JP2735526B2 - Order processing system for restaurants, etc. - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an order processing system for a restaurant or the like, and more particularly, to a customer or the like in a restaurant or the like, which character is displayed on a card statement having a magnetic stripe and recorded as magnetic data, and the magnetic data is read. The present invention relates to an order processing system for a restaurant or the like that performs a checkout process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a restaurant or the like, a waitress or the like writes a customer's order on a slip and sends it to a cooking place to request a dish. The most common method is for the customer to hand over the slip to the cashier and settle it after it is over. In recent years, in order to streamline this series of processes, waitresses have adopted various methods of inputting orders using portable terminals. A method for recording data and barcode data is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 62-54367 and 1-11.
It has been proposed in US Pat.

In the system described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62-54367, an order slip card with a magnetic stripe is inserted into a portable terminal, printed on the order slip card at the end of an order, magnetically recorded, and handed over to a customer. The order data is wirelessly transferred to the center controller, and can be processed quickly and accurately by the magnetic data of the order slip card at the time of payment. Further, the system described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-113896 is provided with a bar code scanner in which order data input to a portable terminal is connected to a center device to issue a kitchen slip and a customer slip with a bar code. A payment terminal performs payment processing.

[0004]

Problems to be Solved by the Invention
According to the conventional methods described in Japanese Patent No. 54367 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-113896, the customer's slip used for settlement is printed with characters of the order content in a normal manner, and cannot be reused once used. For this reason, in the former case, there is a problem that a lot of slip cards with magnetic stripes are consumed and the cost is increased. In the latter case, the slip can be made of ordinary paper, but it is necessary to equip the checkout terminal with a barcode scanner, and the structure is slightly complicated and the price increases.The purpose of the present invention is to repeatedly write and erase characters. It is an object of the present invention to provide an order processing system for a restaurant or the like that uses a possible and reusable order slip card with a magnetic stripe and solves the above-mentioned problems.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, an order processing system for a restaurant or the like has a portable terminal for inputting a customer's order at a restaurant or the like, and a magnetic stripe for displaying details of the ordered item in characters. A card statement for recording magnetic data together with the card, card statement issuing means for writing and issuing the input data of the portable terminal to the card statement, and a card reader for reading the magnetic data of the card statement. In an order processing system of a restaurant or the like having a payment terminal for performing, a thermoreversible recording layer in which the printing surface of the card statement changes from a transparent state to an opaque state by heating and changes from an opaque state to a transparent state by reheating. And wherein the card statement issuing means is for printing for changing the thermoreversible recording layer of the card statement and And before a thermal head for removed by
It is built into portable terminals .

[0006]

[0007]

[0008]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. A portable terminal 1 for inputting a customer's order at a restaurant or the like, a printing surface comprising a thermoreversible recording layer and a magnetic stripe are shown. Card description table 2 in which the order details can be displayed in characters and recorded as magnetic data, and card description table 2 which wirelessly receives data from portable terminal 1
And a payment terminal 4 for reading and writing the magnetic data of the card description table 2 and performing payment processing. The printing surface of the card statement 2 is composed of a thermoreversible recording layer that changes from a transparent state to an opaque state by heating and changes from an opaque state to a transparent state by reheating. And a thermal head for printing and erasing for performing printing by changing the thermoreversible recording layer of No. 2.

When order processing is performed in a restaurant or the like, first, an order from a customer is input to the portable terminal 1 by a store clerk, and the input data is wirelessly sent to the card statement issuing device 3. The sent data is processed by the card statement issuing device 3, the instruction information is transferred to the cooking place, and the card statement 2 for the customer is issued.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the structure of the main part of the card statement issuing device 3 shown in FIG. A magnetic head 31 for recording magnetic data on a card statement, a printing thermal head 32 for printing on a thermoreversible recording layer of the card statement, and an erasing thermal head 33 for erasing printed characters. , A card holder 36 for holding a plurality of card schedules, a controller 35, and transport rollers 34a, 3
4b and 34c, and the following two types of operations can be performed by setting the control unit 35 with respect to the card statement drawn out from the card holder unit 36. Reference numerals 37 and 38 denote a printing platen and an erasing platen which face the printing thermal head 32 and the erasing thermal head 33, respectively.

The first operation mode is a mode in which magnetic data processing is first performed on a card schedule. When data is received from the portable terminal 1, the card details are fed out from the card holder section 36 by the transport rollers 34c, and are transported to the magnetic head 31 by the transport rollers 34b. At this time, the magnetic head 31 is in contact with the card surface, and is reading magnetic data of a magnetic stripe provided on the card in accordance with a command from the control unit 35. In the case where the card statement is a reusable card, the past magnetic data is written, and after the past data is erased by an instruction of the control unit 35, the data sent from the portable terminal 1 is newly written. After writing, the print data is conveyed to the erasing thermal head 33 to erase past print data, and then new print data is printed by the printing thermal head 32. The detailed card list on which the magnetic recording and printing have been completed is discharged outside by the conveying rollers 34a and 34b.

The second operation mode is a mode in which the printing process precedes, and after the card is fed out, it is first conveyed to the erasing thermal head 33 to erase the past print data. After the erasure, the print data conveyed to the print thermal head 32 by the command of the control unit 35 and sent from the portable terminal 1 is printed. Thereafter, the card schedule is conveyed to the magnetic head 31, where the magnetic data is rewritten and discharged.

[0014] In the case of a new unused card statement, the first operation mode is more desirable. That is, the card statement fed out from the card holder section 36 is conveyed to the magnetic head 31, and the presence or absence of write data is checked. If there is no write data, new magnetic data is written, and then the erasing thermal head 33 is omitted. Then, the print data may be conveyed to the print thermal head 32 to write the print data.

FIG. 3 shows a printing example of the card statement sheet ejected by the above method. A table number indicated by reference numeral 21 is printed on the card statement 2 together with the date, customer order, quantity, fee, etc., and the same contents are recorded as magnetic data on a magnetic stripe (not shown). Is done. At the time of settlement, the settlement terminal 4 reads the magnetic data of the card statement, inputs the contents of the statement immediately and accurately to perform the settlement, and also enables automatic settlement. Also, in the card description table 2, a card number unique to the card indicated by reference numeral 22 is printed by a normal printing method, and the same information is recorded as non-erasable magnetic data. This is used for identification of the card itself and identification when there is a customer at the same table.

The printing surface of the card specification 2 is composed of a thermoreversible recording layer capable of repeatedly printing and erasing a high-resolution image by heating. This thermoreversible recording layer is obtained by dispersing an organic low-molecular substance (higher fatty acid) having a particle size of 1 μm or less in a resin, and has two stable states (a transparent state and a transparent state) between the resin and the organic low-molecular substance. (Turbid state). In the transparent state, the particles of the organic low-molecular substance and the resin are in close contact with each other, and there is no gap therebetween, and the incident light is transmitted without being scattered and looks transparent. Voids are formed between the particles and inside the particles, so that the incident light is scattered and appears white. These two states are changed by heating, and have such characteristics that they are maintained as they are even when the temperature is returned to room temperature. FIG. 4 shows an example of the thermoreversible characteristic. When the thermoreversible recording layer in the transparent state (D) at room temperature (20 to 30 ° C.) is heated, when it exceeds about 110 ° C. as shown by the broken line, it becomes an intermediate state between the maximum transparent state and the maximum cloudy state ( D → C → E), and when it is cooled to room temperature, it becomes cloudy (E → A). Here, when heating is performed again, the transmittance starts to rapidly increase from around 70 ° C. as shown by the solid line (A
→ B), it becomes maximum transparent state at about 75-100 ° C (B
→ C), when it is cooled to room temperature, it returns to the original transparent state (C → D). Utilizing this characteristic, by providing a colored layer (for example, black) on the back surface of the thermoreversible recording layer, white characters on a black background or black characters on a white background can be repeatedly printed and erased by a thermal head, and already about 400 dpi. That can be displayed at a high resolution. Incidentally, this kind of thermoreversible recording layer and its application examples are described in, for example, JP-A-1-304996.

When a customer adds or changes an order, when inputting data of the portable terminal 1, the user specifies the addition or change, and then inputs a table number (or card number) and details of the change. By inserting the card schedule before the change into the card schedule issuing device 3, the control unit 35 controls to rewrite the magnetic data and print data of the inserted card schedule without newly feeding out the card schedule. I do. Therefore, the data recorded in the card statement is stored in the control unit 35 until the settlement by the card statement is completed.

In the above embodiment, a fixed card statement issuing device is provided for printing and magnetically recording and issuing data on the card statement, and a large number of card statements are held in the card holder. The data from the portable terminal is received wirelessly and processed. In contrast,
Incorporate means for printing and magnetic recording into the portable terminal, insert the card statement one sheet at a time and print and magnetically record and issue. Order data is separately transferred from the portable terminal to the center controller, etc. for order processing. It can also be configured for use. Further, the data transfer from the portable terminal may not be performed wirelessly, but may be performed via a connection unit provided near the card statement issuing device. Further, in the card statement table issuing device, thermal heads for printing and erasing are separately provided because the heating temperatures are different. However, both functions can be performed by one thermal head.

[0019]

As described above, the order processing system for a restaurant or the like according to the present invention comprises a thermoreversible recording layer on the printing surface of a card description table with a magnetic stripe, and enables printing and erasing by a thermal head. As a result, the number of input steps and erroneous input at the time of payment can be reduced with a simple payment terminal using the magnetic data, and the card statement can be reused, which is also effective in reducing operation costs.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part configuration of the card statement issuing device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an example of describing characters in the card statement table of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a characteristic diagram showing an example of a temperature-transmittance characteristic of a thermoreversible recording layer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Portable terminal 2 Card statement 3 Card statement issuing device 4 Payment terminal 31 Magnetic head 32 Printing thermal head 33 Erase thermal head 34a, 34b, 34c Conveyance roller 35 Control part 36 Card holder part 37 Printing platen 38 Era Platen

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A portable terminal for inputting an order of a customer in a restaurant or the like, a card statement having a magnetic stripe for displaying the details of an ordered item in characters and recording as magnetic data, and input data of the portable terminal A card statement issuing means for writing and issuing the card statement in a card statement, and an order processing system for a restaurant or the like comprising a payment terminal having a card reader for reading magnetic data of the card statement and performing a payment process. The printed surface of the card statement is made of a thermoreversible recording layer that changes from a transparent state to an opaque state by heating and changes from an opaque state to a transparent state by reheating, and the card statement issuance means is a thermoreversible recording layer. A thermal head for printing and erasing for changing the recording layer, and
An order processing system for restaurants and the like, wherein the order processing system is incorporated in a tablet terminal .