System and method for facilitating determination and evaluation of and placing orders for nutritional blend formulations
First Claim
1. A computerized system for assisting users to determine, evaluate, and/or place orders for nutritional blend formulations to be manufactured from available nutritional formulation materials, each nutritional blend formulation comprising a plurality of nutrients, the system comprising:
- (a) a web-accessible graphical user interface (i) for receiving from a user, and communicating over the web to one or more other parts of the system, specifications for a nutritional blend formulation, the specifications including the intended use of the formulation from among a plurality of possible intended uses and/or the desired nutritional activity and/or concentration of one or more of the nutrients in the formulation, and (ii) for receiving through the web from one or more other parts of the system, and reporting to the user, formulation product information determined by one or more other parts of the system pertaining to that nutritional blend formulation;
(b) one or more databases of information pertaining to the available nutritional formulation materials from which the nutritional blend formulations can be prepared, the one or more available nutritional formulation materials for each nutrient being organized into a hierarchy of types and optionally one or more subtypes within each type, the hierarchy of types and subtypes facilitating the identification of the available nutritional formulation materials for the nutritional blend formulation specified by the user;
(c) identification means for identifying, using the hierarchy of types and subtypes, the available nutritional formulation materials from which the nutritional blend formulation specified by the user can be manufactured;
(d) retrieval means for selectively retrieving from the one or more databases at least some of the information pertaining to the available nutritional formulation materials identified by the identification means;
(e) conversion means for converting the specifications into formulation product information pertaining to the nutritional blend formulation using the retrieved information, the conversion means including means for determining the quantities and/or activities of the available nutritional formulation materials to be included in the nutritional blend formulation needed to satisfy the specifications specified by the user; and
(f) a reporting module for reporting the formulation product information, including the quantities and/or activities determined by the conversion means, through the graphical user interface to the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
System and method are disclosed for helping users determine, evaluate, and/or place orders for nutritional blend formulations to be manufactured from available nutritional formulation materials. A web-accessible graphical user interface receives specifications from a user for a nutritional blend formulation (e.g., intended use, desired nutritional activity, and/or concentration of nutrients in the formulation). Information concerning the available nutritional formulation materials are organized into hierarchies that facilitate identifying the available nutritional formulation materials for preparing the formulation. The system converts the specifications into information reported to the user. The user can modify the specifications to determine the effect on the reported information (e.g., cost), and such modifications can be made repeatedly until the user is satisfied. The user can submit the proposed formulation to the manufacturer or vendor to allow them to review, approve, or modify the formulation. After everyone is satisfied, the user can place an order for the formulation.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. A computerized system for assisting users to determine, evaluate, and/or place orders for nutritional blend formulations to be manufactured from available nutritional formulation materials, each nutritional blend formulation comprising a plurality of nutrients, the system comprising:
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(a) a web-accessible graphical user interface (i) for receiving from a user, and communicating over the web to one or more other parts of the system, specifications for a nutritional blend formulation, the specifications including the intended use of the formulation from among a plurality of possible intended uses and/or the desired nutritional activity and/or concentration of one or more of the nutrients in the formulation, and (ii) for receiving through the web from one or more other parts of the system, and reporting to the user, formulation product information determined by one or more other parts of the system pertaining to that nutritional blend formulation;
(b) one or more databases of information pertaining to the available nutritional formulation materials from which the nutritional blend formulations can be prepared, the one or more available nutritional formulation materials for each nutrient being organized into a hierarchy of types and optionally one or more subtypes within each type, the hierarchy of types and subtypes facilitating the identification of the available nutritional formulation materials for the nutritional blend formulation specified by the user;
(c) identification means for identifying, using the hierarchy of types and subtypes, the available nutritional formulation materials from which the nutritional blend formulation specified by the user can be manufactured;
(d) retrieval means for selectively retrieving from the one or more databases at least some of the information pertaining to the available nutritional formulation materials identified by the identification means;
(e) conversion means for converting the specifications into formulation product information pertaining to the nutritional blend formulation using the retrieved information, the conversion means including means for determining the quantities and/or activities of the available nutritional formulation materials to be included in the nutritional blend formulation needed to satisfy the specifications specified by the user; and
(f) a reporting module for reporting the formulation product information, including the quantities and/or activities determined by the conversion means, through the graphical user interface to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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Specification