Systems and methods for providing customized food items that are customized based, at least in part, on customized food item integrity preference

• US 10,176,505 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Holman, Pablos, Myhrvold, Nathan P., Petroski, Robert C., Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Jr., Lowell L., Wood, Victoria Y. H., Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Levchin, Max R., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zukanovich, Brandy A
• Application Number:
  US14/176,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20150186969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,793 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272, 705 265
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/70 in which the articles are formed in the apparatus from components, blanks, or material constituents
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0064 for processing of food articles cooking vessels A47J37/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/023 Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising

Abstract

Computationally implemented methods and systems include acquiring user information associated with one or more users for use in generating one or more customized food items that are customized specifically for the one or more users, the user information to be acquired including at least one or more user preferences related to integrity of one or more food ingredients to be included in the one or more customized food items; and directing generation of the one or more customized food items for the one or more users, the one or more customized food items having been customized to show one or more visual indicators that provide customized information that has been customized in accordance, at least in part, with the acquired user information. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Claims

1. An automated customized food preparation system, comprising:

at least one processing device; and

one or more instructions which, when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the at least one processing device to perform one or more operations including at least;

detecting one or more users within at least one proximity of the automated customized food preparation system;

acquiring one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences; and

controlling at least one hardware-based preparation component of the automated customized food preparation system to generate the one or more food items customized for the one or more users; and

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences.

2. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

acquiring at least a portion of the one or more user preferences from one or more mobile devices associated with the one or more users, the one or more mobile devices having been detected within the at least one proximity of the automated customized food generation.

3. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

retrieving at least a portion of the one or more user preferences from a memory based, at least in part, on one or more user identifications provided by the one or more users.

4. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

retrieving at least a portion of the one or more user preferences from the Internet based, at least in part, on one or more user identifications provided by the one or more users.

5. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 4, wherein retrieving at least a portion of the one or more user preferences from the Internet based, at least in part, on one or more user identifications provided by the one or more users comprises:

retrieving at least a portion of the one or more user preferences from one or more social networking websites based, at least in part, on one or more user identifications provided by the one or more users.

6. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

acquiring dietary information associated with the one or more users.

7. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 6, wherein acquiring dietary information associated with the one or more users comprises:

acquiring one or more dietary preferences of the one or more users.

8. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 7, wherein acquiring one or more dietary preferences of the one or more users comprises:

acquiring one or more ingredient preferences of the one or more users.

9. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 6, wherein acquiring dietary information associated with the one or more users comprises:

acquiring at least one of one or more dietary schedules or one or more dietary restrictions of the one or more users.

10. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 6, wherein acquiring dietary information associated with the one or more users comprises:

acquiring historical dietary information associated with the one or more users.

11. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

acquiring one or more user preferences related to purity of one or more food ingredients for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

12. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 11, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences related to purity of one or more food ingredients for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

acquiring one or more user preferences that one or more sources for the one or more ingredients were tested for presence of one or more impurities.

13. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 12, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences that one or more sources for the one or more ingredients were tested for presence of one or more impurities comprises:

acquiring one or more user preferences that the one or more sources for the one or more ingredients were tested for presence of at least one of one or more prions or one or more selective bacteria.

14. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

acquiring one or more user preferences for one or more sources for obtaining one or more food ingredients for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

15. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 14, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences for one or more sources for obtaining one or more food ingredients for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

acquiring one or more user preferences that one or more identified sources not be the one or more sources for obtaining the one or more food ingredients for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

16. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

acquiring one or more user preferences for one or more locations for obtaining one or more food ingredients for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

17. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 16, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences for one or more locations for obtaining one or more food ingredients for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

acquiring one or more user preferences for one or more locations to not be the one or more sources for obtaining the one or more food ingredients for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

18. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

acquiring at least one indication of at least one group of affiliated users of which the one or more users are members; and

acquiring at least one indication of at least one food sensitivity of at least one member of the at least one group of affiliated users in order to customize one or more food items for the one or more users omitting one or more ingredients associated with the at least one food sensitivity even when the one or more users do not themselves experience the at least one food sensitivity.

19. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 18, wherein acquiring at least one indication of at least one group of affiliated users of which the one or more users are members comprises:

acquiring at least one indication of at least one group of affiliated users of which the one or more users are members based, at least in part, on social networking information provided through one or more devices associated with at least one of the one or more users.

20. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one hardware-based preparation component of the automated customized food preparation system to generate the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

controlling one or more food item printing components of the automated customized food preparation system to generate the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

21. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 20, wherein controlling one or more food item printing components of the automated customized food preparation system to generate the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

controlling one or more ingredient deposition components of the automated customized food preparation system to fabricate the one or more food items customized for the one or more users at least in part via placement of one or more layers of one or more ingredients.

22. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

directing printing of the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences onto one or more labels; and

directing affixing the one or more printed labels onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

23. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

controlling at least one press printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to stamp the one or more visual indicators into at least one surface of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences.

24. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators indicating dietary information of at least one of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

25. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 24, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators indicating dietary information of at least one of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators indicating historical dietary consumption information of the at least one of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

26. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 25, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators indicating historical dietary consumption information of the at least one of the one or more users onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators indicating one or more consumption totals of one or more food ingredients consumed previously by the at least one of the one or more users during one or more predefined periods of time onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

27. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators identifying one or more ingredients included in the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, including at least placing the one or more visual indicators placed onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

28. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 27, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators identifying one or more ingredients included in the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, including at least placing the one or more visual indicators placed onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators indicating one or more quantities of the one or more ingredients included in the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

29. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators identifying one or more controlled substance ingredients included in the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, including at least directing a press printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to stamp the one or more visual indicators into at least one surface of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

30. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 29, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators identifying one or more controlled substance ingredients included in the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, including at least directing a press printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to stamp the one or more visual indicators into at least one surface of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators identifying one or more controlled substance ingredients included in the one or more food items, including at least one or more medications compounded by the automated customized food preparation machine, for the one or more users.

31. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators indicating integrity of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users.

32. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 31, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators indicating integrity of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users comprises:

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators indicating integrity of the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators indicating integrity operable to provide visual confirmation that the one or more food items have not been tampered with subsequent to their generation.

33. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one hardware-based preparation component of the automated customized food preparation system to generate the one or more food items customized for the one or more users and controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprise:

controlling at least one hardware-based preparation component of the automated customized food preparation system to generate one or more food items having one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences, including at least directing three-dimensional printing of the one or more food items to generate the one or more food items with one or more specific forms, the one or more specific forms being the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences.

34. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 33, wherein controlling at least one hardware-based preparation component of the automated customized food preparation system to generate one or more food items having one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences, including at least directing three-dimensional printing of the one or more food items to generate the one or more food items with one or more specific forms, the one or more specific forms being the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

directing three-dimensional printing of the one or more food items in one or more specific colors in order to provide the information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences.

35. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein detecting one or more users within at least one proximity of the automated customized food preparation system comprises:

detecting, within at least one proximity of the automated customized food preparation system, at least one mobile device associated with one or more users known to the automated customized food preparation system.

36. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

acquiring, from at least one mobile device associated with the one or more users, one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences.

37. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more edible visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more edible visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences.

38. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 37, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more edible visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more edible visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct printing of one or more edible labels and to direct placement of the one or more edible labels onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more edible labels providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences.

39. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 37, wherein controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more edible visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more edible visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprises:

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct printing, using edible ink, of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators printed using edible ink providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences.

40. The automated customized food preparation system of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one hardware-based preparation component of the automated customized food preparation system to generate the one or more food items customized for the one or more users and controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences comprise:

controlling at least one hardware-based preparation component of the automated customized food preparation system to generate one or more food items having one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences, including at least directing three-dimensional printing of the one or more food items while leaving, via the three-dimensional printing, a stamp of the one or more visual indicators on a surface of the one or more food items, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences.

41. A method for an automated customized food preparation system, comprising:

detecting one or more users within at least one proximity of the automated customized food preparation system;

acquiring one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences;

controlling at least one hardware-based preparation component of the automated customized food preparation system to generate the one or more food items customized for the one or more users; and

controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences,

wherein at least one of the detecting, acquiring, or controlling is at least partially implemented using at least one processing device.

42. An automated customized food preparation system, comprising:

electrical circuitry configured for detecting one or more users within at least one proximity of the automated customized food preparation system;

electrical circuitry configured for acquiring one or more user preferences associated with the one or more users for use in generating one or more food items customized for the one or more users in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences; and

electrical circuitry configured for controlling at least one hardware-based preparation component of the automated customized food preparation system to generate the one or more food items customized for the one or more users; and

electrical circuitry configured for controlling at least one printing component of the automated customized food preparation system to direct placement of one or more visual indicators onto the one or more food items customized for the one or more users, the one or more visual indicators providing information relating to one or more customizations occurring during the generation in accordance, at least in part, with the one or more user preferences.