# US 2014/0156422 A1 · Order terminal and order entry system using same, and method for changing input mode of order terminal

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- Number: US 2014/0156422 A1
- Document ID: US20140156422A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/130,459
- Filed: 2012-07-02
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-12
- Assignees: NEC Infrontia Corporation
- Inventors: Takuya Hirao
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156422A1

## CPC

- G06Q 20/18: involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
- G06Q 10/00: Administration; Management
- G06Q 20/202: {Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR}
- G06Q 50/12: Hotels or restaurants
- G06Q 50/10: Services
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Provided is an order terminal for inputting a customer's order that operates in any one of a staff mode of being operated by an employee and a customer mode of being operated by a customer as an input mode. When the employee inputs initial information on the customer in the staff mode, the input mode of the order terminal is switched over from the staff mode to the customer mode to allow the customer to input an order.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An order entry system comprising an order terminal for inputting a customer's order and a management terminal that manages order information on a customer,
wherein
the order terminal operates in any one of a staff mode of being operated by an employee and a customer mode of being operated by the customer as an input mode, and transmits only initial information on the customer, which is inputted in the staff mode and comprises at least a table number, to the management terminal, and wherein,
when the initial information is received with the management terminal as a new order,
the input mode is automatically shifted from the staff mode to the customer mode in the wake of the reception of the new order to allow the customer to input an order.

### Claim 2

(canceled)

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The order entry system according to claim 1, wherein the order terminal allows a “normal mode” or an “all-you-can mode” to be selected as an eating-and-drinking mode as the initial information on the customer, and displays a screen corresponding to selection thereof.

### Claim 4

(canceled)

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The order entry system according to claim 1, wherein the total number of persons in a group of customers, the number of minors in the group of customers, and the number of drivers in the group of customers are input to the touch-panel display as initial information on the customer, a limitation on a menu is displayed on a screen of the order terminal when the total number of persons in the group of customers is equal to the number of persons obtained by adding the number of minors in the customers to the number of drivers in the customers.

### Claim 6

A method of switching an input mode of an order terminal for use in an order entry system comprising the order terminal for inputting a customer's order and a management terminal that manages order information on the customer, the order terminal operating in any one of a staff mode of being operated by an employee and a customer mode of being operated by a customer as the input mode,
the method comprising:
transmitting only initial information on the customer, which is inputted in the staff mode and comprises at least a table number, to the management terminal, and
when the initial information is received with the management terminal as a new order, the input mode is automatically shifted from the staff mode to the customer mode in the wake of the reception of the new order to allow the customer to input an order.

### Claim 7

(canceled)

### Claim 8

(canceled)

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The order entry system according to claim 1, wherein, when checkout processing for order items ordered in shifting from the staff mode to the customer mode is finished, an association between the table number and a terminal number of the order terminal, which is set in the reception of the new order in the management terminal, is released, and the order terminal starts up in the staff mode.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The order entry system according to claim 9, wherein the management terminal stores terminal information in which a terminal mode as to which of a normal stationary mode that starts up in a table number set in advance and the staff mode to start up in, the table number when the order terminal starts up in the normal stationary mode, and the like are set for each terminal number of the order terminal, and wherein,
when the order terminal is connected to the management terminal with powered on, the order terminal acquires its own terminal information,
when the order terminal is set so as to start up in the staff mode, the order terminal is started up with the staff mode,
when the checkout processing for order items ordered after the shift from the staff mode to the customer mode is finished, the order terminal carries out determination of the terminal mode,
when the terminal mode is the staff mode, the order terminal transmits a release request for releasing the association between the table number and the own terminal number, and
when the management terminal completes the release of the association between the table number and the own terminal number, the order terminal starts up in the staff mode.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The order entry system according to claim 1, wherein the management terminal receives the initial information on the customer, determines whether there is no such abnormality that the information to be input has not been input, and accepts the received initial information as the new order if there is no abnormality.

### Claim 12 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein, when checkout processing for order items ordered in shifting from the staff mode to the customer mode is finished, an association between the table number and a terminal number of the order terminal, which is set in the reception of the new order in the management terminal, is released, and the order terminal starts up in the staff mode.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method according to claim 12, wherein the management terminal stores terminal information in which a terminal mode as to which of a normal stationary mode that starts up in a table number set in advance and the staff mode to start up in, the table number when the order terminal starts up in the normal stationary mode, and the like are set for each terminal number of the order terminal, and wherein,
when the order terminal is connected to the management terminal with powered on, the order terminal acquires its own terminal information,
when the order terminal is set so as to start up in the staff mode, the order terminal starts up with the staff mode,
when the checkout processing for order items ordered after the shift from the staff mode to the customer mode is finished, the order terminal carries out determination of the terminal mode,
when the terminal mode is the staff mode, the order terminal transmits a release request for releasing the association between the table number and the own terminal number, and
when the management terminal completes the release of the association between the table number and the own terminal number, the order terminal starts up in the staff mode.

### Claim 14 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the management terminal receives the initial information on the customer, determines whether there is no such abnormality that the information to be input has not been input, and accepts the received initial information as the new order if there is no abnormality.