JP7701642B2 - Order support system, order support method, and order support program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program that accept orders for food and beverages that can be served at a facility.

In facilities such as restaurants, for example, when a waiter accepts an order from a customer, he or she transmits the order to the kitchen, where the kitchen staff prepares the food according to the order, and the waiter staff serves the cooked food to the customer. Previously, technology has been proposed to support kitchen staff by displaying a video of the ordered food in the restaurant kitchen (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2018-128979 A

From the perspective of efficiency in kitchen cooking operations in a facility, when multiple users order the same menu item, it is desirable for the kitchen staff to prepare the menu items together. However, when trying to improve kitchen efficiency, problems arise such as delays in serving food and drink to users, or large time differences in the timing of food and drink being served to the same table. As such, it is difficult to provide users with appropriate food and drink while improving kitchen efficiency.

The object of the present invention is to provide an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program that can provide food and beverages appropriately to users while improving the work efficiency of the facility's kitchen.

The order support system of the present invention includes a reception processing unit that receives orders for food and beverages corresponding to tables in a facility that provides food and beverages, a calculation processing unit that calculates a time difference, which is the elapsed time from when the first food and beverage is served to when the last food and beverage is served, among the multiple foods and beverages included in a single order at the table, based on the cooking times of the multiple foods and beverages included in the single order at the table, and an output processing unit that outputs the order information for the multiple foods and beverages together if the time difference is within a set time, and outputs the order information for the multiple foods and beverages separately if the time difference is not within the set time.

The ordering support method of the present invention is a method executed by one or more processors, which includes a receiving step of receiving orders for food and beverages corresponding to tables in a facility that serves food and beverages; a calculation step of calculating a time difference, which is the elapsed time from when the first of the multiple foods and beverages included in a single order for the table is served to when the last of the multiple foods and beverages included in the single order for the table is served, based on the cooking times of the multiple foods and beverages included in the single order for the table; and an output step of outputting the order information for the multiple foods and beverages together if the time difference is within a set time, and outputting the order information for the multiple foods and beverages separately if the time difference is not within the set time.

The order assistance program of the present invention is a program for causing one or more processors to execute the following steps: a reception step for receiving orders for food and beverages corresponding to tables in a facility that serves food and beverages; a calculation step for calculating a time difference, which is the elapsed time from when the first of the multiple foods and beverages included in a single order for the table is served to when the last of the multiple foods and beverages included in the single order for the table is served, based on the cooking times of the multiple foods and beverages included in the single order for the table; and an output step for outputting the order information for the multiple foods and beverages together if the time difference is within a set time, and outputting the order information for the multiple foods and beverages separately if the time difference is not within the set time.

The present invention provides an order support system, an order support method, and an order support program that can provide food and beverages appropriately to users while improving the work efficiency of the facility's kitchen.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an order support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of product information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of order reception information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of cooking time information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of order reception information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of order reception information used in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of setting information used in the order assistance system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display example in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a display example in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display example in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an order form in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of an order support process executed in the order support system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings to facilitate understanding of the present invention. Note that the following embodiment is an example of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[Order Support System 1]
1, an order support system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an order support device 2, an order terminal 3, and a kitchen terminal 4. The order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4 can communicate with each other via a communication network N1 such as the Internet, a LAN, a WAN, or a public telephone line. Note that a plurality of order support devices 2, order terminals 3, and kitchen terminals 4 may be provided.

The order terminal 3 is installed at each table (seat, room) in a facility that can provide food and beverages, such as a restaurant or karaoke shop. The order terminal 3 is an operation terminal (self-order terminal, tabletop terminal, etc.) that can be operated by facility users to place orders for desired food and beverages. The order terminal 3 may be an operation terminal (facility terminal) operated by the facility's customer service staff, and may be an operation terminal (handy terminal, etc.) into which the customer service staff inputs orders received from users. The order terminal 3 may also be a user terminal (smartphone, etc.) owned by a user, and may be an operation terminal into which the user accesses the facility's website and inputs orders for desired food and beverages. In other words, the order terminal 3 includes various operation terminals that can receive orders for food and beverages from users.

The order support device 2 accepts orders from the order terminal 3 and outputs order information to the kitchen terminal 4. The order support device 2 may be installed in the facility, or may be installed outside the facility and perform data communication with the order terminal 3 and the kitchen terminal 4 via the communication network N1.

Like the ordering terminal 3, the kitchen terminal 4 is installed in a facility that can provide food and beverages, such as a restaurant or karaoke shop. The kitchen terminal 4 obtains order information from the order support device 2 and outputs (prints or displays) an order slip that displays the order information.

In this embodiment, the order support device 2 alone corresponds to the order support system of the present invention, but the order support system of the present invention may include one or more of the components of the order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4. For example, if multiple components of the order support device 2, the order terminal 3, and the kitchen terminal 4 work together to share and execute various order support processes (see FIG. 12) described below, a system including multiple components that execute the processes can be considered as the order support system of the present invention. For example, the order support system of the present invention may be composed of the order support device 2 and the kitchen terminal 4.

The following describes an example of a configuration in which an ordering terminal 3 is installed at each table of a restaurant that serves food and beverages, one or more customers at each table input an order into the ordering terminal 3, and the order support device 2 acquires the order from the ordering terminal 3 and outputs the order information from the kitchen terminal 4. The restaurant is an example of a facility of the present invention.

[Order Support Device 2]
1, the order support device 2 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation display unit 23, and a communication I/F 24. The order support device 2 may be an information processing device such as a tablet terminal or a personal computer. In addition, various processes executed by the order support device 2 may be executed in a distributed manner by one or more processors.

The communication I/F 24 is a communication interface that connects the order support device 2 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and performs data communication in accordance with a specified communication protocol with external devices such as the order terminal 3 and kitchen terminal 4 via the communication network N1.

The operation display unit 23 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays various information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations.

The storage unit 22 is a non-volatile storage unit such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive) that stores various information. Specifically, the storage unit 22 includes product information D1, order reception information D2, cooking time information D3, and setting information D4. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of product information D1, FIG. 3, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 are diagrams showing examples of order reception information D2, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of cooking time information D3, and FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of setting information D4.

Product information D1 is information (menu information) about products (food and drink) that can be provided at a restaurant. As shown in FIG. 2, product information D1 includes information such as a product ID, product name, price, image, and cooking time. The product ID is identification information for the food and drink. The product name is the name of the food and drink. The image is a photograph or illustration that represents the food and drink. Note that in this embodiment, for convenience, the image is represented by the image name.

Furthermore, in the product information D1, information on multiple products is registered for each menu category (genre). For example, a food or drink with product ID "A..." is a product in the "set meal menu" category, a product with product ID "B..." is a product in the "a la carte menu" category, a product with product ID "C..." is a product in the "dessert menu" category, and a product with product ID "D..." is a product in the "drink menu" category. Each category includes multiple specific foods and drinks. For example, the "set meal menu" includes "daily set meal," "sashimi set meal," "boiled fish set meal," etc.

The cooking time is the time required from the start to the end of cooking (preparation) of food and drink. For food and drink items such as drink menus and dessert menus that do not require time for cooking or preparation, the cooking time does not need to be registered.

The product information D1 is registered in advance by the restaurant manager and updated as necessary. For example, the restaurant manager can access a menu registration page managed by the order support device 2 to register and edit the product information D1.

The order reception information D2 is information about an order received from a user via the order terminal 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the order reception information D2 includes information such as the table number, number of users, order number, ordered items, number of orders, and serving time difference. The table number is identification information that identifies the table for which the order was received. The number of users is the number of users who will use the table. The information on the number of users is included in the information obtained from the order terminal 3. The information on the number of users may be included in information obtained from a facility terminal (not shown) operated by the restaurant staff, a management terminal (not shown) that manages reservations, etc. For example, when a waiter asks the user about the number of users when guiding a user who has come to the restaurant to a table, the waiter inputs the table number and the number of users into the facility terminal. When the control unit 21 obtains the information on the table number and the number of users from the facility terminal, the control unit 21 registers the table number and the number of users in the order reception information D2 in association with each other. In addition, when a user registers the number of people when making a reservation at a restaurant, the facility terminal acquires user information (user name, number of people, etc.) from the management terminal and associates the user information with the table number of the table to be assigned to the user. When the control unit 21 acquires the table number and the number of people from the facility terminal, it registers the table number and the number of people in the order reception information D2 in association with each other.

The order number is identification information that identifies the user's order. The control unit 21 registers the number (order number) in the order reception information D2, for example, in the order in which the orders are received from the user, i.e., in the order in which the orders are received from the ordering terminal 3. The ordered item is information that indicates the contents of the order. The ordered item is registered with the product name of the product (food or drink) selected by the user from among the product names included in the product information D1. Each ordered item is associated with the order number.

The number of orders is information indicating the number of orders for each food and drink item. For example, when the control unit 21 receives an order for two "daily set meals" at table number "3", it registers "2" as the number of orders corresponding to "daily set meals". After that, when the control unit 21 receives orders for one each of "sashimi set meal", "daily set meal", "beer", and "oolong tea" at table number "2", it registers "1" as the number of orders for each ordered item. When multiple orders of the same item are received at the same table, the total number of orders is registered as the number of orders for the ordered items.

The serving time difference is information indicating the time difference between the serving of multiple foods and beverages ordered for each table. The serving time difference corresponds to the elapsed time from the time when the first food and beverage among the multiple foods and beverages included in a single order for the table is served to the user to the time when the last food and beverage is served to the user. The serving time difference is calculated based on the cooking time for each food and beverage (see FIG. 2) and the cooking time when multiple foods and beverages are cooked together (see FIG. 4). The serving time difference is also calculated based on the cooking times for the multiple foods and beverages included in a single order for the table. The serving time difference may also be calculated by excluding a specific food and beverage among the multiple foods and beverages included in a single order for the table. The specific food and beverage is, for example, a dessert menu, a drink menu, etc.

The control unit 21 registers order acceptance information D2 each time an order is accepted from the ordering terminal 3. The order acceptance information D2 indicates information at the current time and is updated in real time. The order acceptance information D2 may be used for accounting processing related to the user's usage fee. Furthermore, the order acceptance information D2 may be deleted when the accounting processing is completed, etc.

The cooking time information D3 is information about the cooking time when multiple foods and drinks are cooked together. For example, in FIG. 4, "Ts11" represents the cooking time when two "daily set meals" are cooked together, and "Ts12" represents the cooking time when a "daily set meal" and a "sashimi set meal" are cooked together. Each cooking time is set based on the cooking time of each food and drink in the product information D1. That is, each cooking time in the cooking time information D3 is a cooking time corresponding to a combination of multiple food and drink orders. Also, while the cooking time for a combination of two foods and drinks is shown here, the cooking time for a combination of three or more foods and drinks is calculated based on the cooking time for each food and drink registered in the product information D1 and the cooking time registered in the cooking time information D3.

Here, the serving time difference shown in the order reception information D2 in FIG. 3 may be the time difference when the food and drink included in each order corresponding to a plurality of tables are cooked together. For example, when a second order for table number "2" is received after a first order corresponding to table number "3" is received and before the order information of the first order is output to the kitchen terminal 4, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference corresponding to each table when the food and drink of the first order and the food and drink of the second order are cooked together and registers it in the order reception information D2. "ta3" shown in the order reception information D2 in FIG. 5 indicates the serving time difference corresponding to table number "3" when the food and drink of the first order corresponding to table number "3" and the food and drink of the second order corresponding to table number "2" are cooked together, and "ta2" indicates the serving time difference corresponding to table number "2" when the food and drink of the first order and the food and drink of the second order are cooked together.

For example, if a second order for table number "2" and a third order for table number "4" are accepted after accepting a first order corresponding to table number "3" and before outputting the order information for the first order to the kitchen terminal 4, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference corresponding to each table when the food and drink of the first order, the second order, and the third order are cooked together, and registers it in the order reception information D2. "tc3" shown in the order reception information D2 in FIG. 6 indicates the serving time difference corresponding to table number "3" when the food and drink of the first order, the second order, and the third order are cooked together, "tc2" indicates the serving time difference corresponding to table number "2" when the food and drink of the first order, the second order, and the third order are cooked together, and "tc4" indicates the serving time difference corresponding to table number "4" when the food and drink of the first order, the second order, and the third order are cooked together. In this way, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the table each time an order corresponding to the table is received, and further calculates the serving time difference (see FIG. 5 and FIG. 6) corresponding to each table each time an order is accumulated.

The setting information D4 is information on a set time (threshold) that specifies the conditions for outputting order information corresponding to an order received from a user to the kitchen terminal 4. That is, the control unit 21 outputs the order information to the kitchen terminal 4 when the serving time difference falls within the set time. The set time is set by the control unit 21 according to a predetermined condition when the control unit 21 receives an order from a user. Specifically, the set time is set for each table corresponding to the received order. For example, the set time for a table with a large number of users is set to a longer time than the set time for a table with a small number of users. The set time may also be set based on the cooking order of the food and drink. For example, if an order corresponding to a table includes hot food and drink such as a hot pot dish and cold food and drink such as a salad, and the cooking order is set to cook the cold food and drink first and the hot food and drink later, the set time is set to a short time (for example, "5 minutes"). On the other hand, if the cooking order is set to cook the hot food and drink first and the cold food and drink later, the set time is set to a longer time (for example, "10 minutes") than the former case.

In this way, when the control unit 21 receives an order from a user at a table, it sets the set time corresponding to the table based on information such as the number of users at the table, the contents or type of food and drink included in the order, and the cooking order, and registers it in the setting information D4. The control unit 21 may also set the set time for each table based on information such as the time period when the order was received (lunchtime, dinnertime, busy time period, off-peak time period, etc.), the busyness of the kitchen, and the congestion status of the restaurant. A common time for each table may also be set in advance as the set time.

In addition, as another embodiment, some or all of the information such as the product information D1, the order reception information D2, the cooking time information D3, and the setting information D4 may be stored in the ordering terminal 3 or a server accessible from the order support device 2. In this case, the control unit 21 of the order support device 2 may acquire the information from the ordering terminal 3 or the server, and execute each process such as the order support process (see FIG. 12) described below.

The memory unit 22 also stores data such as the top screen (see Figure 8), menu screen (see Figure 9), order screen (see Figure 10), and accounting screen (not shown) that are displayed on the ordering terminal 3.

Furthermore, the memory unit 22 stores control programs such as an order support program for causing the control unit 21 to execute the order support process (see FIG. 12) described below. For example, the order support program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a USB, CD, or DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a USB drive, CD drive, or DVD drive electrically connected to the order support device 2 and stored in the memory unit 22. The order support program may also be downloaded from a server accessible from the order support device 2 and stored in the memory unit 22.

The control unit 21 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS for causing the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information, and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for various processes executed by the CPU. The control unit 21 controls the order support device 2 by executing the various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 22 by the CPU.

In a restaurant, when multiple customers order the same menu item, it is desirable for the kitchen staff to prepare the menu items together from the perspective of the efficiency of cooking operations in the kitchen. However, when trying to improve the efficiency of operations in the kitchen, problems arise such as delays in serving food and drink to customers, or large time differences in the timing when food and drink are served to the same table. As such, it is difficult to properly serve food and drink to customers while improving the efficiency of kitchen operations. In response to this, the order support device 2 according to this embodiment makes it possible to properly serve food and drink to customers while improving the efficiency of kitchen operations in a restaurant.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 21 includes various processing units such as an acquisition processing unit 211, a reception processing unit 212, a calculation processing unit 213, a judgment processing unit 214, an output processing unit 215, and a setting processing unit 216. The control unit 21 functions as the acquisition processing unit 211, the reception processing unit 212, the calculation processing unit 213, the judgment processing unit 214, the output processing unit 215, and the setting processing unit 216 by executing various processes according to the order support program with the CPU. Some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 21 may be configured with electronic circuits. The order support program may be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the various processing units.

The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires information on the number of customers (user count) using the restaurant and information on the table number of the table used by the customer. For example, when a waiter asks the customer about the number of customers when guiding the customer to a specific table, the waiter inputs the table number and the number of customers into the facility terminal. The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires the table number and the number of customers information from the facility terminal. In addition, when a customer registers the number of customers when making a reservation at a restaurant, the facility terminal acquires user information (user name, number of customers, etc.) from the management terminal, and registers the user information and the table number of the table assigned to the user in association with each other in the reservation management ledger. The acquisition processing unit 211 acquires the table number and the number of customers information from the reservation management ledger. When the acquisition processing unit 211 acquires the table number and the number of customers information, the acquisition processing unit 211 registers the table number and the number of customers in association with each other in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3).

When the table number and the number of occupants corresponding to the table are registered in the order reception information D2, the control unit 21 allows the reception of an order from the user of that table. For example, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 to display a top screen such as that shown in FIG. 8. The control unit 21 generates a top page corresponding to the top screen (see FIG. 8), a menu page corresponding to the menu screen (see FIG. 9), an order page corresponding to the order screen (see FIG. 10), an accounting page corresponding to the accounting screen (not shown), and the like, and transmits the information of these pages to the ordering terminal 3, thereby enabling the ordering terminal 3 to display each page.

The top screen shown in FIG. 8 displays menu buttons M1 for each category ("Set Meals," "A la Carte," "Dessert," and "Drinks"). The menu screen shown in FIG. 9 displays information about specific foods and drinks included in the categories of the top screen shown in FIG. 8. For example, the menu screen for "Set Meal Menu" (see FIG. 9) displays information such as "Set Meal of the Day," "Sashimi Set Meal," "Boiled Fish Set Meal," and "...." If multiple foods and drinks cannot fit on one page on the menu screen, they are displayed across multiple pages. For example, when the user selects "Next" on the menu screen, the next page of the menu screen is displayed.

The menu screen shown in FIG. 9 also displays the menu button M1 of the top screen shown in FIG. 8, and multiple pieces of food and drink information (image M3, product name M4, price, etc.) displayed in menu section M2. Image M3 represents an image of the food and drink, and also functions as a selection button for the user to select the food and drink. The menu screen also includes a favorites page button M5 for moving to a favorites page, an order page button M6 for moving to an order screen (see FIG. 10), and a checkout button M7 for moving to a checkout screen.

The order screen shown in FIG. 10 also displays a list of the food and beverages that the user selected on the menu screen. The order screen includes an order confirmation button M8 that confirms the order for the listed food and beverages. On the order screen, the user can press the order confirmation button M8 to confirm the order for the selected food and beverages, change the quantity of the selected food and beverages, delete the selected food and beverages, etc.

In this way, when a user uses the ordering terminal 3 to order food and drink, the user selects the desired food and drink on the menu screen, and performs an operation to confirm the order for the selected food and drink on the ordering screen.

The reception processing unit 212 accepts operations from users on various screens displayed on the ordering terminal 3. For example, the reception processing unit 212 accepts selection operations (such as touch operations) from users on each screen shown in Figures 8 to 10. The reception processing unit 212 may accept food and drink orders from users from a mobile terminal (e.g., a smartphone) owned by the user, may accept food and drink orders from users from a mobile terminal (e.g., a handheld terminal) carried by facility staff, or may accept food and drink orders from users from a self-order terminal (tabletop terminal) installed on a table in the facility. The reception processing unit 212 is an example of a reception processing unit of the present invention.

For example, when a user selects "Set Meal Menu" on the top screen shown in FIG. 8, the reception processing unit 212 accepts a category selection operation. In this case, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 to display a menu screen shown in FIG. 9 in response to the category selection operation. For example, when a user selects "Daily Set Meal" on the menu screen shown in FIG. 9, the reception processing unit 212 accepts a product selection operation. For example, when a user performs an operation to confirm an order (pressing the order confirmation button M8) on the order screen shown in FIG. 10, the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order confirmation operation. Here, when the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order confirmation operation by a user, it accepts the order of the user. For example, for a table of a user group including multiple users, when each user of the user group selects food and drink and then performs an order confirmation operation, the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order of the user group. Note that when each user of the user group individually performs a product selection operation and an order confirmation operation, the reception processing unit 212 accepts an order for each user. That is, a single order received by the reception processing unit 212 may include one food or drink item for one user, or may include multiple food or drink items for one or multiple users.

When the reception processing unit 212 receives an order from a user, the reception processing unit 212 registers the order number and information on the ordered item in order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with the table number of the table used by the user. Note that a table number is associated with each order terminal 3 in advance, and the order that the reception processing unit 212 receives from the order terminal 3 includes table number information. Therefore, the reception processing unit 212 can grasp the table number corresponding to each order.

The setting processing unit 216 sets the set time according to a predetermined condition. Specifically, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time for each table corresponding to an order received from a user. The set time is the time from when the first food and drink is served to the user when multiple foods and drinks are ordered together at a table to when the last food and drink is served to the user, and is generally set to a time that users do not feel dissatisfied with the waiting time. For example, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time for a table with a large number of users to a longer time than the set time for a table with a small number of users. The setting processing unit 216 may also set the set time based on the contents, type, cooking time, etc. of each of the multiple foods and drinks included in the order corresponding to the table. The setting processing unit 216 may also set the set time based on the cooking order of the foods and drinks included in the order corresponding to the table. For example, when an order corresponding to a table includes hot foods and drinks such as a hot pot dish and cold foods and drinks such as a salad, and the cooking order is set to cook the cold foods and drinks first and the hot foods and drinks later, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time to a short time (for example, "5 minutes"). On the other hand, if the cooking order is set to cook hot food first and cold food second, the setting processor 216 sets the set time to a long time (for example, 10 minutes).

In this way, when the reception processing unit 212 receives an order corresponding to a table, the setting processing unit 216 sets the set time corresponding to the table based on information such as the number of people using the table, the contents or type of food and drink included in the order, and the cooking order, and registers it in the setting information D4 (see Figure 7). As described above, the setting processing unit 216 may set the set time for each table based on information such as the time period when the order was received (lunchtime, dinnertime, busy time period, off-peak time period, etc.), the busyness of the kitchen, and the congestion status of the restaurant.

The calculation processing unit 213 calculates the serving time difference (corresponding to the time difference of the present invention) between the serving of the ordered multiple foods and beverages for each table for which the reception processing unit 212 has received an order. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the serving time difference as the elapsed time from the time when the first food and beverage is served to the user among the multiple foods and beverages included in a single order at the table to the time when the last food and beverage is served to the user. The elapsed time can be expressed as the difference between the cooking completion time of the food and beverage that is the first to be cooked (completed) among the multiple foods and beverages included in the order at the table and the cooking completion time of the food and beverage that is the last to be cooked among the multiple foods and beverages. The calculation processing unit 213 calculates the serving time difference based on the cooking time for each food and beverage (see FIG. 2) and the cooking time when multiple foods and beverages are cooked together (see FIG. 4). The calculation processing unit 213 also calculates the serving time difference based on the cooking time of the multiple foods and beverages included in a single order at the table. The calculation processing unit 213 may also calculate the serving time difference by excluding specific foods and drinks, such as dessert menus and drink menus, from among multiple foods and drinks included in a single order at a table. The calculation processing unit 213 registers the calculated serving time difference in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 3).

The calculation processing unit 213 also calculates the serving time difference when the food and drink included in each order corresponding to multiple tables are cooked together. As described above, for example, if the reception processing unit 212 receives a first order corresponding to table number "3" and then receives a second order for table number "2" before the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the first order to the kitchen terminal 4, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the serving time difference corresponding to each table when the food and drink of the first order and the food and drink of the second order are cooked together, and registers the calculated serving time difference in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 5). For example, if the reception processing unit 212 receives a second order for table number "2" and a third order for table number "4" after the reception processing unit 212 receives a first order corresponding to table number "3" and before the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 for the first order to the kitchen terminal 4, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the serving time difference corresponding to each table when the food and drink of the first order, the food and drink of the second order, and the food and drink of the third order are cooked together, and registers the calculated difference in serving time corresponding to each table in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 6). The calculation processing unit 213 is an example of a calculation processing unit of the present invention.

The determination processing unit 214 determines whether the serving time difference corresponding to each table when multiple foods and drinks included in the respective orders corresponding to multiple tables are cooked together is within the set time. For example, the determination processing unit 214 determines whether the serving time difference "ta3" (see FIG. 5) corresponding to table number "3" when the foods and drinks included in the first order corresponding to table number "3" and the foods and drinks included in the second order corresponding to table number "2" are cooked together is within the set time "T3" (see FIG. 7), and whether the serving time difference "ta2" (see FIG. 5) corresponding to table number "2" when the foods and drinks of the first order and the second order are cooked together is within the set time "T2" (see FIG. 7). The determination processing unit 214 is an example of a determination processing unit of the present invention.

The output processing unit 215 outputs information on the order accepted by the reception processing unit 212 (order information F1) to the kitchen terminal 4. Specifically, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1, which includes the details of the food and drink ordered by the user, the table number of the table used by the user, and the order number, to the kitchen terminal 4. The order information F1 may include the order date and time (reception date and time). In other words, the output processing unit 215 may display the order information and the reception time when the reception processing unit 212 accepted the order on the order slip. The output processing unit 215 also outputs (prints or displays) the order slip including the details of the order, the table number, and the order number from the kitchen terminal 4. The output processing unit 215 is an example of an output processing unit of the present invention.

Here, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the order when a predetermined time has passed since the reception processing unit 212 received the order. For example, when a predetermined time has passed since the reception processing unit 212 received an order for table number "3", the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 of the order to the kitchen terminal 4. As a result, each order information F1 is stored in the order support device 2 for a predetermined time. Therefore, for example, if the order support device 2 receives an order for table number "2" before a predetermined time has passed since the order for table number "3" was received, it becomes possible to accumulate information on these orders. Then, when the order information F1 of multiple tables is accumulated, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates each serving time difference corresponding to each table when multiple foods and drinks included in these orders are cooked together (see Figures 5 and 6), and the judgment processing unit 214 judges whether each serving time difference is within the set time (see Figure 7). In another embodiment, the output processing unit 215 may output the order information F1 for an order when the number of food and drink orders included in the order accepted by the acceptance processing unit 212 exceeds a predetermined number.

When the serving time difference corresponding to each table when multiple foods and drinks included in the respective orders corresponding to multiple tables are cooked together falls within the set time, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 including these orders to the kitchen terminal 4. For example, when the serving time difference "ta3" (see FIG. 5) corresponding to table number "3" when the food and drinks included in the first order corresponding to table number "3" and the food and drinks included in the second order corresponding to table number "2" are cooked together falls within the set time "T3" (see FIG. 7), and when the serving time difference "ta2" (see FIG. 5) corresponding to table number "2" when the food and drinks of the first order and the second order are cooked together falls within the set time "T2" (see FIG. 7), the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 corresponding to table number "3" and the order information F1 corresponding to table number "2" together to the kitchen terminal 4.

For example, when the serving time difference "tc3" (see FIG. 6) corresponding to table number "3" when the food and drink included in the first order corresponding to table number "3", the food and drink included in the second order corresponding to table number "2", and the food and drink included in the third order corresponding to table number "4" are cooked together is within the set time "T3" (see FIG. 7), and the serving time difference "tc2" (see FIG. 6) corresponding to table number "2" when the food and drink of the first order, the second order, and the third order are cooked together is within the set time "T2" (see FIG. 7), and further, the serving time difference "tc4" (see FIG. 6) corresponding to table number "4" when the food and drink of the first order, the second order, and the third order are cooked together is within the set time "T4" (see FIG. 7), the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information F1 corresponding to table number "3", the order information F1 corresponding to table number "2", and the order information F1 corresponding to table number "4" together to the kitchen terminal 4.

For example, if the reception processing unit 212 does not accept orders from other tables within a predetermined time period after accepting an order from table number "3", the output processing unit 215 outputs only the order information F1 corresponding to the order from table number "3" to the kitchen terminal 4. Furthermore, if the difference in serving time corresponding to each table when multiple foods and drinks included in each order corresponding to multiple tables are cooked together does not fall within the set time, the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information for each of the multiple orders separately to the kitchen terminal 4.

In this way, the control unit 21 outputs one or more pieces of order information F1 so that the time to provide food and drink to users (waiting time) is not delayed due to the serving time difference calculated for each table exceeding the set time. In addition, the control unit 21 outputs the order information F1 for multiple tables collectively to the kitchen terminal 4 so that the work efficiency of the kitchen is improved while taking into account the waiting time of users.

[Order terminal 3]
1, the ordering terminal 3 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, an operation display unit 33, and a communication I/F 34. The ordering terminal 3 is, for example, a self-order terminal installed on each table in a restaurant.

The communication I/F 34 is a communication interface that connects the order terminal 3 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and performs data communication in accordance with a specified communication protocol with external devices such as the order support device 2 and the kitchen terminal 4 via the communication network N1.

The operation display unit 33 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as an LCD display or an organic EL display that displays various information, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations. The operation display unit 33 displays a top screen (see FIG. 8) that accepts food and drink ordering operations from the user, a menu screen (see FIG. 9), and an order screen (see FIG. 10), and an accounting screen (not shown) that accepts accounting operations from the user, etc. The operation display unit 33 is composed of, for example, a touch panel, and accepts touch operations from the user.

The storage unit 32 is a non-volatile storage unit such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a flash memory that stores various information. For example, the storage unit 32 stores a control program such as a browser program. Specifically, the browser program is a control program that causes the control unit 31 to execute communication processing with an external device such as the order support device 2 according to a communication protocol such as HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol).

The control unit 31 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic operations. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS for causing the CPU to execute various processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information, and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for the various processes executed by the CPU. The control unit 31 controls the order terminal 3 by executing the various control programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 32 with the CPU.

Specifically, the control unit 31 functions as a browser processing unit 311 by executing various processes according to the browser program stored in the memory unit 32. The browser processing unit 311 is capable of executing browser processing to display various information (top screen, menu screen, order screen, checkout screen, etc.) provided from the order support device 2 via the communication network N1 on the operation display unit 33 and input operations on the operation display unit 33 to the order support device 2. Note that some or all of the processing units included in the control unit 31 may be configured with electronic circuits.

[Kitchen terminal 4]
1, the kitchen terminal 4 includes a control unit 41, a storage unit 42, an operation display unit 43, and a communication I/F 44. The kitchen terminal 4 is an information processing device such as a printer device, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer. The kitchen terminal 4 may further include the same functions as the order support device 2, or may be an information processing device integrated with the order support device 2. Here, it is assumed that the kitchen terminal 4 is a printer device installed in the kitchen of a restaurant.

The communication I/F 44 is a communication interface that connects the kitchen terminal 4 to the communication network N1 by wire or wirelessly and performs data communication in accordance with a specified communication protocol with external devices such as the order support device 2 and the order terminal 3 via the communication network N1.

The operation display unit 43 is a user interface that includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display that displays information such as various web pages, and an operation unit such as a mouse, keyboard, or touch panel that accepts operations.

The storage unit 42 is a non-volatile storage unit such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD) or a flash memory that stores various information. For example, the storage unit 42 stores a control program for transmitting and receiving various information between the order support device 2 and the order terminal 3. For example, the control program is non-temporarily recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD or DVD, and is read by a reading device (not shown) such as a CD drive or DVD drive electrically connected to the kitchen terminal 4 and stored in the storage unit 42. The storage unit 42 may also store a control program such as an order support program for causing the control unit 41 to execute the order support process (see FIG. 12) described below.

The control unit 41 has control devices such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which control programs such as a BIOS and an OS for causing the CPU to execute various arithmetic processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile or non-volatile storage unit that stores various information, and is used as a temporary storage memory (work area) for various processes executed by the CPU. The control unit 41 controls the kitchen terminal 4 by having the CPU execute various control programs that are stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 42.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 41 includes various processing units such as an acquisition processing unit 411 and an output processing unit 412. The control unit 41 functions as the various processing units by executing various processes according to the control program with the CPU. Some or all of the processing units may be configured with electronic circuits. The control program may be a program for causing multiple processors to function as the processing units.

The acquisition processing unit 411 acquires the order information F1 output from the order support device 2. For example, if the order support device 2 outputs order information F1 corresponding to table number "3" and order information F1 corresponding to table number "2" together (see FIG. 5), the acquisition processing unit 411 acquires the order information F1 for table numbers "3" and "2". For example, if the order support device 2 outputs order information F1 corresponding to table number "3", order information F1 corresponding to table number "2", and order information F1 corresponding to table number "4" together (see FIG. 6), the acquisition processing unit 411 acquires the order information F1 for table numbers "3", "2", and "4".

The output processing unit 412 outputs the information acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411 to the outside. Specifically, the output processing unit 412 outputs the order information F1 acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411 to the outside. The kitchen terminal 4 has, for example, roll paper set therein, and is provided with a transport unit (not shown) that transports the roll paper, an image forming unit (not shown) that forms an image on the roll paper, a cutting unit (not shown) that cuts the roll paper at a predetermined position, and the like.

For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when order information F1 is acquired by the acquisition processing unit 411, the output processing unit 412 causes the image forming unit to execute a printing process to print (black and white printing) the order information F1 on an order slip T1. Specifically, each time image data corresponding to the order information F1 is input, the output processing unit 412 causes the image forming unit to execute a printing process to form (black and white printing) an image of the order contents corresponding to the image data on rolled paper, and then causes the cutting unit to execute a cutting process to cut the rolled paper at a predetermined position and discharge it to the outside. In this way, one order slip T1 is created for each order.

Figure 11 corresponds to the order information F1 shown in Figure 5, and the order forms T1 for the order information F1 of table numbers "3" and "2" are output together, and the order forms T1 for the order information F1 of table numbers "4" and "1" are output together.

When the kitchen staff receives the order slip T1, they prepare the food and drink that is ordered. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when the kitchen staff obtains order slips T1 for "daily set meals" for table numbers "3" and "2", they prepare a total of three "daily set meals", and the service staff serves two "daily set meals" to the patron at table number "3" and one "daily set meal" to the patron at table number "2". When the kitchen staff obtains an order slip T1 for a "sashimi set meal", they prepare the "sashimi set meal", and the service staff serves the "sashimi set meal" to the patron at table number "2". When the kitchen staff obtains order slips T1 for "beer" and "oolong tea", they prepare these, and the service staff serves the "beer" and "oolong tea" to the patron at table number "2". In this way, kitchen staff can prepare the same orders (food and drink) all at once, and wait staff can serve the food and drink all at once.

Each order slip T1 includes the date and time when the order was received (date and time of receipt, date and time of order). This allows the kitchen staff to know the amount of time that has passed since each customer actually placed the order (the time of the order confirmation operation), making it possible to adjust the cooking and preparation priorities of the ordered food and drink.

[Order Support Processing]
Next, the order support process executed in the order support system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Specifically, in this embodiment, the order support process is executed by the control unit 21 of the order support device 2. The control unit 21 can also execute the order support process in parallel for each ordering terminal 3 in response to access from each ordering terminal 3. Note that the control unit 21 may end the order support process midway through due to a predetermined operation of the ordering terminal 3.

The present invention can be understood as an invention of an order support method that executes one or more steps included in the order support process. One or more steps included in the order support process described here may be omitted as appropriate. The steps in the order support process may be executed in a different order as long as the same action and effect is achieved. Furthermore, although an example is described here in which each step in the order support process is executed by the control unit 21, another embodiment of the order support method can be one in which each step in the order support process is executed in a distributed manner by multiple processors.

In step S11, the control unit 21 acquires the number of patrons (user count) who have visited the restaurant and the table number of the table used by the patron. For example, when a staff member of the restaurant registers information indicating that a patron has visited the restaurant, the control unit 21 acquires the number of patrons and table number corresponding to the patron from the facility terminal (reservation management ledger).

Next, in step S12, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 to display an order reception screen (top screen, menu screen, etc.) for receiving orders for food and beverages provided by the restaurant. For example, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 installed at the table with the table number used by the customer to display the top screen shown in FIG. 8. Furthermore, when any of the menu buttons M1 are selected on the top screen shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 21 causes the ordering terminal 3 to display the menu screen shown in FIG. 9.

Next, in step S13, the control unit 21 determines whether or not an order from a user has been accepted via the ordering terminal 3. If the control unit 21 determines that an order from a user has been accepted (S13: Yes), the process proceeds to step S14. The control unit 21 waits until the user's order is accepted (S13: No). For example, when a user at table number "3" selects two "daily specials" and places an order (order confirmation operation) using the ordering terminal 3, the control unit 21 accepts the order from that user. The control unit 21 also registers the information on the order number corresponding to the user's order, the ordered item "daily specials", and the order quantity "2" in the order acceptance information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with table number "3". Step S13 is an example of a acceptance step of the present invention.

In step S14, the control unit 21 starts measuring the time that has elapsed since the order was accepted. For example, when a user at table number "3" confirms an order for two "daily set meals," the control unit 21 accepts the order and starts measuring the time that has elapsed. The control unit 21 may register the measured information on the elapsed time in the order acceptance information D2 (see FIG. 3) in association with table number "3."

Next, in step S15, the control unit 21 sets the set time for the table corresponding to the accepted order. Specifically, the control unit 21 sets the set time based on the number of users using the table, the contents, type, cooking time, cooking order, etc. of the food and drink included in the order for the table. The control unit 21 may also set the set time for each table based on information such as the time period when the order was accepted (lunchtime, dinnertime, busy time period, quiet time period, etc.), the busyness of the kitchen, and the congestion status of the restaurant. For example, the control unit 21 sets the set time "T3" corresponding to table number "3". The control unit 21 registers the information of the set set time "T3" in the setting information D4 (see FIG. 7) in association with table number "3". The control unit 21 may also set the set time common to each table in advance.

Next, in step S16, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference corresponding to the table of the accepted order. For example, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference ("t3") for serving two "daily set meals" corresponding to the order of table number "3". Usually, when the menu items are the same or similar, the serving time difference is short. The control unit 21 may calculate the serving time difference by excluding specific foods and drinks, such as dessert menus and drink menus, from among the multiple foods and drinks included in a single order at the table. For example, in the case of an order of table number "2" (see FIG. 3), the control unit 21 calculates the difference between the serving time of the "sashimi set meal" to the customer and the serving time of the "daily set meal" to the customer, excluding "beer" and "oolong tea", as the serving time difference ("t2"). Step S16 is an example of a calculation step of the present invention.

Next, in step S17, the control unit 21 determines whether the elapsed time from the time the order was accepted is equal to or greater than the predetermined time. If the elapsed time is equal to or greater than the predetermined time (S17: Yes), the process proceeds to step S18. If the control unit 21 determines that the elapsed time is not equal to or greater than the predetermined time (S17: No), the process proceeds to step S171.

In step S171, the control unit 21 determines whether or not an order from a user at another table has been accepted via the ordering terminal 3. That is, the control unit 21 determines whether or not an order from a table (e.g., table number "2") different from the table (e.g., table number "3") for which the order was accepted in step S13 has been accepted. If the control unit 21 determines that an order from a user at another table has been accepted (S171: Yes), the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, if the control unit 21 determines that an order from a user at another table has not been accepted (S171: No), the process proceeds to step S17.

Returning to step S15, the control unit 21 sets the set time corresponding to the other table. In the above example, the control unit 21 sets the set time "T2" corresponding to table number "2". The control unit 21 registers the information of the set set time "T2" in the setting information D4 (see FIG. 7) in association with the table number "2". In the following step S16, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference corresponding to the other table. In the above example, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference ("t2") corresponding to table number "2". The control unit 21 also calculates the serving time difference when the food and drink included in each order corresponding to multiple tables are cooked together. For example, the control unit 21 calculates the serving time difference "ta3" corresponding to table number "3" and the serving time difference "ta2" corresponding to table number "2" when the food and drink ordered by table number "3" and the food and drink ordered by table number "2" are cooked together. The control unit 21 registers each calculated serving time difference in the order reception information D2 (see FIG. 5).

Furthermore, before the elapsed time reaches or exceeds the predetermined time (S17: No), if the control unit 21 further receives an order from a user at another table (e.g., table number "4") via the ordering terminal 3 (S171: Yes), the process again proceeds to step S15. The control unit 21 sets the set time "T4" corresponding to table number "4" (see FIG. 7), calculates the serving time difference ("t4") corresponding to table number "4" (see FIG. 3), and further calculates the serving time difference "tc3" corresponding to table number "3" when the food and drink ordered by table number "3", the food and drink ordered by table number "2", and the food and drink ordered by table number "4" are cooked together, the serving time difference "tc2" corresponding to table number "2", and the serving time difference "tc4" corresponding to table number "4" (see FIG. 6).

When the elapsed time becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined time in step S17 (S17: Yes), in step S18, the control unit 21 determines whether the accepted order includes multiple tables. If the accepted order includes multiple tables (S18: Yes), the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if the accepted order does not include multiple tables (S18: No), the process proceeds to step S21.

In step S19, the control unit 21 judges whether the serving time difference is within the set time. Here, the control unit 21 judges whether each serving time difference corresponding to each of the multiple tables is within the set time. For example, the control unit 21 judges whether the serving time difference "ta3" corresponding to table number "3" is the set time "T3" (see FIG. 7) corresponding to table number "3". Also, the control unit 21 judges whether the serving time difference "ta2" corresponding to table number "2" is the set time "T2" (see FIG. 7) corresponding to table number "2". If each serving time difference corresponding to each of the multiple tables is within the set time (S19: Yes), the process proceeds to step S20. On the other hand, if at least one of the serving time differences corresponding to each of the multiple tables is not within the set time (S19: No), the process proceeds to step S21. Step S19 is an example of a judgment step of the present invention.

In step S20, the control unit 21 outputs information on the multiple accepted orders (order information F1) to the kitchen terminal 4. For example, the control unit 21 outputs order information F1 for the order corresponding to table number "3" and order information F1 for the order corresponding to table number "2" together to the kitchen terminal 4. For another example, the control unit 21 outputs order information F1 for the order corresponding to table number "3", order information F1 for the order corresponding to table number "2", and order information F1 for the order corresponding to table number "4" together to the kitchen terminal 4. When the kitchen terminal 4 obtains order information F1 for multiple tables, it outputs an order slip T1 (see FIG. 10) indicating the order information F1 for each table.

In step S21, the control unit 21 outputs information on one order accepted in step S13 (order information F1) to the kitchen terminal 4. For example, the control unit 21 outputs order information F1 for an order corresponding to table number "3" to the kitchen terminal 4. When the kitchen terminal 4 acquires order information F1 corresponding to one table, it outputs an order slip T1 indicating the order information F1 corresponding to that table. In other words, if the serving time difference corresponding to each of multiple tables does not fall within the set time, the control unit 21 outputs each order information separately. Steps S20 and S21 are an example of the output step of the present invention. The order support process is carried out in the manner described above.

Here, if the serving time difference corresponding to each of the first and second orders received within the specified time is within the set time, but the serving time difference corresponding to each of the first, second, and third orders received within the specified time is not within the set time, the control unit 21 outputs the order information F1 of the first and second orders and the order information F1 of the third order separately to the kitchen terminal 4.

As described above, the order support system 1 according to this embodiment accepts food and drink orders for each table of a restaurant that serves food and drink, and calculates the serving time difference for each table at which the ordered multiple foods and drinks are served. The order support system 1 then determines whether the serving time difference corresponding to each of the first table and the second table when the food and drink included in the first order corresponding to the first table and the food and drink included in the second order corresponding to the second table are cooked together is within a set time, and outputs order information including the first order and the second order when the serving time difference corresponding to each of the first table and the second table is within the set time. In other words, even when the food and drink of the first order and the food and drink of the second order are cooked together, if it is possible to serve both the food and drink of the first order and the food and drink of the second order within the set time, the order support device 2 outputs the first order and the second order together to the kitchen terminal 4. This makes it possible to minimize the difference in the timing of serving food and drink between multiple users using the table, and improves the work efficiency of the kitchen.

The set time is set based on information such as the number of patrons using the table, the contents, type, cooking time, cooking order of the food and drink included in the table order, the time period when the order was received (lunchtime, dinnertime, busy time period, off-peak time period, etc.), the busyness of the kitchen, and the congestion level of the restaurant. This makes it possible to determine the timing of outputting the order information F1 depending on the usage status of the table, the congestion level of the restaurant, etc.

In addition, according to the order support system 1, for example, the order information F1 for multiple tables can be output together, which reduces communication traffic and enables more effective use of computer resources than when the order information F1 is output individually.

The order support system of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The order support system of the present invention may be, for example, the following embodiment.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 21 may output order information including the first order, the second order, and the third order when the elapsed time from accepting the first order to accepting the second order is within a first predetermined time, and the elapsed time from accepting the second order to accepting the third order is within a second predetermined time. For example, when the control unit 21 accepts an order for table number "2" within a first predetermined time from accepting an order for table number "3", and accepts an order for table number "4" within a second predetermined time from accepting the order for table number "2", and the serving time difference corresponding to each order is within the set time, the control unit 21 outputs order information including the first order, the second order, and the third order together to the kitchen terminal 4. Note that in this case, the first predetermined time is shorter than the elapsed time from accepting the first order to accepting the third order. Therefore, when the third order has not been accepted at the time when the first predetermined time is reached, the control unit 21 outputs order information F1 including the first order and the second order.

In this embodiment, the specified time (including the first specified time and the second specified time) may be set based on information such as the number of patrons using the table, the contents, type, cooking time, and cooking order of the food and drink included in the table order, the time period during which the order was received (lunchtime, dinnertime, busy time period, off-peak time period, etc.), the busyness of the kitchen, and the congestion of the restaurant.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the control unit 21 may set a time limit for the time from accepting an order to providing the ordered items to the user at each table. Specifically, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information including the first order and the second order when the serving time difference corresponding to each of the first table and the second table is within the set time and all of the food and drink included in the first order and the second order corresponding to each of the first table and the second table can be served within the time limit from accepting the first order and the second order corresponding to each of the first table and the second table. The time limit is an example of the specific time of the present invention. This makes it possible to provide the ordered items to each user within the time limit while minimizing the time difference in the timing of serving the ordered items between users at each table. The time limit may be set to a different time for each table, or a common time may be set for each table.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the output processing unit 215 may output order information F1 for an order when the number of food and beverage orders included in the order accepted by the reception processing unit 212 exceeds a predetermined number. For example, the control unit 21 calculates the number of orders by adding up the number of food and beverage orders accepted by the reception processing unit 212. The control unit 21 also updates the total number of orders each time an order is accepted. Then, when the number of orders exceeds the predetermined number, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information F1 corresponding to the number of orders to the kitchen terminal 4. Therefore, the output processing unit 215 outputs order information including orders corresponding to each of the multiple tables when the serving time difference corresponding to each of the multiple tables accepted by the reception processing unit 212 before the number of orders exceeds the predetermined number falls within the set time.

The predetermined number may be set based on information such as the number of customers using the table, the contents and type of food and drink included in the table order, cooking time, cooking order, time period when the order was received (lunchtime, dinnertime, busy time period, off-peak time period, etc.), how busy the kitchen is, and how crowded the restaurant is.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the order support system may collectively output order information for multiple foods and beverages when the serving time difference corresponding to the first table when multiple foods and beverages included in the first order for the first table are cooked collectively falls within a set time. Also, when the serving time difference corresponding to the first table when multiple foods and beverages included in the first order for the first table are cooked collectively does not fall within the set time, the order support system outputs order information for the portion of the multiple foods and beverages for which the serving time difference when cooked collectively falls within the set time.

As described above, the output processing unit 215 is configured to output order information corresponding to an order for food and drink when a predetermined time has elapsed since the reception processing unit 212 received the order for the food and drink. For this reason, the order support system (control unit 21) may output the order information for the first order and the second order together when the second order is received before the elapsed time from the time of receiving the first order exceeds a predetermined time, and output the order information for the first order and the order information for the second order separately when the second order is received after the elapsed time from the time of receiving the first order exceeds a predetermined time. Specifically, the calculation processing unit 213 calculates the elapsed time from the time when cooking of the first food and drink that is first received among the multiple foods and drinks included in one order at the table starts to the time when cooking of the second food and drink that is last received starts, and the output processing unit 215 outputs the order information for the first food and drink and the second food and drink together when the elapsed time is within a predetermined time, and outputs the order information for the first food and drink and the second food and drink separately when the elapsed time exceeds the predetermined time. The calculation processing unit 213 may calculate the elapsed time based on the cooking time of the first food and drink (see FIG. 2) or the cooking times of each of the multiple foods and drinks that were accepted before accepting the order for the second food and drink.

1: Order support system 2: Order support device 3: Order terminal 4: Kitchen terminal 211: Acquisition processing unit 212: Reception processing unit 213: Calculation processing unit 214: Determination processing unit 215: Output processing unit 216: Setting processing unit 217: Calculation processing unit 411: Acquisition processing unit 412: Output processing unit

Claims (4)

a reception processing unit that receives food and beverage orders corresponding to tables in a facility that provides food and beverages;
a calculation processing unit that calculates a time difference, which is an elapsed time from a time when cooking of a first food and drink among the plurality of foods and drinks included in the order is started to a time when cooking of a last food and drink among the plurality of foods and drinks included in the order is started, based on cooking times of the plurality of foods and drinks included in the order in the table;
an output processing unit that outputs order information for the plurality of foods and beverages collectively when the time difference between cooking the plurality of foods and beverages included in the order is within a predetermined time, and outputs the order information for the plurality of foods and beverages separately when the time difference between the foods and beverages is not within the predetermined time;
An order support system comprising: The calculation processing unit calculates the time difference based on a cooking time for each food and a cooking time for cooking a plurality of foods at once .
The order support system according to claim 1 . a receiving step of receiving an order for food and beverages corresponding to a table in a facility that provides food and beverages;
a calculation step of calculating a time difference, which is an elapsed time from a time when cooking of a first food and drink among the plurality of foods and drinks included in the order is started to a time when cooking of a last food and drink among the plurality of foods and drinks included in the order is started, based on cooking times of the plurality of foods and drinks included in the order in the table;
an output step of collectively outputting order information for the plurality of foods and beverages included in the order if the time difference between cooking the plurality of foods and beverages together falls within a predetermined time period, and outputting the order information for the plurality of foods and beverages separately if the time difference between the foods and beverages does not fall within the predetermined time period;
The order support method is executed by one or more processors. a receiving step of receiving an order for food and beverages corresponding to a table in a facility that provides food and beverages;
a calculation step of calculating a time difference, which is an elapsed time from a time when cooking of a first food and drink among the plurality of foods and drinks included in the order is started to a time when cooking of a last food and drink among the plurality of foods and drinks included in the order is started, based on cooking times of the plurality of foods and drinks included in the order in the table;
an output step of collectively outputting order information for the plurality of foods and beverages included in the order if the time difference between cooking the plurality of foods and beverages together falls within a predetermined time period, and outputting the order information for the plurality of foods and beverages separately if the time difference between the foods and beverages does not fall within the predetermined time period;
An order support program for executing the above on one or more processors.

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