Information administering system for an eating house

Abstract

A customer of an eating house orders refreshments by pressing a first touch panel provided at a customer's seat, watching a liquid-crystal monitor on which a menu of the refreshment and an average cooking time thereof are displayed. A cook inputs cooking-state information with a second touch panel provided in a kitchen when cooking is started and is completed. The cooking-state information is displayed on the liquid-crystal monitor so that it is possible to confirm a cooking state of the ordered refreshment. When the ordered refreshment is untouched, the customer can cancel or urge the refreshment by pressing the first touch panel. Upon instructing a check with the first touch panel, the check is printed out from a printer. The customer can order, cancel and urge the refreshments without calling a waitperson.

1 . A system for managing information for restaurant operations, comprising: 
 a first terminal unit associated with a customer, the first terminal further comprising 
 an input module which accepts instruction information supplied by the customer, and  
 a display which provides guidance information to the customer, wherein the guidance information includes information associated with a plurality of cooking states; and  
   a second terminal unit associated with a staff member and communicatively coupled to the first terminal unit, the second terminal unit further comprising 
 an input module which accepts the cooking state information, and  
 a display module which provides the instruction information for preparing refreshments for the customer.  
   
   
   
       2 . The system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a restaurant computer communicatively coupled to the first terminal unit and the second terminal unit, the restaurant computer further comprising a storage device containing a plurality of databases having information used by at least one of the first terminal and the second terminal.    
   
   
       3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of databases further comprise at least one of menu database, a food value database, a price database, a cooking-time database, an order information database, and a cooking state information database.  
   
   
       4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the first terminal unit further comprises: 
 a touch panel which provides an input interface to the customer;    a liquid crystal monitor which provides output information to the customer;    a processor which receives information from the touch panel and provides information to the liquid crystal monitor;    a printer operatively coupled to the processor; and    a communication interface operatively coupled to the processor and a network.    
   
   
       5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the second terminal unit further comprises: 
 a touch panel which provides an input interface to the staff;    a liquid crystal monitor which provides output information to the staff;    a processor which receives information from the touch panel and provides information to the liquid crystal monitor;    a printer operatively coupled to the processor; and    a communication interface operatively coupled to the processor and a network.    
   
   
       6 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the instruction information comprises at least one of a selection of a refreshment, a quantity of a refreshment, cancellation of a selected refreshment, and a reminder for a selected refreshment.  
   
   
       7 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the guidance information further comprises at least one of price information of refreshments, menu information of refreshments, food value information, and average cooking time information.  
   
   
       8 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cooking states comprises a served state, an undertaken state, and an untouched state.  
   
   
       9 . A method for placing restaurant orders, comprising: 
 providing guidance information to a customer;    accepting instruction information for at least one refreshment item from the customer;    transmitting the instruction information to a terminal associated with a staff member; and    receiving guidance information from the terminal associated with a staff member, wherein the guidance information includes information associated with a plurality of cooking states.    
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the instruction information comprises at least one of a selection of a refreshment, a quantity of a refreshment, cancellation of a selected refreshment, and a reminder for a selected refreshment.  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the guidance information further comprises at least one of price information of refreshments, menu information of refreshments, food value information, and average cooking time information.  
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of cooking states comprises a served state, an undertaken state, and an untouched state.  
   
   
       13 . A method for fulfilling restaurant orders, comprising: 
 receiving instruction information from a terminal associated with a customer;    accepting guidance information from a staff member, wherein the guidance information includes information associated with a plurality of cooking states; and    transmitting the guidance information to the terminal associated with the customer.    
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the instruction information comprises at least one of a selection of a refreshment, a quantity of a refreshment, cancellation of a selected refreshment, and a reminder for a selected refreshment.  
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the guidance information further comprises at least one of price information of refreshments, menu information of refreshments, food value information, and average cooking time information.  
   
   
       16 . The system according to  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of cooking states comprises a served state, an undertaken state, and an untouched state.