JP2010044463A - Information management support device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information management support device capable of easily confirming a material owned as stock and easily updating material information on a material.
An information management support apparatus includes a storage unit, a receiving unit, a computing unit, and an output unit. The storage unit 11 stores information about materials owned as inventory as inventory information D1. The receiving unit 12 receives purchase material information D2 of the material purchased by the user from the terminal-type electronic cash register. The calculation unit 13 rewrites the inventory information D1 stored in the storage unit 11 based on the purchased material information D2 received by the reception unit 12. The output unit 14 outputs at least a part of the inventory information D1 stored in the storage unit 11.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an information management support apparatus that supports information management of materials owned as inventory.

  An electronic shopping support apparatus is known as an information management support apparatus according to the prior art. The electronic shopping support apparatus extracts material information that matches the search condition from the cooking database, and displays a shopping list. The user inputs that the material has been purchased by adding a check to the material information displayed on the shopping list.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-258995

  In the electronic shopping support apparatus according to the prior art, it is necessary for the user to check the materials already owned with respect to the shopping list representing the material information that needs to be purchased, and to manually input each material. Therefore, there is a problem that the higher the frequency of use, the more complicated the confirmation work and manual input of the materials already owned. The electronic shopping support apparatus according to the prior art can register the expiration date of inventory materials, but confirmation work and manual input for the update are necessary, and work related to inventory confirmation and entry is necessary. There is a problem that it is complicated.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an information management support device that can easily check a material that is owned as a stock, and that can easily update material information about the material.

  According to the present invention, the information management support apparatus includes a storage unit, a reception unit, a calculation unit, and an output unit. The storage unit stores information about materials owned as inventory as inventory information. A receiving part receives the purchase material information of the material which the user purchased from the terminal-type electronic cash register. The computing unit rewrites the inventory information stored in the storage unit based on the purchased material information received by the receiving unit. The output unit outputs at least part of the inventory information stored in the storage unit.

  According to the invention, the storage unit stores in advance a plurality of pieces of cooking information and necessary material information related to each piece of cooking information, and the information management support device further includes a user input unit. The user input unit inputs the dish information selected by the user to the calculation unit. The calculation unit compares the necessary material information related to the dish information input from the user input unit with the inventory information, and if there is residual information excluding information that overlaps with the inventory information among the necessary material information, Is calculated as insufficient material information. The output unit outputs the insufficient material information calculated by the calculation unit.

According to the invention, the storage unit further stores the insufficient material information.
Further, according to the present invention, the calculation unit compares the insufficient material information with the purchased material information, and if there is residual information excluding information that overlaps with the purchased material information among the insufficient material information, the residual information is not yet stored. Calculated as the purchased material division. The output unit outputs unpurchased material information.

  Further, according to the present invention, if there is unpurchased material information, the arithmetic unit rewrites information stored as insufficient material information to be the same as the unpurchased material information, and all of the insufficient material information overlaps with the purchased material information. To clear the missing material information.

  Further, according to the present invention, the inventory information includes information on the expiration date of the material owned as inventory, and the output unit sets the expiration date if there is a material that has passed the expiration date among the materials included above the inventory. Output warning information about past material.

  According to the invention, the information management support device further includes a time measuring unit, and the time measuring unit measures time. The user input unit includes a set time input unit, and the set time input unit inputs information on a set time predetermined by the user into the storage unit. The storage unit further stores information on the set time input from the set time input unit. The calculation unit determines whether or not the current time and the set time input by the user match based on the measurement result by the time measuring unit and the set time information stored in the storage unit. The output unit outputs the input promotion information when the calculation unit determines that the current time matches the set time. The input promotion information prompts the user to input.

  Further, according to the present invention, the input promotion information includes promotion information that prompts input of information on the material that has been used out of the inventory information.

  Further, according to the present invention, the calculation unit deletes information overlapping with information on the material that has been used out of the inventory information.

According to the invention, the input promotion information includes promotion information that prompts input of cooking information.
According to the invention, the storage unit stores information on a plurality of set times and information indicating a type set for each set time. The input promotion information includes a plurality of pieces of promotion information that differ depending on the type set for the set time.

  According to the present invention, the receiving unit receives the purchased material information of the material purchased by the user from the terminal-type electronic cash register. This eliminates the need for manual entry in order to update the inventory information even if the materials owned as inventory increase by purchasing the materials. Therefore, it is possible to easily update the inventory information as compared with the case where the inventory information is manually input, and it is possible to suppress an increase in necessary labor against an increase in the frequency of updating the inventory information. . Therefore, it is possible to facilitate the confirmation work of the materials owned as inventory.

  Moreover, according to this invention, a calculating part compares the required material information relevant to the dish information input from the user input part with inventory information, and an output part outputs the shortage material information which the calculating part calculated. . Thereby, the material related to the dish indicated by the dish information input by the user can be output to the user. Therefore, the user can know the ingredients to be purchased based on the dish. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to purchase ingredients necessary for cooking.

  According to the invention, the storage unit further stores the insufficient material information. Accordingly, it is possible to eliminate the necessity of calculating the shortage material information every time the dish information is input. Therefore, when the user wants to know the insufficient material information, it is possible to eliminate the necessity of inputting the cooking information, and to reduce the load on the calculation unit for calculating the insufficient material information.

  Moreover, according to this invention, a calculating part calculates as an unpurchased material division | segmentation method, and an output part outputs unpurchased material information. Thereby, it is possible to output to the user a material that is necessary for creating a dish of the dish information input by the user and that still needs to be purchased.

  Further, according to the present invention, if there is unpurchased material information, the arithmetic unit rewrites information stored as insufficient material information to be the same as unpurchased material information, and all of the insufficient material information overlaps with purchased material information. To clear the missing material information. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the shortage material information and the unpurchased material information from being accumulated individually and redundantly. Therefore, the amount of information stored in the storage unit can be reduced. As a result, the processing speed of the calculation unit can be increased, and the time required for calculation and output can be shortened.

  Further, according to the present invention, if there is a material whose expiration date has passed among the materials included above the inventory, the output unit outputs warning information about the material whose expiration date has passed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from using the material whose expiration date has passed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent adverse effects caused by using a material whose expiration date has passed.

  According to the present invention, the information management support device further includes a time measurement unit, and the output unit outputs the input promotion information when the calculation unit determines that the current time matches the set time. The input promotion information prompts the user to input. This prevents the user from forgetting to input. Further, since the input promotion information is output at a preset time set by the user, it is possible to prompt the user to input at a time when the user thinks that the input is possible. Therefore, the possibility that the input is postponed can be reduced.

  Further, according to the present invention, the input promotion information includes promotion information that prompts the user to input information on the material that has been used out of the inventory information. Thereby, the information about the material which has been used can be reflected in the inventory information.

  Moreover, according to this invention, a calculating part erase | eliminates the information which overlaps with the information of the material which was used among inventory information. Thereby, the information amount of the inventory information memorize | stored in a memory | storage part can be reduced. Therefore, the processing speed of the calculation unit can be increased, and the time required for calculation and output can be shortened.

  According to the invention, the input promotion information includes promotion information that prompts input of cooking information. Thereby, the necessity of preparation for cooking can be notified to the user at the time set by the user. Therefore, it is possible to make the user determine whether or not it is necessary to go out for shopping at the time set by the user, and to prevent forgetting to prepare.

  According to the present invention, the storage unit stores information on a plurality of set times and information indicating a type set for each set time, and the input promotion information is in accordance with the type set for the set time. Contains several different promotional information. As a result, for example, it is possible to set a time for prompting input of cooking information and a time for prompting input of information about a material that has been used, and for a plurality of events that may cause harmful effects due to forgetting, You can call attention. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of harmful effects due to forgetting, and to promote peace of mind regarding the preparation of materials.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are illustrated for embodying the technology according to the present invention, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The technical contents according to the present invention can be variously modified within the technical scope described in the claims.

(Embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information management support apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, the information management support apparatus 10 is an apparatus that supports information management about materials owned as inventory. The information management support apparatus 10 includes a storage unit 11, a reception unit 12, a calculation unit 13, and an output unit 14. The storage unit 11 stores information about materials owned as inventory as inventory information D1. The receiving unit 12 receives purchased material information D2 of material purchased by the user from a terminal-type electronic cash register (abbreviated as “POS terminal”). The calculation unit 13 rewrites the inventory information D1 stored in the storage unit 11 based on the purchased material information D2 received by the reception unit 12. The output unit 14 outputs at least a part of the inventory information D1 stored in the storage unit 11. At least the storage unit 11, the receiving unit 12, and the output unit 14 are formed integrally and portable.

  The information management support device 10 is realized by, for example, a personal digital assistance (abbreviated as “PDA”) or a device having a function of a mobile phone, and the storage unit 11 is realized by a non-volatile medium, for example. Alternatively, it may be realized by a semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, a static random access memory (SRAM), a pseudo SRAM, a memory card such as an SD card, a hard disk, or the like.

  The output unit 14 is realized by a liquid crystal display device in the present embodiment. However, the output unit 14 may be a display device that does not use liquid crystal, or may be an output device that outputs audio information. It can also be realized by an information output unit that is connected to either a printer or a plotter and causes the printer or plotter to print or print. In order to use vibration as an output of input promotion information described later, the output unit 14 may include a vibrator that generates vibration.

  The inventory information D1 includes information on the expiration date of the material that is owned as inventory, and the output unit 14 indicates whether the material included in the inventory has exceeded the expiration date if there is a material that has exceeded the expiration date. Output warning information. In the present embodiment, inventory information D1, necessary material information D3, purchased material information D2, insufficient material information D4, and unpurchased material information D5 are information on foodstuffs. In this embodiment, the expiration date includes at least one of the expiration date and the expiration date, and when both the expiration date and the expiration date are displayed for one food, the expiration date of the earlier visitor is stored as the expiration date. It is preferable to do.

  The storage unit 11 stores a plurality of pieces of cooking information and necessary material information D3 related to each piece of cooking information in advance, and the information management support apparatus 10 further includes a user input unit 16. The receiving unit 12 and the user input unit 16 function as an input unit 18 for the calculation unit 13. The necessary material information D3 related to each dish information can also be rewritten by an input from the user input unit 16.

  The user input unit 16 inputs the dish information selected by the user to the calculation unit 13. The calculation unit 13 compares the necessary material information D3 related to the dish information input from the user input unit 16 with the inventory information D1, and the remaining information excluding information overlapping with the inventory information D1 in the necessary material information D3. If there is, the remaining information is calculated as insufficient material information D4. The output unit 14 outputs the insufficient material information D4 calculated by the calculation unit 13. The storage unit 11 further stores the insufficient material information D4. The calculation unit 13 is realized by, for example, a central processing unit (abbreviated as “CPU”).

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the mutual relationship between the information stored in the storage unit 11 and the information calculated by the calculation unit 13 in an embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the material owned as stock is, for example, food stored in the refrigerator. When eating meals at home, the assortment of food in the refrigerator changes almost every day. Although the material owned as stock may include, for example, dry foods, the food stored in the refrigerator is often raw, and the frequency of changes in the assortment is higher than that of dry foods. Therefore, the information on the material stored as the inventory information D1 in the information management support device 10 may include information on the dry food, but at least includes raw food that is often stored in the refrigerator.

  The stock information D1 includes the name, expiration date, quantity, etc. of the stored foodstuff, and the quantity is stored as information such as the number of persons, weight, number, etc., for example. The stock information D1 may further include information such as the properties of each food material. The stock information D1 includes information on the type of each ingredient as a name, and the storage unit 11 uses each name as one item, and information on each ingredient other than the name, for example, information such as the expiration date, quantity, and property, Store in association with each item.

  The cooking information is preferably stored in advance in the information management support apparatus 10 or input from the external input device to the information management support apparatus 10 at once. Necessary material information D3 related to each dish information is related to the dish information. The necessary material information D3 includes a so-called recipe, includes material information necessary for producing a dish represented by the dish information, and may include information such as a food material, a shape, and a size as a raw material of the dish. The necessary material information D3 may further include, for example, information about a color preferable for use in each dish. The necessary information includes information on the type of each ingredient as a name, and the storage unit 11 uses each name as one item, and information on each ingredient other than the name, such as information on the shape, size, color, etc. Store in association with the item.

  When the dish to be prepared is determined from the dish information, the missing material information D4 is obtained by subtracting an item that overlaps with the inventory information D1 from the item of the necessary material information D3 associated with the dish information of the determined dish. Sought by. In the present embodiment, the items included in the inventory information D1 and the items included in the necessary material information D3 are handled as the same item if the names are the same, but differ if, for example, the shape or size is different. It can also be handled as an item.

  The insufficient material information D4 is information obtained by subtracting information that overlaps with the inventory information D1 in the necessary material information D3, that is, information on food that is not in stock unless purchased. The information management support apparatus 10 can prompt the user to purchase by displaying the insufficient material information D4 by the output unit 14. The calculation unit 13 compares the insufficient material information D4 with the purchased material information D2, and if there is residual information excluding information that overlaps with the purchased material information D2 in the insufficient material information D4, this residual information is used as an unpurchased material. Calculate as the division. The output unit 14 outputs unpurchased material information D5.

  The purchase material information D <b> 2 is received from the POS terminal 21 by the receiving unit 12 and stored in the storage unit 11. The receiving unit 12 is configured to be able to receive information from the POS terminal 21. Since the POS terminal 21 individually recognizes the products purchased by the purchaser of the food and accumulates them as information, the receiving unit 12 stores information about the products purchased by the user of the information management support apparatus 10 in the POS terminal 21. It is possible to receive from

  The POS terminal 21 is realized by a device installed as a so-called cash register. In order to facilitate the transmission of information from the POS terminal 21 to the receiving unit 12, the POS terminal 21 includes a transmission unit corresponding to the information management support apparatus 10, and the information management support apparatus 10 and the POS terminal 21 as a whole. It is preferably formed as a configuration included in the unified food information management support apparatus 10.

  The transmission of information between the POS terminal 21 and the receiving unit 12 is preferably realized by non-contact communication such as FeliCa or NFC (near field communication). The receiving unit 12 preferably includes a non-contact IC card 26 that has an antenna inside the card and transmits and receives data using radio waves transmitted from an external terminal. The non-contact IC card 26 can generate electricity for operation of the non-contact IC card 26 itself by electromagnetic induction using radio waves transmitted from a transmission-side device, and can be operated without a battery.

  The purchased material information D2 includes information on the type of each ingredient as a name, and the storage unit 11 includes each name as one item, and information on each ingredient other than the name, such as information on the shape, size, color, etc. , Store in association with each item. The unpurchased material information D5 is purchased from the item of the insufficient material information D4 when the user purchases the food and acquires the purchased material information D2 from the POS terminal 21 to the information management support apparatus 10 via the receiving unit 12. It is obtained by subtracting the item of material information D2. In the present embodiment, the items of the insufficient material information D4 and the items of the purchased material information D2 are handled as the same item if the names are the same, but are different items if, for example, either the shape or the size is different. It can also be handled as a thing.

  The unpurchased material information D5 is information on foods that are not yet owned by the user even if the purchased material information D2 is input. The information management support apparatus 10 can prompt the user to purchase by displaying the unpurchased material information D5 by the output unit 14. If there is unpurchased material information D5, the calculation unit 13 rewrites the information stored as the insufficient material information D4 to be the same as the unpurchased material information D5, and when all of the insufficient material information D4 overlaps with the purchased material information D2. Deletes the insufficient material information D4.

  The information management support apparatus 10 further includes a time measuring unit 17, and the time measuring unit 17 measures time. The user input unit 16 includes a set time input unit 19, and the set time input unit 19 inputs information on a set time predetermined by the user to the storage unit 11. The storage unit 11 further stores information on the set time input from the set time input unit 19. The calculation unit 13 determines whether or not the current time matches the set time input by the user based on the measurement result obtained by the time measuring unit 17 and the set time information stored in the storage unit 11. The output unit 14 outputs the input promotion information when the calculation unit 13 determines that the current time matches the set time. The input promotion information prompts the user to input. The user input unit 16 and the time measurement unit 17 are formed integrally with the storage unit 11, the reception unit 12, and the output unit 14 so as to be portable.

  The input promotion information includes promotion information that prompts the user to input information on the material that has been used out of the inventory information D1. The calculation unit 13 deletes information overlapping with the information on the material that has been used from the inventory information D1. The stock information D1 and the information on the material that has been used are compared for each item represented by the name of each food, and the information is erased with each item and information associated therewith as one unit.

  The input promotion information includes promotion information that prompts input of cooking information. The storage unit 11 stores information on a plurality of set times and information indicating the types set for each set time. The input promotion information includes a plurality of pieces of promotion information that differ depending on the type set for the set time. For example, in order to purchase ingredients used for cooking, the output unit 14 outputs promotion information that prompts input of cooking information as input promotion information at a predetermined first time before the time to go to the store. This is output as at least one of voice and vibration of the information management support apparatus 10 as a whole. At a predetermined second time after the preparation of the dish is completed, the output unit 14 outputs promotion information that prompts input of information on the material that has been used as input promotion information. This output is also output as at least one of voice and vibration of the information management support apparatus 10 as a whole.

  The information management support apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment specifically includes a configuration as shown in the block diagram of FIG. The user input unit 16 includes a plurality of input keys 22 and further includes a key control unit 24 like a mobile phone. The input key 22 is a button for inputting characters such as kana characters, numbers, alphabets, and symbols. Specifically, the input key 22 is a numeric keypad (also referred to as a number key) for inputting “1”, “2”,... “9”, “0”, an asterisk key for inputting “*”, and “#”. A sharp key or the like is provided, and a signal is transmitted from each key to the key control unit 24 when the key is pressed. The key control unit 24 distinguishes the pressed key based on the signal transmitted from the input key 22 and transmits information on the pressed key to the calculation unit 13.

  Input key 22 further includes a key for switching a mode related to input. When the key for switching the mode is pressed by the user, the input mode of the user input unit 16 is, for example, a mode for inputting kana, a mode for inputting katakana, a mode for inputting alphabets, a mode for inputting numbers, and The mode is switched to one of the modes for inputting symbols. Further, the input key 22 includes a power key for setting the power supply mode to one of an on state and an off state, a cursor key representing up, down, left, and right.

  As described above, the input unit 18 further includes the receiving unit 12 and the set time input unit 19 in addition to the user input unit 16. The receiving unit 12 includes a non-contact IC card 26 and a non-contact IC control unit 27. The non-contact IC control unit 27 is disposed between the non-contact IC card 26 and the calculation unit 13, and realizes information transmission between the transmission-side terminal of the POS terminal 21 and the non-contact IC card 26, Further, information transmission between the non-contact IC card 26 and the calculation unit 13 is realized. Although the set time input unit 19 may be provided independently of the input key 22, in the present embodiment, the set time input unit 19 is realized in common with the input key 22 and the structural components.

  Specifically, a mode in which the set time can be input is set by switching the mode of the user input unit 16 to a mode in which the set time is input by operating the input key 22, and further the operation of the user input unit 16. To set the set time. Further, the user input unit 16 inputs the current time to the arithmetic processing unit by the user's operation, and the time measuring unit 17 continuously measures the time based on the input current time.

  The output unit 14 includes a liquid crystal display (abbreviated as “LCD”) 28 and a display control unit 32, and the display control unit 32 controls display contents on the LCD 28 under the control of the calculation unit 13. Further, the display control unit 32 controls settings related to display on the LCD 28. For example, the brightness of the LCD 28, the size of characters, and the hue.

  The memory | storage part 11 contains the refrigerator database 33, and the refrigerator database 33 memorize | stores the inventory information D1 preserve | saved at a refrigerator as mentioned above. The storage unit 11 further includes a memo storage unit 34 and stores, for example, text-format data input from the user input unit 16. The refrigerator database 33 and the memo storage unit 34 are realized by a nonvolatile storage medium, and these storage media are connected to the calculation unit 13 via the memory control unit 36. The memory control unit 36 controls writing, reading, erasing, rewriting, and the like of content information stored in the storage medium under the control of the calculation unit 13. Further, the content information read from the storage medium is transmitted to the calculation unit 13.

  Since the storage unit 11 includes the refrigerator database 33, the inventory information D1 of the materials owned as inventory in the refrigerator is stored in association with the information on the expiration date of each material, and the insufficient material information D4 that needs to be purchased is stored. Can be a basic source of information. Further, the storage unit 11 stores the dish information in association with the necessary material information D3 necessary for the dish indicated by each dish information, so that the user selects the dish information for the dish that the user wants to produce. Can be displayed. As a result of the comparison between the inventory information D1 and the necessary material information D3, the insufficient material information D4 can be obtained for the dish that the user desires to produce. The storage unit 11 also stores the insufficient material information D4 in the nonvolatile storage medium. The insufficient material information D4 may be stored in the memo storage unit 34 in a storage medium.

  The receiving unit 12 acquires the purchase material information D2 of the material purchased by the user from the POS terminal 21 by communication with the non-contact IC card 26. The calculating part 13 controls the memory control part 36, and updates the inventory information D1 memorize | stored in the refrigerator database 33 based on the purchase material information D2. Further, by comparing and collating the insufficient material information D4 and the purchased material information D2, if there is an unpurchased material, the user is notified as the unpurchased material information D5. When it is determined that the material indicated by the insufficient material information D4 is satisfied by the material purchased by the user, the calculation unit 13 controls the memory control unit 36 and deletes the insufficient material information D4.

  For example, when the user consumes the material by creating a dish, such as after cooking, and no longer owns it as inventory, if the user inputs information about the consumed material, The information on the corresponding individual materials is deleted from the refrigerator database 33, and the refrigerator database 33 is updated.

  Further, if there is a material that has been determined that the expiration date has passed from the material information stored as the inventory information D1 and the current time information, the user is notified of the material information. The material information on the material for which the expiration date has passed, for example, the ingredients whose expiration date has expired, may be automatically deleted from the inventory information D1 by the arithmetic unit 13, but the user is notified and the determination from the user It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which deletion is performed in response to the input.

  With this configuration, the information management support device 10 does not require communication with the refrigerator and requires almost no user operation, and information on ingredients stored in the refrigerator and ingredients to be purchased. You can know and prevent forgetting to purchase.

  In the present embodiment, the dish information and the necessary material information D3 necessary for producing the dish are stored in the storage unit 11, but are stored in a host computer that is realized as a server in a radio wave communication network such as the Internet. Then, the information management support apparatus 10 may acquire the dish information and the necessary material information D3 via the radio wave communication network. Hereinafter, communication with a host computer realized as a server using a radio communication network such as the Internet may be simply referred to as “web communication”.

  According to the present embodiment, the receiving unit 12 receives the purchase material information D2 of the material purchased by the user from the terminal-type electronic cash register. The computing unit 13 rewrites the inventory information D1 stored in the storage unit 11 based on the purchased material information D2 received by the receiving unit 12. As a result, even if the material owned as stock increases by purchasing the material, there is no need to manually input in order to update the stock information D1. Accordingly, it is possible to easily update the inventory information D1 as compared with the case where the inventory information D1 is manually input, and suppress an increase in necessary labor with respect to an increase in the frequency of updating the inventory information D1. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to facilitate the confirmation work of the materials owned as inventory.

  According to the present embodiment, the storage unit 11 stores a plurality of pieces of cooking information and necessary material information D3 related to each piece of cooking information in advance, and the user input unit 16 calculates the cooking information selected by the user. Input to the unit 13. The calculation unit 13 compares the necessary material information D3 related to the dish information input from the user input unit 16 with the inventory information D1, and the remaining information excluding information overlapping with the inventory information D1 in the necessary material information D3. If there is, the remaining information is calculated as insufficient material information D4. Thereby, the material related to the dish indicated by the dish information input by the user can be output to the user. Therefore, the user can know the ingredients to be purchased based on the dish. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to purchase ingredients necessary for cooking.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the storage unit 11 further stores the insufficient material information D4. Thereby, it is possible to eliminate the necessity of calculating the deficient material information D4 each time the dish information is input. Therefore, when the user wants to know the deficient material information D4, it is possible to eliminate the need to input the dish information, and to reduce the load on the calculation unit 13 for calculating the deficient material information D4.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the calculation unit 13 compares the insufficient material information D4 with the purchased material information D2, and if there is residual information excluding information overlapping with the purchased material information D2 in the insufficient material information D4, This remaining information is calculated as a method for dividing unpurchased materials. Thereby, it is possible to output to the user a material that is necessary for creating a dish of the dish information input by the user and that still needs to be purchased.

  According to the present embodiment, if there is unpurchased material information D5, the calculation unit 13 rewrites the information stored as the insufficient material information D4 to be the same as the unpurchased material information D5, and purchases all of the insufficient material information D4. If it overlaps with the material information D2, the insufficient material information D4 is deleted. As a result, the insufficient material information D4 and the unpurchased material information D5 can be prevented from being accumulated individually and redundantly. Therefore, the amount of information stored in the storage unit 11 can be reduced. Thereby, the processing speed by the calculation part 13 can be increased, and the time required for calculation and output can be shortened.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the inventory information D1 includes information about the expiration date of the material that is owned as inventory, and the output unit 14 has a material that has passed the expiration date in the material included above the inventory. Outputs warning information about materials whose expiration date has passed. As a result, it is possible to prevent the user from using the material whose expiration date has passed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent adverse effects caused by using a material whose expiration date has passed.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the calculation unit 13 matches the current time with the set time input by the user based on the measurement result by the time measuring unit 17 and the set time information stored in the storage unit 11. Determine whether or not. The output unit 14 outputs the input promotion information when the calculation unit 13 determines that the current time matches the set time. The input promotion information prompts the user to input. This prevents the user from forgetting to input. Further, since the input promotion information is output at a preset time set by the user, it is possible to prompt the user to input at a time when the user thinks that the input is possible. Therefore, the possibility that the input is postponed can be reduced.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the input promotion information includes the promotion information that prompts the user to input information on the material that has been used in the inventory information D1. Thereby, the information about the material which has been used can be reflected in the inventory information D1.

  Moreover, according to this embodiment, the calculating part 13 erase | eliminates the information which overlaps with the information of the material which has been used among the inventory information D1. Thereby, the information amount of the inventory information D1 stored in the storage unit 11 can be reduced. Therefore, the processing speed by the calculation unit 13 can be increased, and the time required for calculation and output can be shortened.

  According to the present embodiment, the input promotion information includes promotion information that prompts input of cooking information. Thereby, the necessity of preparation for cooking can be notified to the user at the time set by the user. Therefore, it is possible to make the user determine whether or not it is necessary to go out for shopping at the time set by the user, and to prevent forgetting to prepare.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the storage unit 11 stores information on a plurality of set times and information indicating a type set for each set time. The input promotion information includes a plurality of pieces of promotion information that differ depending on the type set for the set time. As a result, for example, it is possible to set a time for prompting input of cooking information and a time for prompting input of information about a material that has been used, and for a plurality of events that may cause harmful effects due to forgetting, You can call attention. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of harmful effects due to forgetting, and to promote peace of mind regarding the preparation of materials.

  In addition, the inventory information D1, the necessary material information D3, the purchased material information D2, the insufficient material information D4, and the unpurchased material information D5 are information on foodstuffs. This facilitates management of information that needs to be updated every day. Therefore, the daily information management regarding foodstuffs can be made convenient.

  Further, at least the storage unit 11, the receiving unit 12, and the output unit 14 are formed integrally and portable. This makes it possible to carry the device at all times and facilitate use in a store equipped with a terminal-type electronic cash register. Information management can be performed without selecting a location.

  The user input unit 16 and the time measurement unit 17 are formed integrally with the storage unit 11, the reception unit 12, and the output unit 14 so as to be portable. This makes it possible to carry the device constantly and reduce the possibility that the input promotion information is not transmitted to the user. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting the material and its preparation.

  The necessary material information D3 related to each dish information can be rewritten by an input from the user input unit 16. Thereby, the necessary material information D3 related to cooking can be changed to information according to personal preference. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the necessity of intentional change and disregard by the user with respect to the information output from the output unit 14, and to make information management convenient.

  The storage unit 11 is realized by a non-volatile medium. This can prevent information from being erased even when the power is turned off. Therefore, information loss due to power consumption can be prevented, and the reliability of information management can be increased.

(Example)
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the steps in the process of calculating the insufficient material information D4 by the information management support apparatus 10 in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the screen of the output unit 14 from when the input promotion information is output until the insufficient material information D4 is calculated in the embodiment of the present invention, in the order of the transition. In the present embodiment, the dish information and necessary material information D3 are stored in the storage unit 11 in advance. This may be downloaded and stored by web communication.

  After starting the process of calculating the deficient material information D4, the process proceeds to step a1, and the dish information to be prepared from the recipe list is determined based on the selection of the user. This determination is performed by transmitting information from the user input unit 16 to the calculation unit 13. Selection of a dish by the user may be started when the output unit 14 displays input promotion information to the user at a set time set by the user. FIG. 4A shows an example in which the output unit 14 displays the input promotion information before dinner.

  When the user selects “OK” with respect to the display of FIG. 4A, the screen transitions to a screen for displaying a dish list. FIG. 4B shows an example when a list of “rice” is displayed in the dish list after transitioning to a screen for displaying a dish list. If a dish is selected from these, it will transfer to step a1 and will display the required food list, ie, required material information D3. FIG. 4C shows an example when the user selects “curry and rice”.

  At this time, the user inputs the number of adults and children who are supposed to eat the dish, and the amount of ingredients necessary for cooking is displayed as the number of persons. The number of adults and children who are supposed to eat food is stored in the storage unit 11 by a single input. As a result, when the list of necessary ingredients and their quantities are displayed next time, the number of adults and children once entered is reflected in the displayed information.

  Next, it transfers to step a3 and the calculating part 13 collates the required material information D3 and the refrigerator database 33 in the state in which the output part 14 displayed the list of ingredients required for cooking. If the user selects “OK” in a state where the display shown in FIG. 4C is being output, the process proceeds to step a4. At step a4, the screen display of the output unit transitions to FIG. 4 (d), and the output unit 14 is insufficient by displaying the necessary ingredients that are not in the refrigerator database 33, that is, the insufficient material information D4. The user is notified of the material information. Next, the process proceeds to step a5, and the insufficient material information D4 is automatically saved in a memo pad as a list represented by text data. Thereafter, the process of calculating the insufficient material information D4 ends.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing steps in the material information processing after calculation of the insufficient material information D4 in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the screen of the output unit 14 after the acquisition of the purchase material information D2 in one embodiment of the present invention, in the order of the transition. After the start of this process, the process proceeds to step b1, and the user selects food at the store and moves to the cash register. When payment is made at the cash register or at the same time or after payment has been completed, the process proceeds to step b2, and communication with the cash register is performed using the Felica function of the information management support apparatus 10. When communication is started, the output unit 14 outputs the display shown in FIG. 6A, and a list of purchased ingredients is transmitted from the cash register to the information management support apparatus 10 as data.

  If data is received, it will transfer to step b3 and it will be judged whether there exists any memo of the shortage ingredient list created at step a5. If there is no note on the list of insufficient ingredients, the process proceeds to step b4, and the purchased ingredients are added to the refrigerator database 33. The user ends shopping. If there is a note of the list of insufficient ingredients in step b3, the process proceeds to step b5, where the list of insufficient ingredients stored in the memo is compared with the list of ingredients to be purchased this time. Next, the process proceeds to step b6, and it is determined whether or not all the items of ingredients included in the list of insufficient ingredients stored in the memo are included in the items of ingredient information to be purchased. If the items of ingredients included in the missing ingredients list are all included in the items of ingredients information to be purchased, the process proceeds to step b7, and the information of the purchased ingredients is added to the refrigerator database 33. The user ends shopping. Then, it transfers to step b8 and deletes the memo which described the shortage ingredient list.

  If the ingredients to be purchased do not satisfy the insufficient ingredients in step b6, the process proceeds to step b9, and the output unit 14 outputs the display shown in FIG. Notify you and encourage further purchases. Next, the process proceeds to step b10 to prompt the user to determine whether or not to continue shopping at the store. If the user determines that further shopping at the store is necessary, the user selects “Continue”, selects the food again, and starts again from step b2. If it is determined that shopping at the store is not necessary, “end” is selected, the process proceeds to step b11, and the purchased ingredients are added to the refrigerator database 33. Next, it transfers to step b12, the purchased foodstuff is deleted from the foodstuff list described in the lacking food memo, and a memo is updated.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the process steps when inputting information on a material that has been used in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the screen of the output unit 14 when inputting information on a material that has been used in one embodiment of the present invention, in the order of the transition. This process is started at the end of cooking in step c1. Thereafter, when the set time predetermined by the user after cooking is finished, the process proceeds to step c2, and the output unit 14 notifies the user that the current time has become the set time.

  Next, the process proceeds to step c3, where the output unit 14 outputs the display shown in FIG. 8A and inquires of the user whether the dish selected in step a1 has been made. Next, the process proceeds to step c4, and the determination result of the user is received by the operation of pressing the user's key. If the user has prepared the dish selected in step a1, “Yes (quantity check)” is selected, the process proceeds to step c6, and the output unit 14 outputs the display shown in FIG. Display the ingredient list of the missing ingredients list. Next, the process proceeds to step c7, and the output unit 14 outputs a display for prompting confirmation by the user.

  If the user has created a dish different from the dish selected in step a1, “No” is selected, and the process proceeds to step c5. In step c5, the output unit 14 prompts the user to input the used ingredients after displaying the option recipe. In step c7, when the user inputs information that the ingredients actually used and the amount thereof match the ingredients information of the dish information selected in step a1, it is necessary to display the information from the refrigerator database 33 in step a2. Data overlapping the material information D3 is deleted.

  In step c7, when the user inputs information that the ingredients actually used and the amount thereof do not match the ingredients information of the dish information selected in step a1, the process proceeds to step c5, and the output unit 14 After displaying the option recipe, the user is prompted to input the used ingredients. In step c5, the selection of the ingredients, the input of the amount, the addition of the ingredients, and the selection of “OK”, the information about the items and the quantities of the ingredients that have been used are collected.

  Next, it transfers to step c9 and deletes only the same item and quantity as the information about the item and quantity of the foodstuffs which were used together in step c5 from the refrigerator database 33. In addition, by storing the used ingredients and quantity as a unit of information, it is possible to save the trouble of inputting the same information from the next time.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the process steps in the case where there is a food whose expiration date has expired in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the screen of the output unit 14 in the order of the transition in the case where there is an expired food in one embodiment of the present invention. The inventory information D1 and the purchase material information D2 added to the inventory information D1 are stored in the refrigerator database 33 in addition to the amount of food when purchased. The search for whether or not there is an expired ingredient among the ingredients managed in the refrigerator database 33 is performed by searching the information stored in the refrigerator database 33 according to a program determined in advance by the calculation unit 13. Do it once. It is assumed that the search time can be arbitrarily set. In step d1, the calculation unit 13 determines that there is a food whose expiration date has expired, and this processing is started.

  Next, the process proceeds to step d2, where it is confirmed whether or not the expiration date flag set in advance by the user is set. The expiration date flag represents information in which the user recognizes that the expiration date is imminent and adds this to the information of the material. If the expiration date flag is set, the process proceeds to step d3, and the expired food is automatically deleted from the refrigerator database. If not set, the process proceeds to step d4, where the list of ingredients whose expiration date has expired is displayed on the screen as shown in FIG. 10A, and the presence of the ingredients whose expiration date has expired for the user and Information on those ingredients is notified.

  Next, the process proceeds to step d5, where the user is prompted to select whether or not to delete the information on the food whose expiration date has expired from the refrigerator database 33. The screen displayed by the output unit 14 in step d5 can be the image display shown in FIG. 10A, which is the same as the screen at the time of notification in step d4. The user determines whether to delete according to the displayed list. When the user determines that the information on the food whose expiration date has expired can be deleted from the refrigerator database 33, the user selects “Yes”, moves to step d3, and deletes the food information from the refrigerator database 33.

  If the user determines that there is something that is okay even if the expiration date has expired, the user selects “No”, proceeds to step d6, and the screen display by the output unit 14 transitions to the display shown in FIG. . In step d6, the user selects a food item to be deleted from the list of foods that have expired. Next, it transfers to step d7 and the information of the foodstuff selected as a foodstuff deleted at step d6 is deleted from the refrigerator database 33. FIG.

It is a block diagram showing the structure of the information management assistance apparatus 10 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing the correlation of the information which the memory | storage part 11 memorize | stores, and the information which the calculating part 13 calculates. In one Embodiment of this invention, it is a flowchart showing the process in the process in which the information management assistance apparatus 10 calculates the deficient material information D4. In one Embodiment of this invention, it is a figure which represents the screen of the output part 14 after input promotion information is output until deficient material information D4 is calculated along the order of the transition. It is a flowchart showing the process in the process of material information after the shortage material information D4 calculation in one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing the screen of the output part 14 after starting to acquire purchase material information D2 in one Embodiment of this invention along the order of the transition. In one Embodiment of this invention, it is a flowchart showing the process of when performing the input of the information of the material which ended use. It is a figure showing the screen of the output part 14 when inputting the information of the material which use was complete | finished in one Embodiment of this invention along the order of the transition. In one Embodiment of this invention, it is a flowchart showing the process of the process in case there exists a foodstuff with an expiration date. It is a figure showing the screen of the output part 14 when there exists a foodstuff with an expiration date in one Embodiment of this invention along the order of the transition.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Information management support apparatus 11 Memory | storage part 12 Reception part 13 Calculation part 14 Output part 16 User input part 17 Time measurement part 18 Input part 19 Set time input part 21 POS terminal 22 Input key 24 Key control part 26 Non-contact IC card 27 Non-contact IC control unit 28 Liquid crystal display 32 Display control unit 33 Refrigerator database 34 Memo storage unit

Claims (11)

A storage unit for storing information about materials owned as inventory as inventory information;
A receiving unit for receiving the purchased material information of the material purchased by the user from the terminal electronic cash register;
An arithmetic unit for rewriting the inventory information stored in the storage unit based on the purchased material information received by the receiving unit;
And an output unit that outputs at least a part of the inventory information stored in the storage unit. The storage unit stores in advance a plurality of pieces of cooking information and necessary material information related to each piece of cooking information,
It further includes a user input unit for inputting cooking information selected by the user to the calculation unit,
The calculation unit compares the necessary material information related to the cooking information input from the user input unit with the inventory information, and the remaining information excluding information overlapping with the inventory information among the necessary material information If there is, calculate this remaining information as missing material information,
The information management support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs the insufficient material information calculated by the calculation unit.   The information storage support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the storage unit further stores the insufficient material information. The arithmetic unit compares the insufficient material information with the purchased material information, and if there is residual information excluding information that overlaps with the purchased material information among the insufficient material information, the residual information is determined as unpurchased material. Calculated as information,
4. The information management support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the output unit outputs the unpurchased material information.   If there is the unpurchased material information, the arithmetic unit rewrites the information stored as the insufficient material information to be the same as the unpurchased material information, and if all of the insufficient material information overlaps with the purchased material information The information management support apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the deficient material information is deleted. The inventory information includes information about the expiration date of materials owned as inventory,
The output unit outputs warning information about a material that has passed the expiration date if there is a material that has passed the expiration date among the materials included in the inventory information. Information management support device described in one. It further includes a time measuring unit that measures time,
The user input unit includes a set time input unit that inputs information on a set time predetermined by the user to the storage unit,
The storage unit further stores information on the set time input from the set time input unit,
The computing unit determines whether the current time and the set time input by the user match based on the measurement result by the time measuring unit and the information on the set time stored in the storage unit. Judgment,
The said output part outputs the input promotion information which urges | urges a user to input, when the said calculating part determines with the present time and the said setting time having corresponded. The information management support apparatus according to any one of the above.   8. The information management support apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the input promotion information includes promotion information that prompts input of information on a material that has been used out of the inventory information.   The information management support apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the calculation unit deletes information overlapping with information on the material that has been used out of the inventory information.   8. The information management support apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the input promotion information includes promotion information that prompts input of the dish information. The storage unit stores information on a plurality of set times and information indicating a type set for each set time,
The information management support device according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the input promotion information includes a plurality of pieces of promotion information depending on a type set for each set time.

Images