JP3568856B2 - Data communication device in POS system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a data communication device that performs data communication between a controller and a portable input terminal and between a portable input terminal in a POS system installed in a restaurant or the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Many restaurants such as family restaurants are equipped with a POS system, and order data input from a portable input terminal is transmitted by wireless communication to perform input processing, cooking management of ordered dishes, accounting management, and the like. Normally, order data from a customer is input from the portable input terminal and sent to a POS main unit and a kitchen printer installed in a kitchen via a wireless communication device and a controller. Then, the kitchen printer issues a predetermined cooking instruction. From the kitchen, information such as the completion notification of the ordered dish and the name of the sold-out product is transmitted to each portable input terminal. Data communication between the kitchen and the plurality of portable input terminals is performed by a communication method such as a PHS method, and this is called a private communication mode.
[0003]
In addition to the data communication described above, there is also a portable input terminal provided with a handset in the portable input terminal and a function of enabling direct communication between the terminals. In this case, each mobile input terminal directly talks as a transceiver without using a controller for a call between the mobile input terminals. This is called an inter-terminal communication mode. Therefore, the conventional mobile input terminal having a telephone call function always uses the private communication mode as a receivable state and waits for information from the kitchen, and also uses the terminal input mode as a receivable state for receiving an incoming call from another mobile input terminal. are doing.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-described portable input terminal, both the private communication mode and the inter-terminal communication mode must always be used as a receivable state. Usually, since the portable input terminal uses a battery as a driving power source, using both the in-premise communication mode and the inter-terminal communication mode in a receivable state at all times consumes a large amount of current and consumes the battery quickly. was there. In addition, when a call is made between portable input terminals, there is a problem in that it is inconvenient that a call cannot be made without knowing the number of the terminal used by the other party, and the usability is poor.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a data communication device in a POS system capable of performing data communication in a private communication mode and an inter-terminal communication mode, reducing current consumption, and improving usability. The purpose is to:
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention for solving the aforementioned problems is provided with a controller and a plurality of mobile input terminal, together with the controller and building communication mode for data communication between the mobile input terminal, performs the direct communication between the mobile input terminal in the data communication apparatus in a POS system having a communication mode between terminals, said controller converting means for converting the representative number of the mobile terminal user to the controller to the calling number of said portable input terminal provided at all times at the premises communication mode said being adapted to communicate data between portable input terminal, when performing a call between the mobile input terminal, and instructs the calling side mobile input terminal personnel number of the other mobile input terminal user to the controller The controller uses the conversion means to convert the designated person-in-charge number of the other party's portable input terminal user. The communication mode switching command is converted to the calling number of the partner mobile input terminal, a communication mode switching command is transmitted to the partner mobile input terminal of the calling number, and the partner mobile input terminal receiving the communication mode switching command switches to the terminal communication mode, and After the end, the mode returns to the private communication mode .
[0008]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a data communication device in a POS system according to the present invention. As shown, the data communication device includes a controller 1, a wireless device 2, a plurality of portable input terminals 3, a POS main unit 4, and a kitchen printer 5 installed in a kitchen.
[0009]
The controller 1 is connected to a memory 1-2 storing input data, an authentication table (described in detail later) and an operation program (described later), a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1-1 executing the program, and a POS main unit 4. An interface 1-3, an interface 1-4 for connecting to a kitchen printer 5 in a kitchen, a wireless communication unit 1-5 connected to the wireless device 2, a display 1-6 for inputting and outputting management data and the like, and It has a keyboard 1-7, manages various data, and outputs a switching command to the terminal-to-terminal communication mode to the portable input terminal 3 according to a request (details will be described later).
[0010]
The portable input terminal 3 includes a CPU 3-1, a memory 3-2, a keyboard 3-3, a display 3-4, a handset 3-5, and a wireless communication unit 3-6. Order data from the customer is input from the keyboard 3-3, displayed on the display 3-4, stored in the memory 3-2, and transmitted from the wireless communication unit 3-6 via the antennas 3-7, 2-1 and the wireless device 2. Sent to controller 1. Data from the controller 1 is received and processed by the wireless communication unit 3-6 of the portable input terminal 3 via the wireless device 2, the antennas 2-1 and 3-7, stored in the memory 3-2, and displayed on the display 3-4. Is done.
[0011]
The wireless communication unit 3-6 has a private communication mode and an inter-terminal communication mode, and normally performs data communication with the controller 1 in the private communication mode. The mode can be switched to enable direct communication between portable input terminals (details will be described later).
[0012]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the authentication table. Each of the portable input terminals 3 and the wireless device 2 has a unique ID number. The name of the person in charge (such as a waitress) is registered in advance in a person in charge master file (omitted), and the number of the person in charge is registered. When the person in charge uses the portable input terminal 3, the terminal number (call number) of the portable input terminal to be used, the person in charge, the corresponding terminal ID number, and the radio ID number are authenticated in advance as shown in FIG. Register in the table. When the person in charge is replaced by a time shift system, a plurality of persons can be registered and used in one portable input terminal 3.
[0013]
Next, the communication mode switching operation will be described. 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating an instruction for switching between terminal communication modes and communication after switching, FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating an instruction to switch between terminal communication modes by a controller, and FIG. It is a figure which shows communication. Normally, each of the mobile input terminals 3, 3 performs data communication with the controller 1 via the wireless device 2 in the private communication mode, and the terminal-to-terminal communication mode is turned off.
[0014]
For example, when it is desired to make a call from the left mobile input terminal 3 to the right mobile input terminal 3 in FIG. 3, the other party, that is, the person-in-charge number of the right mobile input terminal 3 from the keyboard 3-3 of the left mobile input terminal 3 ( j) is input and transmitted to the controller 1. The controller 1 refers to the authentication table (FIG. 2) and returns the terminal number (k) of the right portable input terminal 3 and, at the same time, transmits the terminal communication mode switching command (l) to the right portable input terminal 3. The right mobile input terminal 3 that has received the inter-terminal communication mode switching command (l) is switched to the inter-terminal communication mode, and waits for a signal from the left mobile input terminal 3.
[0015]
The left mobile input terminal 3 switches the communication mode to the terminal-to-terminal communication mode and transmits the terminal number of the right mobile input terminal 3 received from the controller 1 so that it can be connected to the right mobile input terminal 3 and talk. (FIG. 3B). After the call ends, each terminal is automatically switched to the private communication mode.
[0016]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the calling terminal at the time of switching between terminal communication modes. Description will be made with reference to FIG. A person in charge using the partner terminal (portable input terminal 3 on the right) is input from the keyboard 3-3 of the portable input terminal 3 on the left, and a communication mode switching request is transmitted (step ST11). Receiving data from the controller 1 (step ST12), checking whether there is a communication error (step ST13), checking whether the received data is normal (step ST14), and checking whether the terminal number has been received. It is checked whether there is no communication error, the received data is normal and the terminal number is received (step ST15). If the terminal number is received, the wireless communication unit 3-6 is switched to the terminal-to-terminal communication mode (step ST16). Calls the other terminal (portable input terminal 3 on the right) (step ST17).
[0017]
It waits for a response from the partner terminal (step ST18), and if there is a response, talks with the handset 3-5 (step ST19). After the call ends (step ST20), the wireless communication unit 3-6 is switched to the private communication mode (step ST21).
[0018]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the controller when switching the communication mode between terminals. When receiving the communication mode switching request from the portable input terminal 3 on the left side (step ST31), the controller 1 checks whether or not the received data includes the person in charge of the terminal (step ST32). (Step ST33), and checks whether the received data matches the received data (step ST34). If the data matches, the corresponding terminal number is returned to the portable input terminal 3 on the left side (step ST35). . If there is no match, error data is returned (step ST36). Subsequently, it is checked whether or not there is a communication error (step ST37). If there is no communication error, a terminal-to-terminal communication mode switching command is transmitted to the partner terminal (portable input terminal 3 on the right), and the process ends (step ST38).
[0019]
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the receiving terminal at the time of switching the terminal communication mode. The portable input terminal 3 on the left side receives the data from the controller 1 (step ST41), checks whether or not there is an inter-terminal communication mode switching command (step ST42). 3-6 is switched to the terminal communication mode (step ST43). Then, it is checked whether there is a call from the calling terminal (portable input terminal 3 on the left) (step ST44), and a response signal is transmitted to the calling terminal (step ST45). A call is made with the handset 3-5 (step ST46), and after the call ends (step ST47), the wireless communication unit 3-6 is switched to the private communication mode (step ST48).
[0020]
As described above, according to the embodiment of the present invention, each portable input terminal 3 always performs data communication with the controller 1 only in the private communication mode, and the other party designated in response to a request from the portable input terminal 3 A communication mode switching command is transmitted to the terminal, and the portable input terminal 3 is provided with a means for directly talking in the terminal-to-terminal communication mode. The current is reduced. In addition, since the means for converting the person in charge number into the terminal number is provided, it is possible to call the portable input terminal 3 with the person in charge number of the other party, thereby improving the usability. In the terminal-to-terminal communication mode, the load on the controller 1 is not increased because it is irrelevant to the controller 1.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention , data communication is always performed between the controller and the portable input terminal in the private communication mode, and when a call is made between the portable input terminals, the caller portable input terminal uses the other party's portable input terminal. When the instructor's contact number is instructed to the controller, the controller converts the designated contact number of the user of the other party's portable input terminal into a call number of the other party's portable input terminal by the conversion means, and Since the communication mode switching command is transmitted to the other party, the partner portable input terminal that has received the communication mode switching command switches to the terminal-to-terminal communication mode, and returns to the private communication mode after the end of the call , so the following excellent effects are expected. it can.
[0022]
Always, the communication mode between terminals together when the current consumption as compared with the conventional battery is reduced because it is off, usability is improved because it is possible to call in person number of the other mobile input terminal.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a data communication device in a POS system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an authentication table.
3A and 3B are diagrams showing an inter-terminal communication mode switching instruction and communication after the switching. FIG. 3A shows an inter-terminal communication mode switching instruction by a controller, and FIG. 3B shows communication in the inter-terminal communication mode. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of a calling terminal when switching between terminal communication modes.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an operation flow of the controller when the terminal communication mode is switched.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an operation flow of a receiving terminal when switching between terminal communication modes.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Controller 1-1 CPU
1-2 Memory 1-3 Interface 1-4 Interface 1-5 Wireless communication unit 1-6 Display 1-7 Keyboard 2 Radio 2-1 Antenna 3 Portable input terminal 3-1 CPU
3-2 Memory 3-3 Keyboard 3-4 Display 3-5 Handset 3-6 Wireless Communication Unit 3-7 Antenna 4 POS Body 5 Kitchen Printer

Claims (1)

A POS system including a controller and a plurality of portable input terminals, a local communication mode for performing data communication between the controller and each portable input terminal, and a terminal-to-terminal communication mode for performing a direct call between the portable input terminals. In a communication device,
The controller is provided with a conversion means for converting the personnel number of the mobile terminal user into the call number of the mobile input terminal,
Always is adapted to perform data communication between the premises in communication mode with the controller the mobile input terminal, the portable if the input terminal between at performing the call from the calling side mobile input terminal of opposite mobile input terminal user When the clerk's number is instructed to the controller, the controller converts the designated clerk's number of the user of the other party's portable input terminal into the calling number of the other party's portable input terminal by the conversion means, and A POS system , wherein a communication mode switching command is transmitted to an input terminal, and the other party's portable input terminal that has received the communication mode switching command switches to a terminal-to-terminal communication mode, and returns to the private communication mode after a call ends . Data communication device.

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