.

The controller calculates the weight of the food contained in the container by subtracting the weight of the empty container after summing the weight measurement values transmitted from the respective measurement modules with the weight of the empty container.

In addition, each of the measurement modules includes a lift unit, and the measurement module for use is lifted upward or the measurement module that is not used is lifted downward.

And a refill terminal for receiving a signal of the warning unit, and can quickly refill food corresponding to the container received in the refill terminal.

In addition, an entrance sensor unit provided at an entrance of the buffet for measuring the number of guests located in the buffet by measuring the entrance and exit of a person by time zone, and the control unit receives a measurement signal of the entrance sensor unit The consumption of each food according to the number of guests by time of day can be measured.

The control unit analyzes the measurement signal of the entrance sensor unit and confirms the average time of use of the buffers to estimate the entrance waiting time to the waiters checked in the waiting unit Notify.

The control unit may further include a main display unit for displaying a weight change amount of each of the containers received by the control unit, and a main storage unit for storing a weight change amount of each container received by the control unit.

As described above, according to the buffet management system using the electronic balance according to the present invention, it is possible to check the real-time consumption amount of each food by confirming the real-time weight change of the food contained in each container by a plurality of electronic scales, It is a very useful and effective invention that can be refilled before providing convenience to users, as well as providing convenience in managing buffets.

1 is a view showing a buffet management system using an electronic balance according to the present invention,
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a buffet management system using an electronic balance according to the present invention,
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a buffet management system using an electronic balance according to the present invention,
4 is a view showing an electronic balance according to the present invention,
5 is a view showing a measurement module according to the present invention,
Figure 6 shows another embodiment of a measurement module arrangement according to the invention,
7 is a view showing another embodiment of a measurement module arrangement according to the present invention,
8 is a view showing another use state of the electronic scale according to the present invention,
9 is a view showing another use state of the electronic balance according to the present invention,
10 is a view illustrating a measurement module including a lifting unit according to the present invention,
11 is a view showing a buffet management system including an entrance sensor unit according to the present invention,
12 is a view showing another embodiment of the buffet management system according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the scope of the present invention but is only illustrative and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a buffet management system using an electronic balance according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a buffet management system using an electronic balance according to the present invention, FIG. FIG. 4 is a view showing an electronic balance according to the present invention, FIG. 5 is a view showing a measurement module according to the present invention, and FIG. Fig. 7 is a view showing another embodiment of the arrangement of a measuring module according to the present invention, and Fig. 8 is a view showing another embodiment of an electronic balance according to the present invention FIG. 9 is a view showing another use state of the electronic scale according to the present invention, FIG. 10 is a view showing a measurement module having an elevator according to the present invention, and FIG. foot A view showing the sensor unit and out party management system further comprising: according to the, and Figure 12 is a view showing another embodiment of the party management system of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, a buffet management system using an electronic scale is for efficiently managing a buffet. The buffet 1 includes a food display space part 2 in which a wide variety of foods are stored, And a space section 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, the buffet management system includes an electronic scale 100 and a control unit 200 (see FIG. 2). The electronic scale 100 includes a plurality of food holders 4, A warning unit 300, and a sensor network unit 400.

The electronic balance 100 is provided in each of the food stalls 4 to measure the weight of the container 10 containing the food.

The control unit 200 is provided to calculate and control data transmitted from each electronic balance 100, respectively.

The warning unit 300 is controlled by the control unit 200 and is provided to generate and transmit a warning signal for the container when the weight of each container is less than a predetermined weight.

The sensor network unit 400 interconnects the plurality of electronic scales 100 and connects the electronic scales 100 and the control unit 200 together.

By real-time confirmation of the change in measured value of the electronic balance 100 received in the controller 200, the consumption amount of each food can be confirmed in real time, and it is possible to refill the food before the food is dropped, have.

In other words, as shown in FIG. 3, after the reference weight for generating a warning is input to the controller 200, each electronic balance 100 real-time measures the weight of the container 10 containing the food.

If the weight of the container 10 is less than the reference weight, the control unit 200 controls the warning unit 300 to output a refill warning signal .

Such a buffet management system can be confirmed in real time without having to search for food to be refilled in the past, so that the food can be refilled in the kitchen without any instruction of the buffet manager, thereby providing easy management.

Of course, it is preferable that the warning signal of the warning unit 300 be confirmed by all the staff working in the buffet, and the warning signal may be transmitted to the part manager, the manager and the chef only to prevent confusion in the command system.

The electronic balance 100 includes a body housing 110, a measurement module 120, and a controller 130, as shown in FIG.

The body housing 110 is for supporting the container 10 in which the food is contained, and has an installation space formed therein.

A plurality of measurement modules 120 are provided in the body housing 110 to measure the weight of the container 10. The controller 130 calculates data transmitted from each measurement module 120, .

The connection between the measurement module 120 and the controller 130 and the connection between the controller 130 and the controller 200 are connected by the sensor network unit 400.

It goes without saying that a power supply unit (not shown) is also provided to supply power to each configuration.

The power supply unit may be provided separately for each configuration, or may be supplied with all the configurations by one power supply unit.

The upper end of each measurement module 120 is protruded to the upper side of the upper surface of the body housing 110 so that it is possible to measure the weight as it contacts the container 10.

Each measurement module 120 has predetermined identification IDs. As shown in FIG. 5, each measurement module 120 includes a load cell 122, a measurement calculation unit 124, and a measurement control unit 126.

The measurement operation unit 124 is provided to transmit the measured measurement signal from the load cell 122 to calculate the weight of the container 10 and the measurement control unit 126 to control the measurement operation unit 124.

The measurement module 120 and the controller 130 can transmit and receive the measurement module 120 and the measurement module 120 by the sensor motes 410 provided in the measurement modules 120 and 130, respectively.

Here, the measurement module 120 is connected to one or more of wired and wireless and can communicate with each other.

The arrangement of the measurement modules 120 is arranged at regular intervals in the installation space of the body housing 110 when viewed in plan.

Here, the equal intervals include extremely minute intervals, and they are arranged in a checkered pattern.

As described above, when the container 10 to be measured is placed on the measurement module 120, the respective weights remitted from the respective measurement modules 120 are transmitted to the controller 130 through the sensor network unit 400 And the weight of the container 10 is finally calculated.

Of course, it is a matter of course that the arranged size of the measurement module 120 is arranged such that the bottom surface of the container 10 is included.

6, the arrangement of the measurement modules 120 according to another embodiment is divided into a plurality of measurement module rows by a predetermined number in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, And is disposed in the installation space portion of the body housing 110 so as to be spaced apart from each other.

Here, the outermost measurement module row is disposed such that the lower end of the container 10 is positioned on the measurement module 120 of the measurement module row.

7, the arrangement of the measurement module 120 of another embodiment is such that the bottom surface of the container 10 to be measured is in contact with the installation space of the body housing 110, .

This arrangement can minimize the number of measurement modules 120 installed by arranging the lower end surface of the container 10 in a corresponding form so as not to be in a constant shape.

In other words, the plurality of measurement modules 120 can form a Ubiquitous sensor network (USN) that can be connected to a topology (topology) if it is wired.

Also, in case of wireless, the plurality of measurement modules 120 can be connected with a topology using various wireless communication such as AD-hoc, ZigBee, and Bluetooth.

As shown in FIGS. 8 to 9, the plurality of measurement modules 120 arranged are divided into a plurality of zones, and the weights of different objects can be measured.

The plurality of measurement modules 120 are connected in series to transmit and receive information through the sensor network 400.

In other words, the sensor motes 410 connected to the respective measurement modules 120 collect information of the respective measurement modules 120 and transmit them to the adjacent sensor motes 410.

The sensor mote 410 connected to each measurement module 120 can receive the identification ID and the measured weight and transmit and receive the identification ID request signal to and from the sensor mote 410 connected to the controller 130 .

Meanwhile, the plurality of measurement modules 120 may be connected in parallel to transmit and receive information through the sensor network unit 400.

In addition, the plurality of measurement modules 120 may be connected to each other to transmit / receive information through the sensor network, and may be mutually connected and controlled by the controller 130.

Here, it is a matter of course that information can be transmitted and received even when a plurality of measurement modules 120 divided into a plurality of measurement module rows or a plurality of regions are connected in series, parallel, or mutually multiplexed by corresponding columns or zones.

As shown in FIG. 10, each measuring module 120 is provided with a lifting unit 150.

The lifting unit 150 lifts the measurement module 120 from the body housing 110 and moves the measurement module 120 for use up or down to the lower side .

Here, it is natural that the measurement module 120 is selectively raised or lowered depending on the installation height of the measurement module 120 before the object is lifted.

The elevation part 150 may be raised or lowered by a cylinder, a gear, a motor, a jack, or the like.

As described above, the electronic scale 100 confirms the identification ID of each measurement module 120 before use.

The identification ID confirmation method of each measurement module 120 is a method in which the controller 130 transmits an identification ID request signal to one of the measurement modules and the measurement module that receives the request signal transmits the identification ID to the controller 130 ).

At the same time, one measurement module transmits an identification ID request signal to another adjacent measurement module, and another measurement module that receives the request signal transmits the identification ID to the control unit.

In this way, each measurement module transmits the identification ID request signal in a relay manner.

When the identification ID is not received by the controller 130, the measurement module corresponding to the last received identification ID is determined as the last measurement module, and the corresponding identification ID of all the measurement modules connected thereto is confirmed.

After confirming the identification IDs of all the measurement modules, if the objects are elevated, each weight measured by each measurement module 120 can be finally calculated by the controller 130 through the sensor network 140 to confirm the actual weight.

Here, each weight measured by each measurement module 120 is summed by the controller 130 to calculate the weight of the object. The controller 130 has the weight of the empty container, And the weight of the food contained in the container is calculated by subtracting the weight of the empty container.

In other words, the controller 130 checks the connection order of each measurement module 120 in the order of transmission of the corresponding identification ID of each measurement module 120, and the measured weight of the first measurement module is transmitted to the second measurement module do.

And the second measurement module transmits the weight received directly from the first measurement module and the weight measured directly to the third measurement module.

The third measurement module performs the same process as above and transmits each weight to the last measurement module.

The last measurement module receiving all the weights transmits all the weights to the controller 130. The controller 130 adds up all the weights and subtracts the weights of the empty containers to calculate the weight of the food contained in the containers, You can check the weight.

Accordingly, the consumed amount of the food can be confirmed in real time, so that the food requiring refill can be quickly refilled, thereby eliminating the problem that the user can not wait until the food is consumed or the refill is refilled.

Of course, each measurement module may transmit the measured weight individually to the controller 130, and each transmitted weight is received along with the identification ID, so that the controller 130 aligns and operates in accordance with the connected order.

Also, the weight transmitted by the measurement module of each zone may be divided into a plurality of zones, and the plurality of weights measured in each zone may be simultaneously confirmed as the controller 130 aligns the zones and calculates zones.

Each measurement module 120 may be composed of a plurality of load cells, and each load cell has its own unique ID set to measure its weight.

In the load cell having each unique ID, the measured values are summed in the operation unit of the corresponding measurement module, and the summed value becomes the measured weight in one measurement module.

11, the entrance sensor unit 500 is further provided at the entrance 5 of the buffet 1 so that the number of guests located in the buffet 1 can be measured in real time .

The measurement signal of the entrance sensor unit 500 is received by the controller 200 and can measure the consumption amount of each food according to the number of guests by time.

And a waiting unit 600 for checking the number of waiting people for entering the buffet 1.

The control unit 200 analyzes the measurement signal of the entrance sensor unit 500 and confirms the average time of use of a team using one person or one table to estimate the entrance waiting time to the waiting people checked in the waiting unit 600 So that it is possible to determine whether to wait for the waiters or to move to another place, thereby providing convenience.

As shown in FIG. 12, the refill terminal 700 is further provided in the buffet management system using the electronic balance.

The warning unit 300 is provided to transmit a warning signal to the container 10 when the weight of each container 10 received by the control unit 200 is less than a predetermined weight.

It is preferable that the warning unit 300 is capable of a stepwise warning. When the weight measurement value is rapidly decreased, a fast warning is sent. If the weight measurement value becomes smaller, the basic warning is sent. So as to control the time or rank of handling the refills of the food.

Here, it is natural that the fast warning, the basic warning, and the slow warning are one example of the name, and it is possible to use another name, and in some cases, the warning step can be further reduced or increased.

The refill terminal 700 is provided to receive a signal of the warning unit 500. The refill terminal 700 preferably has a buffet manager or a chef.

The refill terminal 700 having received the warning signal sent from the warning unit 300 can rapidly and appropriately refill food corresponding to the container 10.

Further, a main display unit 800 and a main storage unit 900 are further provided.

The main display unit 800 is provided to display a weight change amount of each container 10 received by the control unit 200 and the main storage unit 900 displays the weight of each container 10 received by the control unit 200 For storing the change amount.

The main display unit 800 can confirm the consumption amount of each food in real time, and can confirm the whole food or check each food according to a certain batch, which makes it easy to manage the entire buffet.

In addition, it is possible to check the contents stored in the main storage unit 900, and to easily manage the daily, weekly, and monthly settlements, thereby confirming the favorite food for each customer and preparing the menu.

1: Buffet 2: Food display space
3: Intake space part 4: Food holder
5: access 10: container
100: Electronic scale 110: Body housing
120: Measurement module 122: Load cell
124: measurement calculation unit 126: measurement control unit
130: controller 200:
300: Warning part 400: Sensor network part
500: entrance sensor unit 600:
700: Refill terminal 800: Main display
900: main storage unit

Claims (8)

1. A buffet having a food shelf space for accommodating various foods and an intake space for consuming the food, and a plurality of food shelves arranged in the food shelf space to store various foods,
A plurality of electronic scales provided in each of the food cradles for measuring the weight of the container containing the food;
A control unit for calculating and controlling data transmitted from each of the electronic balances;
An alarm unit controlled by the control unit and generating and transmitting a warning signal to the container when the weight of each container is less than a predetermined weight; And
And a sensor network unit for interconnecting the plurality of electronic scales and connecting the electronic scale and the control unit,
The control unit can check the change in the measured value of the electronic balance received in real time,
The warning unit can quickly refill the food,
An entrance sensor unit provided at an entrance of the buffet to measure the number of guests located in the buffet in real time as the entrance and exit of a person is measured by time zone,
Wherein the control unit is capable of measuring a consumption amount of each food according to the number of guests by time of receipt of a measurement signal of the entrance sensor unit.
The electronic balance according to claim 1,
A body housing having an installation space inside;
A plurality of measurement modules mounted on the body housing for measuring the weight of the container; And
And a controller for calculating and controlling data transmitted from each of the measurement modules and for transmitting and receiving data to and from the controller,
Wherein the connection between the plurality of measurement modules, the connection between the measurement module and the controller, and the connection between the controller and the controller are connected by the sensor network unit.
3. The apparatus of claim 2,
Having respective identification IDs set in advance,
A load cell;
A measurement calculation unit for calculating a weight by transmitting a measurement signal measured by the load cell; And
And a measurement control unit for controlling the measurement operation unit,
Wherein the sensor module provided in each of the measurement modules and the controller enables transmission and reception of signals between the measurement modules and transmission and reception between the measurement modules and the controller.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the controller transmits an identification ID request signal to one of the plurality of measurement modules and the one measurement module that receives the request signal transmits the identification ID to the controller,
Wherein one of the measurement modules transmits an identification ID request signal to another adjacent measurement module and the other measurement module which receives the request signal transmits the identification ID to the controller,
Continue to repeat this,
When the identification ID is not received from the controller, the measurement module corresponding to the last received identification ID is determined as the last measurement module and the corresponding identification ID of all the measurement modules connected thereto is confirmed. .
3. The apparatus of claim 2,
Having the weight of the empty container,
And calculates the weight of the food contained in the container by subtracting the weight of the empty container after summing the weight measurements transmitted from the measurement modules.
The method according to claim 1,
And a refill terminal for receiving a signal of the warning unit,
And the refill terminal can quickly refill food corresponding to the container received in the refill terminal.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a waiting unit for checking the number of waiting persons for entering the buffet,
Wherein the control unit analyzes the measurement signal of the entrance sensor unit and confirms the average use time of the buffet, and informs the waiting staff checked in the standby unit of the entrance waiting time.
The method according to claim 1,
A main display unit for displaying a weight change amount of each container received by the control unit; And
And a main storage unit for storing a weight change amount of each container received by the control unit.

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