JP7080655B2 - Electronic devices and data processing programs - Google Patents

Description

Embodiments of the present invention relate to electronic devices and data processing programs.

In recent years, in an ordering system for restaurants and the like, instead of the clerk operating a handy terminal owned by the restaurant to place an order, an electronic device owned by an individual customer, such as a smartphone, is used as an ordering terminal. It is beginning to be used.

By the way, human beings have the psychology of seeking goods and services that are popular with others. However, in the conventional ordering system of a restaurant or the like, the menu ordered by the customer is sent directly to the order server of the store, so that it is not possible to know what the menu ordered by another passenger machine is. Therefore, customers did not know what is currently a popular menu at restaurants.

In addition, by displaying a menu with many orders on a display such as digital signage installed in the store, it is possible to convey a popular menu to customers in the store. However, it is necessary to introduce a system for totaling the contents of the ordered menu and displaying it on the display, which requires an additional system cost. It is also possible to ask the clerk what is a popular menu, but it will increase the time and effort of the clerk, and some customers find it burdensome to communicate with the clerk.

It is beneficial for both the restaurant and the customer to be able to grasp the popular menu, but it does not increase the cost and does not make the clerk and the customer feel burdened, and conveys the order contents by others to the customer. It was difficult.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-7380

An object to be solved by the present invention is to provide an electronic device and a data processing program capable of knowing the contents of an order by another person.

According to the embodiment, the electronic device communicating with the server has a first transmission means, an aggregation means, an output means, an input means, and a second transmission means . The first transmission means transmits the order data to the server when the order data addressed to the server, which indicates the order contents of the product, is received from another electronic device . The totaling means totals the order contents of the product based on the order data. The output means outputs the total result of totaling the order contents. The input means inputs an order for a product corresponding to the order content indicated by the aggregation result. The second transmission means transmits order data indicating the order contents of the product input by the input means to the server.

The figure which shows the outline of the order system of this embodiment. The block diagram which shows the structure of the smartphone used in the ordering system in this embodiment. The block diagram which shows the structure of the order server used in the order system in this embodiment. The flowchart which shows the operation of the smartphone in this embodiment. The flowchart which shows the operation of the order server in this embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the data included in the order message in this embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the order contents recorded in the smartphone in this embodiment. The figure which shows an example of the order screen displayed on the smartphone in this embodiment.

Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the ordering system of the present embodiment. The ordering system is built within a specific area or volume, for example, a commercial complex such as a shopping center. The commercial complex includes a plurality of commercial stores, such as restaurants, clothing stores, general merchandise stores, electric stores, bookstores, and various service stores.

The ordering system of the present embodiment includes an order server 10 (10-1, 10-2) installed in each store that accepts orders for products and the like, and a plurality of electronic devices owned by, for example, a customer who visits a commercial complex. Devices include devices such as smartphones 20 (20-1 to 20-14). In the ordering system, the order server 10 installed in each store can be used to place an order for products handled by each store using the smartphone 20 owned by the individual customer, not only from inside the store but also from outside the store. can do.

The order server 10 and the smartphone 20 each have a function of wireless communication, and a wireless mesh network can be configured. As the wireless mesh network, for example, a Bluetooth® Mesh network utilizing a frequency in the 2.4 GHz band shall be used. It is also possible to use other mesh networks.

The electronic device used in the ordering system is not limited to the smartphone 20, and may be any device equipped with a wireless communication function for forming a wireless network, such as a mobile phone, a personal computer, and a PDA (personal digital assistant). ..

In the wireless network, the data transmitted by any of the smartphones 20 is broadcast by, for example, a method called flooding. The neighboring smartphone 20 that has received the broadcast data further broadcasts the received data by a flooding method. However, it is determined whether the data received from the other smartphone 20 is the data that has already been relayed, and the relayed data is not relayed. Further, in order to prevent the data from being relayed infinitely between the plurality of smartphones 20, the number of times the data is relayed is limited, and the data exceeding the specified number of relays is discarded. This feature makes it possible to keep data relay via a wireless network within a complex commercial facility. In the ordering system of this embodiment, when ordering a product or the like from a customer's personal smartphone 20 to the store, the order is placed at the store. Instead of directly sending an order message (message) including order data to the server 10, the order message is delivered to the order server 10 via a smartphone 20 held by another customer using a wireless mesh network. .. In the wireless network, since a plurality of communication paths to the order server 10 are secured, even if there is a smartphone 20 in which the radio wave transmission / reception status is poor, the order telegram is transmitted to the order server 10 via the other smartphone 20. Can be done.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the order server 10-1 is installed in the store A, and the order server 10-2 is installed in the store B. When an order message is transmitted from any of the smartphones 20 to the order server 10-1, the smartphone 20 that receives the order message broadcasts the order message to the order server 10-1. As a result, finally, the order message addressed to the order server 10-1 is received by the order server 10-1. Similarly, when an order message is transmitted from any smartphone 20 to the order server 10-2, the smartphone 20 that receives the order message broadcasts the order message to the order server 10-2. As a result, finally, the order message addressed to the order server 10-2 is received by the order server 10-2. One smartphone 20 can relay order telegrams addressed to a plurality of order servers 10-1 and 10-2 transmitted from a plurality of other smartphones 20.

The smartphone 20 (electronic device) in the present embodiment receives an order message transmitted from a smartphone 20 held by another customer, and when relaying this order message, the smartphone 20 is based on the order data included in the order message. It is possible to aggregate the contents of orders made by other customers and output the aggregated results by displaying or the like. As a result, it is possible to refer to what kind of product in which store the other customer who placed the order using the smartphone 20 is ordering. That is, it is possible to easily grasp popular products and the like in real time by using the smartphone 20 owned by the customer.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a smartphone 20 used in the ordering system according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, the smartphone 20 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 20A, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 20B, an SSD (Solid State Drive) 20C, a speaker 20D, a camera 20E, an acceleration sensor 20F, a display 20G, and a touch panel. It has 20H, a microphone 20I, a wireless controller 20J, and a GPS (Global Positioning System) module 20K. Each piece of hardware is connected to each other by a system bus.

The CPU 20A is a circuit that controls the operation of the entire smartphone 20. The CPU 20A uses the RAM 20B or the like as a work area to execute various programs including an operating system and an application program stored in the SSD 20C or the like. The CPU 20A executes various processes for functioning as the smartphone 20 based on various programs, and controls the operation of the entire smartphone 20.

In the present embodiment, the CPU 20A sends and receives an order message to and from the order server 10 of a store by executing an order application program (data processing program) that processes to receive various services in a complex commercial facility such as a shopping center. , Relay processing of order message, totalization of order contents based on order data, output of totaling result, etc. are executed.

The RAM 20B is a work area for executing a program stored in the SSD 20C or the like while temporarily storing data related to various processes such as received data and aggregated data.

The SSD 20C stores programs and various data for realizing processing by the smartphone 20. The SSD 20C stores attribute information to be transmitted together with the order data to the order server 10 by, for example, processing by a data processing program. It is assumed that the attribute information is, for example, information about a customer who has placed an order for a product or the like, and for example, information on age and gender is input in advance by the operation of the customer. The attribute information may include identification data for identifying the customer and personal information for identifying the individual customer. The identification data may be a customer-specific name (name, nickname, etc.), a symbol, an alphanumerical string, an image, or the like. Personal information may include a name, telephone number, and address. However, personal information shall be handled so that the contents cannot be confirmed by the smartphone 20 (data processing program) used by other customers who relay the order message.

The speaker 20D outputs a voice during a call, a warning sound, and the like. The camera 20E captures a still image or a moving image. The acceleration sensor 20F detects the movement and tilt of the main body of the smartphone 20.

The display 20G and the touch panel 20H form a touch screen and are mounted on the main body of the smartphone 20. The display 20G displays a screen corresponding to the processing of the CPU 20A. The touch panel 20H inputs data according to the touch operation. The microphone 20J inputs voice during a call or the like.

The wireless controller 20J is an interface for controlling wireless communication. The wireless controller 20J has a function of wirelessly communicating with a mobile phone network (base station) and a function of wirelessly communicating with a data communication network. In order to form a wireless mesh network in the ordering system, the wireless controller 20J shall have, for example, a communication function conforming to the wireless standard of Bluetooth (registered trademark). The wireless controller 20J is, for example, 802.11. A wireless LAN (Local Area Network) such as a / b / g / n / ac, a LAN such as a 920 MHz wireless, or a PAN (Personal Area Network) conforming to various wireless standards can be used.

The GPS module 20K is a module that receives signals from GPS satellites and outputs data such as latitude, longitude, altitude, and time.

The speaker 20D, camera 20E, accelerometer 20F, microphone 20J, and GPS module 20K are not essential for the electronic equipment used in the ordering system, but by using these, it is possible to create applications with higher usability. Can be done.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an order server 10 used in the order system according to the present embodiment.
The order server 10 has, for example, a general personal computer configuration. As shown in FIG. 3, the order server 10 includes a CPU 10A, a RAM 10B, an HDD (Hard disk drive) 10C, a mouse 10D, a display 10E, a keyboard 10F, and a wireless controller 10G. Each piece of hardware is connected to each other by a system bus.

The CPU 10A is a circuit that controls the operation of the entire order server 10. The CPU 10A executes various processes for functioning as the order server 10 by executing various programs including an operating system and an application program stored in the HDD 10C or the like with the RAM 10B or the like as a work area, and the entire order server 10 is executed. Controls the behavior of. In the present embodiment, for example, by executing an application program (data processing program) for providing various services in a commercial complex, an order message is received from the smartphone 20 and an order process according to the data included in the order message is processed. And so on.

The RAM 10B is a work area for executing a program stored in the HDD 10C or the like while temporarily storing received order messages, data related to various processes, and the like.

The HDD 10C stores a program and various data for realizing the processing by the order server 10.

The mouse 10D and the keyboard 10F are input devices operated by store employees and the like.
The display 10E displays a screen corresponding to the processing of the CPU 10A.

The wireless controller 10G is an interface for controlling wireless communication. The wireless controller 10G has, for example, a communication function conforming to the wireless standard of Bluetooth (registered trademark). The wireless controller 10G is, for example, 802.11. A wireless LAN such as a / b / g / n / ac, a LAN such as a 920 MHz wireless, or one conforming to various wireless standards applicable to PAN can be used.

Next, the operation of the smartphone 20 and the order server 10 in this embodiment will be described.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the smartphone 20 in the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the order server 10 in the present embodiment.

A customer who visits a commercial complex activates an ordering application program (data processing program) on the smartphone 20 in order to receive the service provided by the commercial complex. It is assumed that the order application program is downloaded in advance and stored in the SSD 20C of the smartphone 20. By executing the ordering application, the CPU 20A displays various information about each store included in the commercial complex on the display 20G, for example. For example, for a restaurant, a menu containing items (products) of dishes that can be ordered is provided. The order screen for displaying the menu is provided with an input area for inputting a menu number indicating the item to be ordered, a send (order) button for transmitting the order to the order server 10, and the like (see FIG. 8).
The information (menu, etc.) displayed on the smartphone 20 differs depending on the store.

When the order menu number is input and the send button is tapped, the CPU 20A broadcasts an order message (message) addressed to the order server 10 installed in the order destination store from the wireless controller 20J.

FIG. 6 shows an example of data included in the order message (message) in the present embodiment.
The order message shown in FIG. 6 includes, for example, a destination address corresponding to the destination (order server 10) of the order message, a source address corresponding to the source of the order message, and an order unique number for identifying the order message. Includes pre-registered attribute information (age, gender, etc.) and identification data, store identification data that identifies the destination store, order data that indicates order details, transfer count data that indicates the number of transfers, and the like.

The order unique number will be different each time you send an order message. Therefore, even if one customer repeats an order for the same item (product) or another customer places an order for the same item (product), each order can be identified. Therefore, the smartphone 20 that relays the order message in the wireless mesh network and the order server 10 that receives the order message identify individual orders, and the order message that is duplicated and received by a plurality of routes via the wireless mesh network. Can be destroyed.

The transfer count data is used to limit the number of relays of the order message, and is updated (for example, +1) every time the order message is transferred from the smartphone 20. If the transfer count data exceeds the maximum order message transfer limit, this order message is discarded without being transferred.

The attribute information is optional and does not have to be included in the order message. The customer may be able to set whether to send or not. By transmitting the attribute information by the order telegram, for example, the merit that the pulling service can be received at the store may be given. This can prompt the provision of attribute information. By referring to the attribute information on another smartphone 20 or the order server 10 that relays the order telegram, it is possible to grasp the ordering customer base and the like.

Further, when the order message is transmitted by the smartphone 20 after entering the store, for example, data indicating the position of the seated table, for example, the table number may be transmitted together with the order data. For the table number, for example, the number displayed on the table may be input by tapping the software numeric keypad displayed on the screen, or a code such as a two-dimensional code or a number may be photographed and read by the camera 20E. good.

When the order message is transmitted by broadcasting on any smartphone 20, it is received by other smartphones 20 in the vicinity. When the CPU 20A of the smartphone 20 receives the order message (ACT1, YES), the CPU 20A stores the order message in the temporary RAM 20b or SSD 20C. Further, the CPU 20A determines whether the order message has been transferred based on the order unique number included in the order message, that is, whether the order message having the same order unique number is stored before receiving the order message. Determine. Here, when it is determined that the order message has been transferred (ACT2, YES), the CPU 20A discards the order message received this time.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the order message has not been transferred (ACT2, NO), the CPU 20A also determines whether the transfer count of the order message exceeds the maximum transfer limit number of the order message, as well as the transfer count data included in the order message. To determine. When the number of transfers exceeds the maximum number of transfer of the order message (ACT3, YES), the CPU 20A discards the order message.

If the number of transfers of the order message does not exceed the maximum number of transfer of the order message (ACT3, NO), the CPU 20A has received the order message based on the order unique number included in the order message, that is, the order data. To determine if the data has been aggregated. Here, if the order data has been aggregated (ACT4, YES), the CPU 20A transmits the order message from the wireless controller 20J by broadcasting. That is, the order message is transferred to the order server 10 as the transmission destination (corresponding to the first transmission means).

On the other hand, when the order data has not been totaled (ACT4, NO), the CPU 20A executes an order data totaling process for totaling the order contents based on the store identification data and the order data included in the order message (ACT5). (Corresponds to the aggregation means).

In the order data totaling process, the CPU 20A records the order contents indicated by the order data for each store (order server 10) as the order destination, and totals the order contents according to the output form.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of order contents recorded in the smartphone 20 in the present embodiment.
FIG. 7 shows the order contents recorded for each of the stores A, B, .... For example, in the case of store A, which is a restaurant, the item (menu) indicated by the order data is stored. Further, in association with the order data, attribute information regarding the ordered customer included in the order message and data indicating the reception time of the order message are stored.

The aggregation of order data can be output in the form of ranking so that customers can easily grasp popular menus (items) in the case of restaurants, for example. That is, the number of orders is totaled for each menu (item), and aggregated data arranged in descending order of the number of orders is generated.

It should be noted that the aggregation of order data is not limited to the form of ranking. For example, it may be aggregated not in the form of ranking but simply in the form of a list of the number of orders for each menu (product). In addition, the ranking of the number of orders by store may be aggregated. This makes it possible to know which store is popular among a plurality of restaurants, or which store is vacant because the number of orders is small.

Further, it may be possible to detect and output a store or a product whose number of orders has increased rapidly. For example, it is possible to extract and output products having an order of a preset number or more at a preset time (for example, 20 minutes). This makes it possible to grasp, for example, that orders have suddenly increased due to a time sale, an event, or the like.
Further, not only the order data but also the attribute information associated with the order data may be aggregated. For example, if the attribute information includes age and gender, for example, age and gender are aggregated for each menu (item). This makes it possible to refer to what kind of customer is ordering for each of the menus (items).
The aggregation of order data is not limited to the above-mentioned form.

After the ordering application is activated and incorporated into the wireless mesh network, the smartphone 20 can aggregate the contents of orders made by other customers to each store based on the relayed ordering telegram as described above. can. Therefore, if the ordering application is operated and the customer stays in the commercial complex for a long time, the order contents of more customers are aggregated.

When the order menu display is instructed by the input operation (ACT6, YES), the CPU 20A displays the order screen on the display 20G (ACT7).

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of an order screen displayed on the smartphone 20 in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, on the order screen, a menu display area G1 for displaying a menu or a total result of order data, an input area G3 for inputting a menu number indicating an item to be ordered, and a transmission for transmitting an order to an order server 10. (Order) button G4 is provided.

By designating any store provided in the commercial complex by a predetermined input operation in the menu display area G1, a normal menu (list of items) in this store or order data ordered by another customer can be specified. It is possible to display the aggregated result of (corresponding to the output means).

The aggregated result of the order data displayed on the order screen may be the aggregated result for the order data of all the order messages received until the display of the order screen is instructed, or some orders. It may be a total result for a telegram. In this case, it is possible to set in advance whether to target all or a part by the input operation of the customer.

In addition, when targeting some order telegrams, it is possible to set the latest (past) time set in advance from the time when the display of the order screen is instructed. That is, for example, by setting one hour, it is possible to display the aggregated result of the order data of the order message received from one hour ago to now. In this case, it is possible to grasp the popular menu by other recent customers. Further, not only the latest (past) time may be set, but also a time zone (for example, 12:00 to 13:00) may be set.

In FIG. 8, for example, a popular menu ranking for store A is displayed. In the popular menu ranking, the popular menu list G1A in which the items of the menu (item) are arranged in descending order of the number of orders is displayed. Further, an order button G1B for transmitting an order to the order server 10 is provided in association with each menu (item) of the popular menu list G1A. That is, it is possible to easily instruct an order (order telegram) by referring to the menu (item) displayed in the popular menu list G1A and using the order button G1B corresponding to the menu to be ordered.

As shown in FIG. 8, by displaying the order contents (items) ordered by other customers according to the form of the popularity ranking menu, it is possible to grasp which menu is currently on sale. For this reason, the purchase motivation is stimulated, and the order of the items included in the popularity ranking menu is encouraged.

Further, in the example shown in FIG. 8, only the list of items of the menu (item) is displayed, but the aggregated result of the attribute information (for example, gender, age) of the customer corresponding to each of the menu (item) is displayed. It is also possible to display it.

If a menu (list of items) is displayed in the menu display area G1, enter the menu number assigned to each item in the input area G3 and tap the send (order) button G4. You can instruct an order (order message).

When an order is instructed by an operation on the order button G1B or the send (order) button G4 (ACT8, YES) (corresponding to an input means), the CPU 20A includes an order message (figure) including order data indicating an item to be ordered. 6) is transmitted by broadcast from the wireless controller 20J (ACT9) (corresponding to the second transmission means).

As described above, the order telegram transmitted by the smartphone 20 is transmitted to the order server 10 of the destination store via the wireless mesh network.

When the order server 10 receives the order message (FIG. 5, ACT21), the order server 10 determines whether the order message has been received based on the order unique number included in the order message. As a result, when it is determined that the order message has been received (received via another route of the wireless mesh network) (ACT22, YES), the CPU 10A of the order server 10 discards the received order message.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the order message has not been received (ACT22, NO), the CPU 10A executes the order process for this order message because it is the first received order message (ACT23). In the order processing, in addition to the order data included in the order message, attribute information and identification data are stored. In addition, order messages containing the same identification data as the already stored identification data shall be collectively stored as an order from the same customer.

The CPU 10A of the order server 10 transmits a delivery confirmation response to the sender's smartphone in order to notify the customer who ordered that the order processing for the order message has been executed (ACT 24). That is, the CPU 10A causes the wireless controller 10G to broadcast a telegram addressed to the transmission address included in the order telegram. That is, in the same manner as the transmission of the order message from the smartphone 20 to the order server 10, the delivery confirmation response is made to reach the smartphone 20 from which the order message is transmitted via the wireless mesh network.

The CPU 20A of the smartphone 20 sets the maximum number of transfer confirmations of the order message when the delivery confirmation response is received to be higher than that when the order message is received. That is, the number of times the delivery confirmation response can be relayed is increased as compared with the case of the order message. As a result, it is possible to make it easier for the order-processed delivery confirmation response to reach the smartphone 20.

On the other hand, when the CPU 20A of the smartphone 20 that has transmitted the order message receives the delivery confirmation response (FIG. 4, ACT10, YES), the display 20G displays a message or the like indicating that the order has been completed (ACT11). On the other hand, if the delivery confirmation response cannot be received within the specified time, the same order message is transmitted again in the same manner. The resend of the order message shall be able to execute a preset specified number of times. If the delivery confirmation response cannot be received within the specified time even if the order message is retransmitted a specified number of times (ACT10, NO), the CPU 20A displays a message or the like indicating that the order has failed on the display 20G (ACT12). .. In this case, after moving to another position, a message prompting the user to place an order again is added.

In this way, in the ordering system of the present embodiment, an order can be transmitted from the smartphone 20 to the ordering server 10 via the wireless mesh network. By relaying the order telegram from another customer, the smartphone 20 can aggregate and output the order contents of the other customer. In the smartphone 20 used for ordering, since the contents of the order by another person can be easily known, the cost does not increase and the clerk and the customer do not feel a burden.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other embodiments, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof.

Further, the process described in the above-described embodiment is a recording medium such as a magnetic disk (flexible disk, hard disk, etc.), an optical disk (CD-ROM, DVD, etc.), a semiconductor memory, etc., as a program that can be executed by a computer. Can be provided to various devices by writing to. It is also possible to transmit it through a communication medium and provide it to various devices. The computer reads the program recorded on the recording medium or receives the program via the communication medium, and the operation is controlled by the program to execute the above-mentioned processing.

10 (10-1, 10-2) ... Order server, 10A, 20A ... CPU, 10B, 20B ... RAM, 10E, 20G ... Display, 10G, 20J ... Wireless controller, 20 (20-1 to 20-14) ... smartphone.

Claims (4)

In electronic devices that communicate with servers
A first transmission means for transmitting the order data to the server when the order data addressed to the server, which indicates the order contents of the product, is received from another electronic device .
An aggregation means that aggregates the order details of products based on the order data,
An output means for outputting the aggregated result of the aggregated order contents, and
An input means for inputting an order for a product corresponding to the order content indicated by the aggregation result, and
An electronic device having a second transmission means for transmitting order data indicating the order contents of a product input by the input means to the server . The electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the aggregation means aggregates the order contents of products based on the order data addressed to the respective servers for each of the plurality of servers. The aggregation means stores the reception time data indicating the time when the order data is received in association with the order data .
The electronic device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the output means outputs an aggregation result of the order data received within a specific time based on the reception time data. A computer equipped with a function to communicate with the server,
A first transmission means for transmitting the order data to the server when the order data addressed to the server, which indicates the order contents of the product, is received from another electronic device .
An aggregation means that aggregates the order details of products based on the order data,
An output means for outputting the aggregated result of the aggregated order contents, and
An input means for inputting an order for a product corresponding to the order content indicated by the aggregation result, and
A data processing program for functioning as a second transmission means for transmitting order data indicating the order contents of a product input by the input means to the server .

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