Server and terminals used in management system for serving food and beverage

• US 20020052790A1
• Filed: 07/26/2001
• Published: 05/02/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomishima, Shigeki
• Application Number:
  US09/912,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20020052790A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A restaurant management system includes: order terminals placed on respective tables and to each of which a guest inputs an order; a serving terminal to which an employee inputs completion of cooking; a kitchen terminal installed in a kitchen and a server connected to the terminals. The server includes a communication circuit and a control circuit. The communication circuit includes a circuit receiving order information from an order terminal and a circuit receiving completion information indicating completion of cooking from the serving terminal. The control circuit includes a circuit transmitting warning information that a predetermined time has elapsed till said control circuit receives completion information after said control circuit received order information.

Claims

1. A server used in a management system for serving food and beverage in a restaurant with a plurality of tables and serving a guest with cooked food and beverage which system comprises:

said server;

a serving terminal and a plurality of order terminals, wherein an order terminal is placed on each table, being inputted with order information expressing an ordered food item by said guest and transmits said inputted order information to said server; and

said serving terminal transmits completion information indicating completion of cooking and inputted by an employee of said restaurant to said server and receives warning information to order information from said server and displays it, comprising;

a communication circuit performing communication with said plurality of order terminals and said serving terminal and

a control circuit connected to said communication circuit and controlling said communication circuit, wherein said control circuit comprises;

a circuit detecting a time point at which order information is received from an order terminal; and

a circuit transmitting warning information to said serving terminal that a predetermined time has elapsed till said completion information is received from said serving terminal after said order information was received.

2. The server according to claim 1, wherein said serving terminal receives said order information from said server and displays it and said control circuit further comprises:

a circuit transmitting said order information received from said order terminal to said serving terminal.

3. The server according to claim 1, wherein said management system further comprises:

a kitchen terminal installed in a kitchen and said kitchen terminal displays said warning information to said order information received from said server, and

said control circuit further comprises;

a circuit transmitting said warning information to said kitchen terminal.

4. The server according to claim 1, further comprises:

a storage circuit storing a predetermined time for each of kinds of said ordered food items.

5. The server according to claim 1, wherein said order terminal displays an average cooking time of said ordered food item according to said average cooking time received from said server, and wherein

said control circuit further comprises:

a circuit detecting a time point at which said control circuit receives said completion information from said serving terminal;

a circuit calculating a new average value of cooking times on the basis of a passage time till said completion information is received after said order information is received for each of kinds of said ordered food items; and

a circuit transmitting said new average value to said order terminal.

6. The server according to claim 1, wherein said management system further comprises:

an occupied seat display terminal, said order terminal further comprises a receipt circuit receiving a charge on said ordered food item and transmits that receipt of a charge by said receipt circuit can be effected to said server prior to transmission of said order information, said occupied seat display terminal displays an occupied seat state at said each table on the basis of occupied seat information received from said server, and

said control circuit further comprises;

a circuit responding to information that receipt of a charge can be effected by said receipt circuit to transmit occupied seat information indicating that said each table is seated to said occupied seat display terminal.

7. The server according to claim 1, wherein said order terminal transmits limit information for calculating an amount of money that a guest can use at said each table to said server prior to transmission of said order information,

said serving terminal displays warning information to a balance received from said server,

said server further comprises:

a storage circuit storing a price of said ordered food item, and

said control circuit further comprises;

a circuit calculating an amount of money that a guest can use on the basis of said limit information received from said order terminal for said each table;

a circuit reading out a price of said ordered food item from said storage circuit according to said order information received; and

a circuit transmitting warning information to a balance at said each table to said serving terminal when an amount of money obtained by subtracting a price of said ordered food item read out from an amount of money that said guest can use is less than a predetermined amount of money.

8. The server according to claim 1, further comprising:

an external communication circuit communicating with an external terminal installed outside of said restaurant; and

a storage circuit storing information,

wherein said guest transmits reservation request information to said server using said external terminal to obtain reservation information from said server,

said order terminal, when said reservation information that said guest has obtained through said external terminal has been inputted, transmits said reservation information to said server, and, when having received reception information from said server in response to said reservation information, transmits said inputted order information to said server, and

said control circuit comprises;

a circuit generating reservation information corresponding to reservation request information in response to that said external communication circuit has received said reservation request information from said external terminal and forces said storage circuit to store said reservation information;

a circuit transmitting said reservation information to said external terminal;

a circuit responding to that said communication circuit has received reservation information from said order terminal to compare said reservation information received with reservation information stored in said storage circuit; and

a circuit transmitting reception information to said order terminal, if both of said reservation information coincide with each other.

9. The server according to claim 6, further comprising:

an external communication circuit communicating with an external terminal installed outside of said restaurant; and

a storage circuit storing information,

wherein said guest transmits an occupied seat inquiry information to said server using said external terminal to obtain occupied seat information from said server, and

said control circuit comprises;

a circuit forcing said storage circuit to store said occupied seat information; and

a circuit responding to that said external communication circuit has received occupied seat inquiry information from said external terminal to transmit said occupied seat information stored in said storage circuit to said external terminal.

10. An order terminal used in a management system for serving food and beverage in a restaurant with a plurality of tables and serving a guest with cooked food and beverage which system comprises:

a serving terminal and a plurality of order terminals, wherein said serving terminal displays said order information received from said order terminal and completion information indicating completion of cooking and inputted by an employee of said restaurant, being placed on each table, and comprising;

an input circuit inputting order information expressing an ordered food item by said guest; and

a transmit circuit connected to said input circuit transmitting said order information to said serving terminal.

11. An order terminal used in a management system for serving food and beverage in a restaurant with a plurality of tables and serving a guest with cooked food and beverage which system comprises:

a server;

a serving terminal and a plurality of order terminals, wherein said serving terminal transmits completion information indicating completion of cooking and inputted by an employee of said restaurant to said server, said server transmits warning information that a predetermined time has elapsed till said completion information is received from said serving terminal after said order information was received from said order terminal to said serving terminal which displays said warning information to said order information received from said server, being placed on each table and comprising;

a communication circuit communicating with said server;

an input circuit inputting order information expressing an ordered food item by said guest; and

a control circuit connected to said communication circuit and said input circuit controlling said communication circuit and said input circuit, said control circuit including a circuit transmitting said order information to said server.

12. The order terminal according to claim 11, wherein said server calculates a new average value of cooking times on the basis of a passage time till said completion information is received after said order information is received for each of kinds of said ordered food items and transmits said new average value to said order terminal,

further comprising:

a storage circuit storing said new average value received from said server;

a display circuit displaying said new average value; and

a display control circuit controlling said display circuit, wherein

said display control circuit of said order terminal comprises;

a circuit reading out an average value of a cooking time of an ordered food item inputted from an input circuit of said order terminal from storage circuit; and

a circuit controlling a display circuit of said order terminal so as to display said average value read out.

13. The order terminal according to claim 11, wherein said management system further comprises:

an occupied seat display terminal, said server responds to that receipt of charge can be effected by a receipt circuit of said order terminal to transmit occupied seat information indicating that said each table is seated to said occupied seat display terminal, which displays an occupied seat state of said each table according to occupied seat information received from said server, further comprising;

a receipt circuit receiving a charge on said ordered food item, and wherein

said control circuit further comprises;

a circuit transmitting the fact that receipt of a charge by said receipt circuit can be effected to said server prior to transmission of said order information.

14. The order terminal according to claim 13, wherein said receipt circuit comprises:

a support section capable of mounting a predetermined storage medium thereon and supporting said storage medium mounted;

a processing circuit performing charge processing by inputting/outputting information on said storage medium supported by said support section, wherein

said order terminal further comprises;

a receipt control circuit releasing said storage medium from support by said support section after receipt of said charge has been finished.

15. The order terminal according to claim 11, wherein said server calculates an amount of money that a guest can use on the basis of said limit information received from said order terminal for each table and transmits warning information on a balance at said each table to said serving terminal when an amount of money obtained by subtracting a price of said ordered food item from said calculated amount of money that said guest can use is less than a predetermined amount of money, and said serving terminal displays warning information to said balance received from said server, further comprising:

a receipt circuit receiving a charge on said ordered food item, and wherein said control circuit further comprises;

a circuit transmitting limit information for calculating an amount of money that a guest can use at said each table prior to transmission of said order information.

16. The order terminal according to claim 11, wherein said guest transmits said reservation request information to said server using said external terminal installed outside of said restaurant to obtain reservation information from said server,

said server responds to that said server has received reservation request information from said external terminal to not only generates reservation information corresponding to said reservation request information but also store said reservation information and transmit said reservation information to said external terminal;

and responds to the fact that said server has received said reservation information that said guest has obtained from said order terminal through said external terminal to transmit said reception information to said order terminal if said reservation information received and said reservation information stored coincide with each other,

said order terminal further comprises;

a reservation input circuit inputting said reservation information by said guest, and

said control circuit comprises;

a circuit transmitting reservation information inputted from said reservation input circuit to said server; and

a circuit responding to said reservation information and when said communication circuit has received said reception information from said server, transmitting order information inputted from said input circuit to said server.

19. The serving terminal according to claim 18, wherein said server transmits said order information received from said order terminal to said serving terminal and

said control circuit of said serving terminal further comprises:

a control circuit controlling said display circuit so as to display said order information received from said server.

20. The serving terminal according to claim 18, wherein said order terminal transmits limit information for calculating an amount of money that a guest can use at said each table prior to transmission of said order information,

said server calculates an amount of money that a guest can use on the basis of said limit information received from said order terminal for said each table and transmits warning information to a balance at said each table to said serving terminal when an amount of money obtained by subtracting a price of said ordered food item from said amount of money that said guest can use is less than a predetermined amount of money, and

said control circuit of said serving terminal further comprises:

a circuit controlling said display circuit so as to display said warning information to said balance received from said server.

17. A serving terminal used in a management system for serving food and beverage in a restaurant with a plurality of tables and serving a guest with cooked food and beverage which system comprises:

a serving terminal and a plurality of order terminals, wherein an order terminal is placed on each table, inputted with order information expressing an ordered food item by said guest and transmits said inputted order information to said serving terminal comprising;

a receive circuit receiving said order information from said order terminal;

a display circuit displaying information;

an input circuit inputting completion information indicating completion of cooking of said ordered food item by an employee of said restaurant; and

a control circuit connected to said receive circuit, said display circuit and said input circuit controlling said receive circuit, said display circuit and said input circuit, wherein

said control circuit comprises;

a circuit controlling said display circuit so as to display said order information received from said order terminal; and

a circuit controlling said display circuit so as to display said completion information inputted using an input circuit of said serving terminal.

18. A serving terminal used in a management system for serving food and beverage in a restaurant with a plurality of tables and serving a guest with cooked food and beverage which system comprises:

a server;

said serving terminal and a plurality of order terminals, wherein said order terminal is placed on each table, being inputted with order information expressing an ordered food item by said guest and transmits said inputted order information to said server, said server transmits warning information to said serving terminal that a predetermined time has elapsed till completion information is received from said serving terminal after said order information was received from said order terminal,

comprising;

a communication circuit communicating with said server;

a display circuit displaying information;

an input circuit inputting completion information indicating completion of said ordered food item by an employee of said restaurant; and

a control circuit connected to said communication circuit, said display circuit and said input circuit, and controlling said communication circuit, said display circuit and said input circuit, wherein

said control circuit of said serving terminal comprises;

a circuit transmitting said completion information inputted using said input circuit of said serving terminal to said server; and

a circuit controlling said display circuit so as to display said warning information received from said server.

21. A kitchen display terminal used in a management system for serving food and beverage in a restaurant with a plurality of tables and serving a guest with cooked food and beverage which system comprises:

a server;

a serving terminal;

a kitchen display terminal; and

a plurality of order terminals, wherein said order terminal is placed on each table, being inputted with order information expressing an ordered food item by said guest and transmits said inputted order information to said server, said,, serving terminal transmits completion information indicating completion of cooking and inputted by an employee of said restaurant to said server, and said server transmits warning information to said kitchen terminal that a predetermined time has elapsed till completion information is received from said serving terminal after received said order information was received from said order terminal being installed in said kitchen and comprising;

a communication circuit communicating with said server;

a display circuit displaying information; and

a control circuit connected to said communication circuit and said display circuit controlling said display circuit so as to display said warning information received from said server.

22. An occupied seat display terminal used in a management system for serving food and beverage in a restaurant with a plurality of tables and serving a guest with cooked food and beverage which system comprises:

a server;

said occupied seat display terminal; and

a plurality of order terminals, wherein said order terminal is placed on each table, includes a receipt circuit receiving a charge on an ordered food item, transmits that receipt of said charge can be effected by said receipt circuit to said server, and said server responds to that receipt of said charge can be effected by said receipt circuit of said order terminal to transmit occupied seat information indicating that said each table is seated to said occupied seat display terminal, comprising;

a communication circuit communicating with said server; and

a display circuit connected to said communication circuit and displaying an occupied seat state of said each table on the basis of said occupied seat information received from said server.