NUTRIENT CONSUMPTION/EXPENDITURE PLANNING AND TRACKING APPARATUS SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20070089335A1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Judith Smith, Scott Smith
• Original Assignee: Judith Smith, Scott Smith
• Inventors: Smith, Judith, Smith, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,753,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/446
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 7/04 the elements being secured or adapted to be secured by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/00 Indicating arrangements for variable information in which the information is built-up on a support by selection or combination of individual elements in which the variable information is permanently attached to a movable support G09F11/00; abacus G06C1/00; slide-rules G06G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/37 being movable elements G09F9/302 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus, system and method is provided facilitating the planning and tracking of nutrient consumption and expenditure by humans, especially children, including various indicators such as graphical images pertaining to potential dietary intake of foods and liquids like vegetables, fruits and water and physical activities like running, dancing and the like, wherein the various indicators are uniquely charted to accomplish the monitoring and/or projecting of nutrient utilization.

Claims

1. A nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking apparatus comprising:

a display, wherein the display is partitioned into at least a first distinct categorical region and a second distinct categorical region;

a first visual marker, wherein the first visual marker corresponds with the first distinct categorical region and is removably positioned on the display in the first distinct categorical region;

a second visual marker, wherein the second visual marker corresponds with the second distinct categorical region and is removably positioned on the display in the second distinct categorical region;

wherein the first categorical region includes a label indicating consumable human nutrients and the first visual marker depicts a nutrient consumed by humans; and

,

further wherein the second categorical region includes a label indicating human physical activity and the second visual marker depicts a physical activity performed by humans.

2. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking apparatus of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a magnetic chart board.

3. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first visual marker comprises a magnet laminated with a material having a printed graphical image.

4. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second visual marker comprises a magnet laminated with a material having a printed graphical image.

5. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second display, said second display partitioned into at least a third distinct categorical region and a fourth distinct categorical region.

6. A nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking system comprising:

a first bank of graphical images categorically depicting human physical activities;

a second bank of graphical images categorically depicting consumable human nutrients, wherein each of the graphical images included in the second bank are drawn from the group of consumable human nutrients consisting essentially of fruits, vegetables and water; and

,

a display having designated categorical divisions, wherein graphical images extracted from the first bank and second bank are removably located in the designated categorical divisions of the display as dictated by governing protocol relative to actual or projected human nutrient consumption and expenditure.

7. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking system of claim 6, wherein all graphical images comprise printed on material that is laminated to magnets.

8. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking system of claim 7, wherein the display comprises a magnetic chart board.

9. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking system of claim 7, wherein the magnetic chart board comprises a paper chart attached to a magnetic panel.

10. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking system of claim 7, wherein the magnetic chart board comprises a whiteboard.

11. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking apparatus of claim 6, wherein the display comprises an LCD screen operable with one or multiple electronic devices.

12. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking system of claim 11, wherein all graphical images are depicted as digitally rendered icons.

13. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking system of claim 12, wherein the first and second banks of graphical images comprise digital information stored on a hard drive retrievably operable with said display.

14. A nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking method comprising:

providing a chart, wherein the chart includes;

distinct regions corresponding to categories of human nutrients and human physical activity; and

,

a plurality of visual markers indicative of the categories of human nutrients and human physical activity removably attachable to the chart;

wherein at least a first visual marker of the plurality of visual markers depicts a human nutrient and a second visual marker of the plurality of visual markers depicts a human physical activity;

removably attaching the first visual marker to the distinct region of the chart corresponding to human nutrients when a person actually consumes the human nutrient representatively depicted in the first visual marker;

removably attaching the second visual marker to the distinct region of the chart corresponding to human physical when a person actually performs the human physical activity representatively depicted in the second visual marker;

monitoring the placement of visual markers in distinct regions of the chart to determine what types and what amounts of human nutrients were consumed by a person during a period of time in which actual nutrient consumption is tracked via representative visual markers; and

,

monitoring the placement of visual markers in distinct regions of the chart to determine what types and what amounts of human physical activity were performed by a person during a period of time in which actual physical activity is tracked via representative visual markers.

15. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking method of claim 14, wherein said method is operably implemented and executed with multiple human participants.

16. The nutrient consumption/expenditure tracking method of claim 15, wherein data obtained through at least partial execution of said method facilitates listing or graphing of nutrients and activities that is utilized to assist in educating participants about planning for nutrient consumption and expenditure.

17. A method of planning nutrient consumption and expenditure comprising:

providing a first bank of graphical images categorically depicting human physical activities and a second bank of graphical images categorically depicting consumable human nutrients;

posting a graphical image from the first bank in a readily observable manner, wherein the posting of the graphical image from the first bank corresponds to projected completion of physical activity to be performed by a person during a set period of time;

posting a graphical image from the second bank in a readily observable manner, wherein the posting of the graphical image from the second bank corresponds to projected consumption of a human nutrient by a person during the set period of time; and

,

utilizing the graphical images posted from the first bank and second bank to dictate the performance of human physical activity and the consumption of human nutrients by a person during the set period of time.

18. The method of planning nutrient consumption and expenditure of claim 17, wherein said method is operably implemented and executed with multiple human participants.

19. The method of planning nutrient consumption and expenditure of claim 18, wherein said method is executed by said multiple human participants.

20. The method of planning nutrient consumption and expenditure of claim 18, wherein said method is executed by a single instructor.