MEAL PLANNING AND PREPARATION SYSTEM

• US 20090326687A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: MCCOY, RICHARD A.
• Application Number:
  US12/556,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20090326687A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/90
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/263 Generation of test inputs, e.g. test vectors, patterns or sequences ; with adaptation of the tested hardware for testability with external testers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/36 Software reuse
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2814 Exchanging control software or macros for controlling appliance services in a home automation network arrangements for maintenance or administration involving configuration of the network and network elements H04L41/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 715/965 for process control and configuration

Abstract

A meal planning system includes memory having appliance user domain data and control system domain data. One or more instances of appliance user domain data are bound to one or more instances of control system domain data or one or more instances of other appliance user domain data. The appliance user domain data and the control system domain data are related to planning and preparing one or more meals. The system also has a communication path connected to the memory and connectable to a data sender. A query from the data sender to the memory over the communication path, and associated with criteria data referencing at least a portion of the control system domain data or the other appliance user domain data, will return data to the data sender so that the data sender can use the return data to affect the planning and preparing of a meal.

Claims

1. A meal planning system comprising:

memory having appliance user domain data and control system domain data, wherein at least one instance of appliance user domain data is bound to at least one instance of control system domain data or at least one instance of other appliance user domain data, the appliance user domain data and the control system domain data being related to planning and preparing at least one meal,

a communication path connected to the memory and connectable to a data sender

wherein a query associated with criteria data referencing at least a portion of one of the control system domain data or the other appliance user domain data from the data sender to the memory over the communication path will return data including at least a portion of the at least one instance of appliance user domain data to the data sender so that the data sender can use the return data to affect the planning and preparing of the at least one meal.

2. The meal planning system of claim 1 further comprising a processor having a meal planning software engine, wherein the meal planning software engine is configured to interact with the memory to manage the planning and preparation of at least one meal.

3. The meal planning system of claim 2 further comprising a user interface in communication with the processor and the memory wherein a user can interact with the meal planning software engine.

4. The meal planning system of claim 1 wherein the appliance user domain data includes recipe domain data comprising at least one of ingredients, preparation instructions, purchasing instructions, and meal serving instructions.

5. The meal planning system of claim 4 wherein the other appliance user domain data includes ingredient substitution domain data comprising at least two sets each having an ingredient, a quantity, and a unit which are equivalent and substitutable with respect to the recipe domain data wherein the meal planning system can alter the meal plan when the criteria data from the data sender includes information from the other appliance user domain.

8. The meal planning system of claim 1 wherein the criteria data includes at least one of the number of participants of a meal, medical information, dietary needs, allergies, preferences, and schedule wherein the meal planning system can alter at least one of ingredients and ingredient portions associated with the at least one meal in response to the criteria data.

9. The meal planning system of claim 8 wherein the other appliance user domain data includes nutrition domain data comprising nutritional information.

10. The meal planning system of claim 9 wherein the criteria data includes at least one of nutritional information, medical information, dietary needs, allergies, and preferences.

11. The meal planning system of claim 9 configured to transform the meal plan in response criteria data including ingredient information and in further response to nutrition information.

13. The meal planning system of claim 1 further configured to affect one of the appliance user domain data and the control system domain data in response to the binding.

14. The meal planning system of claim 13 wherein the appliance user domain data includes schedule domain data including a portion of at least one schedule, and the control system domain data includes meal preparation plan information including duration information, wherein the affect is to change at least one of the portion and the plan to make the portion and the plan compatible with respect to schedule and duration.

15. The meal planning system of claim 1 further comprising a cooking appliance having at least one control board connected to the communication path, wherein the at least a portion of the at least one appliance user instance is returned to the control board so that the bound control system domain data will affect operation of the control board.

16. The meal planning system of claim 15 wherein elements of the at least one appliance user instance include cooking vessel identifiers.

17. The meal planning system of claim 15 wherein elements of the at least one appliance user instance include cooking outcome identifiers.

18. The meal planning system of claim 15 further comprising a processor having a meal planning software engine, wherein the meal planning software engine is configured to interact with the memory to manage the planning and preparation of at least one meal, and further comprising a graphical user interface wherein a user can interact with the meal planning engine and initiate the query.

19. The meal planning system of claim 1 wherein the at least one control system instance includes a portion of the operational capabilities of at least one appliance wherein the meal planning system can alter the meal plan in response to receiving criteria data from the data sender including information about the available appliances for use in the preparing of the at least one meal.

20. The meal planning system of claim 19 wherein the at least one control system instance includes a portion of the available appliances.

21. The meal planning system of claim 19 further comprising a graphical user interface wherein a user specifies a portion of the available appliances.

22. The meal planning system of claim 19 further comprising a communication path connectable to at least one appliance wherein a portion of the available appliances is determined using the communications path.

23. The meal planning system of claim 22 wherein the portion of the available appliances is determined using the communications path via discovery message.

24. The meal planning system of claim 19 wherein the altered meal plan is changed relative to the time domain in response to the available appliances.

25. The meal planning system of claim 19 wherein the altered meal plan is changed relative to the cycles to be used on each of the available appliances.

26. The meal planning system of claim 19 wherein the altered meal plan is changed relative to the associations between the available appliances and at least one task included in the meal plan.

27. The meal planning system of claim 26 wherein the at least one task is selected from at least one of baking, broiling, convecting, cleaning, washing, chilling, mixing, blending, chopping, frying, simmering, boiling, freezing, cooling, chilling, warming, maintaining temperature, keeping warm, and microwaving.

28. The meal planning system of claim 19 further comprising a communication path connectable to at least one appliance, wherein the meal planning system is configured to send instructions to the at least one appliance in response to the meal plan.

29. The meal planning system of claim 28 wherein the instructions are one of a cycle definition and a command container.

30. The meal planning system of claim 28 wherein the instructions are derived from the operational capabilities of the at least one appliance.

31. The meal planning system of claim 30 wherein the operational capabilities are retrieved from the at least one appliance via network message.

6. The meal planning system of claim 6 wherein the criteria data includes information from the ingredient substitution domain wherein the meal planning system can alter at least one of ingredients and ingredient portions associated with the at least one meal in response to the criteria data.

7. The meal planning system of claim 6 wherein the criteria data includes at least one identifier representing one of a participant of a meal, a profile of a meal participant, medical information about a participant, dietary needs of a participant, allergies of a participant, preferences of a participant, schedule of a participant, current ingredient inventory, and historical information.

12. The meal planning system of claim 6 wherein the criteria data includes ingredient inventory data including information relating to the quantity or amount of foods and ingredients related to meal planning.

32. An appliance user domain data system to enable at least one appliance user domain related application comprising:

memory having appliance user domain data and control system domain data, wherein at least one instance of appliance user domain data is bound to at least one instance of control system domain data or at least one instance of other appliance user domain data, the appliance user domain data and the control system domain data being related to planning and preparing at least one user domain related activity,

a communication path connected to the memory and connectable to a data sender

wherein a query associated with criteria data referencing at least a portion of one of the control system domain data or the other appliance user domain data from the data sender to the memory over the communication path will return data including at least a portion of the at least one instance of appliance user domain data to the data sender wherein the data sender can use the return data to affect the planning and preparing of the at least one domain related activity.

33. The appliance user domain data system of claim 32 wherein the domain related activity is one of shopping, buying household goods, cooking, laundry, cleaning, and storage.