JP2002279288A - Menu information distribution system, menu information distribution method, menu information distribution program - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To provide a menu information distribution service in which a customer can select a menu in a short time and can receive various functional services. SOLUTION: Function selecting means 1, menu selecting means 4,
When a customer's desired menu tendency is selected, the customer information and pre-registered customer information and additional information used to select a menu are read from the storage means 5 and processed. Select menu information and show it to the customer.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a menu information distribution system or a menu information distribution method in which a customer can select a menu in a short time and can receive various function services.
This is related to the menu information distribution program.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Various menu information is disclosed on a homepage on the Internet or a mobile phone terminal network. With the rapid spread of personal computers and mobile phones compatible with the Internet, the number of female users is also increasing rapidly.
It is no longer common sense for those who run homepages. For example, there are an increasing number of cases where menu information is posted on websites of companies that are almost unrelated to menu information such as cosmetics in order to increase women's access.

[0003] Under such circumstances, most of the menu information on existing homepages can be browsed and downloaded free of charge.

[0004] However, is the menu information retrieval on these existing homepages really satisfying for customers? A typical search method on such a homepage is to specify a material and search for menus using the material. The more searchable menus you have, the more time you need to search. I tried to measure on a certain homepage, but started up a personal computer, jumped into the desired homepage, got a list of menu names using materials as keywords, opened the screen with a hit with the menu name, and the image was different There were some materials that the child disliked, and when I checked the menus one after another, it quickly passed more than 10 minutes. I had no choice but to compromise. It is said that the time spent for dinner menu is about 30 minutes most recently, and it is useless in the current situation where more than 10 minutes are spent on the menu decision. In short, most menu searches on existing homepages take a lot of time to search, so that no matter who searches, the same menus are displayed in the same order under certain conditions (for example, given a certain material name). is there.

As a prior art for solving such a conventional problem, there is JP-A-5-128126. This is in response to a menu plan request from a user (dietitian)
A feature of this method is to create a plan based on a generic menu, and then create a menu by assigning a basic menu to each generic menu.
The basic menu pattern is based on zone definitions (customer age, gender,
Life activity intensity), menu planning period (season), menu planning meal type, and the like are stored in the database. One of the basic menu patterns is searched according to the instruction of the user (dietitian), and a menu based on the generic menu is created from this pattern and a table of the generic menu. Further, the menu creation processing unit uses the know-how rules to check whether or not the basic menu assigned to the generic menu matches the rule. If not, the menu is replaced.

Another prior art is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-2188.
No. 75 publication. In this method, the intention of the customer is estimated from the menu recently provided to the customer, and the change of the intention of the customer over a long period is analyzed to calculate the interest of the customer. Menu information is structured by attributes such as nationality (Japanese / Western style), dish name (meat potato, hamburger, yakiniku, etc.), ingredient name (beef, onion, carrot, etc.), and season (August / September, etc.) . Each individual information belonging to each attribute is an attribute value. For example, “carrot” is one of the attribute values belonging to the attribute “material name”.

When a customer first selects a Japanese-style dish containing seasonal ingredients with the instruction input device, for example, in August, "meat and potatoes" using "carrot", which is the seasonal ingredient of August, is displayed. . If the customer instructs, for example, "onion" in response to this presentation, the customer's intention is to request another dish made from "onion", and this device uses Estimate, analyze the customer's intention over a long period of time, calculate the customer's interest, and display another menu again. In this calculation, an attribute, a set of attributes,
The attribute values are represented by a function, subjected to statistical processing, and the validity of the estimation result is evaluated.

[0008] As described above, while the rules are used flexibly in relation to the customer's interest, processing is performed on the structure to increase the degree of freedom of the customer's search, and promptly provide a menu that satisfies the customer's requirements. It is to lead.

[0009]

However, in the method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-128126, it is difficult for a customer to directly use this system, and this is only for those who have nutritional knowledge (for example, nutritionists). Is a system that assists in determining menus for customers. In other words, it is intended to simplify the complicated manual work relying on the know-how of the nutritionist's experience such as nutritional value, material cost, and keeping the same dish from continuing. Domestic customers do not solve the worries of deciding on a menu, especially dinner every day.

[0010] Even if the customer can use this system, the basic menu is defined for each combination of zone definition (age, gender, living activity intensity of the customer), menu planning period (season), menu planning meal type, and the like. Patterns are stored in the database as ingredients, cooking methods, and cooking styles, and a generic menu (specific menu name) is determined for this, and the two are combined (period (week or month)). Because the menu is decided in the house, it is not a system that can be used by customers, mainly housewives. In the first place, customers who are worried about deciding on a generic menu (specific menu names) can't do anything, such as suddenly raising the menu name and revising the menu based on conditions such as nutritional balance and material costs.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 9-218875, it is necessary to continue trial and error to some extent until the menu desired by the customer can be presented. There is a risk of being amiable. Divide all the menu information to be stored into attribute values,
Specifying which attribute each attribute value belongs to also requires a great deal of work. For example, "carrot" belongs to the season of "August", belongs to the dish name of "meat and potato", and belongs to the family of vegetables. These so-called linking of attribute values to attributes complicates the task of increasing menus, complicates such systems, and complicates their construction.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. A menu information distribution system, a menu information distribution method, and a menu information distribution program that allow a customer to select a menu in a short time and receive various functional services. The purpose is to provide.

[0013]

In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, a menu information distribution system according to the present invention is arranged such that when a function selection means indicates a tendency of a menu desired by a customer to be selected by a function selection means, the management means transmits this instruction. The menu selection means is transmitted to the menu selection means, and the menu selection means reads out the pre-registered customer information and additional information used for selecting the menu from the storage means and selects the menu information or menu information group which processes these information. This is output to the management means, and the management means is configured to output the selected menu information or menu information group to the customer, whereby the menu desired by the customer from the first menu delivery is immediately displayed. Service with high satisfaction. Further, it is not necessary to add various attributes to the constituent elements of the menu information, and it is easy for the service provider to increase the menu.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The invention according to claim 1 is a function selecting means for indicating a tendency of a menu desired by a customer to be selected,
A management means for transmitting the instruction, a storage means for storing various information, and a menu selection means for reading information from the storage means and selecting a menu meeting a customer's request; Is instructed by the function selecting means, the managing means transmits the instruction to the menu selecting means, and the menu selecting means reads out the pre-registered customer information and the additional information used for selecting the menu from the storage means, and The menu information or menu information group which has processed the information is selected and output to the management means, and the management means is configured to output the selected menu information or menu information group to the customer. As a result, the customer can make a menu selection in a short time, and can receive functional services desired by various customers.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the menu information distribution system according to the first aspect, the menu selection means uses information existing in a plurality of storage means as additional information. Additional information that plays an important role in making decisions can be requested from external sites, and the latest, abundant and detailed information can be used to improve the accuracy of menu decisions.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the menu information distribution system according to the first aspect, a menu desired by the customer is selected by including at least information on a customer's residence and family's preference for food. Accuracy can be improved.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the menu information distribution system according to the first aspect of the present invention can provide customers with a seasonal menu by including at least information on the season and the day of the week.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in particular, the menu information distribution system according to the second or third aspect includes at least information relating to a weather forecast for each area, thereby making the menu consistent with the weather in the area where the customer lives. Can be provided.

The invention according to claim 6 provides the menu information distribution system according to claim 2 or 3 at least including information on food retail prices for each region, thereby economically shopping in the region where the customer lives. And you are ready for the menu.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, a function selecting step for instructing a tendency of a menu desired by a customer, a management step for transmitting the instruction, and a method of reading information from a storage means for storing various information, A menu selection step of selecting a menu meeting the request of the customer, wherein the menu selection step refers to the tendency of the menu desired to be selected by the customer input in the function selection step and customer information registered in advance from the storage means. And the additional information used to select the menu is read out to select menu information or a group of menu information that has processed these information, and to output this to the customer.

Thus, the customer can select a menu in a short time and can receive various kinds of functional services desired by the customer.

According to the present invention, a function selecting step for instructing a menu tendency desired by the customer, a management step for transmitting the instruction, and information reading from the storage means for storing various information are performed by the customer. A menu selection step of selecting a menu meeting the request of the customer, wherein the menu selection step refers to the tendency of the menu desired by the customer input from the function selection step and is registered in advance from the storage unit by the customer information. And the additional information used to select the menu is read out to select menu information or a group of menu information that has processed these information, and to output this to the customer. As a result, the customer can make a menu selection in a short time, and can receive functional services desired by various customers.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of a database of customer information in a first embodiment of the present invention.

In order to receive such a service, the customer makes a contract with a menu providing service provider in advance. The contract can be made in various ways. For example, the customer accesses a homepage hosted by the menu providing service provider, registers the customer information, gives the ID number, and thereafter, the customer uses the ID number. There is a method of receiving a desired service. This is probably the most popular way to register on the Internet at the moment. The membership fee can be set in various ways, such as a fixed amount such as an annual or monthly fee, and the amount of usage each time it is accessed. It is collected by debiting from a credit card or adding to the telephone line usage. When such a registration procedure is performed on the Internet, it is natural to use means for maintaining confidentiality such as encryption for data transmission and reception. In addition, the registration can be performed by one-to-one communication between a customer such as a personal computer communication, a postcard, and a facsimile, and a menu providing service provider in addition to the Internet.

Upon registration, the customer is required to input the name, address, telephone number, occupation, credit card company and number, family structure, individual preference for food, individual health status, and the like. These are managed in a database as customer information for menu selection. As customer information, we ask for post-meal impressions of menus provided in addition to the above. The provided menu name and the response to it are stored in the database for at least a certain period of time.

The customer information is managed in three groups as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 101 denotes customer attribute data, which stores a name, an address, a telephone number, a credit card number, and the like. This information is used for personal identification and collection of membership fees.

Reference numeral 102 denotes customer intention data regarding meals, which is information input at the time of member registration. The family structure, each person's preference for food, each person's health status, and the like are stored. Each occupation is also stored here. Your occupation is an important factor in providing menus. This is because for people who work outdoors when the load on the body is large, care must be taken to replenish electrolytes such as salts that are lost due to sweating, and to consume high amounts of high-quality proteins and carbohydrates and fats that easily become energy. Would be necessary. On the other hand, in occupations mainly in office work, it is necessary to take measures to prevent excessive nutrition supply and supplementation of vitamin B group to eliminate eye strain.

Reference numeral 103 denotes customer response data to services provided since the menu providing service such as recent menu offerings and post-meal impressions have been started. The former is stored by a menu providing service provider, and the latter is input by the customer. As described above, in 103, the trader input information and the customer input information are mixed.

On the other hand, an order function is prepared in advance from the menu providing service provider and is selected and used by the customer. FIG. 3 is a list showing an example of such an order function. Examples of the order function include "diet (low calorie, nutrition intake, balance instruction)", "management and therapeutic food required", "eco-recipe", "10-minute recipe", "taste of famous chef", "introduction to cooking" Is prepared. The order function is displayed on a display means of a system to be described later, and there are a configuration that is selected by a customer each time the system is used and a method of determining a course at the time of a registration contract. In any case, the burden on the menu provider varies considerably depending on the function, so the cost will be different for each course.

The reason for providing such an order function and having the customer make a selection is to ask the customer to declare what he / she wants to do, to quickly search and provide the menu desired by the customer, It is an object of the present invention to provide a service in which the merit of receiving the service is greater than the cost incurred. In other words, most of the menu searches on existing homepages require a lot of time to search, so that no matter who searches, only the same menu is displayed in the same order under certain conditions (for example, by specifying a certain material name). In other words, the present invention realizes a menu information distribution system in which a customer can select a menu in a short time and gains by receiving various functional services.

Explaining the contents of the order function, "diet" is not a narrow meaning of "slimming" but a service for improving nutritional balance, and even stepping into exercise and exercise amount. Specifically, "low calorie"
Services such as "nutrition intake" and "balancing guidance" are implemented, and customers can choose a desired service to gain slimming and conversely nourishment, improve their life balance and escape from lifestyle-related diseases before they happen .

The “management required / medicine required” is a dietary service provided under the guidance of a doctor / dietitian. "Eco-recipe" is a menu service that does not require shopping using the contents of the refrigerator. "10-minute recipe" is a menu service that allows quick preparation when time is short. "Cooking Introduction Class" is a service that offers beginners from how to cut vegetables for beginners in cooking.

Food information stored in the refrigerator is important information for such menu support services. For example, Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2001-022982 and 20 filed by the present inventors.
It can be handled by combining inventions such as 01-022984 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-022985.

As described above, in the present invention, the menu search method is significantly different from the conventional one. That is, even when a representative material is specified on an existing homepage or the like and a menu using the material is searched, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-21887 shown in the conventional example is used.
No. 5 nationality (Japanese / Western style), seasonal (8
Month, September, etc.).
It does not search for menu items such as "Japanese dishes containing seasonal ingredients." Customers never want to eat a Japanese-style menu using carrots, a seasonal ingredient in August. “Japanese-style cuisine with seasonal ingredients” has already let customers go through the first step of menu selection.

In the present invention, the entry point is "to indicate the tendency of the menu desired by the customer to select". "Diet" to improve nutritional balance, "Dietary service requiring management and therapeutic food" provided under the guidance of doctors and dietitians, "Eco-recipe", a menu service that uses the contents of the refrigerator and does not require shopping, and has no time Let customers declare what they want to do, such as a menu service “10-minute recipe” that allows quick preparation. The concept of the "order function" is the point of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The function selecting means 1 instructs the managing means 2 on the tendency of the menu desired by the customer to select, ie, the "order function". A predetermined display is displayed on the display means 3 to support selection of a customer. For example, FIG. 4 shows an example of such a display. In the order function shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 4, "Eco-recipe" is selected by the cursor, and the characters are highlighted. If it is determined in this state (detailed illustration of operation and display will be given later), "Eco-recipe" is transmitted to the management means 2 as an order function, and the management means 2 instructs the menu selection means 4. Such an instruction can be realized by, for example, a modem. The management means 2 has such communication means. The communication means can also be connected like a personal computer communication that connects the customer's terminal directly with the menu of the menu providing service provider by telephone line, or the customer's contracted provider can be connected to the relevant office via telephone line, and thereafter the Internet Of course, it is also possible to use a configuration in which the connection is made by using. A mobile phone line, a cable television, a dedicated optical fiber line, and the like can be used, and the present invention is not limited to a connection method.

The site of the menu providing service provider is provided with a storage means 5 for storing various information, and stores customer information registered in advance, menu information for storing a plurality of menu information, and a menu for selecting a menu. At least additional information to be used is stored. The menu selection means 4 which reads out information from the storage means 5 and selects a menu which meets customer's request selects the menu.

When the management means 2 informs the menu selection means 4 of the menu tendency desired by the customer input from the function selection means 1, the menu selection means 4 stores the customer information registered in advance in the storage means 5. Is read out, additional information used for selecting a menu is read out, and menu information or menu information group which has processed such information is selected and transmitted to the management means 2. The management means 2 displays the selected menu information on the display means 3 to indicate to the customer.

Here, the information shown in FIG. 5 is stored as the additional information. “Season / day of the week”, “regional weather forecast”, “seasonal food information”, and “sales information”.

The skeleton of "season / day of the week" is a clock function, and a computer system is a function normally provided. In this example, the data is provided in the storage means, but a configuration provided in the menu selection means 5 is also possible. It is also useful to memorize seasons and events, such as Setsubun and Ritsuharu, in addition to the seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. For example, the relationship between food and the calendar is deeply rooted in the Japanese mind, such as preparing the New Year's New Year and the New Year's Eve Soba, and in the Kansai region, biting rolled sushi rolls recently in Setsubun. It is necessary to keep.

The "area-limited weather forecast" is a weather forecast service for a very limited area. For example, a service such as forecasting the weather tonight in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo is already a business, and a lunch box for a baseball field is provided. It seems that accuracy has been improved, supported by strong needs such as arrangements and new weather forecasts using satellites and networks. on the other hand,
Weather is one of the key factors in deciding on a menu. It is important not only the weather of the day, but also the weather over several days. For example, in late autumn when the temperature suddenly becomes cold, the suggestion of tofu and hot pot is pleasing, but if the temperature recovers one day later, it will be a missed menu proposal.

The "seasonal food information" is information on the arrival of a seasonal food to the market. For example, Sanma off Sanriku has arrived in Osaka, or Hatatsuo first appeared in Tsukiji, Tokyo.
It is information such as the performance of Beaujolais Nouveau this year. Seasonal ingredients are inexpensive, tasty, and give a strong sense of the season, and are an important factor in menu decisions.

The "sale information" is information on a sale at a local supermarket or the like. At present, newspaper flyers and the like are used only. However, it is a matter of time to use the network nationwide together with the development of infrastructure. is there. In addition, supermarkets and other bargains have a very strong influence in deciding menus. In many cases, customers preparing menus purchase foodstuffs impulsively at the store where they went shopping. Therefore, knowing "sale information" in advance, notifying the customer of this, and making a menu proposal are useful ways to gain strong customer support.

(Embodiment 2) The additional information storage means 8 shown in FIG. 1 does not need to be all installed in the same site of the menu providing service provider. FIG. 6 is a control block diagram according to another embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in FIG. 1 are given the same numbers.

In this embodiment, the additional information in FIG.
It is divided into a storage means 5 installed in the same site of the menu providing service provider and an additional information storage means installed in another site. The menu selection means 4 communicates with these sites to obtain additional information. In this embodiment, communication is performed with the two sites of the additional information storage means B6 and the additional information storage means C7. This communication can be performed by a dedicated line or by the Internet or an intranet. Further, the number of additional information storage means provided outside is not limited to two.

By the way, "season / day of the week" is prepared as additional information provided in the menu of the menu service provider. The skeleton of “season / day of the week” is the clock function,
Although a computer system is a function normally provided, it stores not only a mere spring, summer, autumn and winter and a calendar, but also seasons and events such as Setsubun and Ritsuharu, and stores the relationship between food and calendar as data. This information is data that does not need to be updated very frequently.

In the additional information storage means B6 provided outside the menu of the menu providing service provider, "area-limited weather forecast"
Is stored. This is a weather forecast service for a very limited area and is an important factor in menu decisions such as heat / cold, sunny / rainy / snowy sky. However, this information is extremely difficult for menu service providers to predict on their own. It is a service that belongs to a very specialized field of collecting, analyzing, and forecasting weather information, and it is more economical to purchase and use information from a specialized service provider. Therefore, it is useful to sign a contract with the service provider for this type of information and to transmit and receive the information to and from the site of the menu providing service provider for each use or at a collective fee.

In the additional information storage means C7 provided outside the menu of the menu providing service provider, "seasonal food information" and "sales information" are stored. "Seasonal ingredients information"
Is information on the arrival of seasonal ingredients to the market, and "sales information" is information on discounts at a local supermarket or the like. At present, it is hard to say that the data has been developed yet, but it is expected that data will be rapidly built on the network with the development of the infrastructure. Such information is formed in cooperation with a menu providing service provider and a local supermarket, and is disclosed to customers and menu providing service providers on the Web, thereby creating a new advertising medium replacing newspaper flyers. Supermarkets and other food retailers also benefit greatly, and this information will be available free of charge. This information is enormous and its immediacy is decisive, but in this way the cooperation of the two companies will bring benefits to both companies, and will also gain great customer support.

(Embodiment 3) In the first and second embodiments, functions used by customers can be realized in various forms. For example, if a program capable of communicating with a menu providing service provider is installed in advance on a personal computer, the personal computer can receive this service on the Internet. Similarly, the menu providing service can be realized by a network service on a mobile phone such as i-mode.

FIG. 7 is an external view of an embodiment in which functions used by customers of the present invention are summarized in a mobile form, and FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing functions provided in the portable terminal.

The function selecting means 1 is constituted by input means such as a keyboard, and the display means 3 is constituted by a liquid crystal monitor, a plasma display and the like.

The function selecting means 1 comprises the following key group. There are four cursor keys 8 and a decision key 9 for moving the position of the cursor, a numeric keypad 10 for inputting numbers and characters, a character input key 11 for instructing input switching of numbers and characters, and an erase / cancel key 12.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, a management means 2 is provided inside the body. The management means 2 can be realized by providing a microcomputer, a storage medium, and a means for connecting to a modem or a mobile phone as communication means. It is also beneficial to install an OS called PDA, for example, developed by Palm Computing Co., USA in the microcomputer. This is an operating system for mobile terminals called palmware, which is regarded as the favorite of mobile terminals in the i-mode.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a procedure in which a customer selects an order function on such a portable terminal. First, a list of order functions is shown on the screen. The customer uses the cursor keys 8 to select a desired service. Although there are four cursor keys 8, here, the cursor is moved to, for example, "Eco-recipe" on the screen by operating the upper and lower two cursor keys. The selected function is highlighted. When the enter key 9 is pressed in this state, the “eco recipe” is confirmed as an order function and transmitted to the management means 2. The management means 2 communicates with the menu of the menu providing service provider and instructs the menu selection means 4 to do so.

Then, the menu of the menu providing service provider grasps the tendency of the menu desired by the customer to select and reads out the customer information registered in advance and the additional information used for selecting the menu. And select menu information. The specific method will be described later in detail.

When the menu is selected, this information is returned to the customer. FIG. 10 is a menu providing diagram showing this example. In this embodiment, six menus are displayed on one screen.
Since the menu is displayed as an image, the customer can make a menu decision while roughly grasping the result. The desired menu is selected from the menus using the cursor key 8 and the menu key is determined by pressing the enter key 9.

The point of the present invention is to select a menu that the customer desires in the first six screens, but if there is nothing that can be pinned, the cursor can be moved to “Next page”. ", And press the enter key 9, six menus of the second candidate are displayed.

When the menu is determined, the screen switches to the material display of FIG. If the material is stored in a refrigerator or the like, the cursor key 8 is moved to select “procedure”, and if the enter key 9 is pressed, the screen switches to the procedure screen of FIG. If you don't have the ingredients and need to shop, just go shopping at the supermarket with this material screen. In this example, since "Eco-Recipe" was initially selected, information on the cheapest store on that day in the area where the customer resides is displayed at the bottom of this screen. It can also show the price and show which stores are the best today to shop most efficiently.

In this embodiment, the display means 3 is 5 to 6
It is a color liquid crystal having a size of inches. Thus, when the menu is provided, the menu can be completed and a color image can be shown, so that the customer can easily determine the menu. On mobile phone terminals, the screen is too small to make this choice. When using a personal computer, the screen is large and the selection is easy, but it is difficult to effectively use the material and procedure information shown after the menu is decided. Even if it is a laptop computer, it is difficult to bring it to the supermarket to go shopping, and it is inconvenient to make the menu in the kitchen because it is far away. The end result is printouts on paper, which is cumbersome and uneconomical. As described above, when the dedicated mobile terminal shown in FIG. 7 is used, the menu selection in FIG. 10, the display of the material and shopping information in FIG. 11, and the procedural information in FIG. 11 can be appropriately used in appropriate places.

(Embodiment 4) Next, a program for implementing menu selection means for selecting a menu desired by a customer will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of such a program.

First, the customer inputs the name of the person who receives the order function and menu provision (person who eats the menu) from the portable terminal (step 104). Then, the customer information stored in the server and the additional information A in the site are read (step 105).

As described above, customer information is managed in three groups as shown in FIG. Reference numeral 101 denotes customer attribute data, reference numeral 102 denotes customer's intention data regarding meals, and reference numeral 103 denotes customer's reaction data to services provided after menu provision services such as recent menu provision and post-meal impressions have been started.

When a customer instructs the order function, information necessary for menu search is read out from pre-registered customer information and set in a predetermined register or RAM. FIG. 14 shows such a procedure.

In this example, the address code is set in the register A from the attribute data 101 of the customer. The address code expresses the minimum unit for which local limited weather forecasts and supermarket sale information are available when registering as a member. Assigned by comparing with the address code table.

Next, in the register B, the favorite food of the person receiving the menu is written. A plurality of registers B can be written, and if there are a plurality of people who receive menu offerings, foods that do not match are overwritten. In the same manner, the disliked food is written in the register C.

In the register D, the latest offer menu recorded by the trader is written. For example, a plurality of menu names are written in units of the past two weeks, one month, or ten times.

Additional information A (additional information in the site of the trader)
There are seasons and days of the week. These are set in registers E and F, respectively.

In this way, the customer's preference, the latest menu, the area in which the customer resides, the season, the day of the week, etc. are set in the predetermined register (step 106).

Based on the register information, additional information B and C of a predetermined address are read using a communication line (step 107). Then, the sale information such as the weather in the predetermined area, the arrival status of seasonal ingredients in the market, and the local supermarket is set in the predetermined register (step 108).

FIG. 15 shows a method for loading the additional information from an external site. First, the contents of the register A are read (step 127), and a connection is made to a site that can provide a weather forecast in the area designated by the register A (step 1).
28). More specifically, the area code and the address of the weather forecast site are managed as table information, and it is possible to connect to a predetermined site. Download the coded weather forecast for the area at this site (Step 12)
9). The coded weather forecast is, for example, 01 if the weather is sunny and hot, 11 if the temperature drops due to rain, 28 if the weather is cloudy and wet after the rain, etc. And download it. By coding, the communication time can be shortened, and it can be easily used as digital data in menu search later. Such information is often charged, but a contract is concluded in advance with the menu service provider regarding the billing method, the details of the provided information, the coding method, and the like. If this information is set in a predetermined register, for example, a register G, the reading of the weather information is completed (step 1).
30).

Next, a connection is made to a site that can provide a food forecast in the area specified by the contents of the register A (step 131). The connection method is the same as the weather information. Then, the sales information of the seasonal ingredients in the market in the area and the discount information of the local supermarket are downloaded (step 132). These are obtained as specific foodstuff names. Then, the name of the seasonal food is set in a predetermined register H (step 133), and the name and price of a cheap food such as a supermarket in the area are set in a predetermined register i (step 134). The above is the method of taking in additional information from an external site.

Returning to FIG. 13, the menu search is finally started. First, to control the menu number, an initial value 1 is set in a predetermined register or RAM (step 109). Next, the menu of menu number 1 is examined in detail from the stored menu groups. First, it is checked whether or not the food which the customer dislikes is not included (step 11).
0). This can be checked by successively comparing the food name set in the register C with the menu list of menu items.
In addition, it is checked whether the information has been recently provided to the customer (step 1).
11). This can be checked by sequentially comparing the menu name in the register D with the search menu name. Menus that contain foods you dislike or that you recently offered are excluded from the menu.

If none of the above applies, a check is then made based on the additional information, that is, it is checked whether or not it matches the weather of the area on that day (step 112). This search is performed based on the coded weather forecast information set in the register G. For example, if the code 11 indicates that the temperature drops due to rain, it is checked whether the menu corresponds to the code. Such an inspection can be performed by providing a weather information code in the menu information. In other words, a predetermined address, which is suitable for a warm thing such as a stew or a pot, is stored as information at a predetermined address.

FIG. 16 shows the storage configuration of such menu information in the storage means. One menu information includes completed image data, material data, procedure data, and weather data. The image data occupies the largest capacity, and the material data is shown in FIG.
, And the procedure data is displayed as shown in FIG. The weather data is different from the data displayed on these display means. Due to the nature of the menu, what kind of weather it is suitable for is verified in advance by a menu providing service provider, coded as data and stored at address 02FF. Have been. There can be more than one of those codes. The code or group of codes stored here is compared with the coded weather forecast information set in the register G. If they do not match, it is determined that the weather does not match the weather and is excluded from the offered menu candidates.

In this weather, the customer's satisfaction of menu selection can be further enhanced by going back several days as well as the day. In other words, if you keep cold for a few days, you will miss warm things such as stews and hot pots, and if the weather keeps warm for a week, even if the day cools down a bit, you will not be pleased with the tofu.

Subsequent to the weather check, it is checked whether or not the customer's order function is met (step 113). The order information to which the menu fits is recorded in the menu information shown in FIG. 16, and some menus correspond to a plurality of order functions, and some menus correspond to only a single order function. The function order recorded at this address is compared with the function order specified by the customer,
If they do not match, they are excluded.

If any one of the items is satisfied through the above check, the menu is excluded from the provided menu, and the process jumps to step 115 in preparation for the next search. Only menus that pass all these checks are stored (step 114). Note that the comparison and comparison in steps 110, 111, 112, and 113 can lead to the same result even if the order is changed.

Thus, the search for one menu has been completed.

In order to verify the next menu, the value of the menu number register is incremented by 1 (step 115). A test is made to see if this number exceeds the stored menu number (step 116), and if not, the process returns to step 110 and the same verification is repeated. Then, the numbers of the offered menu candidates are stored one after another.

When all menus have been checked, the stored selected menu group is processed in priority order based on the impressions of past menu offerings (step 117). This is a process in which a post-meal impression of a menu provided in the past is evaluated, for example, on a five-point scale, and a menu with a good response and a similar menu are displayed preferentially. Information such as ingredients and seasonings are already registered at the time of membership registration, but by adding a post-meal evaluation of this menu, it is possible to more accurately understand the menu desired by the customer and its tendency, and the potential for customers to be aware of You can read even your favorite taste. By performing this process,
When the next menu image is displayed (step 118), a menu that satisfies the customer can be displayed on the first screen. Moreover, the more you use this service, the higher its accuracy will be, and you can win the trust of customers.

If the customer inputs a menu confirmation (step 119), the menu material and bargain information as shown in FIG. 11 are displayed (step 120). Here, the process is temporarily suspended (step 121), and the next customer waits for input of “procedure” (step 122).
Once there is a possibility of shopping here, communication will be cut off once, but if there is access from the same customer,
This step 121 is continued.

When "procedure" is input, data for displaying the menu procedure as shown in FIG. 12 is transmitted (step 123). Then, the processing is suspended again (step 12).
4), after-meal impression input by the next customer (step 12)
5) Wait.

As described above, in this embodiment, the menu selection means of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6 can be realized by a program.

[0086]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to input a menu tendency desired by a customer to select, utilize customer information registered in advance, and add weather and regional bargain information. By taking this information into account and processing this information, selecting menu information and presenting it to the customer, the customer can select a menu in a short time and realize a menu information distribution service that can receive various functional services. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of a customer information database according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of an order function according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example on a display unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing information stored in an additional information storage unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a control block diagram according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an external view of a third embodiment in which functions used by customers of the present invention are summarized in a mobile form.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating functions of a portable terminal according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a procedure in which a customer selects an order function using a portable terminal according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a menu selected by a customer on a mobile terminal according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a material displayed to a customer on a portable terminal according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a procedure displayed to a customer on a mobile terminal according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a program showing a menu selection method according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a procedure for setting information necessary for menu search from a customer information and additional information A in a predetermined register;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a program showing a method of taking additional information B and additional information C from an external site.

FIG. 16 is a memory diagram showing a storage configuration of menu information in a storage unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 function selection means 2 management means 4 menu selection means 5 storage means

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A function selecting means for indicating a tendency of a menu desired by a customer to be selected, a managing means for transmitting the instruction, a storing means for storing various information, and a request from a customer by reading information from the storing means and reading information from the storing means. Menu selection means for selecting a menu that responds to the request, and when the management means informs the menu selection means of the tendency of the menu desired by the customer input from the function selection means, the menu selection means stores the menu. Means for reading out the customer information and the additional information used to select the menu from the means, selecting the menu information or menu information group which has processed these information, and outputting this to the management means; A menu information distribution system wherein the management means is configured to output the selected menu information or menu information group to the customer. 2. The menu information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said menu selection means uses information existing in storage means of another system via a communication line as additional information. 3. The menu information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said customer information storage means includes at least information on a customer's residence and family's preference for food. 4. The menu information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the additional information storage means includes at least information on a season and a day of the week. 5. The menu information distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the additional information storage means includes at least information on a weather forecast for each area. 6. The menu information distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the additional information storage means includes at least information on a food retail price for each region. 7. A function selecting step for indicating a tendency of a menu desired by a customer to be selected, a management step for transmitting the instruction, and selecting a menu that meets a customer's request by reading information from storage means for storing various information. The menu selection step to select customer information and menus registered in advance from the storage unit by referring to the tendency of the menu desired by the customer input in the function selection step. Read the additional information to be used, select the menu information or menu information group that processes these information,
A menu information distribution method configured to output this to customers. 8. A function selecting step for indicating a tendency of a menu desired by the customer to be selected, a management step for transmitting the instruction, and reading out information from a storage means for storing various information to select a menu which meets the customer's request. The menu selection step includes selecting the customer information and menu pre-registered from the storage unit with reference to the menu tendency desired by the customer input from the function selection step. A menu information distribution program configured to read additional information to be used, select the menu information or menu information group that has processed such information, and output the selected menu information or menu information to the customer.