Method and system for providing ingredients and recipes for various food items to consumers

• US 20030130908A1
• Filed: 01/06/2003
• Published: 07/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Eileen Chu Hing
• Original Assignee: Eileen Chu Hing
• Inventors: Hing, Eileen Chu
• Application Number:
  US10/337,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20030130908A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

A method, system, and computer-readable medium for providing consumers (users) with components for meals, including ingredients and recipes, communicates with a user via a computer network, receives an order from the user, allocates the components of the meal to suppliers based on the order and supplier capability, and organizes distribution of the components of the meal to the user by delivering to the users at specified locations or arranging for pick up of the components at various stores or restaurants.

Claims

1. A method of providing components of a meal to a user, comprising:

receiving an order from the user, the order containing components of a meal;

allocating the components of the meal to suppliers wherein each component is assigned to a supplier;

notifying the assigned supplier of the component assigned to the assigned supplier; and

organizing distribution of the components of the meal to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the organizing distribution step comprises delivering the components of the meal to the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the organizing distribution step comprises delivering the components of the meal to a location for pickup by the user.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after the organizing distribution step, transmitting payment to suppliers.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after the organizing distribution step, collecting payment from the user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps are controlled by a computer.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps proceed via a computer network.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the computer network is the Internet.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the computer network is accessed through a land-based line or a wireless connection.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the order further comprises criteria selected from the group consisting of quantity of components, delivery, pickup, delivery site, user address, pickup site, payment type, delivery time, pickup time, and price.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the order is in a customized form for transmission through a computer network and the form is capable of being encrypted.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising, after the receiving step, storing the order in an order database wherein the components and criteria are placed in fields of the order database.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the allocating step comprises:

creating a database of component suppliers and criteria;

ranking the suppliers in the database; and

assigning suppliers for the components of the order based on the supplier ranking.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the database of suppliers is based on and the ranking is performed from at least one member from the group consisting of availability, capacity, pricing, historical performance, and a system-defined variable.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the database is updated in real time or according to a time interval.

16. The method of claim 1 comprising, after the notifying step:

receiving a negative response from a supplier assigned a component;

reassigning the component to a second supplier; and

repeating the receiving and reassigning steps until no negative response is received.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the components of the meal are protein components selected from the group consisting of meat, poultry, and seafood and the supplier of the protein components is a protein purveyor.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the components of the meal are vegetable and spice components and the supplier of the vegetable and spice components is a restaurant.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the organizing distribution step comprises notifying the user of at least one of a delivery site, pickup site, delivery time, pickup time, and price.

20. The method of claim 10 wherein the components and criteria for each order of the user are stored as a user record in a user preference database.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising, before the receiving an order step, transmitting information to a user based on the user record in the user preference database.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the information is at least one member from the group consisting of a recipe, special meal, and special component.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising, before the receiving an order step, transmitting information to a user.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the information is at least one member from the group consisting of a recipe, special meal, and special component.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising, after the organizing distribution step, assigning each component a tracking identification.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the tracking identification is a scannable bar code, card, tag, or chip.

27. The method of claim 14 wherein there are multiple orders and further comprising:

ranking the priority of the orders based on the delivery time or pickup time; and

assigning suppliers based on the priority of the orders and the supplier rankings.

28. The method of claim 1 further comprising advertising a supplier to the user.

29. A system for providing components of a meal to a user, comprising a computer adapted to:

receive an order from the user, the order containing components of a meal;

allocate the components of the meal to suppliers, wherein each component is assigned to a supplier;

notify the assigned supplier of the component assigned to the assigned supplier; and

organize distribution of the components of the meal to the user.

30. The system of claim 29 further comprising a storage device in communication with the computer, the storage device adapted to store order information.

31. The system of claim 29 further comprising means for delivering the components of the meal to the user or a pickup location.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the computer is adapted to transmit payment to suppliers.

33. The system of claim 29 wherein the computer is adapted to collect payment from the user.

34. The system of claim 29 further comprising a computer network.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the computer network is the Internet.

36. The system of claim 29 wherein the order further comprises criteria selected from the group consisting of quantity of components, delivery, pickup, delivery site, user address, pickup site, payment type, delivery time, pickup time, and price.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein the order is in a customized form for transmission through a computer network and the form is capable of being encrypted.

38. The system of claim 36 further comprising:

a storage device in communication with the computer; and

a database residing on the storage device, the database comprising fields for storing the components and criteria of the order.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the computer is adapted to create a database of component suppliers and criteria, rank the suppliers in the database, and assign suppliers for the components of the order based on the supplier ranking.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the database of suppliers is based on and the ranking is performed from at least one member from the group consisting of availability, capacity, pricing, historical performance, and a system-defined variable.

41. The system of claim 39 wherein the database is adapted to be updated in real time or according to a time interval.

42. The system of claim 29 wherein the computer is adapted to receive a negative response from a supplier assigned a component, reassign the component to a second supplier, and repeat the receiving and reassigning until no negative response is received.

43. The system of claim 29 wherein the components of the meal are protein components selected from the group consisting of meat, poultry, and seafood and the supplier of the protein components is a protein purveyor.

44. The system of claim 29 wherein the components of the meal are vegetable and spice components and the supplier of the vegetable and spice components is a restaurant.

45. The system of claim 29 wherein the computer is adapted to notify the user of at least one of a delivery site, pickup site, delivery time, pickup time, and price.

46. The system of claim 36 further comprising a user preference database for storing the components and criteria for each order as a user record.

47. The system of claim 46 wherein the computer is adapted to transmit information to a user based on the user record in the user preference database.

48. The system of claim 47 wherein the information is at least one member from the group consisting of a recipe, special meal, and special component.

49. The system of claim 29 wherein the computer is adapted to transmit information to a user based on the user record in the user preference database.

50. The system of claim 49 wherein the information is at least one member from the group consisting of a recipe, special meal, and special component.

51. The system of claim 29 wherein the computer is adapted to assign each component a tracking identification.

52. The system of claim 51 wherein the tracking identification is a scannable bar code, card, tag, or chip.

53. The system of claim 39 wherein there are multiple orders and the computer is adapted to rank the priority of the orders based on the delivery time or pickup time and assign suppliers based on the priority of the orders and the supplier rankings.

54. The system of claim 29 wherein the computer is adapted to advertise a supplier to the user.

55. A computer-readable medium for providing components of a meal to a user having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of:

receiving an order from the user, the order containing components of a meal;

allocating the components of the meal to suppliers wherein each component is assigned to a supplier;

notifying the assigned supplier of the component assigned to the assigned supplier; and

organizing distribution of the components of the meal to the user.

56. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 wherein the organizing distribution step comprises delivering the components of the meal to the user.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 wherein the organizing distribution step comprises delivering the components of the meal to a location for pickup by the user.

58. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 further comprising, after the organizing distribution step, transmitting payment to suppliers.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 further comprising, after the organizing distribution step, collecting payment from the user.

60. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 wherein the steps are controlled by a computer.

61. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 wherein the steps proceed via a computer network.

62. The computer-readable medium of claim 61 wherein the computer network is the Internet.

63. The computer-readable medium of claim 62 wherein the computer network is accessed through a land-based line or a wireless connection.

64. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 wherein the order further comprises criteria selected from the group consisting of quantity of components, delivery, pickup, delivery site, user address, pickup site, payment type, delivery time, pickup time, and price.

65. The computer-readable medium of claim 64 wherein the order is in a customized form for transmission through a computer network and the form is capable of being encrypted.

66. The computer-readable medium of claim 64 further comprising, after the receiving step, storing the order in an order database wherein the components and criteria are placed in fields of the order database.

67. The computer-readable medium of claim 66 wherein the allocating step comprises:

creating a database of component suppliers and criteria;

ranking the suppliers in the database; and

assigning suppliers for the components of the order based on the supplier ranking.

68. The computer-readable medium of claim 67 wherein the database of suppliers is based on and the ranking is performed from at least one member from the group consisting of availability, capacity, pricing, historical performance, and a system-defined variable.

69. The computer-readable medium of claim 67 wherein the database is updated in real time or according to a time interval.

70. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 comprising, after the notifying step:

receiving a negative response from a supplier assigned a component;

reassigning the component to a second supplier; and

repeating the receiving and reassigning steps until no negative response is received.

71. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 wherein the components of the meal are protein components selected from the group consisting of meat, poultry, and seafood and the supplier of the protein components is a protein purveyor.

72. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 wherein the components of the meal are vegetable and spice components and the supplier of the vegetable and spice components is a restaurant.

73. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 wherein the organizing distribution step comprises notifying the user of at least one of a delivery site, pickup site, delivery time, pickup time, and price.

74. The computer-readable medium of claim 64 wherein the components and criteria for each order of the user are stored as a user record in a user preference database.

75. The computer-readable medium of claim 74 further comprising, before the receiving an order step, transmitting information to a user based on the user record in the user preference database.

76. The computer-readable medium of claim 75 wherein the information is at least one member from the group consisting of a recipe, special meal, and special component.

77. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 further comprising, before the receiving an order step, transmitting information to a user.

78. The computer-readable medium of claim 77 wherein the information is at least one member from the group consisting of a recipe, special meal, and special component.

79. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 further comprising, after the organizing distribution step, assigning each component a tracking identification.

80. The computer-readable medium of claim 79 wherein the tracking identification is a scannable bar code, card, tag, or chip.

81. The computer-readable medium of claim 68 wherein there are multiple orders and further comprising:

ranking the priority of the orders based on the delivery time or pickup time; and

assigning suppliers based on the priority of the orders and the supplier rankings.

82. The computer-readable medium of claim 55 further comprising advertising a supplier to the user.