JP6638752B2 - Lighting control device and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an illumination control device and a program for controlling illumination of an illumination target.

  In general, lighting a food at a food counter has an effect of increasing a consumer's willingness to purchase, and a restaurant has an effect of increasing an appetite. As a technology using such a lighting effect, when an order is input from a terminal device owned by a clerk at the time of ordering from a customer at a restaurant, an order menu is input together with the table number, and based on the input table number, the customer's table is set. Is known, and the brightness of the lighting on the dining table is controlled in accordance with an input order menu (see Patent Document 1). In addition, there is also known a technique in which a restaurant illuminates with a brightness and a color suitable for an ordered dish (see Patent Document 2).

JP-A-7-240281 JP 2006-58996 A

  However, in the technology of each of the above-mentioned patent documents, lighting is controlled on the condition of an operation of selecting a dish, and an operation of selecting a target (dish) of lighting control is required. In addition, even if there are multiple kinds of dishes and drinks arranged on the table, the entire table is illuminated in the same way, so that, for example, a certain dish increases appetite, Cooking can also reduce appetite. This is not limited to food at restaurants, and similar problems occur when lighting products, botanical garden flowers, plants, and the like displayed at retail stores.

  It is an object of the present invention to be able to realize an appropriate illumination suitable for an individual illumination object without performing a special operation for illumination control.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a lighting control device of the present invention is provided.
A lighting control device that controls lighting of a product by lighting means installed in a restaurant,
A determination unit configured to determine whether the ordered product corresponds to a lighting effect target when an order for the product is received,
Specifying means for specifying the serving position on the table at the time of serving the ordered product;
Recognition means for recognizing the eating and drinking situation of the arranged products by predetermined photographing means,
When it is determined by the determination unit that the product corresponds to a lighting effect target, a lighting effect corresponding to the serving position specified by the specifying unit is started at a timing when the product is set on the dining table. First control means for controlling the lighting means;
A second control unit that controls the lighting unit so as to change the lighting effect according to the eating and drinking situation of the product recognized by the recognition unit;
It is a lighting control device characterized by comprising:

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, appropriate illumination suitable for each illumination object can be implement | achieved without performing special operation for illumination control, and it becomes possible to utilize in various fields.

The block diagram which showed the restaurant system at the time of applying to the order control apparatus installed in the restaurant as a lighting control apparatus. (1), (2) is a figure for demonstrating the positional relationship of the dining table and the lighting fixture 5. FIG. (1), (2) is the figure which showed the state where the ordered item (lighting object) arranged on the dining table was illuminated by the lighting fixture 5 corresponding to the dining table. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing basic components of the order control device 1. The figure which shows the table which comprises the database DB for lighting control, (1) is the figure which showed the lighting fixture management table T0, and (2) showed the lighting control table T1 classified by kind. The figure which shows the table which comprises the database DB for lighting control, (1) showed the lighting control table T2 according to surface conditions, and (2) is the figure which showed the lighting control table T3 according to arrangement | positioning state. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing basic components of the lighting apparatus 5. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the order control device 1 (characteristic operation of the present embodiment) started to be executed in response to power-on. 9 is a flowchart following the operation in FIG. The figure for explaining 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing basic components of the handy terminal 2 in the second embodiment. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an operation (a characteristic operation of the present embodiment) of the handy terminal 2 started to be executed in response to power-on in the second embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(1st Embodiment)
First, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
This embodiment exemplifies a case where the present invention is applied to an order control device installed in a restaurant as a lighting control device. FIG. 1 shows a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) system (restaurant system) built in a restaurant. It is the block diagram shown.
This restaurant system includes an order control device 1 for storing and managing the order data for each dining table, and a handy terminal (portable terminal device: order terminal) which a customer service representative has and inputs order data for each dining table (for each transaction). 2, a wireless LAN system including an ECR (Electronic Cash Register) 3 for performing a settlement process (accounting process) for each transaction, a kitchen printer (not shown) installed in a kitchen and issuing an order slip.

  When the customer service clerk uses the handy terminal 2 to input data relating to the order (cooking and beverages) received from the customer, the input order data, together with the table number, is used to access the wireless LAN. It is transmitted to the order control device 1 via the point 4. Upon receiving the order data from the handy terminal 2, the order control device 1 stores and manages the order data in association with the table number, transmits the order data to a kitchen printer (not shown), and receives a request from the ECR 3 at the time of accounting. Order data for each table (for each transaction) is transmitted to the ECR3.

  The order control device 1 has, in addition to the order data management function of storing and managing order data as described above, a lighting control function of controlling a lighting fixture 5 in a store via each access point 4 configuring a wireless LAN. ing. This lighting control function is a function of controlling the lighting effect on the ordered item by controlling the special lighting device 5 installed for each dining table according to the ordered item, separately from the overall lighting in the store. . That is, the order control device 1 receives the order data received from a new customer at the dining table from the handy terminal 2 by the customer service representative, and refers to a lighting control database DB, which will be described later, to determine the type and state of the ordered product. In response to this, the lighting effect limited to (limited to) the order is controlled. The lighting fixture 5 is arranged in association with each dining table and illuminates the dining table surface from above, and has a lighting adjustment function and a camera function (imaging function). In this case, as the number of lighting fixtures 5 according to the number of seats on the ceiling portion of the dining table, for example, eight lighting fixtures 5 (two for each person, eight in total) are arranged on a four-seat dining table. Have been.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a positional relationship between the dining table and the lighting fixture 5.
FIG. 2A shows a state in which eight lighting fixtures 5 are arranged corresponding to a four-seat dining table. In each divided area (occupied area by customer), a state is shown in which two lighting fixtures 5 are arranged on the ceiling. That is, in the drawing, the lighting fixtures 5 indicated by “L1-1” and “L1-2” are disposed in association with the center position of the upper left area (the seating position is the upper left occupied area), and the upper right area (seating position). The lighting fixtures 5 indicated by “L2-1” and “L2-2” are arranged in association with the center position of the upper right occupied area). Further, the lighting fixtures 5 indicated by “L3-1” and “L3-2” are arranged in association with the center position of the lower left area (the seating position is the lower left occupied area), and the lower right area (the seating position is the right position). The lighting fixtures 5 indicated by "L4-1" and "L4-2" are provided in association with the center position of the lower occupied area).

  FIG. 2 (2) is a view showing a state where each area (occupied area by customer) equally divided on the dining table according to the number of seats that can be seated is conceptually equally divided. Each area (subdivision area) detects the arrangement position of the ordered item for each customer when the ordered item (cooking, beverage) is set on the dining table at each seating position (for each customer), or detects other adjacent items. This is an area conceptually divided for detecting an arrangement interval with an ordered product. In other words, it is used to detect the arrangement position of the order item or to detect the arrangement interval according to which region the central part of the order item is located in each of the equally divided sub-regions. .

  The lighting fixture 5 is, for example, a halogen lamp or an LED (Light Emitting Diode) lamp. For example, a lamp that can be switched to a plurality of light colors (daylight, neutral white, light bulb color, etc.) so that the dish looks delicious. It is. It is to be noted that the present invention is not limited to a lamp capable of adjusting the light color, and may be a lighting device that converts the light into a plurality of light colors using a filter or a mirror. The luminaire 5 is capable of adjusting the light color and has an adjustment function capable of adjusting the brightness of the light source, the illumination range, the illumination direction, and the illumination method. It is possible to produce lighting effects on the ordered items (lighting objects).

  Here, the lighting effect means that the color is rendered so as to be close to a natural color depending on the brightness and light color of the illumination light, the degree of hit of the illumination light, and so on, and various colors and lighting effects are obtained. It means to do. For example, by devising the lighting of a predetermined type of ordered item (object to be illuminated), the color of the ordered item (a strong reddish color such as tuna) can be expressed more vividly, and vegetables and the like can be naturally colored. It means production that looks delicious and makes the whole stand out. In this way, the way of lighting (relationship between dishes and light colors, brightness, etc.) for producing delicious dishes can be arbitrarily set according to the intention of the store. In the present embodiment, since two lighting fixtures 5 are arranged in association with one customer, it is possible for one customer to perform lighting effects on two ordered items. By arranging three or more lighting fixtures 5 in association with one customer, it is possible to produce lighting effects on three or more ordered items.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state where an ordered item (lighting object) arranged on a dining table is illuminated by the lighting fixture 5 corresponding to the dining table.
FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a state where the illumination (normal illumination) by the diffuse illumination method of diffusing the illumination light is switched to the spot illumination method of converging the illumination light to the ordered product. When the order control device 1 receives and acquires the image captured by the lighting fixture 5 via the access point 4, the order control device 1 analyzes the captured image to determine the type of the illumination target (order item) included in the image. The state is determined. Then, the order control device 1 refers to the lighting control database DB based on the determination result, reads out the lighting control information corresponding to the type and the state of the ordered item, and transmits the read out lighting control information to the lighting fixture 5. The lighting effect on the ordered item is controlled.

  The types of ordered items include, for example, a main dish for a course dish, a dish mainly composed of red meat, a dish mainly composed of white fish, and the like. And glossy bread, brown beer, and white glossy rice. The state of the ordered item refers to the surface state of the ordered item (for example, a color such as a strong reddish color such as tuna, gloss and gloss, etc.), and the arrangement state of the ordered item (arrangement position, arrangement interval). FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the illumination direction of the ordered item is changed according to the arrangement position of the ordered item. The order control device 1 refers to the lighting control database DB based on the arrangement state (arrangement position, arrangement interval) of the order item, reads out the illumination control information corresponding to the arrangement position and arrangement interval of the order item, and illuminates. The transmission to the appliance 5 changes the illumination direction and illumination range for the ordered item.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing basic components of the order control device 1.
The CPU 11, which forms the core of the order control device 1, is a central processing unit that controls the overall operation of the order control device 1 according to various programs in the storage unit 12. The storage unit 12 stores various programs and information, and is a program memory that stores programs for implementing the present embodiment and various applications according to the operation procedures illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9. In addition to a PG and an order data memory OD for storing order data for each transaction (for each dining table), a lighting control database DB is provided. An operation unit 13, a display unit 14, a wireless LAN communication unit 15, a clock unit 16, and the like are connected as input / output peripheral devices to the CPU 11, and the CPU 11 controls the operations according to an input / output program.

5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the lighting control database DB.
The lighting control database DB includes a lighting equipment management table T0, a lighting control table T1 for each type, a lighting control table T2 for each surface state, and a lighting control table T3 for each arrangement state. FIG. 3 shows a configuration of a table T0. The lighting equipment management table T0 is a table for managing a plurality of lighting equipments 5 arranged for each dining table, and has respective items of “table number”, “lighting equipment number”, and “presence or absence of control target”. I have. The “table number” is an item in which identification information for identifying each table is stored, and the “lighting fixture number” stores identification information for identifying a plurality of lighting fixtures 5 arranged in association with each dining table. The item to be done. The “control target presence / absence” is the lighting equipment 5 specified as the effect lighting effect, that is, when an order is received from a new customer sitting at the dining table, each lighting equipment 5 on the dining table turns on the effect lighting. This is an item in which a flag indicating whether or not the object has been specified is stored.

  FIG. 5B shows the configuration of the type-specific illumination control table T1. The type-specific illumination control table T1 stores illumination control information corresponding to a predetermined type of ordered item (illumination object), and includes “illumination object type”, “image / characteristic information”, and “light source brightness”. And "light color". The “kind of illumination target object” is, for example, “red meat dish”, “white fish dish”, red fish dish, “bread”, etc., if the ordered product is a dish. "Image / feature information" is information for comparison reference used to specify the type of an illumination target object by image recognition, and includes an image of a predetermined type of ordered product such as a dish, and its color and shape. , Size, assorted conditions, etc. The “brightness of the light source” and the “light color” are, for example, information relating to lighting for producing delicious food, and the contents thereof can be arbitrarily set by a user operation.

  FIG. 6A shows the configuration of the surface state-specific illumination control table T2. The surface state-specific illumination control table T2 stores the illumination control information corresponding to the surface state of a predetermined type of ordered product (illumination target). The items to be stored include items of “surface condition of illumination target”, “brightness of light source”, and “light color”. The “surface state of the illumination target” is the color, gloss, etc. of the surface of the ordered product. The “brightness of the light source” and the “light color” are, for example, information relating to lighting for producing a delicious dish, and the contents thereof can be arbitrarily set by a user operation.

  FIG. 6 (2) shows the configuration of the illumination control table T3 according to the arrangement state. The illumination control table T3 according to the arrangement state stores the illumination control information corresponding to the arrangement state when the ordered product is set on the dining table. And has items of “arrangement state of illumination object”, “illumination direction”, and “illumination range”. As shown in FIG. 2 (2), when the illumination object is set on the dining table, the “illumination object arrangement state” indicates the illumination among the areas (sub-areas) obtained by subdividing the customer-specific occupation area. An arrangement position indicating a region where the center of the object is located, and an arrangement interval indicating an interval with another adjacent illumination object. The “illumination direction” indicates the direction in which the illumination target is illuminated from above according to the arrangement position of the illumination target, and the “illumination range” indicates the illumination range (the spot illumination Area), and the contents can be arbitrarily set by a user operation. In the drawing, the horizontal line in the “illumination range” corresponding to “arrangement position” indicates that the “illumination range” is not set, and the horizontal line in “illumination direction” corresponding to “arrangement interval” is , "Illumination direction" is not set.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing basic components of the lighting fixture 5.
The CPU 51, which is the core of the lighting fixture 5, is a central processing unit that controls the overall operation of the lighting fixture 5 according to various programs in the storage unit 52. The storage unit 52 stores various programs and information, and stores programs for realizing the present embodiment. A light source adjustment unit 53, an illumination range adjustment unit 54, an illumination direction adjustment unit 55, an illumination method adjustment unit 56, a wireless LAN communication unit 57, a camera unit 58, and the like are connected to the CPU 51 as input / output peripheral devices. The CPU 51 controls these operations according to an input / output program.

  The configuration of the light source adjustment unit 53, the illumination range adjustment unit 54, the illumination direction adjustment unit 55, and the illumination method adjustment unit 56 is arbitrary, but the light source adjustment unit 53 can switch the brightness and light color of the light source (lamp) 59. It has a configuration. When performing spot illumination, the illumination range adjustment unit 54 has a configuration in which the illumination angle can be switched to a plurality of levels within a range of, for example, 20 degrees to 75 degrees. The illumination direction adjustment unit 55 is configured to be able to switch the illumination direction by moving the fixture body from a vertical direction to an oblique direction in which an illumination target is present when performing spot illumination. The illumination method adjustment unit 56 is configured to be switchable between a diffuse illumination method for diffusing the illumination light and a spot illumination method for converging the illumination light to an ordered product.

  The wireless LAN communication unit 57 transmits and receives data to and from the order control device 1 via the access point 4, and controls a lighting effect on a lighting object in accordance with an instruction from the order control device 1. Like that. The camera unit 58 starts a shooting operation in response to an instruction from the order control device 1 when receiving an order from a new customer sitting at the dining table, and thereafter starts a shooting operation in response to an instruction from the order control device 1. It is a digital camera that stops and shoots the entire dining table (continuous shooting or moving image shooting) from almost directly above the dining table. The image captured by the camera unit 58 is sent to the order control device 1 via the access point 4. The order control device 1 analyzes the captured image to determine the type and state of the illumination target.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the lighting control device (order control device 1) is a lighting control device that controls lighting of a lighting target (ordered product of a predetermined type) by lighting means (lighting device 5). A discriminating means (CPU 11, program memory PG) for discriminating at least one of the type and state of the illumination object (surface state such as color and luster, arrangement state such as arrangement position and arrangement interval); Control means (CPU 11, program memory PG, lighting control database DB) for controlling the lighting effect (brightness, light color, lighting direction, lighting range, etc. of the light source) on the lighting object by the lighting means based on the result. ).

  Next, an operation concept of the order control device 1 (lighting control device) in the first embodiment will be described with reference to flowcharts shown in FIGS. Here, each function described in these flowcharts is stored in the form of a readable program code, and operations according to the program code are sequentially executed. Further, the operation according to the above-described program code transmitted via a transmission medium such as a network can be sequentially performed. That is, an operation unique to the present embodiment can be executed using a program / data externally supplied via a transmission medium in addition to the recording medium.

FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts for explaining the operation (characteristic operation of the present embodiment) of the order control device 1 which is started to be executed when the power is turned on.
First, the CPU 11 of the order control device 1 clears the memory and the like in response to the power-on operation, and also adjusts the light source adjustment unit 53, the illumination range adjustment unit 54, the illumination direction adjustment unit 55, and the illumination method adjustment unit 56 of each illumination device 5. Is set so that the brightness, light color, lighting range, lighting direction, and lighting method of each lighting fixture 5 are in the initial state (normal lighting state) (step A1 in FIG. 8). In this normal lighting state, for example, the lighting in which the brightness of the power supply is lowered is diffused throughout the dining table.

  In this state, the order control device 1 checks whether the order data has been received from the handy terminal 2 (step A2), checks whether it is the control timing of the staging lighting (step A6), and performs one transaction (dining table) from the ECR3. ) Is checked (step A10) to determine whether a notice of completion of accounting (payment) transmitted at the time of termination (payment) is received (step A10), and if not (NO in steps A2, A6, A10), step A13 After performing other processing (such as on / off control of the lighting apparatus 5), the process returns to step A2 described above.

  Now, when order data is received from the handy terminal 2 possessed by the customer service representative (YES in step A2), an order registration process for sequentially registering the received order data together with the table number and the transaction number in the order data memory OD is performed ( Step A3). When the order data is registered in this manner, in order to specify each lighting fixture 5 for lighting the dining table as a control target of the lighting effect, the "control target presence / absence" corresponding to the dining table in the lighting fixture management table T0. Is set to "1" (step A4). Then, after transmitting a camera operation instruction (photographing instruction) to the lighting equipment 5 specified as the control target (step A5), the process returns to step A2 described above.

  Here, if it is the control timing of the effect lighting, that is, if it is detected that a predetermined time (for example, one second interval) has elapsed based on the time measurement information from the clock unit 16 (YES in step A6) ), And proceeds to the processing for controlling the effect lighting (steps A7 to A9 in FIG. 8 and steps A14 to A24 in FIG. 9). First, image data is received and acquired from each lighting fixture 5 specified as a control target of the lighting effect (step A7). In this case, the camera unit 58 on each lighting fixture 5 starts a shooting operation in response to a camera operation instruction transmitted from the order control device 1 when an order is received from a new customer sitting at the dining table, and thereafter The photographing operation is continued until a camera stop instruction is received from the order control device 1.

  Then, the order control device 1 performs a process of recognizing the ordered item by analyzing the photographed image acquired from each lighting fixture 5 which is a control target of the lighting effect (step A8). That is, by comparing the analysis result of the captured image with the “image / feature information” in the type-specific lighting control table T1, a predetermined type of ordered item (for example, the main dish) set in the type-specific lighting control table T1 Is determined in the captured image (step A9). As a result, if the predetermined type of order is not included, that is, if the order is out of the control target (NO in step A9), the process returns to step A2, but the predetermined type of order is included in the captured image. , That is, when an ordered product of a predetermined type is served on the dining table (YES in step A9), the process proceeds to the flow of FIG. 9, and the lighting fixture 5 on which the ordered product is served is specified (step A9). A14). In this case, the transmission source (lighting equipment 5) of the captured image including the predetermined kind of ordered goods is specified as the lighting equipment 5 of the dining table on which the ordered goods are arranged.

  Then, based on the determination result as to whether or not the predetermined type of order set in the type-specific lighting control table T1 is included in the captured image, the type of the order is determined (step A15). With reference to the illumination control table T1 (step A16), the illumination control information (brightness and light color of the light source) associated with the type of the ordered item is read and acquired (step A17). Next, the surface state (color, gloss, etc.) of the ordered item is determined (Step A18), and the illumination control table T2 for each surface state is referenced (Step A19), and the surface state of the ordered item is associated with the ordered item. The read illumination control information (brightness and light color of the light source) is read and acquired (step A20).

  Further, the arrangement state (arrangement position, arrangement interval) of the ordered item is determined from the analysis result of the photographed image (Step A21), and the arrangement state of the ordered item is referred to by referring to the illumination control table T3 for each arrangement state (Step A22). Lighting control information (lighting direction, lighting range) associated with the state is read out and obtained (step A23). The respective illumination control information (brightness, light color, illumination direction, illumination range) of the light source thus acquired is transmitted to the illumination device 5 specified in step A4 of FIG. 8 (step A24). Thereafter, the process returns to step A2 in FIG. 8, and thereafter, the above-described operation is repeated every time the control timing of the effect lighting comes (YES in step A6).

  When the lighting apparatus 5 receives each piece of lighting control information (brightness, light color, lighting direction, lighting range) of the light source from the order control device 1, based on the lighting control information, the light source adjusting unit 53 and the lighting range adjusting unit 54. The illumination direction adjustment unit 55 and the illumination method adjustment unit 56 are driven to adjust the brightness and light color of the light source, adjust the illumination range, and adjust the illumination direction. Hereinafter, the above-described operation is repeated each time the control timing of the effect lighting is reached on the order control device 1 side, so that the brightness, light color, lighting direction, and lighting range of the light source are adjusted each time. In this case, if the surface state changes gradually due to eating and drinking of the ordered product, the brightness and light color of the light source change according to the change. Similarly, if the arrangement position of the ordered item changes, or the arrangement interval changes due to other ordered items being served, the illumination direction and the illumination range change according to the change.

  Then, when the order control device 1 receives a notice (accounted notice) of completion of accounting (payment) transmitted from the ECR 3 at the end of one transaction (table) (at the time of settlement) (YES at step A10 in FIG. 8). ), A flag “0” is set to “presence / absence of control target” of the corresponding lighting fixture 5 in the lighting fixture management table T0 in order to exclude each lighting fixture 5 of the transaction (table) from the control target of the lighting effect. At the same time (step A11), a camera stop instruction is transmitted to each lighting fixture 5 (step A12). Then, the process returns to step A2. In this case, the lighting device 5 stops shooting by the camera unit 58, stops the lighting effect, and switches to the original normal lighting.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, the order control device 1 determines the type and state of the illumination target, and controls the lighting effect on the illumination target by the lighting fixture 5 based on the determination result. Therefore, appropriate lighting suitable for each lighting object can be realized without performing a special operation for lighting control, and can be used in various fields. In this case, in a restaurant, it is possible to produce each of the dishes in a delicious manner by lighting the food, so that the use of the restaurant is effective for customer service and sales promotion.

  The order control device 1 adjusts the brightness and the light color of the light source of the lighting fixture 5 based on the determination result of the type and state of the illumination target (ordered item), thereby performing the lighting effect on the illumination target. Since the control is performed, it is possible to emphasize the color of the illumination target by adjusting the brightness and the light color.

  The order control device 1 adjusts the brightness, the light color, the illumination range, the illumination direction, and the illumination method of the light source of the illumination fixture 5 based on the determination result of the type and state of the illumination target (ordered item). Controls the lighting effect on the object to be illuminated, thereby enabling a versatile and expressive lighting effect.

  The order control device 1 analyzes the image of the illumination target based on the determination result of the type and status of the illumination target (ordered product), and determines the type and status of the illumination target. Thus, the type and state of the illumination target can be accurately determined by image recognition.

  The order control device 1 performs the operation of determining the type and state of the lighting object every time that the control timing of the stage lighting is measured by the clock unit 16. The effect lighting can be controlled without imposing a burden.

  The order control device 1 refers to the type-specific lighting control table T1, the surface state-based lighting control table T2, and the arrangement state-based lighting control table T3 based on the determination result of the type and state of the illumination target (ordered product). The lighting control information is read out to control the lighting effect on the lighting object, so that the lighting control table T1 for each type, the lighting control table T2 for each surface state, and the lighting control table T3 for each arrangement state are set as described in the following. Can be set, and arbitrary contents can be set by a user operation, and control can be performed according to the user's intention.

  The order control device 1 determines the arrangement state in which the lighting object is arranged as the state of the lighting object, and thus controls the lighting effect on the lighting object according to the arrangement state of the lighting object. be able to.

  The order control device 1 determines the arrangement position and the arrangement interval as the arrangement state of the illumination object, and controls the illumination direction and the illumination range of the lighting fixture 5 based on the arrangement position and the arrangement interval. Lighting suitable for the arrangement state of the object can be performed. That is, even if the arrangement position of the illumination target changes, it is possible to produce an illumination effect that follows the change.

  In the first embodiment described above, eight lighting fixtures (two for each person, a total of eight lighting fixtures) are provided on a four-seat dining table as lighting fixtures 5 corresponding to the number of seats on the ceiling portion of the dining table. Although the lighting devices 5 are provided, the lighting devices 5 may be provided one by one. In this case, when a plurality of ordered items are sequentially arranged with a time interval as in the case of course meal, one lighting fixture 5 may be sequentially switched to illuminate each ordered item.

  In the above-described first embodiment, when the notice of accounting completion is received, the lighting effect by each lighting fixture 5 corresponding to the accounted dining table is stopped, and the waiting is performed until the next customer comes to the dining table. However, when the lighting effect is stopped, when a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes) elapses after one dish is served, the lighting effect on the dish is stopped, and waits until the next dish is served. You may do so. Alternatively, the eating condition may be determined from the surface state of the dish or the like, and the lighting effect on the dish may be stopped based on the eating condition.

  Further, in the first embodiment described above, the lighting device 5 is provided with a camera function, but a camera device separate from the lighting device 5 may be provided on the ceiling. Further, the camera devices may be arranged one by one on the dining table to photograph the entire dining table.

  In the above-described first embodiment, the lighting effect is started by determining that the ordered item is served by photographing the ordered item, but the customer service staff uses the handy terminal 2. The lighting effect may be started by notifying the order control device 1 that the serving has been completed.

  In the first embodiment described above, the angle at which the order is illuminated from above is controlled according to the arrangement position indicating the area where the center of the order is located. The present invention is not limited to the case where the illumination angle is switched to a plurality of stages according to the arrangement position. The illumination range may be widened if the arrangement position is at the center, and may be narrowed if the arrangement position is biased toward the end.

  Further, in the above-described first embodiment, the case where the lighting control device is applied to the order control device 1 is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to the order control device 1 and may be applied to the ECR 3. Furthermore, the lighting control device is not limited to the order control device 1 and the ECR 3, but may be a dedicated device. The lighting control device may be the lighting device 5 itself.

(2nd Embodiment)
Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the above-described first embodiment, a lighting effect on a predetermined type of ordered item is performed by analyzing a photographed image of the ordered item in a restaurant (restaurant). However, in the second embodiment, a supermarket is In such a retail store, a wireless signal from a product in a product display shelf is received to perform a lighting effect on the product. Further, in the above-described first embodiment, the order control device 1 is a lighting control device, but in the above-described second embodiment, the handy terminal 2 is a lighting control device. Here, in the two embodiments, those that are basically or the same in name are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted, and the following description will focus on the features of the second embodiment. .

FIG. 10 is a diagram exemplifying a case where a lighting effect is performed on a predetermined type of product (illumination target object) among the products in the product display shelf at the retail store.
The product display shelf 6 has a plurality of levels (four levels in the illustrated example) of shelves, and a plurality of different types of products are displayed and arranged on each shelf. Four lighting fixtures 5 are arranged on the wall portion of the product display shelf 6 in the obliquely upward front direction in accordance with the number of shelves. Of the four lighting devices 5, the first (lowest) lighting device 5 illuminates the entire first (lowest) shelf, and the second lighting device 5 illuminates the entire second shelf. The third lighting fixture 5 illuminates the entire third shelf, and the fourth (top) lighting fixture 5 illuminates the entire fourth (top) shelf.

  In the second embodiment, the same type of merchandise is displayed on the same shelf, that is, different types of merchandise are placed on each shelf. If the same type of product is displayed on the same shelf in this way, the product may not be an illumination target, but may be a shelf on which the product is displayed. In the second embodiment, the lighting effect is controlled by using the handy terminal 2 possessed by the person in charge of the product management. A shelf number for identifying the shelf position is added to each shelf of the product display shelf 6 by a bar code or the like.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing basic components of the handy terminal 2.
The CPU 21 which forms the core of the handy terminal 2 is a central processing unit that controls the overall operation of the handy terminal 2 according to various programs in the storage unit 22. The storage unit 22 stores various programs and information, and has a type-specific lighting control table T1, an inventory management table T4, and the like. The CPU 21 includes, as input / output peripheral devices, an operation unit 23, a display unit 24, a wireless LAN communication unit 25, a barcode scanner 26 for optically reading a product code (barcode), and a non-contact communication type using radio waves. Are connected, and the CPU 21 controls their operations according to an input / output program.

  The IC tag reader 27 is a short-range wireless communication unit that reads information such as a product code from an IC tag (an IC chip with an antenna: not shown) embedded in the product by a wireless signal. The handy terminal 2 is a bar code scanner 26. And an inventory management process based on the product code read by the IC tag reader 27. In addition to the inventory management function, the handy terminal 2 has a function of controlling the lighting equipment 5 in the store. This lighting control function is a function of controlling a lighting effect on a product by controlling a special lighting device 5 provided for each product display shelf 6 in accordance with the product, separately from the overall lighting in the store. It is.

  The type-specific lighting control table T1 is basically the same as the type-specific lighting control table T1 in FIG. 5B described above, and stores illumination control information corresponding to the type of product. Although not shown, the type-specific lighting control table T1 of the second embodiment includes “product type” in addition to “type of illumination target (product)”, “brightness of light source”, and “light color”. Items. The “kind of lighting target (product)” is, for example, “fresh meat or red-based fish”, “product is bread or side dish”, or “blue-white fresh fish or vegetables” among the products specified by the product code. Has been classified. “Brightness of light source” and “light color” are, for example, bright orange-pink lighting when the product is meat or red-based fresh fish, and yellow-orange bright lighting when the product is bread or prepared food. Is set.

  The handy terminal 2 reads the product code by the barcode scanner 26 or the IC tag reader 27, and reads the shelf number from the shelf position where the product is displayed by the IC tag reader 27. With reference to the lighting control table T1, the product is specified, the type is determined, and "brightness of the light source" and "light color" are read out as lighting control information associated with the type. The lighting control information thus read out is transmitted to the corresponding lighting equipment 5 via the wireless LAN communication unit 25. At this time, the handy terminal 2 specifies the shelf position based on the read shelf number, specifies the lighting fixture 5 associated with the shelf position, and transmits the lighting control information to the lighting fixture 5. Like that.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the handy terminal 2 (characteristic operation of the present embodiment) started to be executed in response to power-on in the second embodiment.
The handy terminal 2 checks whether inventory management has been instructed by a key operation by the person in charge (step B1) or whether replacement of the product has been instructed (step B3). (NO in B1 and B3), after executing another process (step B11) according to the operation, return to step B1. Now, when the inventory management is instructed (YES in step B1), an inventory management process (step B2) for updating the stock quantity of each product in the inventory management table T4 is executed, and the process returns to step B1.

  Further, when the replacement of the product is instructed (YES in step B3), it is checked whether the barcode scanner 26 or the IC tag reader 27 has read the product code and the shelf code for the replacement of the product (step B4). Here, when changing the shelf position of the product in the product display shelf 6, the person in charge performs an operation of reading the shelf code of the change destination (replacement destination) together with the product code by the barcode scanner 26 or the IC tag reader 27. Do. As a result, when the product code and the shelf code are read (YES in step B4), a product replacement process for changing the contents of the inventory management table T4 based on the product code and the shelf code is performed (step B5). Although the details of the inventory management table T4 are omitted from the drawing, the inventory management table T4 is configured to store “article code”, “shelf code”, “stock quantity”, and the like. Replacement processing for changing the relationship between the product and the "shelf code" is performed.

  When the product is replaced, the type-specific lighting control table T1 is referred to based on the product code (step B6) to specify the product and determine the type of the product (step B7). “Brightness of light source” and “light color” are read and acquired as illumination control information associated with the type (step B8). Then, based on the shelf code of the product change destination (replacement destination), the lighting equipment 5 associated with the shelf is specified (step B9), and the lighting control information “light source The lighting device 5 transmits the “brightness” and the “light color” (step B10). In this case, when the lighting device 5 receives the lighting control information, the lighting fixture 5 determines the product replacement destination based on the “brightness of the light source” and the “light color”. Controls the lighting effects on the entire shelf.

  As described above, in the second embodiment, the handy terminal 2 specifies the illumination target based on the signal received by the short-range communication IC tag reader 27 and determines the type and state of the illumination target. Therefore, appropriate lighting suitable for each lighting object can be realized without performing a special operation for lighting control.

  The handy terminal 2 specifies the replacement destination shelf position based on the shelf code during the product replacement process and controls the lighting effect on the product existing at the specified shelf position. The following lighting effect can be controlled.

  In the above-described second embodiment, the IC tag reader 27 is used for short-range communication, but optical communication using infrared light or the like may be used.

  In the above-described second embodiment, the commodity display shelves 6 are illustrated in a plurality of stages. However, the present invention is not limited to the commodity shelves, and various kinds of commodities may be stored and arranged in a wagon (packing bed) and sold. In this case, the lighting equipment 5 may be provided for each wagon.

  In the above-described second embodiment, the case where the lighting control device is applied to the handy terminal 2 is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited to the handy terminal 2 and may be applied to the ECR 3. Further, the lighting control device is not limited to the order control device 1, the handy terminal 2, and the ECR 3, but may be a dedicated device. The lighting control device may be the lighting device 5 itself.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the lighting effect in which the lighting fixtures 5 are associated with the lighting target in a one-to-one manner is performed. However, in order to intensively illuminate one lighting target from a plurality of directions, the lighting target may be illuminated. A plurality of lighting fixtures 5 may be arranged around the lighting fixture, and the lighting effect by the plurality of lighting fixtures 5 may be controlled based on the type of the lighting target. This enables more precise lighting effects. In this case, a plurality of light sources may be provided in one lighting fixture 5, and the light sources may be selectively controlled.

  The illumination target is not limited to dishes, foods, and commodities, and may be plants, insects, tropical fish, animals, and the like, which are appreciation organisms.

  Further, the “apparatus” and “unit” shown in each of the above-described embodiments may be separated into a plurality of housings according to functions, and are not limited to a single housing. In addition, each step described in the above-described flowchart is not limited to time-series processing, and a plurality of steps may be processed in parallel or separately and independently.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and includes the inventions described in the claims and equivalents thereof.
Hereinafter, the inventions described in the claims of the present application will be additionally described.
(Note)
(Claim 1)
The invention described in claim 1 is
An illumination control device that controls illumination of an illumination target by illumination means,
Determining means for determining at least one of the type and state of the illumination target object;
A control unit that controls an illumination effect on the illumination target by the illumination unit based on a determination result by the determination unit;
It is a lighting control device characterized by comprising:
(Claim 2)
The invention according to claim 2 is the lighting control device according to claim 1,
The illumination means has at least the brightness of the light source, the light color, the illumination range, the illumination direction, an adjustment function to change any of the illumination method,
The control unit controls an illumination effect on the illumination target by operating an adjustment function of the illumination unit based on a determination result by the determination unit.
A lighting control device characterized by the above.
(Claim 3)
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the lighting control device according to the first or second aspect,
The determination unit determines at least one of the type and state of the illumination target by analyzing an image of the illumination target,
A lighting control device characterized by the above.
(Claim 4)
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the lighting control device according to the first or second aspect,
The determining means specifies an illumination target based on a signal received through short-range communication, and determines at least one of the type and state of the illumination target.
A lighting control device characterized by the above.
(Claim 5)
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the lighting control device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects,
The lighting device further includes a time-measuring unit that measures that the control timing of the effect lighting has been reached, wherein the determining unit determines at least the type of the lighting object each time that the control timing of the effect lighting is measured by the time-measuring device. Perform an operation to determine any of the states,
A lighting control device characterized by the above.
(Claim 6)
The invention according to claim 6 is the illumination control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The control unit refers to an information storage unit that stores lighting control information in association with the type and state of the illumination target based on the determination result by the determination unit, and based on the reference result, To control the lighting effects on
A lighting control device characterized by the above.
(Claim 7)
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the lighting control device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects,
The determination means determines an arrangement state in which the illumination target is arranged as a state of the illumination target,
A lighting control device characterized by the above.
(Claim 8)
The invention according to claim 8 is the lighting control device according to claim 7,
The illuminating means has at least an illuminating range, an illuminating direction, and an adjusting function for changing any of the illuminating methods,
The determining means determines at least one of the arrangement position and the arrangement interval as the arrangement state of the illumination target object,
The control unit controls an illumination effect on the illumination target by operating an adjustment function of the illumination unit based on a determination result by the determination unit.
A lighting control device characterized by the above.
(Claim 9)
According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the lighting control device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects,
Further comprising a position specifying means for specifying the position of the illumination object,
The control means controls a lighting effect on an illumination target present at the position specified by the position specifying means,
A lighting control device characterized in that:
(Claim 10)
According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the lighting control device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects,
The illuminating means has a plurality of light sources arranged around the illuminated object to intensively illuminate the illuminated object from a plurality of directions,
The control unit controls the plurality of light sources based on the illumination target object determined by the determination unit,
A lighting control device characterized by the above.
(Claim 11)
According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the lighting control device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects,
The illumination target illuminated by the illumination means is any of a predetermined food, a predetermined food, a predetermined product, and a predetermined viewing creature.
A lighting control device characterized by the above.
(Claim 12)
The invention according to claim 12 is
A program for controlling a computer of a lighting control device that controls lighting of a lighting target by a lighting unit,
Said computer,
Determining means for determining at least one of a type and a state of the illumination target object;
Control means for controlling an illumination effect on the illumination target object by the illumination means, based on a determination result by the determination means;
This is a computer-readable program that is caused to function as a computer.

1 order control device 2 handy terminal 3 ECR
4 Access Point 5 Lighting Fixture 6 Product Display Shelf 11, 21, 51 CPU
12, 22, 52 storage unit 15, 57 wireless LAN communication unit 16 clock unit 27 IC tag reader 53 light source adjustment unit 54 illumination range adjustment unit 55 illumination direction adjustment unit 56 illumination method adjustment unit 58 camera unit PG program memory DB illumination control database

Claims (5)

A lighting control device that controls lighting of a product by lighting means installed in a restaurant,
A determination unit configured to determine whether the ordered product corresponds to a lighting effect target when an order for the product is received,
Specifying means for specifying the serving position on the table at the time of serving the ordered product;
Recognition means for recognizing the eating and drinking situation of the arranged products by predetermined photographing means,
When it is determined by the determination unit that the product corresponds to a lighting effect target, a lighting effect corresponding to the serving position specified by the specifying unit is started at a timing when the product is set on the dining table. First control means for controlling the lighting means;
A second control unit that controls the lighting unit so as to change the lighting effect according to the eating and drinking situation of the product recognized by the recognition unit;
A lighting control device comprising: The specifying means specifies which of the serving areas among the plurality of serving areas on the dining table corresponding to each of the plurality of seats includes the serving position,
The first control means causes the lighting means to start a lighting effect corresponding to the serving area specified by the specifying means,
The lighting control device according to claim 1, wherein: The lighting means has a plurality of lighting fixtures corresponding to each of a plurality of seats provided around the dining table,
The first control means starts a lighting effect by a predetermined lighting fixture among the plurality of lighting fixtures based on the serving position specified by the specifying means,
The lighting control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The specifying means specifies a serving position on the dining table of the product by a camera that photographs the dining table,
The lighting control device according to claim 1, wherein: A program for controlling a computer of a lighting control device that controls lighting of a product by a lighting unit installed in a restaurant,
Said computer,
Determining means for determining whether or not the ordered product corresponds to a lighting effect target when receiving an order for the product,
Identification means for identifying the serving position on the table at the time of serving ordered items,
Recognition means for recognizing the eating and drinking situation of the arranged products by predetermined photographing means,
When it is determined by the determination unit that the product corresponds to a lighting effect target, a lighting effect corresponding to the serving position specified by the specifying unit is started at a timing when the product is set on the dining table. First control means for controlling the lighting means,
Second control means for controlling the lighting means so as to change the lighting effect according to the eating and drinking situation of the product recognized by the recognition means,
A computer-readable program that is caused to function as a computer.

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