JP7808723B2 - Kitchen management system and kitchen management program - Google Patents

Description

Patent Act Article 30, Paragraph 2 applies. June 15, 2020: Distributed a kitchen management system, food and beverage ordering system, and kitchen management program to Aleph Co., Ltd., which operates the Dishers Shinjuku Sumitomo Building store. June 1, 2020: Distributed a kitchen management system, food and beverage ordering system, and kitchen management program to Aleph Co., Ltd., which operates the Dishers Enoshima store.

The present invention relates to a kitchen management system, a food and drink ordering system, and a kitchen management program used when preparing ordered food and drink (products) at restaurants, fast food joints, and other eating and drinking establishments.

Traditionally, restaurants, izakayas, and other eating and drinking establishments have used paper menus to allow customers to select the food and drink items they want. Customers verbally tell staff the food and drink items they want listed on the menu, and the items are selected.

Currently, as various mobile information terminals such as tablet devices become more sophisticated, they are being used as food and beverage ordering terminals to reduce the workload on employees and cut costs. In particular, by taking advantage of the high image quality and touch panel functions of mobile information terminals, it is now possible to place orders just as easily as using a traditional paper menu. Customers who visit a restaurant can operate the food and beverage ordering terminal themselves, a so-called self-operation system, and order food and beverages without the help of an employee. Food and beverage ordering terminals can also be linked to POS systems that have traditionally been used in restaurants to simplify the checkout process.

Patent Document 1 discloses an order input terminal that displays an image-based menu book or the like on the order input terminal, prompts the customer to select a base menu item to order from, prompts the customer to select toppings related to that dish, and displays an image of the finished product combining the base menu item and toppings.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-342439

Incidentally, in a restaurant, if a customer orders a product (food) and the product served differs from the menu or the image displayed on the order input terminal in Patent Document 1, the restaurant may be rated low. This is because, traditionally, kitchen work is performed based on the chef's experience, and the chef's image of the product does not match the image displayed on the menu at the time of ordering. Furthermore, inexperienced chefs are unfamiliar with the process, so it takes a long time to cook, and the finished product may differ from the image at the time of ordering.

One of the objectives of this invention is to enable even inexperienced chefs in the kitchen to prepare a product that has the same image as the product (dish) ordered by a customer, or an image that is not significantly different.

Therefore, the kitchen management system according to the configuration 1-1 adopts the following configuration requirements.
A kitchen management system equipped with a kitchen terminal that displays various information on a monitor installed in a kitchen in a store,
When an item is ordered using an order terminal, the kitchen terminal displays on a monitor as cooking instructions an image of the item that was displayed on the order terminal when the order was instructed.

Furthermore, in the kitchen management system according to the first-second configuration,
The ordering terminal allows a user to specify multiple ingredients to form a product and to order the product after displaying an image of the product,
The kitchen terminal is characterized by displaying an image of a product that combines multiple ingredients.

Furthermore, in the kitchen management system according to the first to third configurations,
The kitchen management system can display cooking instructions on multiple monitors,
Each monitor displays different cooking instructions for each cooking step of the product.

Furthermore, in the kitchen management system according to the first to fourth configurations,
The product image is characterized in that it is formed by combining a plurality of elemental images.

Furthermore, in the kitchen management system according to the first to fifth configurations,
The kitchen management system can display cooking instructions on multiple monitors,
The image of the product displayed on at least one monitor is an image from which some of the elemental images have been removed from the plurality of elemental images.

Furthermore, the kitchen management system according to the first to sixth configurations is
The product displayed on the monitor can be changed, and products that have been served are displayed in a different display format from products that have not yet been served.

Furthermore, in the kitchen management system according to the first to seventh configurations,
The products displayed on the monitor at one time are displayed in units of lots, each of which is a predetermined number of products.

Furthermore, in the kitchen management system according to the first to eighth configurations,
The kitchen management system can display cooking instructions on monitors installed for each process,
The monitors provided for each process display products in different lot numbers for each process.

In addition, the food and drink ordering system according to the first to ninth configurations is
Any one of the kitchen management systems according to the configurations 1-1 to 1-8;
and an ordering terminal that displays an image of the product when the product is ordered.

In addition, the kitchen management program according to the first to tenth configurations is
A kitchen management program that can be executed on a kitchen terminal that displays various information on a monitor installed in a kitchen in a store,
When an item is ordered using an ordering terminal, the same image of the item as that displayed on the ordering terminal when the order was instructed is displayed on the monitor as cooking instructions.

In addition to the above-described configurations 1-1 to 1-10, the following configurations can also be adopted.
The kitchen management system according to the configuration 2-1 is:
A kitchen management system equipped with a kitchen terminal that displays various information on a monitor installed in a kitchen in a store,
The kitchen terminal is characterized in that when an item is ordered using the order terminal, information about the ordered item is displayed on the monitor in units of lots, each consisting of a predetermined number of items.

Furthermore, in the kitchen management system according to the second-second configuration,
The kitchen management system can display cooking instructions on monitors installed for each process,
The monitors provided for each process display products in different lot numbers for each process.

Furthermore, the kitchen management system according to the second-third configuration is
The product displayed on the monitor can be changed, and products that have been served are displayed in a different display format from products that have not yet been served.

Furthermore, in the kitchen management system according to the second-fourth configuration,
A lot is characterized by a collection of products within a predetermined number of tables.

Furthermore, the kitchen management system according to the second-fifth configuration is
Cooking instructions can be displayed on monitors installed at each process,
a monitor provided for the first process displays information about each product;
The monitor provided for the second process displays all of the ingredients used in the product.

Furthermore, the kitchen management system according to the second-sixth configuration is
The display is performed on a first monitor facing the kitchen side and a second monitor located behind the first monitor and facing the serving side,
The first monitor displays a plurality of products in a lot side by side,
The second monitor displays a plurality of products in a lot in a position that is horizontally reversed from that of the first monitor.

In addition, the food and drink ordering system according to the second-seventh configuration is as follows:
Any one of the kitchen management systems described in configurations 2-1 to 2-6;
and an ordering terminal through which products can be ordered.

In addition, the kitchen management program according to the second-eighth configuration is
A kitchen management program that can be executed on a kitchen terminal that displays various information on a monitor installed in a kitchen in a store,
When an order for a product is placed using the order terminal, information about the ordered product is displayed on the monitor in units of lots each consisting of a predetermined number of products.

The kitchen management system, food and beverage ordering system, and kitchen management program of the present invention enable both inexperienced and experienced chefs to provide a product that has the same or similar image to the product (dish) image confirmed by the customer when ordering.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a food and drink ordering system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an ordering terminal and a charging stand according to an embodiment of the present invention. A flowchart showing the main processing of the food and drink ordering system of this embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the data structure of various information used in this embodiment. A flow diagram showing order processing according to this embodiment. 1 is a flowchart showing customization processing according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of material images used in this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a correspondence table showing the relationship between materials and final images according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a top screen of the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a customization selection screen according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a customization selection screen according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a customization selection screen according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a customization selection screen according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a customization selection screen according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a customization selection screen according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a customization decision screen according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a customization completion screen according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a cart field when customization is completed according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a kitchen management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing lot management processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining lots used in this embodiment. Flow diagram showing the first serving process of this embodiment Flow diagram showing the second serving process of this embodiment Flow diagram showing the baking process of this embodiment FIG. 10 shows an example of a display on the salad serving monitor of the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display example of the serving monitor of the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display on a printing monitor according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display example of the food distribution monitor of the present embodiment.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a food and drink ordering system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This diagram is a schematic diagram showing the interior of a restaurant. A restaurant is broadly divided into a floor where food and drinks are served to customers, and a kitchen where the food and drinks are prepared.

The floor is equipped with a management server device 1 that manages the food and drink ordering system, ordering terminals 3a-3d operated by customers at each table, and terminals 9a and 9b for employees to process orders or check various information such as order status. In this embodiment, the ordering terminal 3 and terminal 9 use the same hardware. Employees can switch between terminals to use either the ordering terminal 3 or the terminal 9.

Meanwhile, the kitchen is equipped with a kitchen management system 5 that communicates various information to the chefs. This kitchen management system 5 will be explained in more detail later.

These various terminals and devices installed in the store are connected via wired or wireless communication via LAN 2 or access point 22. In this example, the management server device 1 and kitchen management system 5 are connected to the network via a wired connection. The order terminal 3 and terminal 9 are also connected to the network wirelessly via access point 22.

Furthermore, the in-store network is connected to the Internet via router 21, enabling communication with various server devices on the Internet. The various devices and terminals installed in the store can communicate with various server devices on the Internet via this router 21, sending and receiving various information.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the ordering terminal 3 and charging stand 4 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The ordering terminal 3 has a CPU 34a, ROM 34b, RAM 34c, image processing unit 34d, and audio processing unit 34e, which function as control means. The CPU 34a controls the overall processing of the ordering terminal 3 based on programs stored in storage means such as the ROM 34b or SSD 35. At that time, temporarily generated data is stored in the RAM 34c.

The image processing unit 34d converts the data processed by the CPU 34a into an image and outputs it to the display unit 321. The audio processing unit 34e converts the data processed by the CPU 34a into audio and outputs it to a speaker.

In this embodiment, the touch panel monitor 32 is made up of a display unit 321 and a touch panel 322. The touch panel 322 functions as an input means for accepting input from the user in response to various objects such as icons and switches displayed on the display unit 321. The ordering terminal 3 may also be provided with input means such as mechanical switches in addition to the touch panel 322. Input information from the touch panel 322 is transmitted to the CPU 34a via the interface 37b.

The SSD 35 (Solid State Drive) is composed of semiconductor memory and functions as the storage means of the ordering terminal 3. The SSD 35 stores various program information necessary to operate the ordering terminal 3, as well as various content such as images (still images, video), and audio. In addition to the SSD 35, other forms of storage means, such as a hard disk, can also be used as the storage means.

The ordering terminal 3 is equipped with an imaging unit 36a, an NFC sensor 36b, and an illuminance sensor 36c as means for detecting external information. The imaging unit 36a is composed of a CCD or similar device and is capable of capturing still and video images of the outside world. This imaging unit 36a can be used to capture and recognize coupons and other items presented by customers, and can be used for services such as discounts at checkout. The NFC sensor 36b is a sensor for contactless communication with card media or mobile information terminals. This NFC sensor 36b can be used to read customer membership information (such as a member ID) or to provide various information to the customer's mobile information terminal. The illuminance sensor 36c is a sensor used to adjust the brightness of the display unit 32a. By adjusting the brightness of the display unit 321 based on the ambient brightness read by the illuminance sensor 36c, it is possible to display a screen that is easy to see according to the surrounding environment.

The ordering terminal 3 of this embodiment also has a wireless communication unit 38. This wireless communication unit 38 is equipped with an antenna 38a, enabling wireless communication according to the wireless LAN standard. By wirelessly connecting to the access point 22 shown in FIG. 1, the ordering terminal 3 can participate in the network formed by the LAN 2, enabling connection to various devices and terminals such as the management server device 1 and the kitchen management system 5, or connection to the Internet via the router 21.

This ordering terminal 3 is equipped with a battery 39 and can be used independently without connecting to an external power source. This battery 39 is connected to the charging terminal 33 via a power line Lp, and can be charged using an externally supplied power source. The CPU 34a is able to monitor the remaining charge and charging status of the battery 39. The charging terminal 33 is electrically connected to the power supply terminal 42 on the charging stand 4 (cradle), making it possible to charge the battery 39.

The charging stand 4, which charges the ordering terminal 3, has a DC converter 41. This DC converter 41 converts the AC power supplied from the power line 43 into DC power of a set voltage and supplies it to the power supply terminal 42 via the power line Lp.

We will now explain the various processes executed in this food and drink ordering system. Figure 3 is a flow diagram showing the main process executed in the food and drink ordering system. This main process shows a series of steps performed for one customer or one customer group (table). First, when a waiter guides a customer or customer group to an empty table, the employee inputs information about the customer into the terminal 9 or management server device 1. The seating determination in S101 is performed based on the information input about this customer, and the ordering terminal 3 installed at the guided table begins processing from S200 onwards.

In this embodiment, after it is determined that a customer who has entered the store has sat down (S101: Yes), order processing (S200) begins, in which a product order is received from the customer at the order terminal 3. This order processing (S200) may be executed by a program stored in storage means (such as SSD 35) of the order terminal 3, or by a program stored in storage means provided in the management server device 1. Alternatively, a program stored on the order terminal 3 side and a program stored on the management server device 1 side may be executed in cooperation with each other. This order processing (S200) will be explained in detail later.

When a customer is instructed to pay (leave the store), the payment process (S102) is executed. The customer can input the payment instruction into the ordering terminal 3, or the customer can inform an employee that they wish to leave and the employee can input the instruction into the terminal 9 or management server device 1. In the payment process (S102), the total price of the items ordered in the order process (S200) is calculated, and the customer pays using the automatic payment machines 6a and 6b. After this payment process (S102), the table used by the customer enters a waiting state (awaiting cleaning) (S103). When an employee has finished cleaning the table and it is ready to accept the next customer, a waiting instruction is input to the ordering terminals 3a-3d, terminals 9a and 9b, or management server device 1, and processing for the next customer (customer group) begins again.

In this embodiment, the ordering terminal 3 and terminal 9 can be used interchangeably. By entering a special command into the ordering terminal 3 or performing a specified operation, the ordering terminal 3 can be switched to the functions of terminal 9 and can be used as the terminal 9 primarily used by employees. In this way, by making the ordering terminal 3 more versatile, i.e., by making it possible to use both the ordering terminal 3 and terminal 9, it is possible to reduce the number of devices used within the food and beverage ordering system and thereby cut costs.

Now, we will explain in detail the order processing (S200), which is a feature of this invention. Figure 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of various data used in the food and drink ordering system, and shows the data configuration of store information and customer-related information according to an embodiment of the present invention. This store information and customer-related information is stored and managed in the storage means of the management server device 1.

Store information is composed of product master information, table-terminal information, etc. Product master information specifies various information about products sold at a restaurant, and in this embodiment, it is composed of product codes, product names, unit prices, etc. Table-terminal information is information that indicates which ordering terminal 3 is installed at which table within the restaurant. If an ordering terminal 3 needs to be replaced due to a defect or malfunction, the table-terminal information can be rewritten so that the newly installed ordering terminal 3 can be linked to the table. Table-terminal information is rewritten, for example, by entering identification information such as a table number into the ordering terminal 3 when the ordering terminal 3 is installed.

Customer-related information is generated when a customer visits the restaurant and includes table information, order history information (order information), etc. Table information is input by an employee operating the terminal 9 or management server device 1 when a customer visits the restaurant and consists of information about the customer (customer group). The entry code is identification information assigned to each customer (customer group) and is composed of a serial number or other information added to each customer (customer group). The table code is identification information that indicates the table at which the customer is seated. The entry date and time is the date and time the customer (customer group) entered the restaurant and is automatically entered as the date and time when the table information was created. Optional information may also include the number of customers (customer group), or customer attributes such as the gender and age (age range) of the customer (customer group). Such optional information is determined by an employee's visual inspection and entered into the terminal 9 or management server device 1.

Order history information (order information) is information sent from the ordering terminal 3 by customers seated at a table and stored in the management server device 1. Here, the information sent from the ordering terminal 3 is called order information, and the information stored in the management server device 1 is called order history information, but the contents are equivalent. This order history information (order information) includes the product code, quantity, and order date and time for each ordered product. In addition, the store entry code is also stored, and by comparing this with the product master information, it is possible to calculate the total amount for each store entry code, i.e., for each customer (customer group), and perform accounting processing.

Figure 5 is a flow diagram showing order processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. This order processing (S200) allows customers to place an order based on products registered in the product master information. When the order processing (S200) begins, a menu display is executed for the products registered in the product master information (S201). Figure 9 shows the order screen (top screen) displayed on the touch panel monitor 32 of the ordering terminal 3. In this embodiment, orders are hierarchically organized by product type, allowing customers to select from a wide variety of products. For this reason, buttons 81b to 81g for selecting a type are provided on the left side of the screen. Customers can select the desired type from these buttons 81b to 81g and select products belonging to that type.

When an item is selected based on the menu display (S203: Yes), the selected item is temporarily stored in the cart (S205). If the order for the item is subsequently confirmed at the ordering terminal 3 (S206: Yes), the item stored in the cart is confirmed as the ordered item and sent to the network as order information (S207). The order information includes the item code, quantity, store entry code, and order date and time. The order information sent to the network is stored as order history information in the management server device 1 and is also sent to the kitchen management system 5, where it is used for cooking and serving food.

On the other hand, if the customer issues a checkout instruction (also known as a leave instruction) on the ordering terminal 3 (S202: Yes), the order process (S200) is exited and the process moves to the checkout process (S102) in the main process of Figure 3. The checkout process (S102) calculates the total price of the ordered items and is executed based on the order history information. The total price calculated in the checkout process (S102) is displayed on the management server device 1. The employee requests the customer to pay the displayed total price.

In addition, the order processing (S200) of this embodiment deals with customizable products. A customizable product is a product for which the user (customer) can select various options, such as the choice of toppings to put on a hamburger steak. Therefore, in the order processing (S200), if the selected product is a customizable product (S204: Yes), the customization processing (S300) is executed.

Figure 6 is a flow diagram showing an example of the customization process (S300) of this embodiment. The top screen shown in Figure 9 has buttons 81b and 81h labeled "Custom-made Dish." By operating either button 81b or 81h, the customer can order a product, i.e., proceed to the customization process (S300).

The customization process (S300) involves the customer selecting toppings and other items to create a customized product. For standard products, the product's appearance is uniquely determined, making it easy to display a photo of the product on a menu screen or similar. However, for customized products, the product's appearance can vary widely depending on the customer's operations. Therefore, in this embodiment (first form), the materials that make up the product are stored as material images, and the appearance of the customized product is created by combining the material images.

Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the placement of material images used in this embodiment. Material images selected by customer operation are placed on one layer. The sixth layer in Figure 7 shows a pineapple as the material image. The periphery of the pineapple material image is transparent, and by displaying the material images on top of each other on the layers, the material images are displayed overlapping each other. In this case, the material image on the upper layer (e.g., the sixth layer) is displayed on top of the product image on the lower layer (e.g., the fifth layer).

In addition, in this embodiment, it is also possible to change the position of the material image on the XY coordinate system. Therefore, when displaying the same material image, if the position of the material image differs depending on the combination of material images, it is possible to change (adjust) the position of the material image to make it closer to the appearance of the actual product.

Figure 10 is a diagram showing the customization selection screen of this embodiment. When either button 81b or 81h is operated on the top screen of Figure 9, the screen transitions to the customization selection screen of Figure 10. The customization selection screen of this embodiment allows customization of the salad, rice, and the main dish, hamburger steak. For salad, hamburger steak, and rice, display fields 82a to 82c are provided that show the product appearance and name, and each can be customized by operating buttons 83a to 83c in display fields 82a to 82c.

The customization selection screen in FIG. 10 also has a display field 84a that displays the total price, total calories, and total salt content of the customized product. Also, the display field 84a has a button 84b for adding the customized product to the cart, and a button 84c for resetting (deleting) the customized product.

In this embodiment, we will explain the customization of the main dish, hamburger steak. When button 83b is operated on the customization selection screen in FIG. 10, the screen transitions to the customization selection screen for hamburger steaks shown in FIG. 11. The customization selection screen shown in FIG. 11 allows the user to select the number of hamburger steaks, sauce, and toppings. For this reason, columns 94, 95, and 96 are provided to display the selection status of the number of hamburger steaks, sauce, and toppings, and columns 94, 95, and 96 display buttons 94a, 95a, and 96a for selecting the items of the number of hamburger steaks, sauce, and toppings.

Also, in the center of the screen, a composite ingredient image 91a is displayed, combining the ingredient images of the selected product. In the composite ingredient image 91a displayed in Figure 11, salad and rice have been selected, and the selected salad and rice ingredient images are combined on top of the ingredient image of a plate.

A display field 85k is provided at the bottom left of the screen, which displays the total price, total calories, total salt content, and allergens of the customized product (hamburger steak). Allergens are displayed as icons. By touching the "Click here for more information" section, it is possible to display details about the allergens. Also provided within display field 85k is a button 85l for confirming the hamburger steak customization, and a reset button 85m for returning to the customization selection screen of Figure 10, which is in the state before customization.

When button 94a for selecting the number of hamburgers is operated on the customization selection screen of FIG. 11, the customization selection screen of FIG. 11 is displayed. A display field 85a containing "+" and "-" buttons is displayed on the right side of this customization selection screen, and the user can select the number of hamburgers by operating the "+" and "-" buttons. FIG. 12 shows the screen state when one hamburger is selected. The number "1" indicating the number of hamburgers is displayed on the left side of display field 85a. Also, a message indicating that one hamburger has been selected is displayed in display field 94. Furthermore, an ingredient image of the hamburger is additionally displayed in the ingredient composite image 91b. Each time the "+" button is operated, the number of hamburgers is added, and ingredient images for the added number of hamburgers are displayed in ingredient composite image 91b.

In this embodiment, there is a limit to the number of hamburgers that can be added to the ingredient composite image 91b. This is similar to how it is done in actual restaurants. In actual restaurants, if the number of hamburgers that can be added to a plate exceeds the number that can be added, the hamburgers are served on a separate plate. Therefore, the ingredient composite image is displayed in the same way as the plate that will actually be served. If the limit is exceeded, a separate plate may be displayed, or a message may be displayed indicating that hamburgers that exceed the limit will be served on a separate plate.

When button 96a for selecting a sauce is operated, the customization selection screen shown in Figure 13 is displayed. Display fields 85b to 85d containing "+" and "-" buttons are displayed on the right side of this customization selection screen, and the user can select the sauce and the number of sauces by operating the "+" and "-" buttons. Figure 13 shows the screen state when one curry sauce is selected. The number "1" indicating the number of orders is displayed on the left side of display field 85b. Also, a message indicating that one curry sauce has been selected is displayed in display field 96. Furthermore, an ingredient image of the curry sauce is additionally displayed in the ingredient composite image 91c. Each time the "+" button is operated, the number of selected sauces is increased, and ingredient images for the added number of sauces are also displayed in ingredient composite image 91c.

When button 95a for selecting toppings is operated, the customization selection screen shown in Figure 14 is displayed. Display fields 85e to 85j containing "+" and "-" buttons are displayed on the right side of this customization selection screen, and the user can select toppings and the number of toppings by operating the "+" and "-" buttons. Figure 14 shows the screen state when one grilled pineapple (three slices) is selected. The number "1" indicating the number of pieces ordered is displayed to the left of display field 85g. Also, a message indicating that one grilled pineapple has been selected is displayed in display field 95. Furthermore, an ingredient image of the grilled pineapple is additionally displayed in composite ingredient image 91b. Each time the "+" button is operated, the number of selected toppings is increased, and ingredient images for the added number of toppings are also displayed in composite ingredient image 91d.

In this way, ingredients such as hamburger steaks, sauces, and toppings can be added by operating the "+" buttons displayed in display fields 85a to 85j. It is also possible to reduce the number of ingredients that have already been selected by operating the "-" buttons displayed in display fields 85a to 85j. The total price, total calories, total salt content, and allergens in display field 85k change each time an ingredient is selected or deleted.

In this embodiment, the customization selection screen displays the total price, total calories, total salt content, and allergens, allowing the user to learn more about the customized product. It may also be possible to display whether the selected product is halal, meaning whether it contains ingredients permitted by Islam.

In the customization process shown in FIG. 6, when a button adjacent to one of display fields 85a-85j for selecting the number of hamburger steaks, sauce, or toppings is operated (S301:301), a determination is made as to whether the selected ingredient has a predetermined relationship with an ingredient that has already been selected (S303). Some ingredients used in food and drink are considered to have an exclusive relationship. For example, curry sauce, which can be selected using the button adjacent to display fields 85b and 85c, and grated shiso, which can be selected using the button adjacent to display field 85j, are examples of an exclusive relationship. In this embodiment, if the selected ingredient has a predetermined relationship (exclusive relationship) with an ingredient that has already been selected (S305: Yes), a prohibition message is displayed on the touch panel monitor 82, preventing ingredient selection (S305).

Even customers unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine, such as foreign tourists, are prevented from selecting unusual ingredient combinations. The prohibition message may also display which ingredients the selected ingredient has a predetermined relationship (exclusive relationship) with. This allows customers to know the reason why the ingredient could not be selected, and enables them to reselect an ingredient. Furthermore, although this embodiment prevents the selection of predetermined ingredient combinations, it is also possible to simply issue a warning by displaying a message, playing a notification sound, etc.

On the other hand, if the selected ingredient does not have a predetermined relationship (exclusive relationship) with an ingredient that has already been selected (S305: No), a new ingredient image is added and displayed on the composite ingredient image 91a (S304). In this embodiment, the ingredient image to be added is displayed on the topmost layer. By displaying it on the topmost layer, the customer user can confirm on the screen that the toppings they selected have been added. For example, if the ingredient image is located on a lower layer in the actual product's appearance, i.e., below other toppings, if it is displayed in the same way as the actual product, the added ingredient image may not be visible or may be difficult to see among the other ingredient images. In this embodiment, to avoid this situation, the added ingredient image is displayed on the topmost layer when the ingredient image is first displayed.

Figure 12 shows the state when a hamburger steak is added to the display field 85a, with the regular hamburger steak ingredient image being added and displayed on top of the composite ingredient image 91a in Figure 11. When the regular hamburger steak ingredient image is added and displayed, it may be possible to shrink the regular hamburger steak ingredient image to its actual state as shown in Figure 11, thereby creating the effect of a regular hamburger steak being placed on a plate. Furthermore, by adding animated smoke around the regular hamburger steak, it is possible to create an effect that simulates the cooking process of the product.

Ingredients can be added by repeatedly executing S301 to S306 during the customization process. Figures 13 to 15 show the customization selection screen when ingredients (toppings) are added in order. Figure 13 shows the state when curry sauce has been selected as an ingredient. In composite ingredient image 91c, an ingredient image of curry sauce is displayed on top of composite ingredient image 91b in Figure 12. Figure 14 shows the state when pineapple has been selected as an ingredient. In composite ingredient image 91d, an ingredient image of grilled pineapple is displayed on top of composite ingredient image 91c in Figure 13. Figure 15 shows the state when cheese has been selected as an ingredient. In composite ingredient image 91e, an ingredient image of cheese is displayed on top of composite ingredient image 91d in Figure 14. When displaying each of composite ingredient images 91c to 91e, effects corresponding to the additionally displayed ingredient images may be applied, as in the case of Figure 12. This allows the customer ordering to feel as if they are plating the food themselves.

After customizing, the customer confirms the product by operating button 85l in display field 85k (S306: Yes). Once the product is confirmed, the screen transitions to the customization confirmation screen shown in FIG. 16. The customization confirmation screen displays the products (salad, hamburger steak, soup, rice) customized through the previous operations. For each product, display fields 86a-86d are provided, displaying the selected ingredients. In addition, display fields 86a-86d are provided with buttons 87a-87d for reselecting ingredients. In addition, display field 88a is provided below the customization confirmation screen, displaying the price, calories, salt content, and allergens for the selected contents. In addition, display field 88a is provided with button 88b for adding the product to the cart and button 88c for canceling the customized product.

Here, the customization selection screen in Figure 15 displays the appearance of the customized product using a composite ingredient image 91e, which is a combination of multiple ingredient images. Because this composite ingredient image 91e is an image combining ingredient images, it is conceivable that it may differ slightly from the appearance of the actual product. For this reason, in this embodiment, the customized product displayed on the customization confirmation screen in Figure 16 is replaced with an image of the actual product, allowing the customer to confirm the appearance of the actual product. The final image 92 displayed in Figure 16 is not a combination of ingredient images, but rather the final image when regular hamburger steak, curry sauce, cheese, and grilled pineapple are selected.

In the examples shown in Figures 15 and 16, the ingredient composite image 91e in Figure 15 shows a grilled pineapple with cheese on top, but the final image 92 in Figure 16 shows the grilled pineapple on top of the cheese, as it will actually be served. In this way, by displaying the final image 92 instead of the ingredient composite image 91e, customers can check the actual appearance before placing their order.

When button 85l is operated on the customization selection screen in Figure 15 and the product is confirmed (S306: Yes), a determination is made as to whether a final image for the selected ingredient combination exists (S307). Figure 8 shows a correspondence table showing the relationship between ingredients and final images in this embodiment. The correspondence table describes the correspondence between size, sauce, and topping combinations and the file names of the final images. The customization process determines whether a final image exists for the selected ingredient combination based on the correspondence table (S307). If a final image exists (S307: Yes), the final image is acquired, and the ingredient composite image is changed to the final image and displayed (S309). In the example of Figure 15, "0025.jpg", which corresponds to 1 curry sauce, 1 cheese, and 1 grilled pineapple, is used as the final image 92.

When button 88b is operated on the customization confirmation screen of FIG. 16, the customization completion screen of FIG. 17 is displayed for a predetermined time. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 18, a cart field 89 containing customized products is displayed. The cart field 89 includes a display field 89a displaying the customized products. The display field 89a includes a quantity display field 89b, a delete button 89d, and a change button 89d for changing the customized product. Operating button 89d returns the user to the customization confirmation screen of FIG. 16, allowing the user to customize the product again. The cart field 89 also includes a button 89e for confirming the order and a button 89d for continuing the order. When button 89e is operated, i.e., when the order is confirmed in the order processing of FIG. 5 (S206: Yes), the order information is transmitted (S207). On the other hand, when button 89d is operated (S206: No), a menu is displayed (S201), such as returning to the top screen of FIG. 9, and the order operation continues.

The food and drink ordering system of this embodiment has been explained above using the customization process as an example. However, the food and drink ordering system of this embodiment makes it possible to customize products while selecting ingredients. In this case, by displaying a composite ingredient image based on the ingredient images corresponding to the selected ingredients, customers can customize products as if they were plating the food themselves.

In this way, the food and drink ordering system of this embodiment allows customers to customize products as if they were plating the food themselves. However, the number of customizable items is likely to be large. It will be difficult for kitchen staff to remember so many plating layouts, and it is conceivable that the plating layouts for the same product will differ. On the other hand, if a customer finds that the appearance of the product they ordered differs from the product that is served, their opinion of the store will likely decrease.

This embodiment takes such situations into consideration, and one of its goals is to make the appearance of the items ordered by the customer match the appearance of the items served as closely as possible. This is particularly effective in a food and drink ordering system like this embodiment, which allows for customization of a large number of items.

Figure 19 is a diagram showing the configuration of the kitchen management system 5 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the kitchen is equipped with a work table for plating, a grill for grilling hamburgers and the like, and a food storage area for storing various ingredients. The grill and food storage area are located side by side, forming a work space between them. Employees who cook and plate food work within this work space. Preferably, two employees work together: one who plates the salad, and one who grills hamburgers and the like using the grill.

The kitchen management system 5 of this embodiment is installed above the work table and provides various information to employees working in the workspace. The kitchen management system 5 of this embodiment is configured with kitchen terminals 51-54. Monitors 55-58 are connected to each of the kitchen terminals 51-54. The kitchen terminals 51-54 work together to display information on each monitor 55-58. In this embodiment, a kitchen terminal 51-54 is provided for each monitor 55-58. This is to ensure that even if a problem occurs with one of the kitchen terminals 51-54, the display on the other kitchen terminals 51-54 is not interrupted. However, the displays on two or more monitors 55-58 may be collectively managed by a single kitchen terminal.

Monitors 55-58 include a salad serving monitor 55, a grilling monitor 56, serving monitors 57a and 57b, and a serving monitor 58. A forward button 60a and a back button 60b are connected to kitchen terminal 52. A forward button 59a and a back button 59b are connected to kitchen terminal 53a.

A serving table 61 is located below the salad serving monitor 55. The serving table 61 has four tiers, each capable of arranging four items (plates) side by side. In other words, a maximum of 16 items can be placed on the serving table 61. In this embodiment, a maximum of four items are managed as one lot. A lot will be explained later.

The plating monitors 57a and 57b have a dual screen configuration. This dual screen configuration manages one lot. In other words, two products are displayed on one plating monitor. This allows for a large display area for each product, allowing for a large image of the product to be displayed. Additionally, a serving monitor 58 is located behind the plating monitors 57a and 57b, facing away from them. Furthermore, a grilling monitor 56 is located to the left of the plating monitor 57a.

The processing of the kitchen management system will now be described. Figure 20 is a flow diagram showing the lot management process. Figure 21 is a diagram explaining the lots used in this embodiment. In this embodiment, a maximum of four products are managed as one lot. Within each lot, for example, "T15a" listed in the serving lot indicates the first product of 15 tables. Furthermore, "T15b" within the same serving lot indicates the second product of 15 tables. In the lot management process, when a new order is placed from the order terminal 3 (S401: Yes), a determination is made as to whether the order can be added to the previous lot based on predetermined conditions (S402). Here, the predetermined conditions are whether the maximum number of products per lot is four and whether the maximum number of tables in one lot is two. Note that these predetermined conditions can be changed as appropriate depending on the store's situation, etc.

If it is determined that the specified conditions are met and it can be added to the previous lot (S402: Yes), it is added to the previous lot (S403). On the other hand, if it is not possible to add it to the previous lot (S402: No), a new lot is created and added to that new lot (S404). Meanwhile, the lot management process monitors for the receipt of serving completion information, and if serving completion information is received (S405: Yes), the plated lot is changed to a served lot (S406). Plated lot and served lot will be explained later.

Figure 21 is a diagram explaining the lots used in this embodiment. In this embodiment, products are managed in units of lots that can store up to four products. In Figure 21, the upper direction indicates older lots, and the lower direction indicates newer lots. A lot is first set as a lot to be plated. This lot to be plated is a lot that has not yet been displayed in the kitchen management system 5 and is waiting to be displayed. It is then stored in pre-plated lots 1 to 4. Pre-plated lots 1 to 4 are the lots that are displayed on the salad plating monitor 55.

The serving lot is the lot that is to be displayed on the two serving monitors 57a, 57b. The serving lot is also the lot that is to be displayed on the grilling monitor 56. The serving-completed lot is the lot that is to be displayed on the serving monitor 58. A lot that has been served is considered a served-completed lot, and in this embodiment, when displayed on various monitors, it is displayed in gray so that it can be distinguished from other lots.

Figure 22 is a flow diagram showing the first plating process of this embodiment. The first plating process is a process performed by the kitchen terminal 51 and controls the display on the salad plating monitor 55. If a lot change occurs during the lot management process (S501: Yes), a determination is made as to whether the lot can be added to the screen, i.e., whether pre-plated lots 1-4 are filled (S502). If it is determined that the lot can be added (S502: Yes), the changed lot is changed to a pre-plated lot (S503). On the other hand, during the second plating process described below, if pre-plated lot 1 is changed to a plating in progress lot (S504: Yes), the display of the planned plating lot is updated, i.e., pre-plated lots 2-4 are shifted to pre-plated lots 1-3, and the oldest planned plating lot is changed to pre-plated lot 4.

Figure 25 is a diagram showing an example of the display on the salad plating monitor 55 in this embodiment. The salad plating monitor 55 is displayed by the first plating process. Four pre-plated lots 1 to 4 are displayed on the salad plating monitor 55. In this embodiment, the order is older pre-plated lots on the left and newer pre-plated lots on the right. Note that the order of the pre-plated lots can also be reversed depending on the store's situation.

Each pre-plated lot 1-4 has a table number display field 551a-551d, an additional item display field 552a-552d, and an image display field 553a-553d. The images displayed in the image display fields 553a-553d match the arrangement of the products placed on the serving table 61.

Table number display fields 551a-551d display the table number where the order was received, as well as the time the order was received. Additional item display fields 552a-552d display the additional items ordered. The additional item display field 552d, located on the far right, indicates in text that baked potatoes are an additional item. Image display fields 553a-553d show an image of how the salad will be served, and only the salad portion of the product is displayed. This image is formed from ingredient images and is the same as the image ordered by the customer. In addition, images of ingredients other than those to be served on the serving table 61, such as hamburger steaks, have been removed.

Additional items are displayed as icons in image display fields 553a-553d. By displaying the icons of the additional items superimposed on the ingredient images, or by displaying the icons of the additional items in place of the ingredient images, the additional items can be easily identified, facilitating the selection and layout of the necessary ingredients. For one product in image display field 553d located on the far right, baked potatoes are displayed as an additional item. Furthermore, for one product in image display field 553d located on the far right, text indicates that the salad is a large portion. The person in charge of plating the salad refers to the salad plating monitor, places plates on the serving table 61, and begins plating the salad.

Figure 23 is a flow diagram showing the second serving process processing of this embodiment. The second serving process processing is processing for forming information to be displayed on the serving monitors 57a and 57b. When the first lot is received (S601: Yes), it is displayed as a serving in progress lot on the serving monitors 57a and 57b. Here, the first lot refers to the state in which a lot is added for the first time, such as when the store opens.

Figure 26 shows an example display of the plating monitors 57a and 57b in this embodiment. One plating progress lot is displayed on the plating monitors 57a and 57b. In this embodiment, two plating monitors 57a and 57b are used, allowing for a sufficiently large image to be displayed for each product. One plating progress lot can display up to four products. For each product, table number display fields 571a-571d, icon display fields 572a-572d, image display fields 573a-573d, dish name display fields 574a-574d, and topping name display fields 575a-575d are provided. Note that in this embodiment, a maximum of four plating progress lots (two on each of the plating monitors 57a and 57b) can be displayed; however, this maximum number can be changed as appropriate, such as to four or more.

The left-hand presentation monitor 57a also has a next lot table number display field 576a and a subsequent lot table number display field 576b, which allow you to check the table numbers for the products in the next lot (current pre-presented lot 1) and the subsequent lot (current pre-presented lot 2), respectively.

The table number display fields 571a to 571d display the table number that ordered the product. The icon display fields 572a to 572d display icons of toppings required for the product. For example, the leftmost icon display field 572a displays a cheese icon. The image display fields 573a to 573d display the same image that was displayed when the customer placed their order on the ordering terminal 3. In this embodiment, these are formed by composite ingredient images formed by combining ingredient images.

The product shown in image display field 573b in Figure 26(A) is the product at the time of order described in Figures 16 to 18, and the same product image as in Figures 16 to 18 is displayed. In this embodiment, the image displayed in image display fields 573a to 573d is a composite material image formed by combining material images, but it is also possible to display a final image (one piece of image information) corresponding to the composite material image.

In image display fields 573a-573d, special icons are superimposed on areas that require special attention when plating. For example, in image display field 573a, the demi-glace sauce is difficult to see as is, so it is displayed with a white line around it. In addition, in image display field 573b, a sauce cup icon is displayed so that the curry sauce can be seen.

In addition, the character "large" is displayed where a portion is large. The image display field 573a shown on the far left indicates that a salad is a large portion, allowing the cook to check the product when moving it from the serving table 61 in front of the serving monitors 57a and 57b. The dish name display fields 574a to 574d display the name of the dish (product name) that uses one of the toppings used. Using this dish name makes it easy for cooks and others to identify and pronounce the product. In addition, the topping name display fields 575a to 575d display the names of all necessary toppings. The cook who uses the serving monitors 57a and 57b to serve food picks up the four products located on the far left of the serving table 61, arranges the products in the specified order as shown in the figure, and serves the food.

In this embodiment, the kitchen terminal 53a is provided with a forward button 59a and a back button 59b. When the forward button 59a is operated (S603: Forward button), the next lot is displayed on the plating monitors 57a and 57b (S607). At that time, if the lot has been changed from a plating in progress lot to pre-plated lot 1 (S608: Yes), the currently plating in progress lot is changed to a plated lot (S609). The product that has been changed to a plated lot is the target for display on the serving monitor 58. Then, pre-plated lot 1 is changed to a plating in progress lot and displayed on the plating monitors 57a and 57b.

On the other hand, if the back button 59b is operated, the previous lot is displayed (S604). At that time, if the displayed lot is a lot for which delivery has been completed (S605: Yes), the wiring-completed lot is displayed in a different display format (grayed out in this embodiment) (S606).

In this embodiment, the cook can check the previous and next lots by operating the forward button 59a and back button 59b. Furthermore, when the display transitions from a serving lot to pre-serving lot 1, the display on the salad serving monitor 55 also changes accordingly. And when the display target becomes a serving-completed lot, the display is changed to a different format, allowing the cook to easily confirm that the product has already been cooked.

Figure 24 is a flow diagram showing the grilling process of this embodiment. Similar to the second plating process described in Figure 23, the grilling process is a process for displaying information about the plating progress lot. The grilling process is almost identical to the second plating process, so a detailed description will be omitted. However, the display content differs. In the grilling process, the forward button 60a and back button 60b on the kitchen terminal 52 can also be used to move between previous and next lots. However, the forward button 59a and back button 59b on the kitchen terminal 53a are different buttons, and the two can be operated independently.

Figure 27 is a diagram showing an example of the display on the grilling monitor 56 in this embodiment. The information about the serving lot displayed on the serving monitors 57a and 57b is displayed for each product, whereas the information about the serving lot displayed on the grilling monitor 56 is different in that it displays all the hamburger steaks and toppings to be cooked (heated) on the grill during the serving lot.

The grilling monitor 56 displays a table number display field 561 and a grilling ingredient display field 562. The table number display field 561 displays the table numbers of all products in the serving lot. The grilling ingredient display field 562 displays the icons, ingredient names, and quantities of ingredients (hamburger steaks, toppings) to be cooked on the grill during the serving lot. In this way, the grilling monitor 56 displays the ingredients (hamburger steaks, toppings) to be grilled together by lot, which allows for more efficient work by the cook using the grill.

Figure 28 is a diagram showing an example display of the serving monitor 58 in this embodiment. The serving monitor 58 is located behind the serving monitors 57a and 57b and is a monitor that displays information to employees who serve food. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 28, each product in the serving-completed lot is displayed. The display example shown in Figure 28 is an example display when the serving-in-progress lot described in Figure 26 has transitioned to a serving-completed lot. The serving monitor 58 displays table number display fields 581a to 581d, image display fields 582a to 582d, and additional display fields 583a to 583d for each product.

The display on the serving monitor 58 differs from the plating monitors 57a and 57b in that the product layout is mirrored. This takes into account the fact that the layout of the served products will differ when viewed from the plating monitors 57a and 57b and when viewed from the serving monitor 58. Because the layout of the products matches that of the serving monitor 58, the staff member serving the food can easily check the products and serve them.

The table number display fields 581a-581d display the table number for which the product has been ordered. Employees can use this table number display field 581d to confirm the table to which the product should be delivered. The image display fields 582a-582d display the same image of the product as displayed on the ordering terminal 3 when the order was placed. Employees can also check the image of the product at the time of ordering and the image of the product when actually cooked. The additional display field 583d displays the name of the dish (product name) and any added toppings in text. Employees can check special notes about the product, such as toppings, not just by looking at the image, but also by looking at the text.

The serving monitor 58 is also provided with a forward button 585a and a back button 585b, which can be operated to check the previous and next lots. The display change button 584 is operated when serving food. By operating the display change button 584, the employee sends the serving completion information described in the lot management process of Figure 20, and changes the currently targeted serving-completed lot to a serving-completed lot. The serving-completed lot is also displayed in grayout (different display format) on the serving monitor 58, just like the others.

The serving monitor 58 has a next lot product quantity display field 586. The next lot product quantity display field 585 displays the number of products in the next lot.

The kitchen management system of this embodiment has been described above. With this kitchen management system, images of the products ordered by customers are displayed at the cooking and serving locations, making it possible to prevent a large discrepancy between the image of the product ordered by the customer and the image of the product that is actually cooked. Therefore, even inexperienced staff (cooks) can provide the product that the customer wants. In particular, when customers can customize products by adding toppings, etc., as in this embodiment, and when there are many variations of products, the kitchen management system of this embodiment is effective.

1: Management server device 3: Ordering terminals 3a to 3d: Ordering terminal 4: Charging stand 5: Kitchen management system 6a, 6b: Automatic payment machine 9 (9a, 9b): Terminal 21: Router 22: Access point 32: Touch panel monitor 32a: Display unit 33: Charging terminal 34a: CPU
34b: ROM
34c: RAM
34d: Image processing unit 34e: Audio processing unit 36a: Imaging means 36b: NFC sensor 36c: Illuminance sensor 37b: Interface 38: Wireless communication unit 38a: Antenna 39: Battery 41: DC conversion unit 42: Power supply terminal 43: Power lines 51 to 54: Kitchen terminal 55: Salad serving monitor 56: Grilling monitors 57a, 57b: Serving monitor 58: Food serving monitor 61: Food serving table

Claims (2)

A kitchen management system equipped with a kitchen terminal that displays various information on a monitor installed in a kitchen in a store,
The kitchen terminal displays information about the ordered products on a monitor in units of lots, each consisting of a predetermined number of products.
The display is performed on a first monitor facing the kitchen side and a second monitor located behind the first monitor and facing the serving side,
The first monitor displays a plurality of products in a lot side by side,
A kitchen management system characterized in that the second monitor displays a plurality of products in a lot in a position that is horizontally reversed from that of the first monitor. A kitchen management program that can be executed on a kitchen terminal that displays various information on a monitor installed in a kitchen in a store,
When a product is ordered using the order terminal, information about the ordered product is displayed on the monitor in units of lots, each consisting of a predetermined number of products.
The display is performed on a first monitor facing the kitchen side and a second monitor located behind the first monitor and facing the serving side,
The first monitor displays a plurality of products in a lot side by side,
A kitchen management program characterized in that the second monitor displays a plurality of products in a lot in positions that are horizontally reversed from those displayed on the first monitor.