JP7488485B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the technical field of information processing for managing equipment (tables) in restaurants.

As background technology related to reserving seats and tables at restaurants, for example, there is a restaurant seat position specification reservation management system disclosed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 describes how a user specifies a reserved seat at a restaurant. However, Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration the joining and separating of tables.

JP 2015-084196 A

When managing the facilities in a restaurant, particularly tables, with an information processing system, it is conceivable to set a maximum number of people that can be seated at each table. However, for example, if the number of people in a group of customers wanting to use a restaurant is greater than the maximum number of people that can be seated at a single table, and an employee tries to accommodate that group of customers by combining multiple tables, in conventional information processing systems the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table is simply set to the sum of the maximum number of people that can be seated at each table.

However, when multiple tables are joined, customers cannot sit at the joining edge, and the actual maximum number of people that can sit is not the sum of the maximum number of people that can sit at each table. Furthermore, when joined tables are separated, the information processing system processes the edge that was the joining edge as not being available, even though customers can actually sit there.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide an information processing device, information processing method, and program that can handle changes in the maximum number of people that can be seated due to table combinations in table management at restaurants.

One embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object is an information processing device comprising a storage unit and a control unit.
The storage unit stores table information having information indicating the maximum number of people that can be seated, which is set for each of a plurality of tables.
When the control unit receives necessary join information indicating that multiple tables need to be joined, it sets the maximum number of people who can sit at the table after the joining in the table information to a number that is smaller than the sum of the maximum number of people who can sit at the multiple tables before the joining.

In the above embodiment, the control unit sets the maximum number of people that can be seated when combining tables to a number that is less than the sum of the maximum number of people that can be seated at the multiple tables before the combination. Therefore, according to the above embodiment, in table management at a restaurant, it is possible to respond to changes in the maximum number of people that can be seated due to combining tables.

The above object can also be achieved by the following embodiment.
In other words, the information processing device is equipped with a memory unit that stores table information having information indicating the maximum number of people that can be seated at each of multiple tables, and a control unit that, when separation required information indicating that separation of combined tables is necessary is received, sets the maximum number of people that can be seated at each of the multiple tables after separation to a number such that the sum of the respective maximum number of people that can be seated at each table is greater than the maximum number of people that can be seated at the table before separation.

According to the above embodiment, the maximum number of people that can be seated at each table is appropriately set even if the combined table is separated.

In the above embodiment, the control unit may receive information regarding the distance between the tables when the joined tables are assumed to be separated, and if the distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined second distance, may allow customers to be seated on the joined side after separation, thereby setting the maximum number of people that can be seated.

According to the above embodiment, when the combined tables are separated, a distance of at least the second distance is ensured between each table after separation, allowing customers to sit comfortably.

In any of the above embodiments, the table information may include information indicating the length of each side of each of the multiple tables, information on the width for one customer, and information on the connecting sides of the combined table. In this case, the control unit may set the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table based on the sum of the lengths of the sides minus the length of each connecting side and the information on the width for one customer, so that the distance between the customers sitting at the combined table is equal to or greater than a predetermined first distance.

In the above embodiment, the control unit sets the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table so that the distance between the customers sitting at the combined table is equal to or greater than a predetermined first distance. Therefore, according to the above embodiment, a distance of at least the first distance is ensured between the customers, allowing them to sit comfortably.

In the above embodiment, the width information for one customer may be set according to at least the gender of male or female. In this case, the control unit may receive information on the gender of the customer and set the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table based on the width information for one customer set according to the gender and the gender information of the customer.

According to the above embodiment, the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table can be set according to the width of each seat for one customer, which differs between men and women.

In the above embodiment, the control unit may receive information regarding the congestion level of the store, and if the congestion level is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, set the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table to the same number as the sum of the maximum number of people that can be seated at the multiple tables before the combination.

According to the above embodiment, when the store is crowded with customers, the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table can be prevented from being reduced, improving the efficiency of store operations.

In the above embodiment, the control unit may receive information on the average customer spending of users and set the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table according to the average customer spending.

In the above embodiment, the control unit sets the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table depending on the average customer spending, so if the average customer spending is high based on the store's usage history of past customers, it becomes possible to set a comfortable maximum number of people that can be seated accordingly.

The above object can also be achieved by the following information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention.
storing table information having information indicating the maximum number of people that can be seated at each of a plurality of tables;
When receiving join request information indicating that multiple tables need to be joined, the information processing method sets the maximum number of people that can sit at the table after the joining in the table information to a number that is smaller than the sum of the maximum number of people that can sit at the multiple tables before the joining.

The above object can also be achieved by the following program according to one embodiment of the present invention.
On the computer,
storing table information including information indicating a maximum number of people that can be seated at each of a plurality of tables;
A program for executing a step of, when receiving join information indicating that multiple tables need to be joined, setting the maximum number of people that can sit at the table after the joining in the table information to a number that is smaller than the sum of the maximum number of people that can sit at the multiple tables before the joining.

The present invention makes it possible to respond to changes in the maximum number of people that can be seated due to table combinations in restaurant table management.

1 is a conceptual diagram showing a configuration of a store operation support system including an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a hardware configuration of the information processing device according to the embodiment. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing information stored in a storage unit of the information processing device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing details of reservation information stored in the storage unit. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing details of table information held by the storage unit. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of an information processing procedure when tables are combined in the embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a procedure of information processing when separating a table in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining table information in the embodiment.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
In this embodiment, information processing for managing table joins using information technology is disclosed in the flow from receiving a reservation request to accepting the reservation.

[Information Processing System]
Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a store operations support system 1 including an information processing device 100 according to this embodiment. The store operations support system 1 has the information processing device 100 in a restaurant and a reservation reception server 150 on the cloud. Fig. 1 also shows a customer terminal 300 outside the store operations support system 1.

The information processing device 100 is operated by a restaurant employee inside the restaurant. The reservation reception server 150 mediates reservation reception between the information processing device 100 and the customer terminal 300. The reservation reception server 150 receives a reservation request from the customer terminal 300 and transmits the reservation request to the information processing device 100.

The store also has a camera 110. The camera 110 captures images of tables in the store and transmits the image information to the information processing device 100. The information processing device 100 acquires position information of the tables in the store based on the received image information. Note that the means for acquiring the table position information is not limited to this method. For example, table position information may be acquired by measuring the distance between distance measuring sensors installed on each table.

The customer terminal 300 is composed of a general-purpose computer, a smartphone, or the like. The customer provides a reservation request to the store operation support system 1 through the customer terminal 300. The reservation request includes at least the number of people in the reservation group.

[Information processing device]
Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the information processing device 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 2, the information processing device 100 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, an input/output interface 15, and a bus 14 connecting these to each other.

The CPU 11 accesses the RAM 13 etc. as necessary and performs various calculation processes while controlling each block as a whole. The ROM 12 is a non-volatile memory in which the OS (Operating System) executed by the CPU 11, firmware such as programs and various parameters, are permanently stored. The RAM 13 is used as a working area for the CPU 11, and temporarily stores the OS, various applications being executed, and various data being processed.

The input/output interface 15 is connected to a display unit 16, an operation reception unit 17, a memory unit 18, a communication unit 19, etc. The display unit 16 is a display device using, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an OELD (Organic Electro-Luminescence Display), a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), etc. The operation reception unit 17 is, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, or other input device. The display unit 16 and the operation reception unit 17 may be integrated into one using a liquid crystal touch panel.

The storage unit 18 is a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a flash memory (SSD; solid state drive), or other solid-state memory. The storage unit 18 stores the OS, various applications, and various data.

The communication unit 19 is, for example, a network interface card (NIC) or a wireless communication module such as a wireless LAN. The communication unit 19 enables the information processing device 100 to transmit and receive data to and from other devices.

The CPU 11 also constitutes the control unit of the present invention by loading software programs stored in the ROM 12. The memory unit 18 functions as the memory unit of the present invention.

By adopting the configuration shown in Figures 1 and 2, this embodiment makes it possible to manage information about store equipment using information technology, thereby making store operations more efficient.

[Data in memory unit]
3 is a conceptual diagram showing information stored in the storage unit 18. The storage unit 18 stores a reservation information database 181, a table information database 182, and a customer database 183.

The reservation information database 181 is a database that stores information indicating reservations (reservation information 40). The reservation information 40 is generated by the CPU 11 based on a reservation request sent by the reservation reception server 150 to the information processing device.

The table information database 182 is a database that stores information about tables in restaurants (table information 50). The table information 50 is generated in advance by employees or other users entering information using the operation reception unit 17.

The customer database 183 is a database that accumulates information on customers who have used the store in the past as customer information. Customer information includes information that identifies the customer, the date and time of use, the total amount of the transaction, and the number of customers. Customer information is generated by the CPU 11, for example, based on the reservation information 40.

Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing details of reservation information 40. As shown in Figure 4, the reservation information database 181 has reservation information 40a, 40b, 40c, etc., as information corresponding to each reservation person (reservation unit). Reservation information 40a has reservation person information 41a, number of reservation people 42a, and reservation time 43a. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, each piece of reservation information 40a, 40b, 40c, etc. will be referred to as reservation information 40 without distinction. The same applies to reservation person information 41a, number of reservation people 42a, and reservation time 43a.

The reservation customer information 41 is information for identifying the reservation customer, such as the customer's name and contact information, which is input from the mobile terminal 300 when making the reservation. Similarly, the number of reservation customers 42 is the expected number of people (one or more, multiple) who will use the store, which is input from the mobile terminal 300 when making the reservation. In this embodiment, the number of reservation customers 42 includes information on gender, and is generated as information on a group of eight people in total, for example, five men and three women.

Reservation time 43 is information about the time entered by the person making the reservation as the time when the person will visit the store and use the store's services. For example, the time information is from 17:30 to 19:30 on December 13th.

Figures 5 and 8 are conceptual diagrams showing details of table information 50. As shown in Figure 5, table information database 182 has table information 50a, 50b, 50c, etc., as information corresponding to each table in the store. Table information 50a has maximum seating capacity 51a, connecting edge information 52a, length of each side 53a, and width per customer 54a. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, each piece of table information 50a, 50b, 50c, etc. will be referred to as table information 50 without distinction. The same applies to maximum seating capacity 51a, connecting edge information 52a, length of each side 53a, and width per customer 54a.

The maximum number of people that can sit at a table 51 is the maximum number of people (multiple) that can sit at a table, which is preset for each table according to its size. The maximum number of people that can sit at a table 51 is a variable value whose setting is updated by calculations performed by the CPU 11, although a default value is set for the maximum number of people that can sit at a table 51.

The connecting edge information 52 is information set in advance for each table about the connecting edge when the table is connected to another table of the same type. The connecting edge information 52 may include information about the connecting edge to which the connecting edge is connected and the maximum number of people that can be seated on the connecting edge.

The length of each side 53 is information about the length of each side of the table, which is usually roughly rectangular (quadrangular). In this embodiment, the information is in centimeters.

The width 54 for one customer is information indicating the length of the width estimated to be occupied by one customer. In this embodiment, the information is in centimeters. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width 54 for one customer has different values depending on whether the customer is male or female.

Although not shown, the memory unit 18 also stores seating information, including the current seating arrangement of customers at each table and the seating reservation arrangement indicating the table at which the reservation user corresponding to the reservation information 40 is scheduled to be seated at the reserved time.

[Table join data processing]
Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of information processing when combining tables, which is executed by the CPU 11 of the information processing device 100. Fig. 6 shows, for example, the processing when the CPU 11 combines tables in response to a reservation application.

First, the CPU 11 determines whether reservation request information has been received via the reservation reception server 150 (step ST11). If reservation request information has been received (step ST11: Yes), the CPU 11 generates reservation information 40 from the reservation request information and determines whether table merging is required based on the number of reservations 42 and the table information 50 (step ST12). If table merging is not required (step ST12: No), the CPU 11 ends the process.

If table merging is necessary (step ST12: Yes), for example, if it is determined from the seating arrangement information that there are no vacant seats at a table with a maximum seating capacity 51 that is equal to or greater than the number of reservations 42, the CPU 11 first determines the congestion situation at the time corresponding to the reservation time 43 in the reservation information 40 of the reservation request based on the reservation information database 181 (step ST13).

The CPU 11 determines the crowded state based on whether the crowdedness level (the ratio (%) of the sum of the number of reservations 42 in the reservation information 40 reserved for the reservation time 43 to the sum of the maximum number of people 51 that can be seated at a table in the store) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

If the degree of congestion is below the predetermined value (ST14: No), the CPU 11 selects two adjacent tables based on the table information database 182 and sets the two tables to a combined state (step ST15). At that time, the CPU 11 sets the maximum number of people 51 that can be seated at the combined table to a number that is less than the sum of the maximum number of people 51 that can be seated at the multiple tables before the combination (step ST15).

If the degree of congestion is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (ST14: No), the CPU 11 selects two adjacent tables (of the same shape) based on the table information database 182, and sets the status of the two tables to a combined state in the table information 50 (step ST16). At that time, the CPU 11 sets the maximum number of people that can sit at the combined table 51 to the sum of the maximum number of people that can sit at the multiple tables before the combination (step ST16). Details of this process will be described later.

Next, the CPU 11 determines whether further table merging is required by determining whether the set maximum number of people who can sit 51 is equal to or greater than the number of people reserved 42 (step ST17).

If further table joining is required (step ST17: Yes), the CPU 11 returns to step ST14 and repeats the information processing regarding the table joining. In this case, the CPU 11 selects a joining table as at least one of the multiple tables before the joining in step ST15 or step ST16.

If it is determined that no more table merging is required (step ST17: No), the CPU 11 generates table information 50 of the merged table (a table after multiple tables are merged) in association with the maximum seating capacity 51, and transmits the generated table information 50 to a specified function block (step ST18). For example, the CPU 11 generates a display screen based on the table information 50 of the merged table, and displays it on the display unit 16. A store employee may look at the display screen and physically move icons or objects that represent tables in the store to merge them. The employee then moves the actual tables to merge them in accordance with the process.

In the information processing for table joining described above, the CPU 11 sets the maximum number of people who can sit at a table 51 when joining the tables to a number that is less than the sum of the maximum number of people who can sit at a table 51 of the multiple tables before the joining, taking into account the number of people who can sit at the joining side. Therefore, the information processing for table joining described above makes it possible to respond to changes in the maximum number of people who can sit at a table 51 due to table joining in table management at a restaurant.

Furthermore, in the information processing for table merging described above, the CPU 11 sets the maximum number of people 51 that can be seated at the table after the merging to the same number as the sum of the maximum number of people 51 that can be seated at the multiple tables before the merging, if the degree of congestion is equal to or greater than a predetermined value based on information about the congestion status of the store (degree of congestion). Therefore, if the store is crowded when customers use it, more customers can be seated, even though each seat is somewhat narrow, and the efficiency of store operations is improved.

[Details on setting the maximum number of people that can sit at a joined table]
The method of setting the maximum number of people 51 that can be seated in the combined table by the CPU 11 in step ST16 will now be described in detail.

The length 53 of each side included in the table information 50 is, for example, information having the length X and width Y of the table, as shown in FIG. 8. Alternatively, the length 53 of each side may be information having the lengths of the short and long sides, or information having the lengths of each of the four sides.

The width information 54 for one person is, for example, information having a numerical value such as "80 centimeters" and is information that is set in advance based on the average width occupied by one customer. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width information 54 for one person can be set according to at least gender, male or female, and can be set arbitrarily according to the store. For example, in a restaurant located in a shopping center that is frequented by female customers on their way home from shopping, the width setting for female customers may be set wider to take into account the amount of luggage they may carry. Also, in an izakaya that is frequented by office workers on their way home from work, the width setting for male customers may be set wider.

In step ST16, the CPU 11 first calculates the sum of the lengths 53 of the sides minus the length of each connecting side. In other words, it calculates the perimeter of the connecting table. The CPU 11 then sets the maximum number of people that can be seated at the connecting table 51 based on the calculated perimeter and the width information for one customer 54.

For example, if the maximum number of people that can sit at one table is six (two on each long side and one on each short side), and that table is joined to another table of the same type, the maximum number of people that can sit at the joined table will be set to 10, calculated by subtracting the number of people that can sit on each of the joining sides of each table (1 person (=2 people)) from twice the maximum number of people that can sit at each table (six people) (=12 people).

However, when making this setting, the CPU 11 sets the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table 51 so that the distance between customers (the distance between customers in FIG. 8) is at least a predetermined first distance. Here, the predetermined first distance is a threshold value that is determined in advance so that each customer can enjoy the food and drink services and other services within the store with ease. Depending on the rank of the store, the employee sets the predetermined first distance to a value such as 15 centimeters, for example.

Therefore, in step ST16, the CPU 11 sets the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table 51 so that the distance between the customers sitting at the combined table is equal to or greater than a predetermined first distance. This ensures that there is at least the first distance between customers. Customers can sit comfortably, which leads to customer satisfaction at the store.

Furthermore, the width 54 for one user is set according to at least the gender of male or female. The CPU 11 obtains the gender and number of users (booking customers) from the reservation information 40 based on the reservation request information obtained in step ST11, and sets the maximum number of people 51 who can be seated at the combined table based on the gender and number of the booking customers and the width 54 for one user set according to gender.

For example, when a reservation request is received for a group of five men and three women, and the width 54 for each customer is set to 80 centimeters for men and 90 centimeters for women, the CPU 11 uses the length 80 x 5 + 90 x 3 (centimeters) to calculate the maximum number of people 51 that can be seated at the combined table.

This allows the maximum number of people that can be seated at a combined table to be set according to the width per person, which differs between male and female customers. In a certain store, if female customers tend to carry more luggage and have a wider width per person, the store may set the width per person 54 for women to be wider than for men. In this way, by setting the maximum number of people that can be seated at a combined table according to the width per person, which differs between male and female customers, the store can respond to each customer's needs in a detailed manner, which leads to customer satisfaction at the store.

After this setting is made, if the combined table remains combined and is used by another customer even after the customer has finished using the combined table and left the store, the maximum number of seating capacity set above will be used for reservation processing, etc.

The CPU 11 may set the maximum number of people 51 that can sit at the table after the combination in step ST16 to a number that is greater than the maximum number of people 51 that can sit at the combined table set in step ST15, and less than the sum of the maximum number of people that can sit at the tables before the combination. For example, in the example in which two tables with a maximum number of people that can sit at six are combined, the maximum number of people 51 that can sit at the table in step 16 may be set to 11, rather than 12, which is the sum of the maximum number of people that can sit at each table. This increases the efficiency of seating arrangement when the tables are crowded, while minimizing customer dissatisfaction with the narrowness of the seats.

Second Embodiment
In this embodiment, information processing for managing table separation by information technology is disclosed. The configuration of this embodiment is similar to the configurations shown in FIGS.

[Table separation information processing]
Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the procedure of information processing when combining tables, which is executed by the CPU 11 of the information processing device 100. The information processing in Fig. 7 is executed, for example, when a customer who has used the combined table has completed a transaction and left the store, and the CPU 11 receives information indicating that the transaction has been completed from the cash register terminal.

In FIG. 7, the CPU 11 determines whether or not it is necessary to separate the joined table (step ST21). For example, if an employee physically moves a table to separate it, the separation of the table needs to be reflected in the table information database 182, so the CPU 11 determines in step ST21 that it is necessary to separate the joined table. In this case, the CPU 11 performs image processing based on the image information received from the camera 110, and detects that the employee has physically moved the table to separate it. The CPU 11 also determines that it is necessary to separate the joined table when there is a new reservation request and a table corresponding to the number of people reserved does not exist unless the joined table is separated.

If table separation is necessary (step ST21: Yes), the CPU 11 performs image processing based on the image information received from the camera 110 to obtain information on the distance between the tables (step ST22).

As shown in FIG. 8, the distance between tables is the distance between the joining edges of the tables, but in this embodiment, it also refers to information about the distance between tables after separation, assuming that the joined table is separated. For example, tables in a store are often set to a standard default arrangement, and the CPU 11 generates and acquires information about the distance between tables based on this default arrangement.

Next, the CPU 11 determines whether the distance between the tables obtained in step ST22 is equal to or greater than a predetermined second distance (step ST23). The predetermined second distance is a threshold value that indicates that the distance between the tables is sufficient to allow customers to sit at the joining edge of each table after separation without feeling uncomfortable.

If the distance between the tables is equal to or greater than the second distance (step ST23: Yes), the CPU 11 determines that seating is possible on the joining side and sets the maximum number of people 51 that can be seated at each table after separation to the value that was set as the default value for each table before the joining (step ST24).

On the other hand, if the distance between the tables is not the second distance or more (step ST23: No), the CPU 11 determines that seating is not possible (will not be arranged) on the joining side, and sets the number of people who can sit on the joining side from each maximum number of people who can sit on the joining side based on the information 52 on the joining side as the maximum number of people who can sit on each table after separation 51 (step ST25).

For example, if the maximum number of people that can be seated at each table is six (two on each long side and one on each short side), the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table is ten, and the distance between the tables is greater than or equal to the second distance, then the maximum number of people that can be seated at each table after separation will be six, but if the distance between the tables is not greater than or equal to the second distance, then the maximum number of people that can be seated at each table after separation will be ten.

After steps ST24 and ST25, the CPU 11 updates the table information 50 of each of the multiple tables after the separation of the joined table, and transmits the updated table information 50 to a specified functional block (step ST26).

In the above embodiment, the CPU 11 sets the maximum number of people that can sit at each of the multiple tables after separation to a number such that the sum of the maximum number of people that can sit at each table is greater than the maximum number of people that can sit at the table before separation.

This ensures that the maximum number of people that can be seated at each table is set appropriately even if the joined table is separated.

In the above embodiment, the CPU 11 receives information regarding the distance between tables when the joined table is assumed to be separated, and if the distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined second distance, allows customers to be seated on the joined side after separation, and sets the maximum number of people who can be seated 51.

As a result, when the joined tables are separated, a distance of at least the second distance is ensured between each table after separation, allowing customers to sit comfortably.

[Modifications]
Modifications of the above-described embodiment are described below.

In the first embodiment described above, the CPU 11 receives reservation request information in step ST11. The CPU 11 uses the reservation user information 41 acquired at this time to search the customer database 183, receives information on the customer's average customer spending from the customer's usage history in the customer database 183, and in step ST15 may set the maximum number of people 51 that can be seated at the table after the combination according to the average customer spending.

Specifically, the CPU 11 calculates the maximum number of people who can be seated 51 by setting a predetermined first distance indicating the distance between customers in the combined table longer as the average customer spending increases (higher). In other words, services are provided to customers with a high average customer spending with ample space.

In this modified example, the CPU 11 sets the maximum number of people 51 that can be seated at the table after the combination depending on the average customer spending, so if the average customer spending is high based on the store's usage history of past customers, etc., it is possible to set a comfortable maximum number of people that can be seated accordingly.

In the above-mentioned "Details of setting the maximum number of people who can sit at a combined table," the CPU 11 sets the maximum number of people who can sit at a combined table 51 based on the length 53 of each side, but when setting the maximum number of people who can sit at a combined table 51, the CPU 11 may set the maximum number of people who can sit at a combined table 51 on the condition that customers are at least a predetermined third distance (e.g., 7 centimeters) away from the corners of the table.

Since the corners of tables usually have table legs, which can be uncomfortable, the CPU 11 sets the maximum number of people who can be seated 51 on the condition that customers stay at least a predetermined third distance (e.g., 7 centimeters) away from the corners of the table, so that customers do not experience such discomfort and a decline in customer satisfaction can be prevented.

In the first embodiment described above, if the CPU 11 determines that further table joining is necessary (step ST17: Yes), the CPU 11 may reselect the multiple tables to be joined from tables having a shape different from the shape of the previously selected table. This allows appropriate tables to be selected as the multiple tables to be joined.

In step ST22 of the second embodiment described above, the CPU 11 obtains information on the inter-table distance from the default table arrangement. In contrast, the inter-table distance may be the distance between distance measuring sensors (not shown) attached to the legs of the tables, etc.

In the second embodiment described above, in steps ST23 to ST25, an example was given in which the decision was made to allocate seats to the joining side of the separated tables depending on whether the distance between the tables was equal to or greater than a predetermined second distance. However, for example, if there is a sufficient distance between the tables at the joining side of one of the tables that allows customers to sit comfortably, the CPU 11 may set the maximum number of people that can be seated at each table to allocate seats to the joining side of one of the tables even if the distance between the tables is less than the predetermined second distance, and not allocate seats to the joining side of the other table.

In the first embodiment described above, the reception of reservation request information is shown as the trigger for the table combining process, but the present invention can also be applied, for example, when a walk-in customer visits the store. In this case, information such as the number of walk-in customers and their gender composition is entered into a handheld terminal carried by an employee, and the reception of this information by the information processing device 100 triggers the table combining process in place of step 11 in FIG. 6 above. Also, instead of step ST13 above, the congestion situation may be determined by referring to the current seating arrangement information.

In the first embodiment described above, tables of the same shape are described as being joined together, but they are not limited to the same shape. For example, the short side of a six-person table, which allows one person to sit on the short side, and one side of a square four-person table, which allows one person to sit on each side, may be joined together as the joining side.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For this reason, the above-described embodiment is merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted in a restrictive manner. For example, the above-described processing steps can be omitted in part or in whole, or can be executed in a different order or in parallel, as long as no inconsistencies arise in the processing content.

1... Store operation support system 11... CPU
12...ROM
13...RAM
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 14 bus 15 input/output interface 16 display unit 17 operation reception unit 18 storage unit 19 communication unit 181 reservation information database 182 table information database 183 customer information database 100 information processing device 110 camera 150 reservation reception server

Claims (9)

A storage unit that stores table information including information indicating a maximum number of people that can be seated at each of a plurality of tables in the restaurant;
an information processing device comprising: a control unit that, when it is detected that the multiple tables have been combined based on position information of the multiple tables , sets the maximum number of people that can sit at the table after the combination in the table information to a number that is less than the sum of the maximum number of people that can sit at the multiple tables before the combination. A storage unit that stores table information including information indicating a maximum number of people that can be seated at each of a plurality of tables in the restaurant;
An information processing device comprising: a control unit that, when it detects that a joined table has been separated based on the position information of the tables , sets the maximum number of people that can seat at each of the multiple tables after the separation to a number such that the sum of the maximum number of people that can seat at each table is greater than the maximum number of people that can seat at the table before the separation. 3. The information processing device according to claim 1 ,
The control unit receives information regarding the distance between tables when it is assumed that the tables connected at the connecting side among each side of each table are separated, and if the distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined second distance, enables customers to be seated at the connecting side after separation, thereby setting the maximum number of people who can be seated. 4. The information processing device according to claim 1,
The table information includes information indicating the length of each side of each of a plurality of tables, information on the width for one customer, and information on the connecting sides of the connected tables,
The control unit sets the maximum number of people who can be seated at the combined table based on information on the total length of each side minus the length of each combined side and the width of one customer, so that the distance between each customer sitting at the combined table is greater than a predetermined first distance. 5. The information processing device according to claim 4 ,
The information on the width for one user is set according to at least male or female gender,
The control unit receives information on the gender of the customer, and sets the maximum number of people who can be seated at the table after the combination based on the information on the width for one customer, which is set according to the gender, and the information on the gender of the customer. 6. An information processing device according to claim 1,
The control unit receives information regarding the congestion level of the store, and if the congestion level is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, sets the maximum number of people that can be seated at the combined table to the same number as the sum of the maximum number of people that can be seated at the multiple tables before the combination. 7. An information processing device according to claim 1,
The control unit receives information on an average customer spending per customer, and sets a maximum number of people that can be seated at the table after the combination in accordance with the average customer spending. storing table information including information indicating the maximum number of people that can be seated at each of a plurality of tables in the restaurant;
An information processing method executed by a computer, when it is detected that the multiple tables have been combined based on position information of the multiple tables, the maximum number of people that can sit at the table after the combination in the table information is set to a number that is smaller than the sum of the maximum number of people that can sit at the multiple tables before the combination. On the computer,
storing table information including information indicating a maximum number of people that can be seated at each of a plurality of tables in the restaurant;
A program for executing a step of, when it is detected that the multiple tables have been combined based on the position information of the multiple tables, setting the maximum number of people that can be seated at the table after the combination in the table information to a number that is smaller than the sum of the maximum number of people that can be seated at the multiple tables before the combination.

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