Customized food selection, ordering and distribution system and method

• US 20020004749A1
• Filed: 02/09/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Mills Incorporated
• Original Assignee: General Mills Incorporated
• Inventors: Williams, David E., Nelson, Kimberly A., Muller, Paul, Joy, Myer, Thoresen Severts, Jeffrey D., Dickson, Katy P., Bowers, Raymond, Schroeder, Lisa R., Schellhaass, Sheri M., Froseth, Barrie R., Van Lengerich, Bernhard, Zietlow, Philip K., Geddis, Mike E.
• Application Number:
  US09/780,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20020004749A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets

Abstract

A system and method for selecting, ordering and distributing customized food products is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is a computer-implemented method comprising viewing a list of additives for creating a customized food product, selecting one or more additives from the list of additives to create the customized food product, and transmitting a request to purchase the customized food product, which is then distributed to the consumer. By communicating with the manufacturer as to personal needs and desires pertaining to health, activity level, organoleptic preferences and so forth, the consumer can now develop and order a customized food product to suit his or her particular tastes, using a real-time interactive communication link.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for selecting and ordering a customized food product comprising:

viewing a list of choices designed to allow a consumer to design a customized food product;

making a selection from the list, the list having choices selected from the group consisting of customized food product choices, customized food ingredient choices, and customized food category choices, wherein the selection is determinative of the customized food product ordered; and

transmitting the selection wherein the customized food product is designed.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the selection prior to transmission of the selection.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the selection is modified by accessing the list of customized food ingredient choices and adding or removing ingredients from the list.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein access to the list of customized food ingredients choices is limited to certain ingredient choices.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising making a selection from the customized food category choices and transmitting the selection without any modification to the selection.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the customized food product.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising completing a survey, the survey designed to determine one or more consumer preferences.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the survey is inferential or inductive.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the one or more preferences comprise taste preferences.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the one or more preferences relate to topics selected from the group consisting of health concerns, diet requirements and lifestyle choices.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 wherein the one or more preferences relate to topics selected from the group consisting of serving size preference, product packaging preference and economic preference.

12. The method as recited in claim 6 wherein the preferences are communicated using a computerized survey.

13. The computerized method as recited in claim 12 wherein the computerized survey is a web-based survey.

14. The computerized method of claim 6 further comprising receiving nutritional information about the one or more customized food products.

15. The computerized method of claim 14 wherein the nutritional information is received on a customized nutritional label generated specifically for said customized food product.

16. The computerized method of claim 6 further comprising receiving advice received on a customized nutritional label generated for the customized food product.

17. The computerized method of claim 16 wherein the advice is located on an insert shipped with the customized food product.

18. The computerized method of claim 1 further comprising first choosing a path selected from the group consisting of viewing and selecting customized food product choices, viewing and selecting customized food ingredient choices, and viewing and selecting customized food category choices.

19. The method of claim 7 wherein the customized food product contains a cereal base or a half-product, further wherein the survey asks questions regarding taste preferences for at least one of grains, flavors, sweetness, nutrition, serving size, packaging, particulates, quantity, type and form.

20. The method of claim 7 wherein personalized health and nutrition information is provided in response to the completed survey.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying the selection with a unique code.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising storing the unique code in a merchant database.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising manufacturing the customized food product in a custom finishing facility.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the customized food ingredient list includes additives selected from the group consisting of sweeteners, nutrients, flavorings and particulates.

25. A product made according to the process of claim 1.

33. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

shipping one or more food product components to the custom finishing facility from a food product component production facility;

combining the one or more food product components with previously-selected additives to create the customized food product according to information contained on the unique code;

packaging the customized food product; and

shipping the customized food product to the consumer or a distribution partner.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the one or more food product components and pre-selected additives are combined in a sequential manner.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein potential allergen additives are isolated in the custom finishing facility.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein the one or more food product components includes a cereal base or half-product.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the half-product is shipped to the custom finishing facility from a half-product production facility.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein nutrients are attached to the cereal base at the custom finishing facility using electrostatic attraction.

81. The computerized method of claim 15 wherein the advice further comprises:

generating a database containing contents of known food products;

collecting information from a consumer about personal eating habits;

determining a personalized profile for the consumer with the database; and

based on the personalized profile, dispensing advice to the consumer about nutrition and diet recommendations.

82. The computerized method of claim 81 wherein the personalized profile is a nutritional profile or health profile.

83. The computerized method of claim 82 further comprising, based on the nutritional profile, creating and communicating a customized diet plan.

26. A computer implemented method comprising the steps of:

viewing a list of additives for creating a customized food product;

selecting one or more additives from the list of additives to create the customized food product; and

transmitting a request to purchase the customized food product.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising receiving the customized food product.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the customized food product contains a cereal base or a half-product.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising a consumer completing a survey, using a computer, the survey having questions on health, nutrition, lifestyle and taste preferences, wherein the list of additives is suggested by a merchant in response to a completed survey.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the survey asks questions regarding consumer preference for at least one of grains, flavors, sweetness, nutrition, serving size, packaging, particulates, quantity, type and form.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the additives are selected from the group consisting of sweeteners, nutrients, flavorings and particulates.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein health and nutrition information personalized for the consumer is provided by the merchant in response to the completed consumer survey.

39. A method of interactively selecting and ordering a customized food product comprising the steps of:

under control of a client system,

viewing information comprising a list of choices selected from the group consisting of customized food additive choices, customized food product choices and customized food category choices;

making a selection from the list of choices; and

sending a request to order the customized food product to a server system;

under control of the server system,

receiving the request;

identifying the request with a unique code; and

generating a purchase order for the customized food product, the purchase order identified by the unique code.

40. The method of claim 39 further comprising fulfilling the generated order to complete purchase of the customized food product.

41. The method of claim 39 wherein the customized food product choices are suggested by a merchant in response to a survey completed by a consumer, the survey having questions about at least one of health, nutrition, lifestyle and taste preferences.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the customized food ingredient choices include cereal bases and half-products.

43. A method of creating a customized food product, comprising:

providing an interactive survey to a user, the interactive survey provided by a merchant;

allowing the user to respond to the interactive survey;

analyzing answers provided by the user to the interactive survey; and

in response to the answers provided by the user, creating a customized food product.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising the user selecting the customized food product from a list having customized food product choices.

45. The method of claim 43 further comprising the user adding or removing an ingredient from the list of customized food ingredient choices further customize the customized food product.

46. The method of claim 43 wherein the interactive survey is completed by telephone, facsimile, mail or computer.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein completing the interactive survey by computer comprises accessing a Web site wherein the interactive survey is processed and responded to by the merchant in real-time.

48. A client system for selecting and ordering a customized food product, comprising:

a display component for displaying a list having choices selected from the group consisting of customized food ingredient choices, customized food product choices and customized food category choices;

a selection component for selecting one or more choices from the list to create the customized food product;

an ordering component that sends a request to a server system to order the customized food product; and

a shopping cart ordering component that, in response to performance of an add-to-shopping-cart action, sends a request to the server system to add the item to a shopping cart.

49. The system of claim 48 wherein the display component is a browser.

50. The system of claim 48 wherein the customized food product choices are suggested by a merchant in response to a survey completed by a consumer, the survey having questions about at least one of health, nutrition, lifestyle and taste preferences.

51. A server system for generating an order comprising:

a shopping cart ordering component for adding a requested item to a shopping cart;

a data storage medium for storing information for a plurality of users using a unique code for each order;

a receiving component for receiving requests to order a customized food product; and

an order placement component that retrieves the unique code from the data storage medium and uses the information associated with the unique code to place an order for the user identified by the unique code.

52. The system of claim 51 further comprising an order fulfillment component that completes a purchase of the customized food product in accordance with the information associated with the unique code.

53. A system for interactively selecting and ordering a customized food product item, comprising:

a health and taste survey component that, in response to a consumer'"'"'s answers, generates a suggested customized food product item for the consumer to select; and

an ordering component that allows the consumer to order the suggested customized food product item.

54. The system as recited in claim 53 comprising a delivery component that delivers the customized food product item to the consumer.

55. The system of claim 53 wherein the health and taste survey component generates personalized health and nutrition information.

56. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

displaying a list of choices designed to allow a consumer to create a customized food product;

receiving one or more additive selections from the list of choices to create the customized food product; and

transmitting a request to purchase the customized food product.

57. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a computer to perform a method of creating a customized food product, the method comprising:

providing electronically an interactive consumer survey;

receiving responses to the interactive consumer survey;

providing recommended food products, the recommended food products provided based on the responses to the interactive consumer survey;

receiving instructions to modify components from the recommended food products to create a customized food product.

58. The computer readable medium of claim 57 wherein the method further comprises receiving an order for the customized food product.

59. A computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a computer to perform a method of selecting and ordering a customized food product, the method comprising:

displaying a list of choices for creating a customized food product;

receiving a selection of one or more choices from the list of choices to create the customized food product;

receiving an order for one of the customized food products; and

sending a request to a server system to order the customized food product.

60. The computer readable medium of claim 59 wherein the method further comprises sending a request to the server system to add the item to a shopping cart.

61. The computer readable medium of claim 59 wherein the list of choices includes a list of customized food product choices, further wherein the list of customized food product choices is limited as a result of receiving input from a survey containing questions about health, nutrition, lifestyle and taste preferences.

62. The computer readable medium of claim 60 wherein the displaying is performed with a browser.

63. In a computer system having a graphical user interface including a display and a user interface selection device, a method of creating a customized food product from a survey on the display, the method comprising:

displaying, on the display, an interactive consumer survey;

receiving responses to the interactive consumer survey, the responses received from a user through the user interface selection device;

displaying, on the display, recommended food products containing a cereal base, the recommended food products provided based on the responses to the interactive consumer survey;

receiving instructions to modify components from the recommended food products to create a customized food product, the instructions received from the user through the user interface selection device.

64. In the computer system of claim 63, the method further comprising receiving an order for the customized food product, the order received from the user through the user interface selection device.

65. A method for producing a nutrition and ingredient label comprising:

using a look-up table having nutritional values for components, the components in a product;

evaluating a nutritional contribution for each component based on component weight;

computing a total weight for the components; and

instructing a printer to create a label containing the nutritional contribution and total weight.

66. The method of claim 65 wherein components are listed on the label in descending order based on component weight.

67. A computerized method of selecting a customized food product comprising the steps of:

choosing a path selected from the group consisting of a recommendation path, a one blend only path and a specialized blends path, wherein the recommendation path can include a health and nutrition survey; and

viewing customized food products on the recommendation path or viewing and selecting customized food ingredients on the one blend only path or viewing and selecting a customized food category on the specialized blends path.

68. The computerized method of claim 67 further comprising performing additional customization of a customized food product selected on the recommendation path.

69. The computerized method of claim 67 further comprising viewing and selecting one customized food product on the one blend only path, the one customized food product created in accordance with the customized food ingredients selected.

70. The computerized method of claim 69 further comprising modifying the one customized food product.

71. The computerized method of claim 67 wherein a brand name cereal is modified.

72. The computerized method of claim 67 further comprising viewing and selecting a customized food product on the specialized blends path.

73. The computerized method of claim 72 further comprising modifying the customized food product.

74. The computerized method of claim 72 wherein the customized food category is selected from the group consisting of health categories, taste categories and favorites categories.

75. A product made according to the process of claim 67.

76. A customized food product designed by selecting from among ingredients, categories or previously-designed food products wherein a consumer communicates taste preferences to a merchant, further wherein the merchant produces a unique product for the consumer.

77. The customized food product of claim 76 wherein the consumer also communicates health preferences to the merchant.

78. The customized food product of claim 77 wherein the customized food product is designed using a Web based system.

79. The customized food product of claim 77 further comprising a customized nutrition and ingredient label shipped to the consumer together with the customized food product.

80. The customized food product of claim 79 wherein the food product is a breakfast cereal.