Identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines for generating one or more substitute customized food items

• US 10,346,899 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• 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, Malamud, Mark A., 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Uber, Nathan C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haider, Fawaad
• Application Number:
  US14/228,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20150181923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 705 15
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 10/00 Shaping or working of foodstuffs characterised by the products
• 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 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• 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 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/10 Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling

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 ingredient integrity preferences related to integrity of one or more ingredients; determining that there is no capable automated customized food generation machine present in nearby vicinity of the user that is able to currently generate one or more customized food items in compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user; and identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines present in the nearby vicinity of the user that are able to currently generate at least one substitute customized food item that is only in partial compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the user. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

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 at least one indication of at least one user preference, the at least one user preference related to at least one food customization preferred by at least one user;

determining that there is no capable automated customized food generation machine that is able to currently generate one or more food items in compliance with the at least one user preference;

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference;

presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines; and

controlling at least one food manufacturing component of the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines to generate the at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein acquiring at least one indication of at least one user preference, the at least one user preference related to at least one food customization preferred by at least one user comprises:

acquiring at least one indication of at least one user preference, the at least one user preference related to purity of one or more ingredients for use in generating one or more food items.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein acquiring at least one indication of at least one user preference, the at least one user preference related to purity of one or more ingredients comprises:

acquiring at least one indication of at least one user preference, the at least one user preference including that one or more sources for the one or more ingredients were tested for presence or absence of one or more impurities.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein acquiring at least one indication of at least one user preference, the at least one user preference related to at least one food customization preferred by at least one user comprises:

acquiring at least one indication of at least one user preference, the at least one user preference including that one or more ingredients for use in generating one or more food items were obtained from at least one of one or more specified sources or one or more specified locations.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein acquiring at least one indication of at least one user preference, the at least one user preference related to at least one food customization preferred by at least one user comprises:

acquiring at least one indication of at least one user preference, the at least one user preference including that one or more ingredients for use in generating one or more food items were not obtained from at least one of one or more specified sources or one or more specified locations.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein acquiring at least one indication of at least one user preference, the at least one user preference related to at least one food customization preferred by at least one user comprises:

acquiring at least some user behavior information, the at least some user behavior information related to one or more historical behaviors of the at least one user indicative of one or more past user preferences of the at least one user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein acquiring at least some user behavior information, the at least some user behavior information related to one or more historical behaviors of the at least one user indicative of one or more past user preferences of the at least one user comprises:

acquiring one or more of at least some historical travel information or at least some movement information related to the at least one user.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein acquiring at least some user behavior information, the at least some user behavior information related to one or more historical behaviors of the at least one user indicative of one or more past user preferences of the at least one user comprises:

acquiring at least some user historical usage information, the at least some user historical usage information indicative of at least some past usage of one or more automated customized food generation machines by the at least one user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein determining that there is no capable automated customized food generation machine that is able to currently generate one or more food items in compliance with the at least one user preference comprises:

determining that there is no capable automated customized food generation machine that is able to currently generate one or more food items in compliance with one or more ingredient preferences of the at least one user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein for determining that there is no capable automated customized food generation machine that is able to currently generate one or more food items in compliance with the at least one user preference comprises;

determining that there is no capable automated customized food generation machine that is able to currently generate one or more food items in compliance with one or more ingredient purity preferences of the at least one user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein determining that there is no capable automated customized food generation machine that is able to currently generate one or more food items in compliance with one or more ingredient purity preferences of the at least one user comprises:

determining that there is no capable automated customized food generation machine that is able to currently generate one or more food items in compliance with one or more user preferences that one or more sources for one or more ingredients for the one or more food items were tested for at least one of presence or absence of one or more impurities.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference comprises:

querying one or more nearby automated customized food generation machines in order to determine whether any one or more of the one or more nearby automated customized food generation machines have one or more appropriate ingredient supplies to be able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference comprises:

identifying only those substitute automated customized food generation machines present within a mile from a current location of the at least one user.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference comprises:

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that do not have one or more preferred ingredients, as preferred by the at least one user, in order to be able to currently generate one or more customized food items in compliance with the one or more customized food preferences of the at least one user.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference comprises:

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference based at least in part on the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines not having one or more ingredients preferred by the user as indicated by the at least one user preference in sufficient quantities to be able to generate at least one food item in full compliance with the at least one user preference but having the one or more ingredients preferred by the user as indicated by the at least on user preference in sufficient quantities to be able to generate the at least one food item in partial compliance with the at least one user preference, including at least determining that at least one user preference for artificial sweetener versus non-artificial sweetener may be partially satisfied through generation of at least one food item using at least one remaining quantity of artificial sweetener present in the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that is equal to at least half, but not an entirety, of an amount of sweetener required for generation of the at least one food item and using non-artificial sweetener present in the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines for the remainder.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference comprises:

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

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines within at least one proximity of the at least one current location of the at least one user that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference comprises:

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in compliance with a majority of the at least one user preference.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference comprises:

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least a first user preference and not in compliance with at least a second user preference.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least a first user preference and not in compliance with at least a user preference comprises:

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least one user preference related to ingredients preferred by the at least one user and not in compliance with at least one user preference related to ingredient integrity preferred by the at least one user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least one user preference related to ingredients preferred by the at least one user and not in compliance with at least one user preference related to ingredient integrity preferred by the at least one user comprises:

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least one user preference related to ingredients preferred by the at least one user and not in compliance with at least one user preference related to obtaining or not obtaining one or more ingredients from at least one of one or more specified sources or one or more specified locations.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least a first user preference and not in compliance with at least a user preference comprises:

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least one user preference related to ingredient integrity of the at least one user and not in compliance with at least one user preference related to ingredient preferences of the at least one user.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least one user preference related to ingredient integrity of the at least one user and not in compliance with at least one user preference related to ingredient preferences of the at least one user comprises:

ascertaining one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least one user preference related to obtaining or not obtaining one or more ingredients from at least one of one or more specified sources or from one or more specified locations and not in compliance with at least one user preference related to ingredient preferences.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least a first user preference and not in compliance with at least a user preference comprises:

ascertaining one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least a first user preference related to one or more ingredients preferred by the at least one user and not in compliance with at least a second user preference related to one or more ingredients preferred by the at least one user.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least a first user preference and not in compliance with at least a user preference comprises:

ascertaining one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with at least a first user preference related to ingredient integrity and not in compliance with at least a second user preference related to ingredient integrity.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines comprises:

presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines in response to the determining that there is no capable automated customized food generation machine that is able to currently generate one or more food items in compliance with the at least one user preference.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines comprises:

presenting one or more graphical indicators that graphically indicate the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines comprises:

presenting one or more indicators that indicate one or more distances to one or more locations of the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines from a current location of the at least one user.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines comprises:

presenting one or more indicators that specify one or more customized food preference deficiencies relative to the at least one user preference of one or more substitute food items that the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines are able to currently generate.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines comprises:

presenting one or more indicators that specifically identify the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines as being located along one or more past travel paths of the at least one user.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines comprises:

presenting one or more indicators that provide one or more prices associated with one or more substitute food items that the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines are able to currently generate and that are only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines comprises:

presenting one or more indicators that identify the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines in response, at least in part, on one or more determined locations of the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines relative to the location of the at least one user.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines comprises:

presenting one or more indicators that identify the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines in response, at least in part, to one or more determined locations of the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines relative to one or more past travel paths of the at least one user.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines comprises:

presenting one or more indicators that identify the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines in response, at least in part, on one or more identified prices of one or more substitute food items that the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines are able to currently generate and that are only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines comprises:

presenting one or more indicators that identify the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines in response, at least in part, to at least some detected past usage of the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines by the at least one user.

37. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference comprises:

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that have one or more ingredients preferred by the user as indicated by the at least one user preference in one or more insufficient quantities that only allows the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines to be able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference.

38. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference comprises:

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is in compliance with one or more food preparation preferences of the user and not in compliance with one or more ingredient preferences of the user.

39. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference comprises:

receiving at least one travel route associated with the at least one user; and

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines within at least one proximity of the at least one travel route associated with the at least one user that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference.

40. The system of claim 1 wherein presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines comprises:

transmitting the one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines to at least one mobile device associated with the at least one user; and

causing the at least one mobile device to present one or more locations of the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein controlling at least one food manufacturing component of the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines to generate the at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference comprises:

initiating the generation of the at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference upon the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines detecting at least one mobile device associated with the at least one user within at least one proximity of the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines at least in part based on at least one Wi-Fi communication between the at least one mobile device and the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines.

35. A system, comprising:

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 at least one indication of at least one user preference, the at least one user preference related to at least one food customization preferred by at least one user;

determining that there is no capable automated customized food generation machine that is able to currently generate one or more food items in compliance with the at least one user preference;

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference;

presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines; and

controlling at least one food manufacturing component of the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines to generate the at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference.

36. A method, comprising:

acquiring at least one indication of at least one user preference, the at least one user preference related to at least one food customization preferred by at least one user;

determining that there is no capable automated customized food generation machine that is able to currently generate one or more food items in compliance with the at least one user preference;

identifying one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines that are able to currently generate at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference;

presenting one or more indicators of the identified one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines; and

controlling at least one food manufacturing component of the one or more substitute automated customized food generation machines to generate the at least one substitute food item that is only in partial compliance with the at least one user preference.