Directing one or more users to one or more automated customized food generation machines

• US 10,262,352 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• 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, Hyde, Roderick A., Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Kare, Jordin T., Levchin, Max R., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Petroski, Robert C., Tegreene, Clarence T., Whitmer, Charles, Wood, Jr., Lowell L., Wood, Victoria Y. H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Uber, Nathan C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haider, Fawaad
• Application Number:
  US14/200,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20150187026A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 705 15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• 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 preference information of a user that indicates one or more customized food preferences of the user including at least one or more preferences related to integrity of one or more ingredients for use in generating one or more customized food items; identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user; and presenting, in response at least in part to the identification, one or more indicators that direct the user to at least one automated customized food generation machine. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one automated customized food generation machine including at least one robotic food manufacturing component;

at least one processing device; and

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

acquiring one or more customized food preferences of a user for use in generating one or more customized food items for the user;

identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user;

providing one or more indicators that direct the user to at least one capable automated customized food generation machine; and

generating, at least in part via the at least one robotic food manufacturing component, the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more customized food preferences of a user for use in generating one or more customized food items for the user comprises:

acquiring the one or more customized food preferences in response to detection that the user is within at least one proximity of one or more automated customized food generation machines designed to generate customized food items.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more customized food preferences of a user for use in generating one or more customized food items for the user comprises:

acquiring one or more customized food preferences of a second user, the second user and the user having been determined to be affiliated with each other.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more customized food preferences of a user for use in generating one or more customized food items for the user comprises:

acquiring one or more dietary preferences of the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more customized food preferences of a user for use in generating one or more customized food items for the user comprises:

acquiring at least some historical dietary information associated with the user.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more customized food preferences of a user for use in generating one or more customized food items for the user comprises:

acquiring at least some information indicating at least one of historical travel or movement information of the user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more customized food preferences of a user for use in generating one or more customized food items for the user comprises:

acquiring at least some historical usage information indicating historical user usage of one or more automated customized food generation machines.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more customized food preferences of a user for use in generating one or more customized food items for the user comprises:

acquiring at least some historical response information indicating one or more historical user responses of the user in response to one or more automated customized food generation machine recommendations previously presented to the user that recommended to the user one or more specific automated customized food generation automated machines for use by the user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein acquiring one or more customized food preferences of a user for use in generating one or more customized food items for the user comprises:

acquiring the one or more customized food preferences in response, at least in part, to a determination that an automated customized food generation machine designed to generate customized food items is unable to currently generate one or more customized food items in accordance with at least one customized food preference of the user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that are determined to be located within a short traveling distance from a location of the user and that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with one or more dietary preferences of the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with one or more dietary preferences of the user comprises:

identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with one or more ingredient preferences of the user.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with one or more dietary preferences of the user comprises:

identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with one or more dietary schedules of the user.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with one or more dietary preferences of the user comprises:

identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with one or more dietary restrictions of the user.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with one or more purity preferences of the user related to purity of one or more ingredients for use in generating the at least one customized food item.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with one or more purity preferences of the user related to purity of one or more ingredients for use in generating the at least one customized food item comprises:

identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with one or more preferences of the user that one or more sources for the one or more ingredients were tested for at least one of presence or absence of one or more impurities, presence or absence of one or more selective bacteria, or presence or absence of one or more pesticides.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with one or more customized food preferences of the user that the one or more ingredients for use in generating the at least one customized food item were obtained from at least one of one or more specified sources or one or more specified locations.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with one or more customized food preferences of the user that the one or more ingredients for use in generating the at least one customized food item were not obtained from at least one of one or more specified sources or one or more specified locations.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that do not have the one or more ingredients in the one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user but which are able to currently generate at least one substitute customized food item that is a substitute for the at least one customized food item.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that do not have the one or more ingredients in the one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user but which are able to currently generate at least one substitute customized food item that is a substitute for the at least one customized food item comprises:

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate a substitute customized food item that is substantially in compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

identifying the one or more capable automated customized food generation machines in response to detection that an automated customized food generation machine that the user is interfacing with is unable to generate at least one customized food item in compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein providing one or more indicators that direct the user to at least one capable automated customized food generation machine comprises:

causing at least one mobile device associated with the user to provide the one or more indicators that direct the user to the at least one capable automated customized food generation machine.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein causing at least one mobile device associated with the user to provide the one or more indicators that direct the user to the at least one capable automated customized food generation machine comprises:

determining at least one current location of the user at least partially based on receiving, from the at least one mobile device associated with the user, at least one position indication derived from at least one hardware-based position sensor of the at least one mobile device of the user; and

transmitting, to the at least one mobile device associated with the user, the one or more indicators that direct the user to the at least one capable automated customized food generation machine at least in part based on the at least one current location of the user.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein transmitting, to the at least one mobile device associated with the user, the one or more indicators that direct the user to the at least one capable automated customized food generation machine at least in part based on the at least one current location of the user comprises:

preparing at least one map, the at least one map depicting at least one route from the at least one current location of the user to at least one location of the at least one capable automated customized food generation machine; and

transmitting at least one indication of the at least one map to the at least one mobile device associated with the user.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein preparing at least one map, the at least one map depicting at least one route from the at least one current location of the user to at least one location of the at least one capable automated customized food generation machine comprises:

presenting, as at least a portion of the at least one map, one or more indicators that indicate distance between the at least one current location of the user and at least one other automated customized food generation machine that is also capable of generating the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein providing one or more indicators that direct the user to at least one capable automated customized food generation machine comprises:

providing one or more indicators that direct the user to at least one automated customized food generation machine that was identified as having the one or more ingredients in the one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein providing one or more indicators that direct the user to at least one capable automated customized food generation machine comprises:

providing one or more indicators that direct the user to at least one capable automated customized food generation machine that is identified as being located along or proximate to one or more historical travel routes of the user.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein providing one or more indicators that direct the user to at least one capable automated customized food generation machine comprises:

providing one or more indicators of location of at least a first capable automated customized food generation machine and at least a second capable automated customized food generation machine and one or more indicators of at least one price discount for the at least one customized food item available via the at least a second capable automated customized food generation machine relative to a price for the at least one customized food item via the at least a first capable automated customized food generation machine.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein providing one or more indicators that direct the user to at least one capable automated customized food generation machine comprises:

providing one or more indicators that indicate at least one substitute automated customized food generation machine that was identified as having one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item that is only in partial compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein providing one or more indicators that indicate at least one substitute automated customized food generation machine that was identified as having one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item that is only in partial compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

providing one or more indicators that indicate at least one substitute automated customized food generation machine that was identified as having one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item that is in partial compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user and that was identified as being located closer to the user than one or more automated customized food generation machines that were identified as having one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in full compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein providing one or more indicators that indicate at least one substitute automated customized food generation machine that was identified as having one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item that is only in partial compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

providing one or more indicators that indicate at least one substitute automated customized food generation machine that was identified as having one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item that is in partial compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user and that was identified as being located closer to one or more historical travel routes of the user than one or more automated customized food generation machines that were identified as having one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in full compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein providing one or more indicators that indicate at least one substitute automated customized food generation machine that was identified as having one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item that is only in partial compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

providing one or more indicators that indicate at least one substitute automated customized food generation machine that was identified as having one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item that is in partial compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user and that was identified as having lower retail prices than retail prices of one or more automated customized food generation machines that were identified as having one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in full compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein providing one or more indicators that indicate at least one substitute automated customized food generation machine that was identified as having one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item that is only in partial compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

providing one or more indicators that indicate the at least one substitute automated customized food generation machine and that indicate one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that were identified as having one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in full compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

36. The system of claim 1, wherein generating, at least in part via the at least one robotic food manufacturing component, the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

detecting the user within at least one proximity of the at least one capable automated customized food generation machine; and

generating the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user at least in part responsive to the user being within the at least one proximity of the at least one capable automated customized food generation machine.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein detecting the user within at least one proximity of the at least one capable automated customized food generation machine comprises:

detecting at least one mobile device of the user within the at least one proximity of the at least one capable automated customized food generation machine.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein detecting at least one mobile device of the user within the at least one proximity of the at least one capable automated customized food generation machine comprises:

detecting at least one direct Wi-Fi communication between the at least one mobile device and the at least one capable automated customized food generation machine.

39. The system of claim 1, wherein generating, at least in part via the at least one robotic food manufacturing component, the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

generating, at least in part via at least one food printer as the at least one robotic food manufacturing component, the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

40. The system of claim 1, wherein generating, at least in part via the at least one robotic food manufacturing component, the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user comprises:

generating, at least in part via at least one 3-D printing component, at least one heating component, at least one cooling component, or at least one molding component as the at least one robotic food manufacturing component, the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

34. A method, comprising:

providing at least one automated customized food generation machine including at least one robotic food manufacturing component;

acquiring one or more customized food preferences of a user for use in generating one or more customized food items for the user;

identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user;

providing one or more indicators that direct the user to at least one capable automated customized food generation machine; and

generating, at least in part via the at least one robotic food manufacturing component, the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.

35. A system, comprising:

at least one automated customized food generation machine including at least one robotic food manufacturing component

a computing device; and

at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled with the computing device including at least one or more instructions which, when executed by the computing device, cause the computing device to perform one or more operations including at least;

acquiring one or more customized food preferences of a user for use in generating one or more customized food items for the user;

identifying one or more capable automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients in one or more sufficient quantities to be able to currently generate at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user;

providing one or more indicators that direct the user to at least one capable automated customized food generation machine; and

generating, at least in part via the at least one robotic food manufacturing component, the at least one customized food item in accordance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user.